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westward ho-第142节

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arleycorn; and a pledge to thy repentance and amendment of life。〃

〃Admiral Hawkins; Admiral Hawkins; this is no time for drinking。〃

〃Why not; then; my lord?  Good news should be welcomed with good wine。  Frank; send down to the sexton; and set the bells a…ringing to cheer up all honest hearts。  Why; my lord; if it were not for the gravity of my office; I could dance a galliard for joy!〃

〃Well; you may dance; port admiral: but I must go and plan; but God give to all captains such a heart as yours this day!〃

〃And God give all generals such a head as yours!  Come; Frank Drake; we'll play the game out before we move。  It will be two good days before we shall be fit to tackle them; so an odd half…hour don't matter。〃

〃I must command the help of your counsel; vice…admiral;〃 said Lord Charles; turning to Drake。

〃And it's this; my good lord;〃 said Drake; looking up; as he aimed his bowl。  〃They'll come soon enough for us to show them sport; and yet slow enough for us to be ready; so let no man hurry himself。 And as example is better than precept; here goes。〃

Lord Howard shrugged his shoulders; and departed; knowing two things: first; that to move Drake was to move mountains; and next; that when the self…taught hero did bestir himself; he would do more work in an hour than any one else in a day。  So he departed; followed hastily by most of the captains; and Drake said in a low voice to Hawkins:

〃Does he think we are going to knock about on a lee…shore all the afternoon and run our noses at nightand dead up…wind; toointo the Dons' mouths?  No; Jack; my friend。  Let Orlando…Furioso… punctilio…fire…eaters go and get their knuckles rapped。  The following game is the game; and not the meeting one。  The dog goes after the sheep; and not afore them; lad。  Let them go by; and go by; and stick to them well to windward; and pick up stragglers; and pickings; too; Jackthe prizes; Jack!〃

〃Trust my old eyes for not being over…quick at seeing signals; if I be hanging in the skirts of a fat…looking Don。  We'm the eagles; Drake; and where the carcase is; is our place; eh?〃

And so the two old sea…dogs chatted on; while their companions dropped off one by one; and only Amyas remained。

〃Eh; Captain Leigh; where's my boy Dick?〃

〃Gone off with his lordship; Sir John。〃

〃On his punctilios too; I suppose; the young slashed…breeks。  He's half a Don; that fellow; with his fine scholarship; and his fine manners; and his fine clothes。  He'll get a taking down before he dies; unless he mends。  Why ain't you gone too; sir?〃

〃I follow my leader;〃 said Amyas; filling his pipe。

〃Well said; my big man;〃 quoth Drake。  〃If I could lead you round the world; I can lead you up Channel; can't I?Eh? my little bantam…cock of the Orinoco?  Drink; lad!  You're over…sad to…day。〃

〃Not a whit;〃 said Amyas。  〃Only I can't help wondering whether I shall find him after all。〃

〃Whom?  That Don?  We'll find him for you; if he's in the fleet。 We'll squeeze it out of our prisoners somehow。  Eh; Hawkins?  I thought all the captains had promised to send you news if they heard of him。〃

〃Ay; but it's ill looking for a needle in a haystack。  But I shall find him。  I am a coward to doubt it;〃 said Amyas; setting his teeth。

〃There; vice…admiral; you're beaten; and that's the rubber。  Pay up three dollars; old high…flyer; and go and earn more; like an honest adventurer。〃

〃Well;〃 said Drake; as he pulled out his purse; 〃we'll walk down now; and see about these young hot…heads。  As I live; they are setting to tow the ships out already!  Breaking the men's backs over…night; to make them fight the lustier in the morning!  Well; well; they haven't sailed round the world; Jack Hawkins。〃

〃Or had to run home from San Juan d'Ulloa with half a crew。

〃Well; if we haven't to run out with half crews。  I saw a sight of our lads drunk about this morning。〃

〃The more reason for waiting till they be sober。  Besides; if everybody's caranting about to once each after his own men; nobody'll find nothing in such a scrimmage as that。  Bye; bye; Uncle Martin。  We'm going to blow the Dons up now in earnest。〃



CHAPTER XXXI

THE GREAT ARMADA


〃Britannia needs no bulwarks;    No towers along the steep; Her march is o'er the mountain wave;    Her home is on the deep。〃

   CAMPBELL; Ye Mariners of England。


And now began that great sea…fight which was to determine whether Popery and despotism; or Protestantism and freedom; were the law which God had appointed for the half of Europe; and the whole of future America。  It is a twelve days' epic; worthy; as I said in the beginning of this book; not of dull prose; but of the thunder… roll of Homer's verse: but having to tell it; I must do my best; rather using; where I can; the words of contemporary authors than my own。

〃The Lord High Admirall of England; sending a pinnace before; called the Defiance; denounced war by discharging her ordnance; and presently approaching with in musquet…shot; with much thundering out of his own ship; called the Arkroyall (alias the Triumph); first set upon the admirall's; as he thought; of the Spaniards (but it was Alfonso de Leon's ship。  Soon after; Drake; Hawkins; and Frobisher played stoutly with their ordnance on the hindmost squadron; which was commanded by Recalde。〃  The Spaniards soon discover the superior 〃nimbleness of the English ships;〃 and Recalde's squadron; finding that they are getting more than they give; in spite of his endeavors; hurry forward to join the rest of the fleet。  Medina the Admiral; finding his ships scattering fast; gathers them into a half…moon; and the Armada tries to keep solemn way forward; like a stately herd of buffaloes; who march on across the prairie; disdaining to notice the wolves which snarl around their track。  But in vain。  These are no wolves; but cunning hunters; swiftly horsed; and keenly armed; and who will 〃shamefully shuffle〃 (to use Drake's own expression) that vast herd from the Lizard to Portland; from Portland to Calais Roads; and who; even in this short two hours' fight; have made many a Spaniard question the boasted invincibleness of this Armada。

One of the four great galliasses is already riddled with shot; to the great disarrangement of her 〃pulpits; chapels;〃 and friars therein assistant。  The fleet has to close round her; or Drake and Hawkins will sink her; in effecting which manoeuvre; the 〃principal galleon of Seville;〃 in which are Pedro de Valdez and a host of blue…blooded Dons; runs foul of her neighbor; carries away her foremast; and is; in spite of Spanish chivalry; left to her fate。 This does not look like victory; certainly。  But courage! though Valdez be left behind; 〃our Lady;〃 and the saints; and the bull Caena Domini (dictated by one whom I dare not name here); are with them still; and it were blasphemous to doubt。  But in the meanwhile; if they have fared no better than this against a third of the Plymouth fleet; how will they fare when those forty belated ships; which are already whitening the blue between them and the Mewstone; enter the scene to play their part?

So ends the first day; not an English ship; hardly a man; is hurt。 It has destroyed for ever; in English minds; the prestige of boastful Spain。  It has justified utterly the policy which the good Lord Howard had adopted by Raleigh's and Drake's advice; of keeping up a running fight; instead of 〃clapping ships together without consideration;〃 in which case; says Raleigh; 〃he had been lost; if he had not been better advised than a great many malignant fools were; who found fault with his demeanor。〃

Be that as it may; so ends the first day; in which Amyas and the other Bideford ships have been right busy for two hours; knocking holes in a huge galleon; which carries on her poop a maiden with a wheel; and bears the name of Sta。 Catharina。  She had a coat of arms on the flag at her sprit; probably those of the commandant of soldiers; but they were shot away early in the fight; so Amyas cannot tell whether they were De Soto' s or not。  Nevertheless; there is plenty of time for private revenge; and Amyas; called off at last by the admiral's signal; goes to bed and sleeps soundly。

But ere he has been in his hammock an hour; he is awakened by Cary's coming down to ask for orders。

〃We were to follow Drake's lantern; Amyas; but where it is; I can't see; unless he has been taken up aloft there among the stars for a new Drakium Sidus。〃

Amyas turns out grumbling: but no lantern is to be seen; only a sudden explosion and a great fire on board some Spaniard; which is gradually got under; while they have to lie…to the whole night long; with nearly the whole fleet。

The next morning finds them off Torbay; and Amyas is hailed by a pinnace; bringing a letter from Drake; which (saving the spelling; which was somewhat arbitrary; like most men's in those days) ran somewhat thus:


〃DEAR LAD;I have been wool…gathering all night after five great hulks; which the Pixies transfigured overnight into galleons; and this morning again into German merchantmen。  I let them go with my blessing; and coming back; fell in (God be thanked!) with Valdez' great galleon; and in it good booty; which the Dons his fellows had left behind; like faithful and vali

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