westward ho-第113章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　was　maddened　both　by　their　desperate　situation；　and　the　frightful　stories　of　the　rescued　galley…slaves；　had　killed　them　all　before　their　captain　could　stop　them。

〃Are　you　mad？〃　cries　Amyas；　as　he　strikes　up　one　fellow's　sword。　〃Will　you　kill　an　Indian？〃

And　he　drags　out　of　the　bushes　an　Indian　lad　of　sixteen；　who；　slightly　wounded；　is　crawling　away　like　a　copper　snake　along　the　ground。

〃The　black　vermin　has　sent　an　arrow　through　my　leg；　and　poisoned　too；　most　like。〃

〃God　grant　not：　but　an　Indian　is　worth　his　weight　in　gold　to　us　now；〃　said　Amyas；　tucking　his　prize　under　his　arm　like　a　bundle。　The　lad；　as　soon　as　he　saw　there　was　no　escape；　resigned　himself　to　his　fate　with　true　Indian　stoicism；　was　brought　in；　and　treated　kindly　enough；　but　refused　to　eat。　　For　which；　after　much　questioning；　he　gave　as　a　reason；　that　he　would　make　them　kill　him　at　once；　for　fat　him　they　should　not；　and　gradually　gave　them　to　understand　that　the　English　always　（so　at　least　the　Spaniards　said）　fatted　and　ate　their　prisoners　like　the　Caribs；　and　till　he　saw　them　go　out　and　bury　the　bodies　of　the　Spaniards；　nothing　would　persuade　him　that　the　corpses　were　not　to　be　cooked　for　supper。

However；　kind　words；　kind　looks；　and　the　present　of　that　inestimable　treasurea　knife；　brought　him　to　reason；　and　he　told　Amyas　that　he　belonged　to　a　Spaniard　who　had　an　〃encomienda〃　of　Indians　some　fifteen　miles　to　the　south…west；　that　he　had　fled　from　his　master；　and　lived　by　hunting　for　some　months　past；　and　having　seen　the　ship　where　she　lay　moored；　and　boarded　her　in　hope　of　plunder；　had　been　surprised　therein　by　the　Spaniards；　and　forced　by　threats　to　go　with　them　as　a　guide　in　their　search　for　the　English。　But　now　came　a　part　of　his　story　which　filled　the　soul　of　Amyas　with　delight。　　He　was　an　Indian　of　the　Llanos；　or　great　savannahs　which　lay　to　the　southward　beyond　the　mountains；　and　had　actually　been　upon　the　Orinoco。　　He　had　been　stolen　as　a　boy　by　some　Spaniards；　who　had　gone　down　（as　was　the　fashion　of　the　Jesuits　even　as　late　as　1790）　for　the　pious　purpose　of　converting　the　savages　by　the　simple　process　of　catching；　baptizing；　and　making　servants　of　those　whom　they　could　carry　off；　and　murdering　those　who　resisted　their　gentle　method　of　salvation。　　Did　he　know　the　way　back　again？　　Who　could　ask　such　a　question　of　an　Indian？　　And　the　lad's　black　eyes　flashed　fire；　as　Amyas　offered　him　liberty　and　iron　enough　for　a　dozen　Indians；　if　he　would　lead　them　through　the　passes　of　the　mountains；　and　southward　to　the　mighty　river；　where　lay　their　golden　hopes。　　Hernando　de　Serpa；　Amyas　knew；　had　tried　the　same　course；　which　was　supposed　to　be　about　one　hundred　and　twenty　leagues；　and　failed；　being　overthrown　utterly　by　the　Wikiri　Indians；　but　Amyas　knew　enough　of　the　Spaniards'　brutal　method　of　treating　those　Indians；　to　be　pretty　sure　that　they　had　brought　that　catastrophe　upon　themselves；　and　that　he　might　avoid　it　well　enough　by　that　common　justice　and　mercy　toward　the　savages　which　he　had　learned　from　his　incomparable　tutor；　Francis　Drake。

Now　was　the　time　to　speak；　and；　assembling　his　men　around　him；　Amyas　opened　his　whole　heart；　simply　and　manfully。　　This　was　their　only　hope　of　safety。　　Some　of　them　had　murmured　that　they　should　perish　like　John　Oxenham's　crew。　　This　plan　was　rather　the　only　way　to　avoid　perishing　like　them。　　Don　Guzman　would　certainly　return　to　seek　them；　and　not　only　he；　but　land…forces　from　St。　Jago。　　Even　if　the　stockade　was　not　forced；　they　would　be　soon　starved　out；　why　not　move　at　once；　ere　the　Spaniards　could　return；　and　begin　a　blockade？　　As　for　taking　St。　Jago；　it　was　impossible。　　The　treasure　would　all　be　safely　hidden；　and　the　town　well　prepared　to　meet　them。　　If　they　wanted　gold　and　glory；　they　must　seek　it　elsewhere。　Neither　was　there　any　use　in　marching　along　the　coast；　and　trying　the　ports：　ships　could　outstrip　them；　and　the　country　was　already　warned。　　There　was　but　this　one　chance；　and　on　it　Amyas；　the　first　and　last　time　in　his　life；　waxed　eloquent；　and　set　forth　the　glory　of　the　enterprise；　the　service　to　the　queen；　the　salvation　of　heathens；　and　the　certainty　that；　if　successful；　they　should　win　honor　and　wealth　and　everlasting　fame；　beyond　that　of　Cortez　or　Pizarro；　till　the　men；　sulky　at　first；　warmed　every　moment；　and　one　old　Pelican　broke　out　with

〃Yes；　sir！　we　didn't　go　round　the　world　with　you　for　naught；　and　watched　your　works　and　ways；　which　was　always　those　of　a　gentleman；　as　you　arewho　spoke　a　word　for　a　poor　fellow　when　he　was　in　a　scrape；　and　saw　all　you　ought　to　see；　and　naught　that　you　ought　not。　　And　we'll　follow　you；　sir；　all　alone　to　ourselves；　and　let　those　that　know　you　worse　follow　after　when　they're　come　to　their　right　mind。〃

Man　after　man　capped　this　brave　speech；　the　minority；　who；　if　they　liked　little　to　go；　liked　still　less　to　be　left　behind；　gave　in　their　consent　perforce；　and；　to　make　a　long　story　short；　Amyas　conquered；　and　the　plan　was　accepted。

〃This；〃　said　Amyas；　〃is　indeed　the　proudest　day　of　my　life！　　I　have　lost　one　brother；　but　I　have　gained　fourscore。　　God　do　so　to　me　and　more　also；　if　I　do　not　deal　with　you　according　to　the　trust　which　you　have　put　in　me　this　day！〃

We；　I　suppose；　are　to　believe　that　we　have　a　right　to　laugh　at　Amyas's　scheme　as　frantic　and　chimerical。　　It　is　easy　to　amuse　ourselves　with　the　premises；　after　the　conclusion　has　been　found　for　us。　　We　know；　now；　that　he　was　mistaken：　but　we　have　not　discovered　his　mistake　for　ourselves；　and　have　no　right　to　plume　ourselves　on　other　men's　discoveries。　　Had　we　lived　in　Amyas's　days；　we　should　have　belonged　either　to　the　many　wise　men　who　believed　as　he　did；　or　to　the　many　foolish　men；　who　not　only　sneered　at　the　story　of　Manoa；　but　at　a　hundred　other　stories；　which　we　now　know　to　be　true。　　Columbus　was　laughed　at：　but　he　found　a　new　world；　nevertheless。　　Cortez　was　laughed　at：　but　he　found　Mexico。　　Pizarro：　but　he　found　Peru。　　I　ask　any　fair　reader　of　those　two　charming　books；　Mr。　Prescott's　Conquest　of　Mexico　and　his　Conquest　of　Peru；　whether　the　true　wonders　in　them　described　do　not　outdo　all　the　false　wonders　of　Manoa。

But　what　reason　was　there　to　think　them　false？　　One　quarter；　perhaps；　of　America　had　been　explored；　and　yet　in　that　quarter　two　empires　had　been　already　found；　in　a　state　of　mechanical；　military；　and　agricultural　civilization　superior；　in　many　things；　to　any　nation　of　Europe。　　Was　it　not　most　rational　to　suppose　that　in　the　remaining　three…quarters　similar　empires　existed？　　If　a　second　Mexico　had　been　discovered　in　the　mountains　of　Parima；　and　a　second　Peru　in　those　of　Brazil；　what　right　would　any　man　have　had　to　wonder？　　As　for　the　gold　legends；　nothing　was　told　of　Manoa　which　had　not　been　seen　in　Peru　and　Mexico　by　the　bodily　eyes　of　men　then　living。　　Why　should　not　the　rocks　of　Guiana　have　been　as　full　of　the　precious　metals　（we　do　not　know　yet　that　they　are　not）　as　the　rocks　of　Peru　and　Mexico　were　known　to　be？　　Even　the　details　of　the　story；　its　standing　on　a　lake；　for　instance；　bore　a　probability　with　them。　　Mexico　actually　stood　in　the　centre　of　a　lakewhy　should　not　Manoa？　　The　Peruvian　worship　centred　round　a　sacred　lakewhy　not　that　of　Manoa？　　Pizarro　and　Cortez；　again；　were　led　on　to　their　desperate　enterprises　by　the　sight　of　small　quantities　of　gold　among　savages；　who　told　them　of　a　civilized　gold…country　near　at　hand；　and　they　found　that　those　savages　spoke　truth。　　Why　was　the　unanimous　report　of　the　Carib　tribes　of　the　Orinoco　to　be　disbelieved；　when　they　told　a　similar　tale？　　Sir　Richard　Schomburgk's　admirable　preface　to　Raleigh's　Guiana　proves；　surely；　that　the　Indians　themselves　were　deceived；　as　well　as　deceivers。　It　was　known；　again；　that　vast　quantities　of　the　Peruvian　treasure　had　been　concealed　by　the　priests；　and　that　members　of　the　Inca　family　had　fled　across　the　Andes；　and　held　out　against　the　Spaniards。　　Barely　fifty　years　had　elapsed　since　then；what　more　probable　than　that　this　remnant　of　the　Peruvian　dynasty　and　treasure　still　existed？　　Even　the　story　of　the　Amazons；　though　it　may　serve　Hume　as　a　point　for　his　ungenerous　and　untruthful　attempt　to　make　Raleigh　out　either　fool　or　villain；　has　come　from　Spaniards；　who　had　with　their　own　eyes　seen　the　Indian