westward ho-第160章

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had　promised　to　send　you　news　if　they　heard　of　him。〃

〃Ay；　but　it's　ill　looking　for　a　needle　in　a　haystack。　　But　I　shall　find　him。　　I　am　a　coward　to　doubt　it；〃　said　Amyas；　setting　his　teeth。

〃There；　vice…admiral；　you're　beaten；　and　that's　the　rubber。　　Pay　up　three　dollars；　old　high…flyer；　and　go　and　earn　more；　like　an　honest　adventurer。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Drake；　as　he　pulled　out　his　purse；　〃we'll　walk　down　now；　and　see　about　these　young　hot…heads。　　As　I　live；　they　are　setting　to　tow　the　ships　out　already！　　Breaking　the　men's　backs　over…night；　to　make　them　fight　the　lustier　in　the　morning！　　Well；　well；　they　haven't　sailed　round　the　world；　Jack　Hawkins。〃

〃Or　had　to　run　home　from　San　Juan　d'Ulloa　with　half　a　crew。

〃Well；　if　we　haven't　to　run　out　with　half　crews。　　I　saw　a　sight　of　our　lads　drunk　about　this　morning。〃

〃The　more　reason　for　waiting　till　they　be　sober。　　Besides；　if　everybody's　caranting　about　to　once　each　after　his　own　men；　nobody'll　find　nothing　in　such　a　scrimmage　as　that。　　Bye；　bye；　Uncle　Martin。　　We'm　going　to　blow　the　Dons　up　now　in　earnest。〃



CHAPTER　XXXI

THE　GREAT　ARMADA


〃Britannia　needs　no　bulwarks；　　　　No　towers　along　the　steep；　Her　march　is　o'er　the　mountain　wave；　　　　Her　home　is　on　the　deep。〃

　　　CAMPBELL；　Ye　Mariners　of　England。


And　now　began　that　great　sea…fight　which　was　to　determine　whether　Popery　and　despotism；　or　Protestantism　and　freedom；　were　the　law　which　God　had　appointed　for　the　half　of　Europe；　and　the　whole　of　future　America。　　It　is　a　twelve　days'　epic；　worthy；　as　I　said　in　the　beginning　of　this　book；　not　of　dull　prose；　but　of　the　thunder…　roll　of　Homer's　verse：　but　having　to　tell　it；　I　must　do　my　best；　rather　using；　where　I　can；　the　words　of　contemporary　authors　than　my　own。

〃The　Lord　High　Admirall　of　England；　sending　a　pinnace　before；　called　the　Defiance；　denounced　war　by　discharging　her　ordnance；　and　presently　approaching　with　in　musquet…shot；　with　much　thundering　out　of　his　own　ship；　called　the　Arkroyall　（alias　the　Triumph）；　first　set　upon　the　admirall's；　as　he　thought；　of　the　Spaniards　（but　it　was　Alfonso　de　Leon's　ship。　　Soon　after；　Drake；　Hawkins；　and　Frobisher　played　stoutly　with　their　ordnance　on　the　hindmost　squadron；　which　was　commanded　by　Recalde。〃　　The　Spaniards　soon　discover　the　superior　〃nimbleness　of　the　English　ships；〃　and　Recalde's　squadron；　finding　that　they　are　getting　more　than　they　give；　in　spite　of　his　endeavors；　hurry　forward　to　join　the　rest　of　the　fleet。　　Medina　the　Admiral；　finding　his　ships　scattering　fast；　gathers　them　into　a　half…moon；　and　the　Armada　tries　to　keep　solemn　way　forward；　like　a　stately　herd　of　buffaloes；　who　march　on　across　the　prairie；　disdaining　to　notice　the　wolves　which　snarl　around　their　track。　　But　in　vain。　　These　are　no　wolves；　but　cunning　hunters；　swiftly　horsed；　and　keenly　armed；　and　who　will　〃shamefully　shuffle〃　（to　use　Drake's　own　expression）　that　vast　herd　from　the　Lizard　to　Portland；　from　Portland　to　Calais　Roads；　and　who；　even　in　this　short　two　hours'　fight；　have　made　many　a　Spaniard　question　the　boasted　invincibleness　of　this　Armada。

One　of　the　four　great　galliasses　is　already　riddled　with　shot；　to　the　great　disarrangement　of　her　〃pulpits；　chapels；〃　and　friars　therein　assistant。　　The　fleet　has　to　close　round　her；　or　Drake　and　Hawkins　will　sink　her；　in　effecting　which　manoeuvre；　the　〃principal　galleon　of　Seville；〃　in　which　are　Pedro　de　Valdez　and　a　host　of　blue…blooded　Dons；　runs　foul　of　her　neighbor；　carries　away　her　foremast；　and　is；　in　spite　of　Spanish　chivalry；　left　to　her　fate。　This　does　not　look　like　victory；　certainly。　　But　courage！　though　Valdez　be　left　behind；　〃our　Lady；〃　and　the　saints；　and　the　bull　Caena　Domini　（dictated　by　one　whom　I　dare　not　name　here）；　are　with　them　still；　and　it　were　blasphemous　to　doubt。　　But　in　the　meanwhile；　if　they　have　fared　no　better　than　this　against　a　third　of　the　Plymouth　fleet；　how　will　they　fare　when　those　forty　belated　ships；　which　are　already　whitening　the　blue　between　them　and　the　Mewstone；　enter　the　scene　to　play　their　part？

So　ends　the　first　day；　not　an　English　ship；　hardly　a　man；　is　hurt。　It　has　destroyed　for　ever；　in　English　minds；　the　prestige　of　boastful　Spain。　　It　has　justified　utterly　the　policy　which　the　good　Lord　Howard　had　adopted　by　Raleigh's　and　Drake's　advice；　of　keeping　up　a　running　fight；　instead　of　〃clapping　ships　together　without　consideration；〃　in　which　case；　says　Raleigh；　〃he　had　been　lost；　if　he　had　not　been　better　advised　than　a　great　many　malignant　fools　were；　who　found　fault　with　his　demeanor。〃

Be　that　as　it　may；　so　ends　the　first　day；　in　which　Amyas　and　the　other　Bideford　ships　have　been　right　busy　for　two　hours；　knocking　holes　in　a　huge　galleon；　which　carries　on　her　poop　a　maiden　with　a　wheel；　and　bears　the　name　of　Sta。　Catharina。　　She　had　a　coat　of　arms　on　the　flag　at　her　sprit；　probably　those　of　the　commandant　of　soldiers；　but　they　were　shot　away　early　in　the　fight；　so　Amyas　cannot　tell　whether　they　were　De　Soto'　s　or　not。　　Nevertheless；　there　is　plenty　of　time　for　private　revenge；　and　Amyas；　called　off　at　last　by　the　admiral's　signal；　goes　to　bed　and　sleeps　soundly。

But　ere　he　has　been　in　his　hammock　an　hour；　he　is　awakened　by　Cary's　coming　down　to　ask　for　orders。

〃We　were　to　follow　Drake's　lantern；　Amyas；　but　where　it　is；　I　can't　see；　unless　he　has　been　taken　up　aloft　there　among　the　stars　for　a　new　Drakium　Sidus。〃

Amyas　turns　out　grumbling：　but　no　lantern　is　to　be　seen；　only　a　sudden　explosion　and　a　great　fire　on　board　some　Spaniard；　which　is　gradually　got　under；　while　they　have　to　lie…to　the　whole　night　long；　with　nearly　the　whole　fleet。

The　next　morning　finds　them　off　Torbay；　and　Amyas　is　hailed　by　a　pinnace；　bringing　a　letter　from　Drake；　which　（saving　the　spelling；　which　was　somewhat　arbitrary；　like　most　men's　in　those　days）　ran　somewhat　thus：


〃DEAR　LAD；I　have　been　wool…gathering　all　night　after　five　great　hulks；　which　the　Pixies　transfigured　overnight　into　galleons；　and　this　morning　again　into　German　merchantmen。　　I　let　them　go　with　my　blessing；　and　coming　back；　fell　in　（God　be　thanked！）　with　Valdez'　great　galleon；　and　in　it　good　booty；　which　the　Dons　his　fellows　had　left　behind；　like　faithful　and　valiant　comrades；　and　the　Lord　Howard　had　let　slip　past　him；　thinking　her　deserted　by　her　crew。　　I　have　sent　to　Dartmouth　a　sight　of　noblemen　and　gentlemen；　maybe　a　half…hundred；　and　Valdez　himself；　who　when　I　sent　my　pinnace　aboard　must　needs　stand　on　his　punctilios；　and　propound　conditions。　　I　answered　him；　I　had　no　time　to　tell　with　him；　if　he　would　needs　die；　then　I　was　the　very　man　for　him；　if　he　would　live；　then；　buena　querra。　　He　sends　again；　boasting　that　he　was　Don　Pedro　Valdez；　and　that　it　stood　not　with　his　honor；　and　that　of　the　Dons　in　his　company。　　I　replied；　that　for　my　part；　I　was　Francis　Drake；　and　my　matches　burning。　　Whereon　he　finds　in　my　name　salve　for　the　wounds　of　his　own；　and　comes　aboard；　kissing　my　fist；　with　Spanish　lies　of　holding　himself　fortunate　that　he　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　fortunate　Drake；　and　much　more；　which　he　might　have　kept　to　cool　his　porridge。　　But　I　have　much　news　from　him　（for　he　is　a　leaky　tub）；　and　among　others；　this；　that　your　Don　Guzman　is　aboard　of　the　Sta。　Catharina；　commandant　of　her　soldiery；　and　has　his　arms　flying　at　her　sprit；　beside　Sta。　Catharina　at　the　poop；　which　is　a　maiden　with　a　wheel；　and　is　a　lofty　built　ship　of　3　tier　of　ordnance；　from　which　God　preserve　you；　and　send　you　like　luck　with。

〃Your　deare　Friend　and　Admirall；

〃F。　Drake。

〃She　sails　in　this　squadron　of　Recalde。　　The　Armada　was　minded　to　smoke　us　out　of　Plymouth；　and　God's　grace　it　was　they　tried　not：　but　their　orders　from　home　are　too　strait；　and　so　the　slaves　fight　like　a　bull　in　a　tether；　no　farther　than　their　rope；　finding　thus　the　devil　a　hard　master；　as　do　most　in　the　end。　　They　cannot　compass　our　quick　handling　and　tacking；　and　take　us　for　very　witches。　　So　far　so　good；　and　better　to　come。　　You　and　I　know　the　length　of　their　foot　of　old。　　Time　and　light　will　kill　any　hare；　and　they　will　find　it　a　long　way　from　Start　to　Dunkirk。〃


〃The　admiral　is　in　a　gracious　humor；　Leigh；　to　have　vouchsafed　you　so　long　a　letter。〃

〃St。　Catherine！　why；　that　was　the　galleon　we　hammered