westward ho-第107部分

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he　mighty　potentate　and　renowned　warrior　whom　they　beheld　before　them；　for　Amyas　argued　rightly　enough；　that　even　if　the　old　fellow　aft　was　not　the　cacique；　he　would　be　none　the　less　pleased　at　being　mistaken　for　him。

Whereon　the　ancient　worthy；　rising　in　the　canoe；　pointed　to　heaven；　earth；　and　the　things　under；　and　commenced　a　long　sermon；　in　tone；　manner；　and　articulation；　very　like　one　of　those　which　the　great　black…bearded　apes　were　in　the　habit　of　preaching　every　evening　when　they　could　get　together　a　congregation　of　little　monkeys　to　listen；　to　the　great　scandal　of　Jack；　who　would　have　it　that　some　evil　spirit　set　them　on　to　mimic　him；　which　sermon；　being　partly　interpreted　by　the　Indian　lad；　seemed　to　signify；　that　the　valor　and　justice　of　the　white　men　had　already　reached　the　ears　of　the　speaker；　and　that　he　was　sent　to　welcome　them　into　those　regions　by　the　Daughter　of　the　Sun。

〃The　Daughter　of　the　Sun！〃　quoth　Amyas；　〃then　we　have　found　the　lost　Incas　after　all。〃

〃We　have　found　something；〃　said　Cary；　〃I　only　hope　it　may　not　be　a　mare's　nest；　like　many　another　of　our　finding。〃

〃Or　an　adder's；〃　said　Yeo。　　〃We　must　beware　of　treachery。〃

〃We　must　beware　of　no　such　thing；〃　said　Amyas；　pretty　sharply。　〃Have　I　not　told　you　fifty　times；　that　if　they　see　that　we　trust　them；　they　will　trust　us；　and　if　they　see　that　we　suspect　them；　they　will　suspect　us？　　And　when　two　parties　are　watching　to　see　who　strikes　the　first　blow；　they　are　sure　to　come　to　fisticuffs　from　mere　dirty　fear　of　each　other。〃

Amyas　spoke　truth；　for　almost　every　atrocity　against　savages　which　had　been　committed　by　the　Spaniards；　and　which　was　in　later　and　worse　times　committed　by　the　English；　was　wont　to　be　excused　in　that　same　base　fear　of　treachery。　　Amyas's　plan；　like　that　of　Drake；　and　Cook；　and　all　great　English　voyagers；　had　been　all　along　to　inspire　at　once　awe　and　confidence；　by　a　frank　and　fearless　carriage；　and　he　was　not　disappointed　here。　　He　bade　the　men　step　boldly　into　their　canoes；　and　follow　the　old　Indian　whither　he　would。　　The　simple　children　of　the　forest　bowed　themselves　reverently　before　the　mighty　strangers；　and　then　led　them　smilingly　across　the　stream；　and　through　a　narrow　passage　in　the　covert；　to　a　hidden　lagoon；　on　the　banks　of　which　stood；　not　Manoa；　but　a　tiny　Indian　village。



CHAPTER　XXIV

HOW　AMYAS　WAS　TEMPTED　OF　THE　DEVIL


〃Let　us　alone。　　What　pleasure　can　we　have　　　　To　war　with　evil？　　Is　there　any　peace　　In　always　climbing　up　the　climbing　wave？　　　　All　things　have　rest；　and　ripen　toward　the　grave　　In　silence；　ripen；　fall；　and　cease：　　　　Give　us　long　rest　or　death；　dark　death；　or　dreamful　ease。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TENNYSON。


Humboldt　has　somewhere　a　curious　passage；　in　which；　looking　on　some　wretched　group　of　Indians；　squatting　stupidly　round　their　fires；　besmeared　with　grease　and　paint；　and　devouring　ants　and　clay；　he　somewhat　naively　remarks；　that　were　it　not　for　science；　which　teaches　us　that　such　is　the　crude　material　of　humanity；　and　this　the　state　from　which　we　all　have　risen；　he　should　have　been　tempted　rather　to　look　upon　those　hapless　beings　as　the　last　degraded　remnants　of　some　fallen　and　dying　race。　　One　wishes　that　the　great　traveller　had　been　bold　enough　to　yield　to　that　temptation；　which　his　own　reason　and　common　sense　presented　to　him　as　the　real　explanation　of　the　sad　sight；　instead　of　following　the　dogmas　of　a　so…called　science；　which　has　not　a　fact　whereon　to　base　its　wild　notion；　and　must　ignore　a　thousand　facts　in　asserting　it。　　His　own　good　sense；　it　seems；　coincided　instinctively　with　the　Bible　doctrine；　that　man　in　a　state　of　nature　is　a　fallen　being；　doomed　to　deatha　view　which　may　be　a　sad　one；　but　still　one　more　honorable　to　poor　humanity　than　the　theory；　that　we　all　began　as　some　sort　of　two…handed　apes。　　It　is　surely　more　hopeful　to　believe　that　those　poor　Otomacs　or　Guahibas　were　not　what　they　ought　to　be；　than　to　believe　that　they　were。　　It　is　certainly　more　complimentary　to　them　to　think　that　they　had　been　somewhat　nobler　and　more　prudent　in　centuries　gone　by；　than　that　they　were　such　blockheads　as　to　have　dragged　on；　the　son　after　the　father；　for　all　the　thousands　of　years　which　have　elapsed　since　man　was　made；　without　having　had　wit　enough　to　discover　any　better　food　than　ants　and　clay。

Our　voyagers；　however；　like　those　of　their　time；　troubled　their　heads　with　no　such　questions。　　Taking　the　Bible　story　as　they　found　it；　they　agreed　with　Humboldt's　reason；　and　not　with　his　science；　or；　to　speak　correctly；　agreed　with　Humboldt's　self；　and　not　with　the　shallow　anthropologic　theories　which　happened　to　be　in　vogue　fifty　years　ago；　and　their　new　hosts　were　in　their　eyes　immortal　souls　like　themselves；　〃captivated　by　the　devil　at　his　will；〃　lost　there　in　the　pathless　forests；　likely　to　be　lost　hereafter。

And　certainly　facts　seemed　to　bear　out　their　old…fashioned　theories；　although　these　Indians　had　sunk　by　no　means　so　low　as　the　Guahibas　whom　they　had　met　upon　the　lower　waters　of　the　same　river。

They　beheld；　on　landing；　a　scattered　village　of　palm…leaf　sheds；　under　which；　as　usual；　the　hammocks　were　slung　from　tree　to　tree。　Here　and　there；　in　openings　in　the　forest；　patches　of　cassava　and　indigo　appeared；　and　there　was　a　look　of　neatness　and　comfort　about　the　little　settlement　superior　to　the　average。

But　now　for　the　signs　of　the　evil　spirit。　　Certainly　it　was　no　good　spirit　who　had　inspired　them　with　the　art　of　music；　or　else　（as　Cary　said）　Apollo　and　Mercury　（if　they　ever　visited　America）　had　played　their　forefathers　a　shabby　trick；　and　put　them　off　with　very　poor　instruments；　and　still　poorer　taste。　　For　on　either　side　of　the　landing…place　were　arranged　four　or　five　stout　fellows；　each　with　a　tall　drum；　or　long　earthen　trumpet；　swelling　out　in　the　course　of　its　length　into　several　hollow　balls　from　which　arose；　the　moment　the　strangers　set　foot　on　shore；　so　deafening　a　cacophony　of　howls；　and　groans；　and　thumps；　as　fully　to　justify　Yeo's　remark；　〃They　are　calling　upon　their　devil；　sir。〃　　To　which　Cary　answered；　with　some　show　of　reason；　that　〃they　were　the　less　likely　to　be　disappointed；　for　none　but　Sir　Urian　would　ever　come　to　listen　to　such　a　noise。〃

〃And　you　mark；　sirs；〃　said　Yeo；　〃there's　some　feast　or　sacrifice　toward。　　〃I'm　not　overconfident　of　them　yet。〃

〃Nonsense！〃　said　Amyas；　〃we　could　kill　every　soul　of　them　in　half…　an…hour；　and　they　know　that　as　well　as　we。〃

But　some　great　demonstration　was　plainly　toward；　for　the　children　of　the　forest　were　arrayed　in　two　lines；　right　and　left　of　the　open　space；　the　men　in　front；　and　the　women　behind；　and　all　bedizened；　to　the　best　of　their　power；　with　arnotto；　indigo；　and　feathers。

Next；　with　a　hideous　yell；　leapt　into　the　centre　of　the　space　a　personage　who　certainly　could　not　have　complained　if　any　one　had　taken　him　for　the　devil；　for　he　had　dressed　himself　up　carefully　for　that　very　intent；　in　a　jaguar…skin　with　a　long　tail；　grinning　teeth；　a　pair　of　horns；　a　plume　of　black　and　yellow　feathers；　and　a　huge　rattle。

〃Here's　the　Piache；　the　rascal；〃　says　Amyas。

〃Ay；〃　says　Yeo；　〃in　Satan's　livery；　and　I've　no　doubt　his　works　are　according；　trust　him　for　it。〃

〃Don't　be　frightened；　Jack；〃　says　Cary；　backing　up　Brimblecombe　from　behind。　　〃It's　your　business　to　tackle　him；　you　know。　　At　him　boldly；　and　he'll　run。〃

Whereat　all　the　men　laughed；　and　the　Piache；　who　had　intended　to　produce　a　very　solemn　impression；　hung　fire　a　little。　　However；　being　accustomed　to　get　his　bread　by　his　impudence；　he　soon　recovered　himself；　advanced；　smote　one　of　the　musicians　over　the　head　with　his　rattle　to　procure　silence；　and　then　began　a　harangue；　to　which　Amyas　listened　patiently；　cigar　in　mouth。

〃What's　it　all　about；　boy？〃

〃He　wants　to　know　whether　you　have　seen　Amalivaca　on　the　other　shore　of　the　great　water？〃

Amyas　was　accustomed　to　this　inquiry　after　the　mythic　civilizer　of　the　forest　Indians；　who；　after　carving　the　mysterious　sculptures　which　appear　upon　so　many　inland　cliffs　of　that　region；　returned　again　whence　he　came；　beyond　the　ocean。　　He　answered；　as　usual；　by　setting　forth　the　praises　of　Queen　Elizabeth。

To　which　the　Piache　replied；　that　she　must　be　one　of　Amalivaca's　seven　daughters；　some　of　whom　he　took　back　with　him；　while　be　broke　the　legs　of　the　rest　to　prevent　their　running　away；　and　left　them　to　people　the　forests。

To　which　Amyas　replied；　that　his　queen's　legs　were　certainly　not　broken；　for　she　was　a　very　model　of　grace　and　activity；　and　the　best　dancer　in　all　her　dominions；　but　that　it　was　more　important　to　him　to　know　whether　the　tribe　would　give　them　cassava　bread；　and　let　them　stay　peaceably　on　that　island；　to　rest　a　while　before　they　went　on　to　fight　the　clothed　men　（the　Spaniards）；　on　the　other　side　of　the　mountains。

On　which　the　Piache；　after　capering　and　turning　head　over　heels　with　much　howling；　beckoned　Amyas　and　his　party　to　follow　him；　they　did　so；　seeing　that　the　Indians　were　all　unarmed；　and　evidently　in　the　highest　good　humor。

The　Piache　went　toward　the　door　of　a　carefully　closed　hut；　and　crawling　up　to　it　on　all…fours　in　most　abject　fashion；　began　whining　to　some　one　within。

〃Ask　what　he　is　about；　boy。〃

The　lad　asked　the　ol