westward ho-第37部分

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on　these；　the　men　began　to　blaspheme；　saying；　'What　a　plague　had　the　captain　to　fill　the　boat　with　dirty　live　lumber　for　that　giglet's　sake？　　They　had　a　better　right　to　a　good　supper　than　ever　she　had；　and　might　fast　awhile　to　cool　her　hot　blood；'　and　so　cooked　and　ate　those　hens；　plucking　them　on　board　the　pinnace；　and　letting　the　feathers　fall　into　the　stream。　　But　when　William　Penberthy；　my　good　comrade；　saw　the　feathers　floating　away　down；　he　asked　them　if　they　were　mad；　to　lay　a　trail　by　which　the　Spaniards　would　surely　track　them　out；　if　they　came　after　them；　as　without　doubt　they　would。　　But　they　laughed　him　to　scorn；　and　said　that　no　Spanish　cur　dared　follow　on　the　heels　of　true　English　mastiffs　as　they　were；　and　other　boastful　speeches；　and　at　last；　being　heated　with　wine；　began　afresh　to　murmur　at　the　captain。　　And　one　speaking　of　his　counsel　about　the　island；　the　rest　altogether　took　it　amiss　and　out　of　the　way；　and　some　sprang　up　crying　treason；　and　others　that　he　meant　to　defraud　them　of　the　plate　which　he　had　promised；　and　others　that　he　meant　to　desert　them　in　a　strange　land；　and　so　forth；　till　Mr。　O。；　hearing　the　hubbub；　came　out　to　them　from　the　house；　when　they　reviled　him　foully；　swearing　that　he　meant　to　cheat　them；　and　one　Edward　Stiles；　a　Wapping　man；　mad　with　drink；　dared　to　say　that　he　was　a　fool　for　not　giving　up　the　prisoners　to　the　negroes；　and　what　was　it　to　him　if　the　lady　roasted？　the　negroes　should　have　her　yet；　and　drawing　his　sword；　ran　upon　the　captain：　for　which　I　was　about　to　strike　him　through　the　body；　but　the　captain；　not　caring　to　waste　steel　on　such　a　ribald；　with　his　fist　caught　him　such　a　buffet　behind　the　ear；　that　he　fell　down　stark　dead；　and　all　the　rest　stood　amazed。　　Then　Mr。　Oxenham　called　out；　'All　honest　men　who　know　me；　and　can　trust　me；　stand　by　your　lawful　captain　against　these　ruffians。'　　Whereon；　sirs；　I；　and　Penberthy　my　good　comrade；　and　four　Plymouth　men；　who　had　sailed　with　Mr。　O。　in　Mr。　Drake's　ship；　and　knew　his　trusty　and　valiant　conditions；　came　over　to　him；　and　swore　before　God　to　stand　by　him　and　the　lady。　　Then　said　Mr。　O。　to　the　rest；　'Will　you　carry　this　treasure；　knaves；　or　will　you　not？　　Give　me　an　answer　here。'　　And　they　refused；　unless　he　would；　before　they　started；　give　each　man　his　share。　　So　Mr。　O。　waxed　very　mad；　and　swore　that　he　would　never　be　served　by　men　who　did　not　trust　him；　and　so　went　in　again；　and　that　night　was　spent　in　great　disquiet；　I　and　those　five　others　keeping　watch　about　the　house　of　boughs　till　the　rest　fell　asleep；　in　their　drink。　　And　next　morning；　when　the　wine　was　gone　out　of　them；　Mr。　O。　asked　them　whether　they　would　go　to　the　hills　with　him；　and　find　those　negroes；　and　persuade　them　after　all　to　carry　the　treasure。　　To　which　they　agreed　after　awhile；　thinking　that　so　they　should　save　themselves　labor；　and　went　off　with　Mr。　Oxenham；　leaving　us　six　who　had　stood　by　him　to　watch　the　lady　and　the　treasure；　after　he　had　taken　an　oath　of　us　that　we　would　deal　justly　and　obediently　by　him　and　by　her；　which　God　knows；　gentlemen；　we　did。　　So　he　parted　with　much　weeping　and　wailing　of　the　lady；　and　was　gone　seven　days；　and　all　that　time　we　kept　that　lady　faithfully　and　honestly；　bringing　her　the　best　we　could　find；　and　serving　her　upon　our　bended　knees；　both　for　her　admirable　beauty；　and　for　her　excellent　conditions；　for　she　was　certainly　of　some　noble　kin；　and　courteous；　and　without　fear；　as　if　she　had　been　a　very　princess。　　But　she　kept　always　within　the　house；　which　the　little　maid　（God　bless　her！）　did　not；　but　soon　learned　to　play　with　us　and　we　with　her；　so　that　we　made　great　cheer　of　her；　gentlemen；　sailor　fashionfor　you　know　we　must　always　have　our　minions　aboard　to　pet　and　amuse　usmaybe　a　monkey；　or　a　little　dog；　or　a　singing　bird；　ay；　or　mice　and　spiders；　if　we　have　nothing　better　to　play　withal。　　And　she　was　wonderful　sharp；　sirs；　was　the　little　maid；　and　picked　up　her　English　from　us　fast；　calling　us　jolly　mariners；　which　I　doubt　but　she　has　forgotten　by　now；　but　I　hope　in　God　it　be　not　so；〃　and　therewith　the　good　fellow　began　wiping　his　eyes。

〃Well；　sir；　on　the　seventh　day　we　six　were　down　by　the　pinnace　clearing　her　out；　and　the　little　maid　with　us　gathering　of　flowers；　and　William　Penberthy　fishing　on　the　bank；　about　a　hundred　yards　below；　when　on　a　sudden　he　leaps　up　and　runs　toward　us；　crying；　'Here　come　our　hens'　feathers　back　again　with　a　vengeance！'　and　so　bade　catch　up　the　little　maid；　and　run　for　the　house；　for　the　Spaniards　were　upon　us。

〃Which　was　too　true；　for　before　we　could　win　the　house；　there　were　full　eighty　shot　at　our　heels；　but　could　not　overtake　us；　nevertheless；　some　of　them　stopping；　fixed　their　calivers　and　let　fly；　killing　one　of　the　Plymouth　men。　　The　rest　of　us　escaped　to　the　house；　and　catching　up　the　lady；　fled　forth；　not　knowing　whither　we　went；　while　the　Spaniards；　finding　the　house　and　treasure；　pursued　us　no　farther。

〃For　all　that　day　and　the　next　we　wandered　in　great　misery；　the　lady　weeping　continually；　and　calling　for　Mr。　Oxenham　most　piteously；　and　the　little　maid　likewise；　till　with　much　ado　we　found　the　track　of　our　comrades；　and　went　up　that　as　best　we　might：　but　at　nightfall；　by　good　hap；　we　met　the　whole　crew　coming　back；　and　with　them　200　negroes　or　more；　with　bows　and　arrows。　　At　which　sight　was　great　joy　and　embracing；　and　it　was　a　strange　thing；　sirs；　to　see　the　lady；　for　before　that　she　was　altogether　desperate：　and　yet　she　was　now　a　very　lioness；　as　soon　as　she　had　got　her　love　again；　and　prayed　him　earnestly　not　to　care　for　that　gold；　but　to　go　forward　to　the　North　Sea；　vowing　to　him　in　my　hearing　that　she　cared　no　more　for　poverty　than　she　had　cared　for　her　good　name；　and　thenthey　being　a　little　apart　from　the　rest　pointed　round　to　the　green　forest；　and　said　in　Spanishwhich　I　suppose　they　knew　not　that　I　understood；'See；　all　round　us　is　Paradise。　　Were　it　not　enough　for　you　and　me　to　stay　here　forever；　and　let　them　take　the　gold　or　leave　it　as　they　will？'

〃To　which　Mr。　Oxenham'Those　who　lived　in　Paradise　had　not　sinned　as　we　have；　and　would　never　have　grown　old　or　sick；　as　we　shall。'

〃And　she'If　we　do　that；　there　are　poisons　enough　in　these　woods；　by　which　we　may　die　in　each　other's　arms；　as　would　to　Heaven　we　had　died　seven　years　agone！'

〃But　he'No；　no；　my　life。　　It　stands　upon　my　honor　both　to　fulfil　my　bond　with　these　men；　whom　I　have　brought　hither；　and　to　take　home　to　England　at　least　something　of　my　prize　as　a　proof　of　my　own　valor。'

〃Then　she　smiling'Am　I　not　prize　enough；　and　proof　enough？'　　But　he　would　not　be　so　tempted；　and　turning　to　us　offered　us　the　half　of　that　treasure；　if　we　would　go　back　with　him；　and　rescue　it　from　the　Spaniard。　　At　which　the　lady　wept　and　wailed　much；　but　I　took　upon　myself　to　comfort　her；　though　I　was　but　a　simple　mariner；　telling　her　that　it　stood　upon　Mr。　Oxenham's　honor；　and　that　in　England　nothing　was　esteemed　so　foul　as　cowardice；　or　breaking　word　and　troth　betwixt　man　and　man；　and　that　better　was　it　for　him　to　die　seven　times　by　the　Spaniards；　than　to　face　at　home　the　scorn　of　all　who　sailed　the　seas。　　So；　after　much　ado；　back　they　went　again；　I　and　Penberthy；　and　the　three　Plymouth　men　which　escaped　from　the　pinnace；　keeping　the　lady　as　before。

〃Well；　sirs；　we　waited　five　days；　having　made　houses　of　boughs　as　before；　without　hearing　aught；　and　on　the　sixth　we　saw　coming　afar　off　Mr。　Oxenham；　and　with　him　fifteen　or　twenty　men；　who　seemed　very　weary　and　wounded；　and　when　we　looked　for　the　rest　to　be　behind　them；　behold　there　were　no　more；　at　which；　sirs；　as　you　may　well　think；　our　hearts　sank　within　us。

〃And　Mr。　O。；　coming　nearer；　cried　out　afar　off；　'All　is　lost！'　and　so　walked　into　the　camp　without　a　word；　and　sat　himself　down　at　the　foot　of　a　great　tree　with　his　head　between　his　hands；　speaking　neither　to　the　lady　or　to　any　one；　till　she　very　pitifully　kneeling　before　him；　cursing　herself　for　the　cause　of　all　his　mischief；　and　praying　him　to　avenge　himself　upon　that　her　tender　body；　won　him　hardly　to　look　once　upon　her；　after　which　（as　is　the　way　of　vain　and　unstable　man）　all　between　them　was　as　before。

〃But　the　men　were　full　of　curses　against　the　negroes；　for　their　cowardice　and　treachery；　yea；　and　against　high　Heaven　itself；　which　had　put　the　most　part　of　their　ammunition　into　the　Spaniards'　hands；　and　told　me；　and　I　believe　truly；　how　they　forced　the　enemy　awaiting　them　in　a　little　copse　of　great　trees；　well　fortified　with　barricades　of　boughs；　and　having　with　them　our　two　falcons；　which　they　had　taken　out　of　the　pinnace。　　And　how　Mr。　Oxenham　divided　both　the　English　and　the　negroes　into　two　bands；　that　one　might　attack　the　enemy　in　front；　and　the　other　in　the　rear；　and　so　set　upon　them　with　great　fury；　and　would　have　utterly　driven　them　out；　but　that　the　negroes；　who　had　come　on　with　much　howling；　like　very　wild　beasts；　being　suddenly　scared　with　the　shot　and　noise　of　the　ordnance；　turned　and　fled；　leaving　the　Englishmen　alone；　in　which　evil　strait　Mr。　O。　fought　like　a　very　Guy　of　Warwick；　and　I　verily　believe　every　man　of　them　likewise；　for　there　was　none　of　them　who　had　not　his　shrewd　scratch　to　show。　　And　indeed；　Mr。　Oxenham's　party　had　once　gotten　within　the　barricades；　but　the　Spaniards　being　sheltered