westward ho-第132章

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r　those　oppressed　wretches；　but　I　dare　not　obey。　　I　dare　not　look　them　in　the　face。　　I　should　fancy　that　they　knew　my　story；　that　the　very　birds　upon　the　trees　would　reveal　my　crime；　and　bid　them　turn　from　me　with　horror。〃

〃Senor；〃　said　Amyas；　〃these　are　but　the　sick　fancies　of　a　noble　spirit；　feeding　on　itself　in　solitude。　　You　have　but　to　try　to　conquer。〃

〃And　look　now；〃　said　Jack；　〃if　you　dare　not　go　forth　to　help　the　Indians；　see　now　how　God　has　brought　the　Indians　to　your　own　door。　Oh；　excellent　sir〃

〃Call　me　not　excellent；〃　said　the　old　man；　smiting　his　breast。

〃I　do；　and　shall；　sir；　while　I　see　in　you　an　excellent　repentance；　an　excellent　humility；　and　an　excellent　justice；〃　said　Jack。　　〃But　oh；　sir；　look　upon　these　forty　souls；　whom　we　must　leave　behind；　like　sheep　which　have　no　shepherd。　　Could　you　not　teach　them　to　fear　God　and　to　love　each　other；　to　live　like　rational　men；　perhaps　to　die　like　Christians？　　They　would　obey　you　as　a　dog　obeys　his　master。　　You　might　be　their　king；　their　father；　yea；　their　pope；　if　you　would。〃

〃You　do　not　speak　like　a　Lutheran。〃

〃I　am　not　a　Lutheran；　but　an　Englishman：　but；　Protestant　as　I　am；　God　knows；　I　had　sooner　see　these　poor　souls　of　your　creed；　than　of　none。〃

〃But　I　am　no　priest。〃

〃When　they　are　ready；〃　said　Jack；　〃the　Lord　will　send　a　priest。　　If　you　begin　the　good　work；　you　may　trust　to　Him　to　finish　it。〃

〃God　help　me！〃　said　the　old　warrior。

The　talk　lasted　long　into　the　night；　but　Amyas　was　up　long　before　daybreak；　felling　the　trees；　and　as　he　and　Cary　walked　back　to　breakfast；　the　first　thing　which　they　saw　was　the　old　man　in　his　garden　with　four　or　five　Indian　children　round　him；　talking　smilingly　to　them。

〃The　old　man's　heart　is　sound　still；〃　said　Will。　　〃No　man　is　lost　who　still　is　fond　of　little　children。〃

〃Ah；　senors！〃　said　the　hermit　as　they　came　up；　〃you　see　that　I　have　begun　already　to　act　upon　your　advice。〃

〃And　you　have　begun　at　the　right　end；〃　quoth　Amyas；　〃if　you　win　the　children；　you　win　the　mothers。〃

〃And　if　you　win　the　mothers；〃　quoth　Will；　〃the　poor　fathers　must　needs　obey　their　wives；　and　follow　in　the　wake。〃

The　old　man　only　sighed。　　〃The　prattle　of　these　little　ones　softens　my　hard　heart；　senors；　with　a　new　pleasure；　but　it　saddens　me；　when　I　recollect　that　there　may　be　children　of　mine　now　in　the　world　children　who　have　never　known　a　father's　lovenever　known　aught　but　a　master's　threats〃

〃God　has　taken　care　of　these　little　ones。　　Trust　that　He　has　taken　care　of　yours。〃

That　day　Amyas　assembled　the　Indians；　and　told　them　that　they　must　obey　the　hermit　as　their　king；　and　settle　there　as　best　they　could：　for　if　they　broke　up　and　wandered　away；　nothing　was　left　for　them　but　to　fall　one　by　one　into　the　hands　of　the　Spaniards。　　They　heard　him　with　their　usual　melancholy　and　stupid　acquiescence；　and　went　and　came　as　they　were　bid；　like　animated　machines；　but　the　negroes　were　of　a　different　temper；　and　four　or　five　stout　fellows　gave　Amyas　to　understand　that　they　had　been　warriors　in　their　own　country；　and　that　warriors　they　would　be　still；　and　nothing　should　keep　them　from　Spaniard…hunting。　　Amyas　saw　that　the　presence　of　these　desperadoes　in　the　new　colony　would　both　endanger　the　authority　of　the　hermit；　and　bring　the　Spaniards　down　upon　it　in　a　few　weeks；　so；　making　a　virtue　of　necessity；　he　asked　them　whether　they　would　go　Spaniard…hunting　with　him。

This　was　just　what　the　bold　Coromantees　wished　for；　they　grinned　and　shouted　their　delight　at　serving　under　so　great　a　warrior；　and　then　set　to　work　most　gallantly；　getting　through　more　in　the　day　than　any　ten　Indians；　and　indeed　than　any　two　Englishmen。

So　went　on　several　days；　during　which　the　trees　were　felled；　and　the　process　of　digging　them　out　began；　while　Ayacanora；　silent　and　moody；　wandered　into　the　woods　all　day　with　her　blow…gun；　and　brought　home　at　evening　a　load　of　parrots；　monkeys；　and　curassows；　two　or　three　old　hands　were　sent　out　to　hunt　likewise；　so　that；　what　with　the　game　and　the　fish　of　the　river；　which　seemed　inexhaustible；　and　the　fruit　of　the　neighboring　palm…trees；　there　was　no　lack　of　food　in　the　camp。　　But　what　to　do　with　Ayacanora　weighed　heavily　on　the　mind　of　Amyas。　　He　opened　his　heart　on　the　matter　to　the　old　hermit；　and　asked　him　whether　he　would　take　charge　of　her。　　The　latter　smiled；　and　shook　his　head　at　the　notion。　　〃If　your　report　of　her　be　true；　I　may　as　well　take　in　hand　to　tame　a　jaguar。〃　　However；　he　promised　to　try；　and　one　evening；　as　they　were　all　standing　together　before　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　Ayacanora　came　up　smiling　with　the　fruit　of　her　day's　sport；　and　Amyas；　thinking　this　a　fit　opportunity；　began　a　carefully　prepared　harangue　to　her；　which　he　intended　to　be　altogether　soothing；　and　even　pathetic；to　the　effect　that　the　maiden；　having　no　parents；　was　to　look　upon　this　good　old　man　as　her　father；　that　he　would　instruct　her　in　the　white　man's　religion　（at　which　promise　Yeo；　as　a　good　Protestant；　winced　a　good　deal）；　and　teach　her　how　to　be　happy　and　good；　and　so　forth；　and　that；　in　fine；　she　was　to　remain　there　with　the　hermit。

She　heard　him　quietly；　her　great　dark　eyes　opening　wider　and　wider；　her　bosom　swelling；　her　stature　seeming　to　grow　taller　every　moment；　as　she　clenched　her　weapons　firmly　in　both　her　hands。　Beautiful　as　she　always　was；　she　had　never　looked　so　beautiful　before；　and　as　Amyas　spoke　of　parting　with　her；　it　was　like　throwing　away　a　lovely　toy；　but　it　must　be　done；　for　her　sake；　for　his；　perhaps　for　that　of　all　the　crew。

The　last　words　had　hardly　passed　his　lips；　when；　with　a　shriek　of　mingled　scorn；　rage；　and　fear；　she　dashed　through　the　astonished　group。

〃Stop　her！〃　were　Amyas's　first　words；　but　his　next　were；　〃Let　her　go！〃　for；　springing　like　a　deer　through　the　little　garden　and　over　the　flower…fence；　she　turned；　menacing　with　her　blow…gun　the　sailors；　who　had　already　started　in　her　pursuit。

〃Let　her　alone；　for　Heaven's　sake！〃　shouted　Amyas；　who；　he　scarce　knew　why；　shrank　from　the　thought　of　seeing　those　graceful　limbs　struggling　in　the　seamen's　grasp。

She　turned　again；　and　in　another　minute　her　gaudy　plumes　had　vanished　among　the　dark　forest　stems；　as　swiftly　as　if　she　had　been　a　passing　bird。

All　stood　thunderstruck　at　this　unexpected　end　to　the　conference。　At　last　Aymas　spoke：

〃There's　no　use　in　standing　here　idle；　gentlemen。　　Staring　after　her　won't　bring　her　back。　　After　all；　I'm　glad　she's　gone。〃

But　the　tone　of　his　voice　belied　his　words。　　Now　he　had　lost　her；　he　wanted　her　back；　and　perhaps　every　one　present；　except　he；　guessed　why。

But　Ayacanora　did　not　return；　and　ten　days　more　went　on　in　continual　toil　at　the　canoes　without　any　news　of　her　from　the　hunters。　　Amyas；　by　the　by；　had　strictly　bidden　these　last　not　to　follow　the　girl；　not　even　to　speak　to　her；　if　they　came　across　her　in　their　wanderings。　　He　was　shrewd　enough　to　guess　that　the　only　way　to　cure　her　sulkiness　was　to　outsulk　her；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　her　presence　in　any　direction；　and　the　canoes　being　finished　at　last；　the　gold；　and　such　provisions　as　they　could　collect；　were　placed　on　board；　and　one　evening　the　party　prepared　for　their　fresh　voyage。　　They　determined　to　travel　as　much　as　possible　by　night；　for　fear　of　discovery；　especially　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　few　Spanish　settlements　which　were　then　scattered　along　the　banks　of　the　main　stream。　　These；　however；　the　negroes　knew；　so　that　there　was　no　fear　of　coming　on　them　unawares；　and　as　for　falling　asleep　in　their　night　journeys；　〃Nobody；〃　the　negroes　said；　〃ever　slept　on　the　Magdalena；　the　mosquitoes　took　too　good　care　of　that。〃　　Which　fact　Amyas　and　his　crew　verified　afterwards　as　thoroughly　as　wretched　men　could　do。

The　sun　had　sunk；　the　night　had　all　but　fallen；　the　men　were　all　on　board；　Amyas　in　command　of　one　canoe；　Cary　of　the　other。　　The　Indians　were　grouped　on　the　bank；　watching　the　party　with　their　listless　stare；　and　with　them　the　young　guide；　who　preferred　remaining　among　the　Indians；　and　was　made　supremely　happy　by　the　present　of　Spanish　sword　and　an　English　axe；　while；　in　the　midst；　the　old　hermit；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　prayed　God's　blessing　on　them。

〃I　owe　to　you；　noble　cavaliers；　new　peace；　new　labor；　I　may　say；　ne