westward ho-第60章

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elves　when　they　would　take　the　air　of　the　sea；　which　had　all　kind　of　garden　herbs；　flowers；　and　trees　of　gold　and　silver　of　an　invention　and　magnificence　till　then　never　seen。〃

Now　the　greater　part　of　this　treasure　（and　be　it　remembered　that　these　wonders　were　hardly　exaggerated；　and　that　there　were　many　men　alive　then　who　had　beheld　them；　as　they　had　worse　things；　〃with　their　corporal　and　mortal　eyes〃）　was　hidden　by　the　Indians　when　Pizarro　conquered　Peru　and　slew　Atahuallpa；　son　of　Huaynacapac；　at　whose　death；　it　was　said；　one　of　the　Inca's　younger　brothers　fled　out　of　Peru；　and　taking　with　him　a　great　army；　vanquished　all　that　tract　which　lieth　between　the　great　Rivers　of　Amazons　and　Baraquan；　otherwise　called　Maranon　and　Orenoque。

There　he　sits　to　this　day；　beside　the　golden　lake；　in　the　golden　city；　which　is　in　breadth　a　three　days'　journey；　covered；　he　and　his　court；　with　gold　dust　from　head　to　foot；　waiting　for　the　fulfilment　of　the　ancient　prophecy　which　was　written　in　the　temple　of　Caxamarca；　where　his　ancestors　worshipped　of　old；　that　heroes　shall　come　out　of　the　West；　and　lead　him　back　across　the　forests　to　the　kingdom　of　Peru；　and　restore　him　to　the　glory　of　his　forefathers。

Golden　phantom！　so　possible；　so　probable；　to　imaginations　which　were　yet　reeling　before　the　actual　and　veritable　prodigies　of　Peru；　Mexico；　and　the　East　Indies。　　Golden　phantom！　which　has　cost　already　the　lives　of　thousands；　and　shall　yet　cost　more；　from　Diego　de　Ordas；　and　Juan　Corteso；　and　many　another；　who　went　forth　on　the　quest　by　the　Andes；　and　by　the　Orinoco；　and　by　the　Amazons；　Antonio　Sedenno；　with　his　ghastly　caravan　of　manacled　Indians；　〃on　whose　dead　carcasses　the　tigers　being　fleshed；　assaulted　the　Spaniards；〃　Augustine　Delgado；　who　〃came　to　a　cacique；　who　entertained　him　with　all　kindness；　and　gave　him　beside　much　gold　and　slaves；　three　nymphs　very　beautiful；　which　bare　the　names　of　three　provinces；　Guanba；　Gotoguane；　and　Maiarare。　　To　requite　which　manifold　courtesies；　he　carried　off；　not　only　all　the　gold；　but　all　the　Indians　he　could　seize；　and　took　them　in　irons　to　Cubagua；　and　sold　them　for　slaves；　after　which；　Delgado　was　shot　in　the　eye　by　an　Indian；　of　which　hurt　he　died；〃　Pedro　d'Orsua；　who　found　the　cinnamon　forests　of　Loxas；　〃whom　his　men　murdered；　and　afterwards　beheaded　Lady　Anes　his　wife；　who　forsook　not　her　lord　in　all　his　travels　unto　death；〃　and　many　another；　who　has　vanished　with　valiant　comrades　at　his　back　into　the　green　gulfs　of　the　primaeval　forests；　never　to　emerge　again。　　Golden　phantom！　man…devouring；　whose　maw　is　never　satiate　with　souls　of　heroes；　fatal　to　Spain；　more　fatal　still　to　England　upon　that　shameful　day；　when　the　last　of　Elizabeth's　heroes　shall　lay　down　his　head　upon　the　block；　nominally　for　having　believed　what　all　around　him　believed　likewise　till　they　found　it　expedient　to　deny　it　in　order　to　curry　favor　with　the　crowned　cur　who　betrayed　him；　really　because　he　alone　dared　to　make　one　last　protest　in　behalf　of　liberty　and　Protestantism　against　the　incoming　night　of　tyranny　and　superstition。　　Little　thought　Amyas；　as　he　devoured　the　pages　of　that　manuscript；　that　he　was　laying　a　snare　for　the　life　of　the　man　whom；　next　to　Drake　and　Grenville；　he　most　admired　on　earth。

But　Don　Guzman；　on　the　other　hand；　seemed　to　have　an　instinct　that　that　book　might　be　a　fatal　gift　to　his　captor；　for　one　day　ere　Amyas　had　looked　into　it；　he　began　questioning　the　Don　about　El　Dorado。　　Whereon　Don　Guzman　replied　with　one　of　those　smiles　of　his；　which　（as　Amyas　said　afterwards）　was　so　abominably　like　a　sneer；　that　he　had　often　hard　work　to　keep　his　hands　off　the　man

〃Ah！　　You　have　been　eating　of　the　fruit　of　the　tree　of　knowledge；　senor？　　Well；　if　you　have　any　ambition　to　follow　many　another　brave　captain　to　the　pit；　I　know　no　shorter　or　easier　path　than　is　contained　in　that　little　book。〃

〃I　have　never　opened　your　book；〃　said　Amyas；　〃your　private　manuscripts　are　no　concern　of　mine：　but　my　man　who　recovered　your　baggage　read　part　of　it；　knowing　no　better；　and　now　you　are　at　liberty　to　tell　me　as　little　as　you　like。〃

The　〃man；〃　it　should　be　said；　was　none　other　than　Salvation　Yeo；　who　had　attached　himself　by　this　time　inseparably　to　Amyas；　in　quality　of　body…guard：　and；　as　was　common　enough　in　those　days；　had　turned　soldier　for　the　nonce；　and　taken　under　his　patronage　two　or　three　rusty　bases　（swivels）　and　falconets　（four…pounders）；　which　grinned　harmlessly　enough　from　the　tower　top　across　the　cheerful　expanse　of　bog。

Amyas　once　asked　him；　how　he　reconciled　this　Irish　sojourn　with　his　vow　to　find　his　little　maid？　　Yeo　shook　his　head。

〃I　can't　tell；　sir；　but　there's　something　that　makes　me　always　to　think　of　you　when　I　think　of　her；　and　that's　often　enough；　the　Lord　knows。　　Whether　it　is　that　I　ben't　to　find　the　dear　without　your　help；　or　whether　it　is　your　pleasant　face　puts　me　in　mind　of　hers；　or　what；　I　can't　tell；　but　don't　you　part　me　from　you；　sir；　for　I'm　like　Ruth；　and　where　you　lodge　I　lodge；　and　where　you　go　I　go；　and　where　you　diethough　I　shall　die　many　a　year　firstthere　I'll　die；　I　hope　and　trust；　for　I　can't　abear　you　out　of　my　sight；　and　that's　the　truth　thereof。〃

So　Yeo　remained　with　Amyas；　while　Cary　went　elsewhere　with　Sir　Warham　St。　Leger；　and　the　two　friends　met　seldom　for　many　months；　so　that　Amyas's　only　companion　was　Don　Guzman；　who；　as　he　grew　more　familiar；　and　more　careless　about　what　he　said　and　did　in　his　captor's　presence；　often　puzzled　and　scandalized　him　by　his　waywardness。　　Fits　of　deep　melancholy　alternated　with　bursts　of　Spanish　boastfulness；　utterly　astonishing　to　the　modest　and　sober…　minded　Englishman；　who　would　often　have　fancied　him　inspired　by　usquebaugh；　had　he　not　had　ocular　proof　of　his　extreme　abstemiousness。

〃Miserable？〃　said　he；　one　night　in　one　of　these　fits。　　〃And　have　I　not　a　right　to　be　miserable？　　Why　should　I　not　curse　the　virgin　and　all　the　saints；　and　die？　　I　have　not　a　friend；　not　a　ducat　on　earth；　not　even　a　swordhell　and　the　furies！　　It　was　my　all：　the　only　bequest　I　ever　had　from　my　father；　and　I　lived　by　it　and　earned　by　it。　　Two　years　ago　I　had　as　pretty　a　sum　of　gold　as　cavalier　could　wishand　now！〃

〃What　is　become　of　it；　then？　　I　cannot　hear　that　our　men　plundered　you　of　any。〃

〃Your　men？　　No；　senor！　　What　fifty　men　dared　not　have　done；　one　woman　did！　a　painted；　patched；　fucused；　periwigged；　bolstered；　Charybdis；　cannibal；　Megaera；　Lamia！　　Why　did　I　ever　go　near　that　cursed　Naples；　the　common　sewer　of　Europe？　　whose　women；　I　believe；　would　be　swallowed　up　by　Vesuvius　to…morrow；　if　it　were　not　that　Belphegor　is　afraid　of　their　making　the　pit　itself　too　hot　to　hold　him。　　Well；　sir；　she　had　all　of　mine　and　more；　and　when　all　was　gone　in　wine　and　dice；　woodcocks'　brains　and　ortolans'　tongues；　I　met　the　witch　walking　with　another　man。　　I　had　a　sword　and　a　dagger；　I　gave　him　the　first　（though　the　dog　fought　well　enough；　to　give　him　his　due）；　and　her　the　second；　left　them　lying　across　each　other；　and　fled　for　my　life；and　here　I　am！　after　twenty　years　of　fighting；　from　the　Levant　to　the　Orellanafor　I　began　ere　I　had　a　hair　on　my　chinand　this　is　the　end！No；　it　is　not！　　I'll　have　that　El　Dorado　yet！　the　Adelantado　made　Berreo；　when　he　gave　him　his　daughter；　swear　that　he　would　hunt　for　it；　through　life　and　death。We'll　see　who　finds　it　first；　he　or　I。　　He's　a　bungler；　Orsua　was　a　bunglerPooh！　Cortes　and　Pizarro？　we'll　see　whether　there　are　not　as　good　Castilians　as　they　left　still。　　I　can　do　it；　senor。　　I　know　a　track；　a　plan；　over　the　Llanos　is　the　road；　and　I'll　be　Emperor　of　Manoa　yetpossess　the　jewels　of　all　the　Incas；　and　gold；　gold！　　Pizarro　was　a　beggar　to　what　I　will　be！〃

Conceive；　sir；　he　broke　forth　during　another　of　these　peacock　fits；　as　Amyas　and　he　were　riding　along　the　hill…side；　〃conceive！　with　forty　chosen　cavaliers　（what　need　of　more？）　I　present　myself　before　the　golden　king；　trembling　amid　his　myriad　guards　at　the　new　miracle　of　the　mailed　centaurs　of　the　West；　and　without　dismounting；　I　approach　his　throne；　lift　the　crucifix　which　hangs　around　my　neck；　and　pressing　it　to　my　lips；　present　it　for　the　adoration　of　the　idolater；　and　give　him　his　alternative；　that　which　Gayferos　and　the　Cid；　my　ancestors；　offered　the　So