westward ho-第135章

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nt　hackles；　bishop；　as　all　statesmen　know。　　Heaven　grant　we　may　have　orders　by　the　next　fleet　to　fortify；　or　we　shall　be　at　the　mercy　of　every　English　pirate！〃

〃Ah；　that　blockhouse！〃　sighed　the　bishop。　　〃That　was　indeed　a　villainous　trick。　　A　hundred　and　ten　thousand　ducats　for　the　ransom　of　the　town！　　After　having　burned　and　plundered　the　one…halfand　having　made　me　dine　with　them　too；　ah！　and　sit　between　thethe　serpent；　and　his　lieutenant…generaland　drunk　my　health　in　my　own　private　winewine　that　I　had　from　Xeres　nine　years　ago；　senors　and　offered；　the　shameless　heretics；　to　take　me　to　England；　if　I　would　turn　Lutheran；　and　find　me　a　wife；　and　make　an　honest　man　of　me　ah！　and　then　to　demand　fresh　ransom　for　the　priory　and　the　fort　perfidious！〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃they　had　the　law　of　us；　the　cunning　rascals；　for　we　forgot　to　mention　anything　but　the　town；　in　the　agreement。　　Who　would　have　dreamed　of　such　a　fetch　as　that？〃

〃So　I　told　my　good　friend　the　prior；　when　he　came　to　me　to　borrow　the　thousand　crowns。　　It　was　Heaven's　will。　　Unexpected　like　the　thunderbolt；　and　to　be　borne　as　such。　　Every　man　must　bear　his　own　burden。　　How　could　I　lend　him　aught？〃

〃Your　holiness's　money　had　been　all　carried　off　by　them　before；〃　said　the　intendant；　who　knew；　and　none　better；　the　exact　contrary。

〃Just　soall　my　scanty　savings！　desolate　in　my　lone　old　age。　　Ah；　senors；　had　we　not　had　warning　of　the　coming　of　these　wretches　from　my　dear　friend　the　Marquess　of　Santa　Cruz；　whom　I　remember　daily　in　my　prayers；　we　had　been　like　to　them　who　go　down　quick　into　the　pit。　　I　too　might　have　saved　a　trifle；　had　I　been　minded：　but　in　thinking　too　much　of　others；　I　forgot　myself；　alas！〃

〃Warning　or　none；　we　had　no　right　to　be　beaten　by　such　a　handful；〃　said　the　sea…captain；　〃and　a　shame　it　is；　and　a　shame　it　will　be；　for　many　a　day　to　come。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　cast　any　slur；　sir；　upon　the　courage　and　conduct　of　his　Catholic　majesty's　soldiers？〃　asked　the　colonel。

〃I？No；　but　we　were　foully　beaten；　and　that　behind　our　barricades　too；　and　there's　the　plain　truth。〃

〃Beaten；　sir！　　Do　you　apply　such　a　term　to　the　fortunes　of　war？　What　more　could　our　governor　have　done？　　Had　we　not　the　ways　filled　with　poisoned　caltrops；　guarded　by　Indian　archers；　barred　with　butts　full　of　earth；　raked　with　culverins　and　arquebuses？　　What　familiar　spirit　had　we；　sir；　to　tell　us　that　these　villains　would　come　along　the　sea…beach；　and　not　by　the　high…road；　like　Christian　men？〃

〃Ah！〃　said　the　bishop；　〃it　was　by　intuition　diabolic；　I　doubt　not；　that　they　took　that　way。　　Satanas　must　need　help　those　who　serve　him；　and　for　my　part；　I　can　only　attribute　（I　would　the　captain　here　had　piety　enough　to　do　so）　the　misfortune　which　occurred　to　art…magic。　　I　believe　these　men　to　have　been　possessed　by　all　fiends　whatsoever。〃

〃Well；　your　holiness；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃there　may　have　been　devilry　in　it；　how　else　would　men　have　dared　to　run　right　into　the　mouths　of　our　cannon；　fire　their　shot　against　our　very　noses；　and　tumble　harmless　over　those　huge　butts　of　earth？〃

〃Doubtless　by　force　of　the　fiends　which　raged　with　them；〃　interposed　the　bishop。

〃And　then；　with　their　blasphemous　cries；　leap　upon　us　with　sword　and　pike？　　I　myself　saw　that　Lieutenant…General　Carlisle　hew　down　with　one　stroke　that　noble　young　gentleman　the　ensign…bearer；　your　excellency's　sister's　son's　nephew；　though　he　was　armed　cap…a…pie。　Was　not　art…magic　here？　　And　that　most　furious　and　blaspheming　Lutheran　Captain　Young；　I　saw　how　he　caught　our　general　by　the　head；　after　the　illustrious　Don　Alonzo　had　given　him　a　grievous　wound；　threw　him　to　the　earth；　and　so　took　him。　　Was　not　art…magic　here？〃

〃Well；　I　say；〃　said　the　captain；　〃if　you　are　looking　for　art…magic；　what　say　you　to　their　marching　through　the　flank　fire　of　our　galleys；　with　eleven　pieces　of　ordnance；　and　two　hundred　shot　playing　on　them；　as　if　it　had　been　a　mosquito　swarm？　　Some　said　my　men　fired　too　high：　but　that　was　the　English　rascals'　doing；　for　they　got　down　on　the　tide　beach。　　But；　senor　commandant；　though　Satan　may　have　taught　them　that　trick；　was　it　he　that　taught　them　to　carry　pikes　a　foot　longer　than　yours？〃

〃Ah；　well；〃　said　the　bishop；　〃sacked　are　we；　and　San　Domingo；　as　I　hear；　in　worse　case　than　we　are；　and　St。　Augustine　in　Florida　likewise；　and　all　that　is　left　for　a　poor　priest　like　me　is　to　return　to　Spain；　and　see　whether　the　pious　clemency　of　his　majesty；　and　of　the　universal　Father；　may　not　be　willing　to　grant　some　small　relief　or　bounty　to　the　poor　of　Maryperhaps（for　who　knows？）　to　translate　to　a　sphere　of　more　peaceful　labor　one　who　is　now　old；　senors；　and　weary　with　many　toilsTita！　fill　our　glasses。　　I　have　saved　somewhatas　you　may　have　done；　senors；　from　the　general　wreck；　and　for　the　flock；　when　I　am　no　more；　illustrious　senors；　Heaven's　mercies　are　infinite；　new　cities　will　rise　from　the　ashes　of　the　old；　new　mines　pour　forth　their　treasures　into　the　sanctified　laps　of　the　faithful；　and　new　Indians　flock　toward　the　life…giving　standard　of　the　Cross；　to　put　on　the　easy　yoke　and　light　burden　of　the　Church；　and〃

〃And　where　shall　I　be　then？　　Ah；　where？　　Fain　would　I　rest；　and　fain　depart。　　Tita！　sling　my　hammock。　　Senors；　you　will　excuse　age　and　infirmities。　　Fray　Gerundio；　go　to　bed！〃

And　the　Dons　rose　to　depart；　while　the　bishop　went　on　maundering；

〃Farewell！　　Life　is　short。　　Ah！　we　shall　meet　in　heaven　at　last。　And　there　are　really　no　more　pearls？〃

〃Not　a　frail；　nor　gold　either；〃　said　the　intendant。

〃Ah；　well！　　Better　a　dinner　of　herbs　where　love　is；　thanTita！〃

〃My　breviaryah！　　Man's　gratitude　is　short…lived；　I　had　hoped　You　have　seen　nothing　of　the　Senora　Bovadilla？〃

〃No。〃

〃Ah！　she　promised：but　no　mattera　little　trifle　as　a　keepsakea　gold　cross；　or　an　emerald　ring；　or　what　notI　forget。　　And　what　have　I　to　do　with　worldly　wealth！Ah！　Tita！　bring　me　the　casket。〃

And　when　his　guests　were　gone；　the　old　man　began　mumbling　prayers　out　of　his　breviary；　and　fingering　over　jewels　and　gold；　with　the　dull　greedy　eyes　of　covetous　old　age。

〃Ah！it　may　buy　the　red　hat　yet！Omnia　Romae　venalia！　　Put　it　by；　Tita；　and　do　not　look　at　it　too　much；　child。　　Enter　not　into　temptation。　　The　love　of　money　is　the　root　of　all　evil；　and　Heaven；　in　love　for　the　Indian；　has　made　him　poor　in　this　world；　that　he　may　be　rich　in　faith。　　Ah！Ugh！So！〃

And　the　old　miser　clambered　into　his　hammock。　　Tita　drew　the　mosquito　net　over　him；　wrapt　another　round　her　own　head；　and　slept；　or　seemed　to　sleep；　for　she　coiled　herself　up　upon　the　floor；　and　master　and　slave　soon　snored　a　merry　bass　to　the　treble　of　the　mosquitoes。

It　was　long　past　midnight；　and　the　moon　was　down。　　The　sentinels；　who　had　tramped　and　challenged　overhead　till　they　thought　their　officers　were　sound　asleep；　had　slipped　out　of　the　unwholesome　rays　of　the　planet　to　seek　that　health　and　peace　which　they　considered　their　right；　and　slept　as　soundly　as　the　bishop's　self。

Two　long　lines　glided　out　from　behind　the　isolated　rocks　of　the　Morro　Grande；　which　bounded　the　bay　some　five　hundred　yards　astern　of　the　galleon。　　They　were　almost　invisible　on　the　glittering　surface　of　the　water；　being　perfectly　white；　and；　had　a　sentinel　been　looking　out；　he　could　only　have　descried　them　by　the　phosphorescent　flashes　along　their　sides。

Now　the　bishop　had　awoke；　and　turned　himself　over　uneasily；　for　the　wine　was　dying　out　within　him；　and　his　shoulders　had　slipped　down；　and　his　heels　up；　and　his　head　ached！　so　he　sat　upright　in　his　hammock；　looked　out　upon　the　bay；　and　called　Tita。

〃Put　another　pillow　under　my　head；　child！　　What　is　that？　a　fish？〃

Tita　looked。　　She　did　not　think　it　was　a　fish：　but　she　did　not　choose　to　say　so；　for　it　might　have　produced　an　argument；　and　she　had　her　reasons　for　not　keeping　his　holiness　awake。

The　bishop　looked　again；　settled　that　it　must　be　a　white　whale；　or　shark；　or　other　monster　of　the　deep；　crossed　himself；　prayed　for　a　safe　voyage；　and　snored　once　more。

Presently　the　cabin…door　opened　gently；　and　the　head　of　the　senor　intendant　appeared。

Tita　sat　up；　and　then　began　crawling　like　a　snake　along　the　floor；　among　the　chairs　and　tables；　by　the　light　of　the　cabin　lamp。

〃Is　he　asleep？〃

〃Yes：　but　the　ca