westward ho-第59章

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r　my　cheek　will　rise　up　in　judgment　against　me　at　the　last　day。〃

〃Well　spoken；　lad；〃　said　the　colonel；　as　he　swung　out。　　〃So！　worth　a　reprieve；　by　this　sword；　to　have　one　more　rapier…rattle　before　the　gallows！　　Then　I　take　back　no　further　answer；　my　lord　deputy？　Not　even　our　swords；　our　virgin　blades；　signor；　the　soldier's　cherished　bride？　　Shall　we　go　forth　weeping　widowers；　and　leave　to　strange　embrace　the　lovely　steel？〃

〃None；　sir；　by　heaven！〃　said　he；　waxing　wroth。　　〃Do　you　come　hither；　pirates　as　you　are；　to　dictate　terms　upon　a　foreign　soil？　Is　it　not　enough　to　have　set　up　here　the　Spanish　flag；　and　claimed　the　land　of　Ireland　as　the　Pope's　gift　to　the　Spaniard；　violated　the　laws　of　nations；　and　the　solemn　treaties　of　princes；　under　color　of　a　mad　superstition？〃

〃Superstition；　my　lord？　　Nothing　less。　　Believe　a　philosopher　who　has　not　said　a　pater　or　an　ave　for　seven　years　past　at　least。　　Quod　tango　credo；　is　my　motto；　and　though　I　am　bound　to　say；　under　pain　of　the　Inquisition；　that　the　most　holy　Father　the　Pope　has　given　this　land　of　Ireland　to　his　most　Catholic　Majesty　the　King　of　Spain；　Queen　Elizabeth　having　forfeited　her　title　to　it　by　heresy；　why；　my　lord；　I　believe　it　as　little　as　you　do。　　I　believe　that　Ireland　would　have　been　mine；　if　I　had　won　it；　I　believe　religiously　that　it　is　not　mine；　now　I　have　lost　it。　　What　is；　is；　and　a　fig　for　priests；　to…day　to　thee；　to…morrow　to　me。　　Addio！〃　And　out　he　swung

〃There　goes　a　most　gallant　rascal；〃　said　the　lord　deputy。

〃And　a　most　rascally　gallant；〃　said　Zouch。　　〃The　murder　of　his　own　page；　of　which　I　gave　him　a　remembrancer；　is　among　the　least　of　his　sins。〃

〃And　now；　Captain　Raleigh；〃　said　Lord　Grey；　as　you　have　been　so　earnest　in　preaching　this　butchery；　I　have　a　right　to　ask　none　but　you　to　practise　it。〃

Raleigh　bit　his　lip；　and　replied　by　the　〃quip　courteous〃

〃I　am　at　least　a　man；　my　lord；　who　thinks　it　shame　to　allow　others　to　do　that　which　I　dare　not　do　myself。〃

Lord　Grey　might　probably　have　returned　〃the　countercheck　quarrelsome；〃　had　not　Mackworth　risen

〃And　I；　my　lord；　being　in　that　matter　at　least　one　of　Captain　Raleigh's　kidney；　will　just　go　with　him　to　see　that　he　takes　no　harm　by　being　bold　enough　to　carry　out　an　ugly　business；　and　serving　these　rascals　as　their　countrymen　served　Mr。　Oxenham。〃

〃I　bid　you　good　morning；　then；　gentlemen；　though　I　cannot　bid　you　God　speed；〃　said　Lord　Grey；　and　sitting　down　again；　covered　his　face　with　his　hands；　and；　to　the　astonishment　of　all　bystanders；　burst；　say　the　chroniclers；　into　tears。

Amyas　followed　Raleigh　out。　　The　latter　was　pale；　but　determined；　and　very　wroth　against　the　deputy。

〃Does　the　man　take　me　for　a　hangman；〃　said　he；　〃that　he　speaks　to　me　thus？　　But　such　is　the　way　of　the　great。　　If　you　neglect　your　duty；　they　haul　you　over　the　coals；　if　you　do　it；　you　must　do　it　on　your　own　responsibility。　　Farewell；　Amyas；　you　will　not　shrink　from　me　as　a　butcher　when　I　return？〃

〃God　forbid！　But　how　will　you　do　it？〃

〃March　one　company　in；　and　drive　them　forth；　and　let　the　other　cut　them　down　as　they　come　out。Pah！〃

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It　was　done。　　Right　or　wrong；　it　was　done。　　The　shrieks　and　curses　had　died　away；　and　the　Fort　del　Oro　was　a　red　shambles；　which　the　soldiers　were　trying　to　cover　from　the　sight　of　heaven　and　earth；　by　dragging　the　bodies　into　the　ditch；　and　covering　them　with　the　ruins　of　the　rampart；　while　the　Irish；　who　had　beheld　from　the　woods　that　awful　warning；　fled　trembling　into　the　deepest　recesses　of　the　forest。　　It　was　done；　and　it　never　needed　to　be　done　again。　The　hint　was　severe；　but　it　was　sufficient。　　Many　years　passed　before　a　Spaniard　set　foot　again　in　Ireland。

The　Spanish　and　Italian　officers　were　spared；　and　Amyas　had　Don　Guzman　Maria　Magdalena　Sotomayor　de　Soto　duly　adjudged　to　him；　as　his　prize　by　right　of　war。　　He　was；　of　course；　ready　enough　to　fight　Sebastian　of　Modena：　but　Lord　Grey　forbade　the　duel：　blood　enough　had　been　shed　already。　　The　next　question　was；　where　to　bestow　Don　Guzman　till　his　ransom　should　arrive；　and　as　Amyas　could　not　well　deliver　the　gallant　Don　into　the　safe　custody　of　Mrs。　Leigh　at　Burrough；　and　still　less　into　that　of　Frank　at　Court；　he　was　fain　to　write　to　Sir　Richard　Grenville；　and　ask　his　advice；　and　in　the　meanwhile　keep　the　Spaniard　with　him　upon　parole；　which　he　frankly　gave；saying　that　as　for　running　away；　he　had　nowhere　to　run　to；　and　as　for　joining　the　Irish　he　had　no　mind　to　turn　pig；　and　Amyas　found　him；　as　shall　be　hereafter　told；　pleasant　company　enough。　　But　one　morning　Raleigh　entered

〃I　have　done　you　a　good　turn；　Leigh；　if　you　think　it　one。　　I　have　talked　St。　Leger　into　making　you　my　lieutenant；　and　giving　you　the　custody　of　a　right　pleasant　hermitagesome　castle　Shackatory　or　other　in　the　midst　of　a　big　bog；　where　time　will　run　swift　and　smooth　with　you；　between　hunting　wild　Irish；　snaring　snipes；　and　drinking　yourself　drunk　with　usquebaugh　over　a　turf　fire。〃

〃I'll　go；〃　quoth　Amyas；　〃anything　for　work。〃　　So　he　went　and　took　possession　of　his　lieutenancy　and　his　black　robber　tower；　and　there　passed　the　rest　of　the　winter；　fighting　or　hunting　all　day；　and　chatting　and　reading　all　the　evening；　with　Senor　Don　Guzman；　who；　like　a　good　soldier　of　fortune；　made　himself　thoroughly　at　home；　and　a　general　favorite　with　the　soldiers。

At　first；　indeed；　his　Spanish　pride　and　stateliness；　and　Amyas's　English　taciturnity；　kept　the　two　apart　somewhat；　but　they　soon　began；　if　not　to　trust；　at　least　to　like　each　other；　and　Don　Guzman　told　Amyas；　bit　by　bit；　who　he　was；　of　what　an　ancient　house；　and　of　what　a　poor　one；　and　laughed　over　the　very　small　chance　of　his　ransom　being　raised；　and　the　certainty　that；　at　least；　it　could　not　come　for　a　couple　of　years；　seeing　that　the　only　De　Soto　who　had　a　penny　to　spare　was　a　fat　old　dean　at　St。　Yago　de　Leon；　in　the　Caracas；　at　which　place　Don　Guzman　had　been　born。　　This　of　course　led　to　much　talk　about　the　West　Indies；　and　the　Don　was　as　much　interested　to　find　that　Amyas　had　been　one　of　Drake's　world…famous　crew；　as　Amyas　was　to　find　that　his　captive　was　the　grandson　of　none　other　than　that　most　terrible　of　man…hunters；　Don　Ferdinando　de　Soto；　the　conqueror　of　Florida；　of　whom　Amyas　had　read　many　a　time　in　Las　Casas；　〃as　the　captain　of　tyrants；　the　notoriousest　and　most　experimented　amongst　them　that　have　done　the　most　hurts；　mischiefs；　and　destructions　in　many　realms。〃　　And　often　enough　his　blood　boiled；　and　he　had　much　ado　to　recollect　that　the　speaker　was　his　guest；　as　Don　Guzman　chatted　away　about　his　grandfather's　hunts　of　innocent　women　and　children；　murders　of　caciques　and　burnings　alive　of　guides；　〃pour　encourager　les　autres；〃　without；　seemingly；　the　least　feeling　that　the　victims　were　human　beings　or　subjects　for　human　pity；　anything；　in　short；　but　heathen　dogs；　enemies　of　God；　servants　of　the　devil；　to　be　used　by　the　Christian　when　he　needed；　and　when　not　needed　killed　down　as　cumberers　of　the　ground。　But　Don　Guzman　was　a　most　finished　gentleman　nevertheless；　and　told　many　a　good　story　of　the　Indies；　and　told　it　well；　and　over　and　above　his　stories；　he　had　among　his　baggage　two　books；the　one　Antonio　Galvano's　〃Discoveries　of　the　World；〃　a　mine　of　winter　evening　amusement　to　Amyas；　and　the　other；　a　manuscript　book；　which；　perhaps；　it　had　been　well　for　Amyas　had　he　never　seen。　　For　it　was　none　other　than　a　sort　of　rough　journal　which　Don　Guzman　had　kept　as　a　lad；　when　he　went　down　with　the　Adelantado　Gonzales　Ximenes　de　Casada；　from　Peru　to　the　River　of　Amazons；　to　look　for　the　golden　country　of　El　Dorado；　and　the　city　of　Manoa；　which　stands　in　the　midst　of　the　White　Lake；　and　equals　or　surpasses　in　glory　even　the　palace　of　the　Inca　Huaynacapac；　〃all　the　vessels　of　whose　house　and　kitchen　are　of　gold　and　silver；　and　in　his　wardrobe　statues　of　gold　which　seemed　giants；　and　figures　in　proportion　and　bigness　of　all　the　beasts；　birds；　trees；　and　herbs　of　the　earth；　and　the　fishes　of　the　water；　and　ropes；　budgets；　chests；　and　troughs　of　gold：　yea；　and　a　garden　of　pleasure　in　an　Island　near　Puna；　where　they　went　to　recreate　themselves　when　they　would　take　the　air　of　the　sea；　which　had　all　kind　of　garden　herbs；　flowers；　and　tree