westward ho-第112节

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But　high　in　air　gleamed　Amyas's　blade；　down　with　all　the　weight　of　his　huge　body　and　strong　arm；　fell　that　most　trusty　steel；　the　head　of　the　jaguar　dropped　grinning　on　its　victim's　corpse；


　　　　　〃And　all　stood　still；　who　saw　him　fall；　　　　　　　While　men　might　count　a　score。〃


〃O　Lord　Jesus；〃　said　Amyas　to　himself；　〃Thou　hast　answered　the　devil　for　me！　　And　this　is　the　selfish　rest　for　which　I　would　have　bartered　the　rest　which　comes　by　working　where　Thou　hast　put　me！〃

They　bore　away　the　lithe　corpse　into　the　forest；　and　buried　it　under　soft　moss　and　virgin　mould；　and　so　the　fair　clay　was　transfigured　into　fairer　flowers；　and　the　poor；　gentle；　untaught　spirit　returned　to　God　who　gave　it。

And　then　Amyas　went　sadly　and　silently　back　again；　and　Parracombe　walked　after　him；　like　one　who　walks　in　sleep。

Ebsworthy；　sobered　by　the　shock；　entreated　to　come　too：　but　Amyas　forbade　him　gently；

〃No；　lad；　you　are　forgiven。　　God　forbid　that　I　should　judge　you　or　any　man！　　Sir　John　shall　come　up　and　marry　you；　and　then；　if　it　still　be　your　will　to　stay；　the　Lord　forgive　you；　if　you　be　wrong；　in　the　meanwhile；　we　will　leave　with　you　all　that　we　can　spare。　Stay　here　and　pray　to　God　to　make　you；　and　me　too；　wiser　men。〃

And　so　Amyas　departed。　　He　had　come　out　stern　and　proud；　but　he　came　back　again　like　a　little　child。

Three　days　after　Parracombe　was　dead。　　Once　in　camp　he　seemed　unable　to　eat　or　move；　and　having　received　absolution　and　communion　from　good　Sir　John；　faded　away　without　disease　or　pain；　〃babbling　of　green　fields；〃　and　murmuring　the　name　of　his　lost　Indian　bride。

Amyas；　too；　sought　ghostly　council　of　Sir　John；　and　told　him　all　which　had　passed　through　his　mind。

〃It　was　indeed　a　temptation　of　Diabolus；〃　said　that　simple　sage；　〃for　he　is　by　his　very　name　the　divider　who　sets　man　against　man；　and　tempts　one　to　care　only　for　oneself；　and　forget　kin　and　country；　and　duty　and　queen。　　But　you　have　resisted　him；　Captain　Leigh；　like　a　true…born　Englishman；　as　you　always　are；　and　he　has　fled　from　you。　　But　that　is　no　reason　why　we　should　not　flee　from　him　too；　and　so　I　think　the　sooner　we　are　out　of　this　place；　and　at　work　again；　the　better　for　all　our　souls。〃

To　which　Amyas　most　devoutly　said；　〃Amen！〃　　If　Ayacanora　were　the　daughter　of　ten　thousand　Incas；　he　must　get　out　of　her　way　as　soon　as　possible。

The　next　day　he　announced　his　intention　to　march　once　more；　and　to　his　delight　found　the　men　ready　enough　to　move　towards　the　Spanish　settlements。　　One　thing　they　needed：　gunpowder　for　their　muskets。　But　that　they　must　make　as　they　went　along；　that　is；　if　they　could　get　the　materials。　　Charcoal　they　could　procure；　enough　to　set　the　world　on　fire；　but　nitre　they　had　not　yet　seen；　perhaps　they　should　find　it　among　the　hills：　while　as　for　sulphur；　any　brave　man　could　get　that　where　there　were　volcanoes。　　Who　had　not　heard　how　one　of　Cortez'　Spaniards；　in　like　need；　was　lowered　in　a　basket　down　the　smoking　crater　of　Popocatepetl；　till　he　had　gathered　sulphur　enough　to　conquer　an　empire？　　And　what　a　Spaniard　could　do　an　Englishman　could　do；　or　they　would　know　the　reason　why。　　And　if　they　found　nonewhy　clothyard　arrows　had　done　Englishmen's　work　many　a　time　already；　and　they　could　do　it　again；　not　to　mention　those　same　blow…guns　and　their　arrows　of　curare　poison；　which；　though　they　might　be　useless　against　Spaniards'　armor；　were　far　more　valuable　than　muskets　for　procuring　food；　from　the　simple　fact　of　their　silence。

One　thing　remained；　to　invite　their　Indian　friends　to　join　them。　And　that　was　done　in　due　form　the　next　day。

Ayacanora　was　consulted；　of　course；　and　by　the　Piache；　too；　who　was　glad　enough　to　be　rid　of　the　rival　preacher；　and　his　unpleasantly　good　news　that　men　need　not　worship　the　devil；　because　there　was　a　good　God　above　them。　　The　maiden　sang　most　melodious　assent；　the　whole　tribe　echoed　it；　and　all　went　smoothly　enough　till　the　old　cacique　observed　that　before　starting　a　compact　should　be　made　between　the　allies　as　to　their　share　of　the　booty。

Nothing　could　be　more　reasonable；　and　Amyas　asked　him　to　name　his　terms。

〃You　take　the　gold；　and　we　will　take　the　prisoners。〃

〃And　what　will　you　do　with　them？〃　asked　Amyas；　who　recollected　poor　John　Oxenham's　hapless　compact　made　in　like　case。

〃Eat　them；〃　quoth　the　cacique；　innocently　enough。

Amyas　whistled。

〃Humph！〃　said　Cary。　　〃The　old　proverb　comes　true'the　more　the　merrier：　but　the　fewer　the　better　fare。'　　I　think　we　will　do　without　our　red　friends　for　this　time。〃

Ayacanora；　who　had　been　preaching　war　like　a　very　Boadicea；　was　much　vexed。

〃Do　you　too　want　to　dine　off　roast　Spaniards？〃　asked　Amyas。

She　shook　her　head；　and　denied　the　imputation　with　much　disgust。

Amyas　was　relieved；　he　had　shrunk　from　joining　the　thought　of　so　fair　a　creature；　however　degraded；　with　the　horrors　of　cannibalism。

But　the　cacique　was　a　man　of　business；　and　held　out　stanchly。

〃Is　it　fair？〃　he　asked。　　〃The　white　man　loves　gold；　and　he　gets　it。　The　poor　Indian；　what　use　is　gold　to　him？　　He　only　wants　something　to　eat；　and　he　must　eat　his　enemies。　　What　else　will　pay　him　for　going　so　far　through　the　forests　hungry　and　thirsty？　　You　will　get　all；　and　the　Omaguas　will　get　nothing。〃

The　argument　was　unanswerable；　and　the　next　day　they　started　without　the　Indians；　while　John　Brimblecombe　heaved　many　an　honest　sigh　at　leaving　them　to　darkness；　the　devil；　and　the　holy　trumpet。

And　Ayacanora？

When　their　departure　was　determined；　she　shut　herself　up　in　her　hut；　and　appeared　no　more。　　Great　was　the　weeping；　howling；　and　leave…taking　on　the　part　of　the　simple　Indians；　and　loud　the　entreaties　to　come　again；　bring　them　a　message　from　Amalivaca's　daughter　beyond　the　seas；　and　help　them　to　recover　their　lost　land　of　Papamene；　but　Ayacanora　took　no　part　in　them；　and　Amyas　left　her；　wondering　at　her　absence；　but　joyful　and　light…hearted　at　having　escaped　the　rocks　of　the　Sirens；　and　being　at　work　once　more。



CHAPTER　XXV

HOW　THEY　TOOK　THE　GOLD…TRAIN


〃God　will　relent；　and　quit　thee　all　thy　debt；　Who　ever　more　approves；　and　more　accepts　Him　who　imploring　mercy　sues　for　life；　Than　who　self…rigorous　chooses　death　as　due；　Which　argues　over…just；　and　self…displeased　For　self…offence；　more　than　for　God　offended。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Samson　Agonistes。


A　fortnight　or　more　has　passed　in　severe　toil；　but　not　more　severe　than　they　have　endured　many　a　time　before。　　Bidding　farewell　once　and　forever　to　the　green　ocean　of　the　eastern　plains；　they　have　crossed　the　Cordillera；　they　have　taken　a　longing　glance　at　the　city　of　Santa　Fe；　lying　in　the　midst　of　rich　gardens　on　its　lofty　mountain　plateau；　and　have　seen；　as　was　to　be　expected；　that　it　was　far　too　large　a　place　for　any　attempt　of　theirs。　　But　they　have　not　altogether　thrown　away　their　time。　　Their　Indian　lad　has　discovered　that　a　gold…train　is　going　down　from　Santa　Fe　toward　the　Magdalena；　and　they　are　waiting　for　it　beside　the　miserable　rut　which　serves　for　a　road；　encamped　in　a　forest　of　oaks　which　would　make　them　almost　fancy　themselves　back　again　in　Europe；　were　it　not　for　the　tree…ferns　which　form　the　undergrowth；　and　were　it　not；　too；　for　the　deep　gorges　opening　at　their　very　feet；　in　which；　while　their　brows　are　swept　by　the　cool　breezes　of　a　temperate　zone；　they　can　see　far　below；　dim　through　their　everlasting　vapor…bath　of　rank　hot　steam；　the　mighty　forms　and　gorgeous　colors　of　the　tropic　forest。

They　have　pitched　their　camp　among　the　tree…ferns；　above　a　spot　where　the　path　winds　along　a　steep　hill…side；　with　a　sheer　cliff　below　of　many　a　hundred　feet。　　There　was　a　road　there　once；　perhaps；　when　Cundinamarca　was　a　civilized　and　cultivated　kingdom；　but　all　which　Spanish　misrule　has　left　of　it　are　a　few　steps　slipping　from　their　places　at　the　bottom　of　a　narrow　ditch　of　mud。　It　has　gone　the　way　of　the　aqueducts；　and　bridges；　and　post…houses；　the　gardens　and　the　llama…flocks　of　that　strange　empire。　　In　the　mad　search　for　gold；　every　art　of　civilization　has　fallen　to　decay；　save　architecture　alone；　and　that　survives　only　in　the　splendid　cathedrals　which　have　risen　upon　the　ruins　of　the　temples　of　the　Sun；　in　honor　of　a　milder　Pantheon；　if；　indeed；　that　can　be　called　a　milder　one　which　demands　（as　we　have　seen　already）　human　sacrifices；　unknown　to　the　gentle　nature…worship　of　the　Incas。

And　now；　the　rapid　tropic　vegetation　has　reclaimed　its　old　domains；　and　Amyas　and　his　crew　are　as　utterly　alone；　within　a　few　miles　of　an　important　Spanish　settlement；　as　they　would　be　in　the　solitudes　of　the　Orinoco　or　the　Amazon。

In　the　meanwhile；　all　their　attempts　to　find　sulphur　and　nitre　have　been　unavailing；　and　they　have　been　forced　to　depend　after　all　（much　to　Yeo's　disgust）　upon　their　swords　and　arrows。　　Be　it　so：　Drake　took　Nombre　de　Dios　and　the　gold…train　there　with　no　better　weapons；　and　they　may　do　as　much。

So；　having　blocked　up　the　road　above　by　felling　a　large　tree　across　it；　they　sit　there　among　the　flowers　chewing　coca；　in　default　of　food　and　drink；　and　meditating　among　themselves　the　cause　of　a　mysterious　roar；　which　has　been　heard　nightly　in　their　wake　ever　since　they　left　the　banks　of　the　Meta。　　Jaguar　it　is　not；　nor　monkey：　it　is　unlike　any　sound　they　know；　and　why