the right eye of the commander-第2章

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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　at　once　reject　this　part　of

the　story。





A　roll　of　drums；　ushering　in　the　year　1798；　awoke　the　Commander。

The　sun　was　shining　brightly；　and　the　storm　had　ceased。　　He　sat　up

in　bed；　and　through　the　force　of　habit　rubbed　his　left　eye。　　As　the

remembrance　of　the　previous　night　came　back　to　him；　he　jumped　from

his　couch　and　ran　to　the　window。　　There　was　no　ship　in　the　bay。　　A

sudden　thought　seemed　to　strike　him；　and　he　rubbed　both　of　his

eyes。　　Not　content　with　this；　he　consulted　the　metallic　mirror

which　hung　beside　his　crucifix。　　There　was　no　mistake；　the

Commander　had　a　visible　second　eyea　right　oneas　good；　save　for

the　purposes　of　vision；　as　the　left。



Whatever　might　have　been　the　true　secret　of　this　transformation；

but　one　opinion　prevailed　at　San　Carlos。　　It　was　one　of　those　rare

miracles　vouchsafed　a　pious　Catholic　community　as　an　evidence　to

the　heathen；　through　the　intercession　of　the　blessed　San　Carlos

himself。　　That　their　beloved　Commander；　the　temporal　defender　of

the　Faith；　should　be　the　recipient　of　this　miraculous　manifestation

was　most　fit　and　seemly。　　The　Commander　himself　was　reticent；　he

could　not　tell　a　falsehoodhe　dared　not　tell　the　truth。　　After

all；　if　the　good　folk　of　San　Carlos　believed　that　the　powers　of　his

right　eye　were　actually　restored；　was　it　wise　and　discreet　for　him

to　undeceive　them？　　For　the　first　time　in　his　life　the　Commander

thought　of　policyfor　the　first　time　he　quoted　that　text　which　has

been　the　lure　of　so　many　well…meaning　but　easy　Christians；　of　being

〃all　things　to　all　men。〃　　Infeliz　Hermenegildo　Salvatierra！



For　by　degrees　an　ominous　whisper　crept　though　the　little

settlement。　　The　Right　Eye　of　the　Commander；　although　miraculous；

seemed　to　exercise　a　baleful　effect　upon　the　beholder。　　No　one

could　look　at　it　without　winking。　　It　was　cold；　hard；　relentless；

and　unflinching。　　More　than　that；　it　seemed　to　be　endowed　with　a

dreadful　presciencea　faculty　of　seeing　through　and　into　the

inarticulate　thoughts　of　those　it　looked　upon。　　The　soldiers　of　the

garrison　obeyed　the　eye　rather　than　the　voice　of　their　commander；

and　answered　his　glance　rather　than　his　lips　in　questioning。　　The

servants　could　not　evade　the　ever　watchful　but　cold　attention　that

seemed　to　pursue　them。　　The　children　of　the　Presidio　school

smirched　their　copybooks　under　the　awful　supervision；　and　poor

Paquita；　the　prize　pupil；　failed　utterly　in　that　marvelous　upstroke

when　her　patron　stood　beside　her。　　Gradually　distrust；　suspicion；

self…accusation；　and　timidity　took　the　place　of　trust；　confidence；

and　security　throughout　San　Carlos。　　Whenever　the　Right　Eye　of　the

Commander　fell；　a　shadow　fell　with　it。



Nor　was　Salvatierra　entirely　free　from　the　baleful　influence　of　his

miraculous　acquisition。　　Unconscious　of　its　effect　upon　others；　he

only　saw　in　their　actions　evidence　of　certain　things　that　the

crafty　Peleg　had　hinted　on　that　eventful　New　Year's　eve。　　His　most

trusty　retainers　stammered；　blushed；　and　faltered　before　him。

Self…accusations；　confessions　of　minor　faults　and　delinquencies；　or

extravagant　excuses　and　apologies　met　his　mildest　inquiries。　　The

very　children　that　he　lovedhis　pet　pupil；　Paquitaseemed　to　be

conscious　of　some　hidden　sin。　　The　result　of　this　constant

irritation　showed　itself　more　plainly。　　For　the　first　half…year　the

Commander's　voice　and　eye　were　at　variance。　　He　was　still　kind；

tender；　and　thoughtful　in　speech。　　Gradually；　however；　his　voice

took　upon　itself　the　hardness　of　his　glance　and　its　skeptical；

impassive　quality；　and　as　the　year　again　neared　its　close　it　was

plain　that　the　Commander　had　fitted　himself　to　the　eye；　and　not　the

eye　to　the　Commander。



It　may　be　surmised　that　these　changes　did　not　escape　the　watchful

solicitude　of　the　Fathers。　　Indeed；　the　few　who　were　first　to

ascribe　the　right　eye　of　Salvatierra　to　miraculous　origin　and　the

special　grace　of　the　blessed　San　Carlos；　now　talked　openly　of

witchcraft　and　the　agency　of　Luzbel；　the　evil　one。　　It　would　have

fared　ill　with　Hermenegildo　Salvatierra　had　he　been　aught　but

Commander　or　amenable　to　local　authority。　　But　the　reverend　father；

Friar　Manuel　de　Cortes；　had　no　power　over　the　political　executive；

and　all　attempts　at　spiritual　advice　failed　signally。　　He　retired

baffled　and　confused　from　his　first　interview　with　the　Commander；

who　seemed　now　to　take　a　grim　satisfaction　in　the　fateful　power　of

his　glance。　　The　holy　Father　contradicted　himself；　exposed　the

fallacies　of　his　own　arguments；　and　even；　it　is　asserted；　committed

himself　to　several　undoubted　heresies。　　When　the　Commander　stood　up

at　mass；　if　the　officiating　priest　caught　that　skeptical　and

searching　eye；　the　service　was　inevitably　ruined。　　Even　the　power

of　the　Holy　Church　seemed　to　be　lost；　and　the　last　hold　upon　the

affections　of　the　people　and　the　good　order　of　the　settlement

departed　from　San　Carlos。



As　the　long　dry　summer　passed；　the　low　hills　that　surrounded　the

white　walls　of　the　Presidio　grew　more　and　more　to　resemble　in　hue

the　leathern　jacket　of　the　Commander；　and　Nature　herself　seemed　to

have　borrowed　his　dry；　hard　glare。　　The　earth　was　cracked　and

seamed　with　drought；　a　blight　had　fallen　upon　the　orchards　and

vineyards；　and　the　rain；　long…delayed　and　ardently　prayed　for；　came

not。　　The　sky　was　as　tearless　as　the　right　eye　of　the　Commander。

Murmurs　of　discontent；　insubordination；　and　plotting　among　the

Indians　reached　his　ears；　he　only　set　his　teeth　the　more　firmly；

tightened　the　knot　of　his　black…silk　handkerchief；　and　looked　up

his　Toledo。



The　last　day　of　the　year　1798　found　the　Commander　sitting；　at　the

hour　of　evening　prayers；　alone　in　the　guardroom。　　He　no　longer

attended　the　services　of　the　Holy　Church；　but　crept　away　at　such

times　to　some　solitary　spot；　where　he　spent　the　interval　in　silent

meditation。　　The　firelight　played　upon　the　low　beams　and　rafters；

but　left　the　bowed　figure　of　Salvatierra　in　darkness。　　Sitting

thus；　he　felt　a　small　hand　touch　his　arm；　and　looking　down；　saw　the

figure　of　Paquita；　his　little　Indian　pupil；　at　his　knee。　　〃Ah；

littlest　of　all；〃　said　the　Commander；　with　something　of　his　old

tenderness；　lingering　over　the　endearing　diminutives　of　his　native

speech〃sweet　one；　what　doest　thou　here？　　Art　thou　not　afraid　of

him　whom　everyone　shuns　and　fears？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　little　Indian；　readily；　〃not　in　the　dark。　　I　hear

your　voicethe　old　voice；　I　feel　your　touchthe　old　touch；　but　I

see　not　your　eye；　Senor　Commandante。　　That　only　I　fearand　that；　O

senor；　O　my　father；〃　said　the　child；　lifting　her　little　arms

towards　his〃that　I　know　is　not　thine　own！〃



The　Commander　shuddered　and　turned　away。　　Then；　recovering　himself；

he　kissed　Paquita　gravely　on　the　forehead　and　bade　her　retire。　　A

few　hours　later；　when　silence　had　fallen　upon　the　Presidio；　he

sought　his　own　couch　and　slept　peacefully。



At　about　the　middle　watch　of　the　night　a　dusky　figure　crept　through