the right eye of the commander-第1节

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THE　RIGHT　EYE　OF　THE　COMMANDER





The　year　of　grace　1797　passed　away　on　the　coast　of　California　in　a

southwesterly　gale。　　The　little　bay　of　San　Carlos；　albeit　sheltered

by　the　headlands　of　the　blessed　Trinity；　was　rough　and　turbulent；

its　foam　clung　quivering　to　the　seaward　wall　of　the　Mission　garden；

the　air　was　filled　with　flying　sand　and　spume；　and　as　the　Senor

Commandante；　Hermenegildo　Salvatierra；　looked　from　the　deep

embrasured　window　of　the　Presidio　guardroom；　he　felt　the　salt

breath　of　the　distant　sea　buffet　a　color　into　his　smoke…dried

cheeks。



The　Commander；　I　have　said；　was　gazing　thoughtfully　from　the　window

of　the　guardroom。　　He　may　have　been　reviewing　the　events　of　the

year　now　about　to　pass　away。　　But；　like　the　garrison　at　the

Presidio；　there　was　little　to　review；　the　year；　like　its

predecessors；　had　been　uneventfulthe　days　had　slipped　by　in　a

delicious　monotony　of　simple　duties；　unbroken　by　incident　or

interruption。　　The　regularly　recurring　feasts　and　saints'　days；　the

half…yearly　courier　from　San　Diego；　the　rare　transport　ship　and

rarer　foreign　vessel；　were　the　mere　details　of　his　patriarchal

life。　　If　there　was　no　achievement；　there　was　certainly　no　failure。

Abundant　harvests　and　patient　industry　amply　supplied　the　wants　of

Presidio　and　Mission。　　Isolated　from　the　family　of　nations；　the

wars　which　shook　the　world　concerned　them　not　so　much　as　the　last

earthquake；　the　struggle　that　emancipated　their　sister　colonies　on

the　other　side　of　the　continent　to　them　had　no　suggestiveness。　　In

short；　it　was　that　glorious　Indian　summer　of　California　history

around　which　so　much　poetical　haze　still　lingersthat　bland；

indolent　autumn　of　Spanish　rule；　so　soon　to　be　followed　by　the

wintry　storms　of　Mexican　independence　and　the　reviving　spring　of

American　conquest。



The　Commander　turned　from　the　window　and　walked　toward　the　fire

that　burned　brightly　on　the　deep　ovenlike　hearth。　　A　pile　of

copybooks；　the　work　of　the　Presidio　school；　lay　on　the　table。　　As

he　turned　over　the　leaves　with　a　paternal　interest；　and　surveyed

the　fair　round　Scripture　textthe　first　pious　pothooks　of　the

pupils　of　San　Carlosan　audible　commentary　fell　from　his　lips：

〃'Abimelech　took　her　from　Abraham'ah；　little　one；　excellent！

'Jacob　sent　to　see　his　brother'body　of　Christ！　that　upstroke　of

thine；　Paquita；　is　marvelous；　the　Governor　shall　see　it！〃　　A　film

of　honest　pride　dimmed　the　Commander's　left　eyethe　right；　alas！

twenty　years　before　had　been　sealed　by　an　Indian　arrow。　　He　rubbed

it　softly　with　the　sleeve　of　his　leather　jacket；　and　continued：

〃'The　Ishmaelites　having　arrived'〃



He　stopped；　for　there　was　a　step　in　the　courtyard；　a　foot　upon　the

threshold；　and　a　stranger　entered。　　With　the　instinct　of　an　old

soldier；　the　Commander；　after　one　glance　at　the　intruder；　turned

quickly　toward　the　wall；　where　his　trusty　Toledo　hung；　or　should

have　been　hanging。　　But　it　was　not　there；　and　as　he　recalled　that

the　last　time　he　had　seen　that　weapon　it　was　being　ridden　up　and

down　the　gallery　by　Pepito；　the　infant　son　of　Bautista；　the

tortilla…maker；　he　blushed　and　then　contented　himself　with　frowning

upon　the　intruder。



But　the　stranger's　air；　though　irreverent；　was　decidedly　peaceful。

He　was　unarmed；　and　wore　the　ordinary　cape　of　tarpaulin　and　sea

boots　of　a　mariner。　　Except　a　villainous　smell　of　codfish；　there

was　little　about　him　that　was　peculiar。



His　name；　as　he　informed　the　Commander；　in　Spanish　that　was　more

fluent　than　elegant　or　precisehis　name　was　Peleg　Scudder。　　He　was

master　of　the　schooner　GENERAL　COURT；　of　the　port　of　Salem　in

Massachusetts；　on　a　trading　voyage　to　the　South　Seas；　but　now

driven　by　stress　of　weather　into　the　bay　of　San　Carlos。　　He　begged

permission　to　ride　out　the　gale　under　the　headlands　of　the　blessed

Trinity；　and　no　more。　　Water　he　did　not　need；　having　taken　in　a

supply　at　Bodega。　　He　knew　the　strict　surveillance　of　the　Spanish

port　regulations　in　regard　to　foreign　vessels；　and　would　do　nothing

against　the　severe　discipline　and　good　order　of　the　settlement。

There　was　a　slight　tinge　of　sarcasm　in　his　tone　as　he　glanced

toward　the　desolate　parade　ground　of　the　Presidio　and　the　open

unguarded　gate。　　The　fact　was　that　the　sentry；　Felipe　Gomez；　had

discreetly　retired　to　shelter　at　the　beginning　of　the　storm；　and

was　then　sound　asleep　in　the　corridor。



The　Commander　hesitated。　　The　port　regulations　were　severe；　but　he

was　accustomed　to　exercise　individual　authority；　and　beyond　an　old

order　issued　ten　years　before；　regarding　the　American　ship

COLUMBIA；　there　was　no　precedent　to　guide　him。　　The　storm　was

severe；　and　a　sentiment　of　humanity　urged　him　to　grant　the

stranger's　request。　　It　is　but　just　to　the　Commander　to　say　that

his　inability　to　enforce　a　refusal　did　not　weigh　with　his　decision。

He　would　have　denied　with　equal　disregard　of　consequences　that

right　to　a　seventy…four…gun　ship　which　he　now　yielded　so　gracefully

to　this　Yankee　trading　schooner。　　He　stipulated　only　that　there

should　be　no　communication　between　the　ship　and　shore。　　〃For

yourself；　Senor　Captain；〃　he　continued；　〃accept　my　hospitality。

The　fort　is　yours　as　long　as　you　shall　grace　it　with　your

distinguished　presence〃；　and　with　old…fashioned　courtesy；　he　made

the　semblance　of　withdrawing　from　the　guardroom。



Master　Peleg　Scudder　smiled　as　he　thought　of　the　half…dismantled

fort；　the　two　moldy　brass　cannon；　cast　in　Manila　a　century

previous。　　and　the　shiftless　garrison。　　A　wild　thought　of　accepting

the　Commander's　offer　literally；　conceived　in　the　reckless　spirit

of　a　man　who　never　let　slip　an　offer　for　trade；　for　a　moment　filled

his　brain；　but　a　timely　reflection　of　the　commercial　unimportance

of　the　transaction　checked　him。　　He　only　took　a　capacious　quid　of

tobacco　as　the　Commander　gravely　drew　a　settle　before　the　fire；　and

in　honor　of　his　guest　untied　the　black…silk　handkerchief　that　bound

his　grizzled　brows。



What　passed　between　Salvatierra　and　his　guest　that　night　it　becomes

me　not；　as　a　grave　chronicler　of　the　salient　points　of　history；　to

relate。　　I　have　said　that　Master　Peleg　Scudder　was　a　fluent　talker；

and　under　the　influence　of　divers　strong　waters；　furnished　by　his

host；　he　became　still　more　loquacious。　　And　think　of　a　man　with　a

twenty　years'　budget　of　gossip！　　The　Commander　learned；　for　the

first　time；　how　Great　Britain　lost　her　colonies；　of　the　French

Revolution；　of　the　great　Napoleon；　whose　achievements；　perhaps；

Peleg　colored　more　highly　than　the　Commander's　superiors　would　have

liked。　　And　when　Peleg　turned　questioner；　the　Commander　was　at　his

mercy。　　He　gradually　made　himself　master　of　the　gossip　of　the

Mission　and　Presidio；　the　〃small…beer〃　chronicles　of　that　pastoral

age；　the　conversion　of　the　heathen；　the　Presidio　schools；　and　even

asked　the　Commander　how　he　had　lost　his　eye！　　It　is　said　that　at

this　point　of　the　conversation　Master　Peleg　produced　from　about　his

person　divers　small　trinkets；　kickshaws；　and　newfangled　trifles；

and　even　forced　some　of　them　upon　his　host。　　It　is　further　alleged

that　under　the　malign　influence　of　Peleg　and　several　glasses　of

aguardiente；　the　Commander　lost　somewhat　of　his　decorum；　and

behaved　in　a　manner　unseemly　for　one　in　his　position；　reciting

high…flown　Spanish　poetry；　and　even　piping　in　a　thin；　high　voice

divers　madrigals　and　heathen　canzonets　of　an　amorous　complexion；

chiefly　in　regard　to　a　〃little　one〃　who　was　his；　the　Commander's；

〃soul〃！　　These　allegations；　perhaps　unworthy　the　notice　of　a

serious　chronicler；　should　be　received　with　great　caution；　and　are

introduced　here　as　simple　hearsay。　　That　the　Commander；　however；

took　a　handkerchief　and　attempted　to　show　his　guest　the　mysteries

of　the　SEMICUACUA；　capering　in　an　agile　but　indecorous　manner　about

the　apartment；　has　been　denied。　　Enough　for　the　purposes　of　this

narrative　that　at　midnight　Peleg　assisted　his　host　to　bed　with　many

protestations　of　undying　friendship；　and　then；　as　the　gale　had

abated；　took　his　leave　of　the　Presidio　and　hurried　aboard　the

GENERAL　COURT。　　When　the　day　broke　the　ship　was　gone。



I　know　not　if　Peleg　kept　his　word　with　his　host。　　It　is　said　that

the　holy　fathers　at　the　Mission　that　night　heard　a　loud　chanting　in

the　plaza；　as　of　the　heathens　singing　psalms　through　their　noses；

that　for　many　days　after　an　odor　of　salt　codfish　prevailed　in　the

settlement；　that　a　dozen　hard　nutmegs；　which　were　unfit　for　spice

or　seed；　were　found　in　the　possession　of　the　wife　of　the　baker；　and

that　several　bushels　of　shoe　pegs；　which　bore　a　pleasing

resemblance　to　oats；　but　were　quite　inadequate　to　the　purposes　of

provender；　were　discovered　in　the　stable　of　the　blacksmith。　　But

when　the　reader　reflects　upon　the　sacredness　of　a　Yankee　trader's

word；　the　stringent　discipline　of　the　Spanish　port　regulations；　and

the　proverbial　indisposition　of　my　countrymen　to　impose　upon　the

confidence　of　a　simple　people；　he　will　a