westward ho-第110章

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　that　man　had　been　there　since　the　making　of　the　world。

He　dropped　down　the　stream　again；　thoughtfully　and　sadly。　　How　many　years　ago　was　it　that　he　passed　this　river's　mouth？　　Three　days。　And　yet　how　much　had　passed　in　them！　　Don　Guzman　found　and　lost　Rose　found　and　losta　great　victory　gained；　and　yet　lostperhaps　his　ship　lostabove　all；　his　brother　lost。

Lost！　O　God；　how　should　he　find　his　brother？

Some　strange　bird　out　of　the　woods　made　mournful　answer〃Never；　never；　never！〃

How　should　he　face　his　mother？

〃Never；　never；　never！〃　wailed　the　bird　again；　and　Amyas　smiled　bitterly；　and　said　〃Never！〃　likewise。

The　night　mist　began　to　steam　and　wreathe　upon　the　foul　beer…　colored　stream。　　The　loathy　floor　of　liquid　mud　lay　bare　beneath　the　mangrove　forest。　　Upon　the　endless　web　of　interarching　roots　great　purple　crabs　were　crawling　up　and　down。　　They　would　have　supped　with　pleasure　upon　Amyas's　corpse；　perhaps　they　might　sup　on　him　after　all；　for　a　heavy　sickening　graveyard　smell　made　his　heart　sink　within　him；　and　his　stomach　heave；　and　his　weary　body；　and　more　weary　soul；　gave　themselves　up　helplessly　to　the　depressing　influence　of　that　doleful　place。　　The　black　bank　of　dingy　leathern　leaves　above　his　head；　the　endless　labyrinth　of　stems　and　withes　（for　every　bough　had　lowered　its　own　living　cord；　to　take　fresh　hold　of　the　foul　soil　below）；　the　web　of　roots；　which　stretched　away　inland　till　it　was　lost　in　the　shades　of　eveningall　seemed　one　horrid　complicated　trap　for　him　and　his；　and　even　where；　here　and　there；　he　passed　the　mouth　of　a　lagoon；　there　was　no　opening；　no　reliefnothing　but　the　dark　ring　of　mangroves；　and　here　and　there　an　isolated　group　of　large　and　small；　parents　and　children；　breeding　and　spreading；　as　if　in　hideous　haste　to　choke　out　air　and　sky。　　Wailing　sadly；　sad…colored　mangrove…hens　ran　off　across　the　mud　into　the　dreary　dark。　　The　hoarse　night…raven；　hid　among　the　roots；　startled　the　voyagers　with　a　sudden　shout；　and　then　all　was　again　silent　as　a　grave。　　The　loathly　alligators；　lounging　in　the　slime；　lifted　their　horny　eyelids　lazily；　and　leered　upon　him　as　he　passed　with　stupid　savageness。　　Lines　of　tall　herons　stood　dimly　in　the　growing　gloom；　like　white　fantastic　ghosts；　watching　the　passage　of　the　doomed　boat。　　All　was　foul；　sullen；　weird　as　witches'　dream。　　If　Amyas　had　seen　a　crew　of　skeletons　glide　down　the　stream　behind　him；　with　Satan　standing　at　the　helm；　he　would　have　scarcely　been　surprised。　　What　fitter　craft　could　haunt　that　Stygian　flood？

That　night　every　man　of　the　boat's　crew；　save　Amyas；　was　down　with　raging　fever；　before　ten　the　next　morning；　five　more　men　were　taken；　and　others　sickening　fast。



CHAPTER　XXI

HOW　THEY　TOOK　THE　COMMUNION　UNDER　THE　TREE　AT　HIGUEROTE


〃Follow　thee？　　Follow　thee？　　Wha　wad　na　follow　thee？　　Lang　hast　thou　looed　and　trusted　us　fairly。〃


Amyas　would　have　certainly　taken　the　yellow　fever；　but　for　one　reason；　which　he　himself　gave　to　Cary。　　He　had　no　time　to　be　sick　while　his　men　were　sick；　a　valid　and　sufficient　reason　（as　many　a　noble　soul　in　the　Crimea　has　known　too　well）；　as　long　as　the　excitement　of　work　is　present；　but　too　apt　to　fail　the　hero；　and　to　let　him　sink　into　the　pit　which　he　has　so　often　over…leapt；　the　moment　that　his　work　is　done。

He　called　a　council　of　war；　or　rather　a　sanitary　commission；　the　next　morning；　for　he　was　fairly　at　his　wits'　end。　　The　men　were　panic…stricken；　ready　to　mutiny：　Amyas　told　them　that　he　could　not　see　any　possible　good　which　could　accrue　to　them　by　killing　him；　or（for　there　were　two　sides　to　every　question）being　killed　by　him；　and　then　went　below　to　consult。　　The　doctor　talked　mere　science；　or　nonscience；　about　humors；　complexions；　and　animal　spirits。　　Jack　Brimblecombe；　mere　pulpit；　about　its　being　the　visitation　of　God。　　Cary；　mere　despair；　though　he　jested　over　it　with　a　smile。　　Yeo；　mere　stoic　fatalism；　though　he　quoted　Scripture　to　back　the　same。　　Drew；　the　master；　had　nothing　to　say。　　His　〃business　was　to　sail　the　ship；　and　not　to　cure　calentures。〃

Whereon　Amyas　clutched　his　locks；　according　to　custom；　and　at　last　broke　forth〃Doctor！　a　fig　for　your　humors　and　complexions！　　Can　you　cure　a　man's　humors；　or　change　his　complexion？　　Can　an　Ethiopian　change　his　skin；　or　a　leopard　his　spots？　　Don't　shove　off　your　ignorance　on　God；　sir。　　I　ask　you　what's　the　reason　of　this　sickness；　and　you　don't　know。　　Jack　Brimblecombe；　don't　talk　to　me　about　God's　visitation；　this　looks　much　more　like　the　devil's　visitation；　to　my　mind。　　We　are　doing　God's　work；　Sir　John；　and　He　is　not　likely　to　hinder　us。　　So　down　with　the　devil；　say　I。　　Cary；　laughing　killed　the　cat；　but　it　won't　cure　a　Christian。　　Yeo；　when　an　angel　tells　me　that　it's　God's　will　that　we　should　all　die　like　dogs　in　a　ditch；　I'll　call　this　God's　will；　but　not　before。　　Drew；　you　say　your　business　is　to　sail　the　ship；　then　sail　her　out　of　this　infernal　poison…trap　this　very　morning；　if　you　can；　which　you　can't。　　The　mischief's　in　the　air；　and　nowhere　else。　　I　felt　it　run　through　me　coming　down　last　night；　and　smelt　it　like　any　sewer：　and　if　it　was　not　in　the　air；　why　was　my　boat's　crew　taken　first；　tell　me　that？〃

There　was　no　answer。

〃Then　I'll　tell　you　why　they　were　taken　first：　because　the　mist；　when　we　came　through　it；　only　rose　five　or　six　feet　above　the　stream；　and　we　were　in　it；　while　you　on　board　were　above　it。　　And　those　that　were　taken　on　board　this　morning；　every　one　of　them；　slept　on　the　main…deck；　and　every　one　of　them；　too；　was　in　fear　of　the　fever；　whereby　I　judge　two　things；Keep　as　high　as　you　can；　and　fear　nothing　but　God；　and　we're　all　safe　yet。〃

〃But　the　fog　was　up　to　our　round…tops　at　sunrise　this　morning；〃　said　Cary。

〃I　know　it：　but　we　who　were　on　the　half…deck　were　not　in　it　so　long　as　those　below；　and　that　may　have　made　the　difference；　let　alone　our　having　free　air。　　Beside；　I　suspect　the　heat　in　the　evening　draws　the　poison　out　more；　and　that　when　it　gets　cold　toward　morning；　the　venom　of　it　goes　off　somehow。〃

How　it　went　off　Amyas　could　not　tell　（right　in　his　facts　as　he　was）；　for　nobody　on　earth　knew　I　suppose；　at　that　day；　and　it　was　not　till　nearly　two　centuries　of　fatal　experience　that　the　settlers　in　America　discovered　the　simple　laws　of　these　epidemics　which　now　every　child　knows；　or　ought　to　know。　　But　common　sense　was　on　his　side；　and　Yeo　rose　and　spoke

〃As　I　have　said　before；　many　a　time；　the　Lord　has　sent　us　a　very　young　Daniel　for　judge。　　I　remember　now　to　have　heard　the　Spaniards　say；　how　these　calentures　lay　always　in　the　low　ground；　and　never　came　more　than　a　few　hundred　feet　above　the　sea。〃

〃Let　us　go　up　those　few　hundred　feet；　then。〃

Every　man　looked　at　Amyas；　and　then　at　his　neighbor。

〃Gentlemen；　'Look　the　devil　straight　in　the　face；　if　you　would　hit　him　in　the　right　place。'　　We　cannot　get　the　ship　to　sea　as　she　is；　and　if　we　could；　we　cannot　go　home　empty…handed；　and　we　surely　cannot　stay　here　to　die　of　fever。We　must　leave　the　ship　and　go　inland。〃

〃Inland？〃　answered　every　voice　but　Yeo's。

〃Up　those　hundred　feet　which　Yeo　talks　of。　　Up　to　the　mountains；　stockade　a　camp；　and　get　our　sick　and　provisions　thither。〃

〃And　what　next？〃

〃And　when　we　are　recruited；　march　over　the　mountains；　and　surprise　St。　Jago　de　Leon。〃

Cary　swore　a　great　oath。　　〃Amyas！　you　are　a　daring　fellow！〃

〃Not　a　bit。　　It's　the　plain　path　of　prudence。〃

〃So　it　is；　sir；〃　said　old　Yeo；　〃and　I　follow　you　in　it。〃

〃And　so　do　I；〃　squeaked　Jack　Brimblecombe。

〃Nay；　then；　Jack；　thou　shalt　not　outrun　me。　　So　I　say　yes　too；〃　quoth　Cary。

〃Mr。　Drew？〃

〃At　your　service；　sir；　to　live　or　die。　　I　know　naught　about　stockading；　but　Sir　Francis　would　have　given　the　same　counsel；　I　verily　believe；　if　he　had　been　in　your　place。〃

〃Then　tell　the　men　that　we　start　in　an　hour's　time。　　Win　over　the　Pelicans；　Yeo　and　Drew；　and　the　rest　must　follow；　like　sheep　over　a　hedge。〃

The　Pelicans；　and　the　liberated　galley…slaves；　joined　the　project　at　once；　but　the　rest　gave　Amyas　a　stormy　hour。　　The　great　question　was；　where　were　the　hills？　　In　that　dense　mangrove　thicket　they　could　not　see　fifty　yards　before　them。

〃The　hills　are　not　three　miles　to　the　south…west　of　you　at　this　moment；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃I