westward ho-第49节

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any　one　was　awake　and　watching。

So　he　began　to　think　about　his　mother；　and　how　she　might　be　spending　her　Christmas；　and　then　about　Frank；　and　wondered　at　what　grand　Court　festival　he　was　assisting；　amid　bright　lights　and　sweet　music　and　gay　ladies；　and　how　he　was　dressed；　and　whether　he　thought　of　his　brother　there　far　away　on　the　dark　Atlantic　shore；　and　then　he　said　his　prayers　and　his　creed；　and　then　he　tried　not　to　think　of　Rose　Salterne；　and　of　course　thought　about　her　all　the　more。　　So　on　passed　the　dull　hours；　till　it　might　be　past　eleven　o'clock；　and　all　lights　were　out　in　the　battery　and　the　shipping；　and　there　was　no　sound　of　living　thing　but　the　monotonous　tramp　of　the　two　sentinels　beside　him；　and　now　and　then　a　grunt　from　the　party　who　slept　under　arms　some　twenty　yards　to　the　rear。

So　he　paced　to　and　fro；　looking　carefully　out　now　and　then　over　the　strip　of　sand…hill　which　lay　between　him　and　the　fort；　but　all　was　blank　and　black；　and　moreover　it　began　to　rain　furiously。

Suddenly　he　seemed　to　hear　a　rustle　among　the　harsh　sand…grass。　True；　the　wind　was　whistling　through　it　loudly　enough；　but　that　sound　was　not　altogether　like　the　wind。　　Then　a　soft　sliding　noise；　something　had　slipped　down　a　bank；　and　brought　the　sand　down　after　it。　　Amyas　stopped；　crouched　down　beside　a　gun；　and　laid　his　ear　to　the　rampart；　whereby　he　heard　clearly；　as　he　thought；　the　noise　of　approaching　feet；　whether　rabbits　or　Christians；　he　knew　not；　but　he　shrewdly　guessed　the　latter。

Now　Amyas　was　of　a　sober　and　business…like　turn；　at　least　when　he　was　not　in　a　passion；　and　thinking　within　himself　that　if　he　made　any　noise；　the　enemy　（whether　four　or　two…legged）　would　retire；　and　all　the　sport　be　lost；　he　did　not　call　to　the　two　sentries；　who　were　at　the　opposite　ends　of　the　battery；　neither　did　he　think　it　worth　while　to　rouse　the　sleeping　company；　lest　his　ears　should　have　deceived　him；　and　the　whole　camp　turn　out　to　repulse　the　attack　of　a　buck　rabbit。

So　he　crouched　lower　and　lower　beside　the　culverin；　and　was　rewarded　in　a　minute　or　two　by　hearing　something　gently　deposited　against　the　mouth　of　the　embrasure；　which；　by　the　noise；　should　be　a　piece　of　timber。

〃So　far；　so　good；〃　said　he　to　himself；　〃when　the　scaling　ladder　is　up；　the　soldier　follows；　I　suppose。　　I　can　only　humbly　thank　them　for　giving　my　embrasure　the　preference。　　There　he　comes！　　I　hear　his　feet　scuffling。〃

He　could　hear　plainly　enough　some　one　working　himself　into　the　mouth　of　the　embrasure：　but　the　plague　was；　that　it　was　so　dark　that　he　could　not　see　his　hand　between　him　and　the　sky；　much　less　his　foe　at　two　yards　off。　　However；　he　made　a　pretty　fair　guess　as　to　the　whereabouts；　and；　rising　softly；　discharged　such　a　blow　downwards　as　would　have　split　a　yule　log。　　A　volley　of　sparks　flew　up　from　the　hapless　Spaniard's　armor；　and　a　grunt　issued　from　within　it；　which　proved　that；　whether　he　was　killed　or　not；　the　blow　had　not　improved　his　respiration。

Amyas　felt　for　his　head；　seized　it；　dragged　him　in　over　the　gun；　sprang　into　the　embrasure　on　his　knees；　felt　for　the　top　of　the　ladder；　found　it；　hove　it　clean　off　and　out；　with　four　or　five　men　on　it；　and　then　of　course　tumbled　after　it　ten　feet　into　the　sand；　roaring　like　a　town　bull　to　her　majesty's　liege　subjects　in　general。

Sailor…fashion；　he　had　no　armor　on　but　a　light　morion　and　a　cuirass；　so　he　was　not　too　much　encumbered　to　prevent　his　springing　to　his　legs　instantly；　and　setting　to　work；　cutting　and　foining　right　and　left　at　every　sound；　for　sight　there　was　none。

Battles　（as　soldiers　know；　and　newspaper　editors　do　not）　are　usually　fought；　not　as　they　ought　to　be　fought；　but　as　they　can　be　fought；　and　while　the　literary　man　is　laying　down　the　law　at　his　desk　as　to　how　many　troops　should　be　moved　here；　and　what　rivers　should　be　crossed　there；　and　where　the　cavalry　should　have　been　brought　up；　and　when　the　flank　should　have　been　turned；　the　wretched　man　who　has　to　do　the　work　finds　the　matter　settled　for　him　by　pestilence；　want　of　shoes；　empty　stomachs；　bad　roads；　heavy　rains；　hot　suns；　and　a　thousand　other　stern　warriors　who　never　show　on　paper。

So　with　this　skirmish；　〃according　to　Cocker；〃　it　ought　to　have　been　a　very　pretty　one；　for　Hercules　of　Pisa；　who　planned　the　sortie；　had　arranged　it　all　（being　a　very　sans…appel　in　all　military　science）　upon　the　best　Italian　precedents；　and　had　brought　against　this　very　hapless　battery　a　column　of　a　hundred　to　attack　directly　in　front；　a　company　of　fifty　to　turn　the　right　flank；　and　a　company　of　fifty　to　turn　the　left　flank；　with　regulations；　orders；　passwords；　countersigns；　and　what　not；　so　that　if　every　man　had　had　his　rights　（as　seldom　happens）；　Don　Guzman　Maria　Magdalena　de　Soto；　who　commanded　the　sortie；　ought　to　have　taken　the　work　out　of　hand；　and　annihilated　all　therein。　　But　alas！　here　stern　fate　interfered。　They　had　chosen　a　dark　night；　as　was　politic；　they　had　waited　till　the　moon　was　up；　lest　it　should　be　too　dark；　as　was　politic　likewise：　but；　just　as　they　had　started；　on　came　a　heavy　squall　of　rain；　through　which　seven　moons　would　have　given　no　light；　and　which　washed　out　the　plans　of　Hercules　of　Pisa　as　if　they　had　been　written　on　a　schoolboy's　slate。　　The　company　who　were　to　turn　the　left　flank　walked　manfully　down　into　the　sea；　and　never　found　out　where　they　were　going　till　they　were　knee…deep　in　water。　　The　company　who　were　to　turn　the　right　flank；　bewildered　by　the　utter　darkness；　turned　their　own　flank　so　often；　that　tired　of　falling　into　rabbit…burrows　and　filling　their　mouths　with　sand；　they　halted　and　prayed　to　all　the　saints　for　a　compass　and　lantern；　while　the　centre　body；　who　held　straight　on　by　a　trackway　to　within　fifty　yards　of　the　battery；　so　miscalculated　that　short　distance；　that　while　they　thought　the　ditch　two　pikes'　length　off；　they　fell　into　it　one　over　the　other；　and　of　six　scaling　ladders；　the　only　one　which　could　be　found　was　the　very　one　which　Amyas　threw　down　again。　After　which　the　clouds　broke；　the　wind　shifted；　and　the　moon　shone　out　merrily。　　And　so　was　the　deep　policy　of　Hercules　of　Pisa；　on　which　hung　the　fate　of　Ireland　and　the　Papacy；　decided　by　a　ten　minutes'　squall。

But　where　is　Amyas？

In　the　ditch；　aware　that　the　enemy　is　tumbling　into　it；　but　unable　to　find　them；　while　the　company　above；　finding　it　much　too　dark　to　attempt　a　counter　sortie；　have　opened　a　smart　fire　of　musketry　and　arrows　on　things　in　general；　whereat　the　Spaniards　are　swearing　like　Spaniards　（I　need　say　no　more）；　and　the　Italians　spitting　like　venomous　cats；　while　Amyas；　not　wishing　to　be　riddled　by　friendly　balls；　has　got　his　back　against　the　foot　of　the　rampart；　and　waits　on　Providence。

Suddenly　the　moon　clears；　and　with　one　more　fierce　volley；　the　English　sailors；　seeing　the　confusion；　leap　down　from　the　embrasures；　and　to　it　pell…mell。　　Whether　this　also　was　〃according　to　Cocker；〃　I　know　not：　but　the　sailor；　then　as　now；　is　not　susceptible　of　highly…finished　drill。

Amyas　is　now　in　his　element；　and　so　are　the　brave　fellows　at　his　heels；　and　there　are　ten　breathless；　furious　minutes　among　the　sand…hills；　and　then　the　trumpets　blow　a　recall；　and　the　sailors　drop　back　again　by　twos　and　threes；　and　are　helped　up　into　the　embrasures　over　many　a　dead　and　dying　foe；　while　the　guns　of　Fort　del　Oro　open　on　them；　and　blaze　away　for　half　an　hour　without　reply；　and　then　all　is　still　once　more。　　And　in　the　meanwhile；　the　sortie　against　the　deputy's　camp　has　fared　no　better；　and　the　victory　of　the　night　remains　with　the　English。

Twenty　minutes　after；　Winter　and　the　captains　who　were　on　shore　were　drying　themselves　round　a　peat…fire　on　the　beach；　and　talking　over　the　skirmish；　when　Will　Cary　asked

〃Where　is　Leigh？　who　has　seen　him？　　I　am　sadly　afraid　he　has　gone　too　far；　and　been　slain。〃

〃Slain？　　Never　less；　gentlemen！〃　replied　the　voice　of　the　very　person　in　question；　as　he　stalked　out　of　the　darkness　into　the　glare　of　the　fire；　and　shot　down　from　his　shoulders　into　the　midst　of　the　ring；　as　he　might　a　sack　of　corn；　a　huge　dark　body；　which　was　gradually　seen　to　be　a　man　in　rich　armor；　who　being　so　shot　down；　lay　quietly　where　he　was　dropped；　with　his　feet　（luckily　for　him　mailed）　in　the　fire。

〃I　say；〃　quoth　Amyas；　〃some　of　you　had　better　take　him　up；　if　he　is　to　be　of　any　use。　　Unlace　his　helm；　Will　Cary。〃

〃Pull　his　feet　out　of　the　embers；　I　dare　say　he　would　have　been　glad　enough　to　put　us　to　the　scarpines；　but　that's　no　reason　we　should　put　him　to　them。〃

As　has　been　hinted；　there　was　no　love　lost　between　Admiral　Winter　and　Amyas；　and　Amyas　might　certainly　have　reported　himself　in　a　more　ceremonious　manner。　　So　Winter；　whom　Amyas　either　had　not　seen；　or　had　not　chosen　to　see；　asked　him　pretty　sharply；　〃What　the　plague　he　had　to　do　with　bringing　dead　men　into　camp？〃

〃If　he's　dead；　it's　not　my　fault。　　He　was　alive　enough　when　I　started　with　him；　and　I　kept　him　right　end　uppermost　all　the　way；　and　what　would　you　have　more；　sir？〃

〃Mr。　Leigh！〃　said　Winter；　〃it　behoves　you　to　speak　with　somewhat　more　courtesy；　if　not　respect；　to　captains　who　are　your　elders　and　commanders。〃

〃Ask　your　pardon；　sir；〃　said　the　giant；　as　he　stood　in　front　of　the　fire　with　the　rain　steaming　and　smoking　off　his　armor；　〃but　I　was　bred