westward ho-第142章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Sleeping　Beauty。


And　so　Ayacanora　took　up　her　abode　in　Lucy's　cabin；　as　a　regularly　accredited　member　of　the　crew。

But　a　most　troublesome　member；　for　now　began　in　her　that　perilous　crisis　which　seems　to　endanger　the　bodies　and　souls　of　all　savages　and　savage　tribes；　when　they　first　mingle　with　the　white　man；　that　crisis　which；　a　few　years　afterwards；　began　to　hasten　the　extermination　of　the　North　American　tribes；　and　had　it　not　been　for　the　admirable　good　sense　and　constancy　of　Amyas；　Ayacanora　might　have　ended　even　more　miserably　than　did　the　far…famed　Pocahontas；　daughter　of　the　Virginian　king；　who；　after　having　been　received　at　Court　by　the　old　pedant　James　the　First；　with　the　honors　of　a　sister　sovereign；　and　having　become　the　reputed　ancestress　of　more　than　one　ancient　Virginian　family；　ended　her　days　in　wretchedness　in　some　Wapping　garret。

For　the　mind　of　the　savage；　crushed　by　the　sight　of　the　white　man's　superior　skill；　and　wealth；　and　wisdom；　loses　at　first　its　self…　respect；　while　his　body；　pampered　with　easily　obtained　luxuries；　instead　of　having　to　win　the　necessaries　of　life　by　heavy　toil；　loses　its　self…helpfulness；　and　with　self…respect　and　self…help　vanish　all　the　savage　virtues；　few　and　flimsy　as　they　are；　and　the　downward　road　toward　begging　and　stealing；　sottishness　and　idleness；　is　easy；　if　not　sure。

And　down　that　road；　it　really　seemed　at　first；　that　poor　Ayacanora　was　walking　fast。　　For　the　warrior…prophetess　of　the　Omaguas　soon　became；　to　all　appearance；　nothing　but　a　very　naughty　child；　and　the　Diana　of　the　Meta；　after　she　had　satisfied　her　simple　wonder　at　the　great　floating　house　by　rambling　from　deck　to　deck；　and　peeping　into　every　cupboard　and　cranny；　manifested　a　great　propensity　to　steal　and　hide　（she　was　too　proud　or　too　shy　to　ask　for）　every　trumpery　which　smit　her　fancy；　and　when　Amyas　forbade　her　to　take　anything　without　leave；　threatened　to　drown　herself；　and　went　off　and　sulked　all　day　in　her　cabin。　　Nevertheless；　she　obeyed　him；　except　in　the　matter　of　sweet　things。　　Perhaps　she　craved　naturally　for　the　vegetable　food　of　her　native　forests；　at　all　events　the　bishop's　stores　of　fruit　and　sweetmeats　diminished　rapidly；　and　what　was　worse；　so　did　the　sweet　Spanish　wine　which　Amyas　had　set　apart　for　poor　Lucy's　daily　cordial。　　Whereon　another　severe　lecture；　in　which　Amyas　told　her　how　mean　it　was　to　rob　poor　sick　Lucy；　whereat　she；　as　usual；　threatened　to　drown　herself；　and　was　running　upon　deck　to　do　it；　when　Amyas　caught　her　and　forgave　her。　On　which　a　violent　fit　of　crying；　and　great　penitence　and　promises；　and　a　week　after；　Amyas　found　that　she　had　cheated　Satan　and　her　own　conscience　by　tormenting　the　Portuguese　steward　into　giving　her　some　other　wine　instead：　but　luckily　for　her；　she　found　Amyas's　warnings　about　wine　making　her　mad　so　far　fulfilled；　that　she　did　several　foolish　things　one　evening；　and　had　a　bad　headache　next　morning；　so　the　murder　was　out；　and　Amyas　ordered　the　steward　up　for　a　sound　flogging；　but　Ayacanora；　honorably　enough；　not　only　begged　him　off；　but　offered　to　be　whipped　instead　of　him；　confessing　that　the　poor　fellow　spoke　truly　when　he　swore　that　she　had　threatened　to　kill　him；　and　that　he　had　given　her　the　wine　in　bodily　fear　for　his　life。

However；　her　own　headache　and　Amyas's　cold　looks　were　lesson　enough；　and　after　another　attempt　to　drown　herself；　the　wilful　beauty　settled　down　for　awhile；　and　what　was　better；　could　hardly　be　persuaded；　thenceforth　to　her　dying　day；　to　touch　fermented　liquors。

But；　in　the　meanwhile；　poor　Amyas　had　many　a　brains…beating　as　to　how　he　was　to　tame　a　lady　who；　on　the　least　provocation；　took　refuge　in　suicide。　　Punish　her　he　dared　not；　even　if　he　had　the　heart。　　And　as　for　putting　her　ashore；　he　had　an　instinct；　and　surely　not　a　superstitious　one；　that　her　strange　affection　for　the　English　was　not　unsent　by　Heaven；　and　that　God　had　committed　her　into　his　charge；　and　that　He　would　require　an　account　at　his　hands　of　the　soul　of　that　fair　lost　lamb。

So；　almost　at　his　wits'　end；　he　prayed　to　God；　good　simple　fellow；　and　that　many　a　time；　to　show　him　what　he　should　do　with　her　before　she　killed　either　herself；　or　what　was　just　as　likely；　one　of　the　crew；　and　it　seemed　best　to　him　to　make　Parson　Jack　teach　her　the　rudiments　of　Christianity；　that　she　might　be　baptized　in　due　time　when　they　got　home　to　England。

But　here　arose　a　fresh　troublefor　she　roundly　refused　to　learn　of　Jack；　or　of　any　one　but　Amyas　himself；　while　he　had　many　a　good　reason　for　refusing　the　office　of　schoolmaster；　so；　for　a　week　or　two　more；　Ayacanora　remained　untaught；　save　in　the　English　tongue；　which　she　picked　up　with　marvellous　rapidity。

And　next；　as　if　troubles　would　never　end；　she　took　a　violent　dislike；　not　only　to　John　Brimblecombe；　whose　gait　and　voice　she　openly　mimicked　for　the　edification　of　the　men；　but　also　to　Will　Cary；　whom　she　never　allowed　to　speak　to　her　or　approach　her。　Perhaps　she　was　jealous　of　his　intimacy　with　Amyas；　or　perhaps；　with　the　subtle　instinct　of　a　woman；　she　knew　that　he　was　the　only　other　man　on　board　who　might　dare　to　make　love　to　her　（though　Will；　to　do　him　justice；　was　as　guiltless　of　any　such　intention　as　Amyas　himself）。　　But　when　she　was　remonstrated　with；　her　only　answer　was　that　Cary　was　a　cacique　as　well　as　Amyas；　and　that　there　ought　not　to　be　two　caciques；　and　one　day　she　actually　proposed　to　Amyas　to　kill　his　supposed　rival；　and　take　the　ship　all　to　himself；　and　sulked　for　several　days　at　hearing　Amyas；　amid　shouts　of　laughter；　retail　her　precious　advice　to　its　intended　victim。

Moreover；　the　negroes　came　in　for　their　share；　being　regarded　all　along　by　her　with　an　unspeakable　repugnance；　which　showed　itself　at　first　in　hiding　from　them　whenever　she　could；　and；　afterwards；　in　throwing　at　them　everything　she　could　lay　hands　on；　till　the　poor　Quashies；　in　danger　of　their　lives；　complained　to　Amyas；　and　got　rest　for　awhile。

Over　the　rest　of　the　sailors　she　lorded　it　like　a　very　princess；　calling　them　from　their　work　to　run　on　her　errands　and　make　toys　for　her；　enforcing　her　commands　now　and　then　by　a　shrewd　box　on　the　ears；　while　the　good　fellows；　especially　old　Yeo；　like　true　sailors；　petted　her；　obeyed　her；　even　jested　with　her；　much　as　they　might　have　done　with　a　tame　leopard；　whose　claws　might　be　unsheathed　and　about　their　ears　at　any　moment。　　But　she　amused　them；　and　amused　Amyas　too。　　They　must　of　course　have　a　pet；　and　what　prettier　one　could　they　have？　　And　as　for　Amyas；　the　constant　interest　of　her　presence；　even　the　constant　anxiety　of　her　wilfulness；　kept　his　mind　busy；　and　drove　out　many　a　sad　foreboding　about　that　meeting　with　his　mother；　and　the　tragedy　which　he　had　to　tell　her；　which　would　otherwise；　so　heavily　did　they　weigh　on　him；　have　crushed　his　spirit　with　melancholy；　and　made　all　his　worldly　success　and　marvellous　deliverance　worthless　in　his　eyes。

At　last　the　matter；　as　most　things　luckily　do；　came　to　a　climax；　and　it　came　in　this　way。

The　ship　had　been　slipping　along　now　for　many　a　day；　slowly　but　steadily　before　a　favorable　breeze。　　She　had　passed　the　ring　of　the　West　India　islands；　and　was　now　crawling；　safe　from　all　pursuit；　through　the　vast　weed…beds　of　the　Sargasso　Sea。　　There；　for　the　first　time；　it　was　thought　safe　to　relax　the　discipline　which　had　been　hitherto　kept　up；　and　to　〃rummage〃　（as　was　the　word　in　those　days）　their　noble　prize。　　What　they　found；　of　gold　and　silver；　jewels；　and　merchandise；　will　interest　no　readers。　　Suffice　it　to　say；　that　there　was　enough　there；　with　the　other　treasure；　to　make　Amyas　rich　for　life；　after　all　claims　of　Cary's　and　the　crew；　not　forgetting　Mr。　Salterne's　third；　as　owner　of　the　ship；　had　been　paid　off。　　But　in　the　captain's　cabin　were　found　two　chests；　one　full　of　gorgeous　Mexican　feather　dresses；　and　the　other　of　Spanish　and　East　Indian　finery；　which；　having　come　by　way　of　Havana　and　Cartagena；　was　going　on；　it　seemed；　to　some　senora　or　other　at　the　Caracas。　　Which　two　chests　were；　at　Cary's　proposal；　voted　amid　the　acclamations　of　the　crew　to　Ayacanora；　as　her　due　and　fit　share　of　the　pillage；　in　consideration　of　her　Amazonian　prowess　and　valuable　services。

So　the　poor　child　took　greedy　posses