westward ho-第61章

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dolater；　and　give　him　his　alternative；　that　which　Gayferos　and　the　Cid；　my　ancestors；　offered　the　Soldan　and　the　Moorbaptism　or　death！　　He　hesitates；　perhaps　smiles　scornfully　upon　my　little　band；　I　answer　him　by　deeds；　as　Don　Ferdinando；　my　illustrious　grandfather；　answered　Atahuallpa　at　Peru；　in　sight　of　all　his　court　and　camp。〃

〃With　your　lance…point；　as　Gayferos　did　the　Soldan？〃　asked　Amyas；　amused。

〃No；　sir；　persuasion　first；　for　the　salvation　of　a　soul　is　at　stake。　　Not　with　the　lance…point；　but　the　spur；　sir；　thus！〃

And　striking　his　heels　into　his　horse's　flanks；　he　darted　off　at　full　speed。

〃The　Spanish　traitor！〃　shouted　Yeo。　　〃He's　going　to　escape！　　Shall　we　shoot；　sir？　　Shall　we　shoot？〃

〃For　Heaven's　sake；　no！〃　said　Amyas；　looking　somewhat　blank；　nevertheless；　for　he　much　doubted　whether　the　whole　was　not　a　ruse　on　the　part　of　the　Spaniard；　and　he　knew　how　impossible　it　was　for　his　fifteen　stone　of　flesh　to　give　chase　to　the　Spaniard's　twelve。　But　he　was　soon　reassured；　the　Spaniard　wheeled　round　towards　him；　and　began　to　put　the　rough　hackney　through　all　the　paces　of　the　manege　with　a　grace　and　skill　which　won　applause　from　the　beholders。

〃Thus！〃　he　shouted；　waving　his　hand　to　Amyas；　between　his　curvets　and　caracoles；　〃did　my　illustrious　grandfather　exhibit　to　the　Paynim　emperor　the　prowess　of　a　Castilian　cavalier！　　Thus！and　thus！and　thus；　at　last；　he　dashed　up　to　his　very　feet；　as　I　to　yours；　and　bespattering　that　unbaptized　visage　with　his　Christian　bridle　foam；　pulled　up　his　charger　on　his　haunches；　thus！〃

And　（as　was　to　be　expected　from　a　blown　Irish　garron　on　a　peaty　Irish　hill…side）　down　went　the　hapless　hackney　on　his　tail；　away　went　his　heels　a　yard　in　front　of　him；　and　ere　Don　Guzman　could　〃avoid　his　selle；〃　horse　and　man　rolled　over　into　neighboring　bog…　hole。

〃After　pride　comes　a　fall；〃　quoth　Yeo　with　unmoved　visage；　as　he　lugged　him　out。

〃And　what　would　you　do　with　the　emperor　at　last？〃　asked　Amyas　when　the　Don　had　been　scrubbed　somewhat　clean　with　a　bunch　of　rushes。　〃Kill　him；　as　your　grandfather　did　Atahuallpa？〃

〃My　grandfather；〃　answered　the　Spaniard；　indignantly；　〃was　one　of　those　who；　to　their　eternal　honor；　protested　to　the　last　against　that　most　cruel　and　unknightly　massacre。　　He　could　be　terrible　to　the　heathen；　but　he　kept　his　plighted　word；　sir；　and　taught　me　to　keep　mine；　as　you　have　seen　to…day。〃

〃I　have；　senor；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃You　might　have　given　us　the　slip　easily　enough　just　now；　and　did　not。　　Pardon　me；　if　I　have　offended　you。〃

The　Spaniard　（who；　after　all；　was　cross　principally　with　himself　and　the　〃unlucky　mare's　son；〃　as　the　old　romances　have　it；　which　had　played　him　so　scurvy　a　trick）　was　all　smiles　again　forthwith；　and　Amyas；　as　they　chatted　on；　could　not　help　asking　him　next

〃I　wonder　why　you　are　so　frank　about　your　own　intentions　to　an　enemy　like　me；　who　will　surely　forestall　you　if　he　can。〃

〃Sir；　a　Spaniard　needs　no　concealment；　and　fears　no　rivalry。　　He　is　the　soldier　of　the　Cross；　and　in　it　he　conquers；　like　Constantine　of　old。　　Not　that　you　English　are　not　very　heroes；　but　you　have　not；　sir；　and　you　cannot　have；　who　have　forsworn　our　Lady　and　the　choir　of　saints；　the　same　divine　protection；　the　same　celestial　mission；　which　enables　the　Catholic　cavalier　single…handed　to　chase　a　thousand　Paynims。〃

And　Don　Guzman　crossed　himself　devoutly；　and　muttered　half…a…dozen　Ave　Marias　in　succession；　while　Amyas　rode　silently　by　his　side；　utterly　puzzled　at　this　strange　compound　of　shrewdness　with　fanaticism；　of　perfect　high…breeding　with　a　boastfulness　which　in　an　Englishman　would　have　been　the　sure　mark　of　vulgarity。

At　last　came　a　letter　from　Sir　Richard　Grenville；　complimenting　Amyas　on　his　success　and　promotion；　bearing　a　long　and　courtly　message　to　Don　Guzman　（whom　Grenville　had　known　when　he　was　in　the　Mediterranean；　at　the　battle　of　Lepanto）；　and　offering　to　receive　him　as　his　own　guest　at　Bideford；　till　his　ransom　should　arrive；　a　proposition　which　the　Spaniard　（who　of　course　was　getting　sufficiently　tired　of　the　Irish　bogs）　could　not　but　gladly　accept；　and　one　of　Winter's　ships；　returning　to　England　in　the　spring　of　1581；　delivered　duly　at　the　quay　of　Bideford　the　body　of　Don　Guzman　Maria　Magdalena。　　Raleigh；　after　forming　for　that　summer　one　of　the　triumvirate　by　which　Munster　was　governed　after　Ormond's　departure；　at　last　got　his　wish　and　departed　for　England　and　the　Court；　and　Amyas　was　left　alone　with　the　snipes　and　yellow　mantles　for　two　more　weary　years。



CHAPTER　X

HOW　THE　MAYOR　OF　BIDEFORD　BAITED　HIS　HOOK　WITH　HIS　OWN　FLESH


　　　　　〃And　therewith　he　blent；　and　cried　ha！　　　　　　　As　though　he　had　been　stricken　to　the　harte。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Palamon　and　Arcite。


So　it　befell　to　Chaucer's　knight　in　prison；　and　so　it　befell　also　to　Don　Guzman；　and　it　befell　on　this　wise。

He　settled　down　quietly　enough　at　Bideford　on　his　parole；　in　better　quarters　than　he　had　occupied　for　many　a　day；　and　took　things　as　they　came；　like　a　true　soldier　of　fortune；　till；　after　he　had　been　with　Grenville　hardly　a　month；　old　Salterne　the　Mayor　came　to　supper。

Now　Don　Guzman；　however　much　he　might　be　puzzled　at　first　at　our　strange　English　ways　of　asking　burghers　and　such　low…bred　folk　to　eat　and　drink　above　the　salt；　in　the　company　of　noble　persons；　was　quite　gentleman　enough　to　know　that　Richard　Grenville　was　gentleman　enough　to　do　only　what　was　correct；　and　according　to　the　customs　and　proprieties。　　So　after　shrugging　the　shoulders　of　his　spirit；　he　submitted　to　eat　and　drink　at　the　same　board　with　a　tradesman　who　sat　at　a　desk；　and　made　up　ledgers；　and　took　apprentices；　and　hearing　him　talk　with　Grenville　neither　unwisely　nor　in　a　vulgar　fashion；　actually　before　the　evening　was　out　condescended　to　exchange　words　with　him　himself。　　Whereon　he　found　him　a　very　prudent　and　courteous　person；　quite　aware　of　the　Spaniard's　superior　rank；　and　making　him　feel　in　every　sentence　that　he　was　aware　thereof；　and　yet　holding　his　own　opinion；　and　asserting　his　own　rights　as　a　wise　elder　in　a　fashion　which　the　Spaniard　had　only　seen　before　among　the　merchant　princes　of　Genoa　and　Venice。

At　the　end　of　supper；　Salterne　asked　Grenville　to　do　his　humble　roof　the　honor；　etc。　etc。；　of　supping　with　him　the　next　evening；　and　then　turning　to　the　Don；　said　quite　frankly；　that　he　knew　how　great　a　condescension　it　would　be　on　the　part　of　a　nobleman　of　Spain　to　sit　at　the　board　of　a　simple　merchant：　but　that　if　the　Spaniard　deigned　to　do　him　such　a　favor；　he　would　find　that　the　cheer　was　fit　enough　for　any　rank；　whatsoever　the　company　might　be；　which　invitation　Don　Guzman；　being　on　the　whole　glad　enough　of　anything　to　amuse　him；　graciously　condescended　to　accept；　and　gained　thereby　an　excellent　supper；　and；　if　he　had　chosen　to　drink　it；　much　good　wine。

Now　Mr。　Salterne　was；　of　course；　as　a　wise　merchant；　as　ready　as　any　man　for　an　adventure　to　foreign　parts；　as　was　afterwards　proved　by　his　great　exertions　in　the　settlement　of　Virginia；　and　he　was；　therefore；　equally　ready　to　rack　the　brains　of　any　guest　whom　he　suspected　of　knowing　anything　concerning　strange　lands；　and　so　he　thought　no　shame；　first　to　try　to　loose　his　guest's　tongue　by　much　good　sack；　and　next；　to　ask　him　prudent　and　well…concocted　questions　concerning　the　Spanish　Main；　Peru；　the　Moluccas；　China；　the　Indies；　and　all　parts。

The　first　of　which　schemes　failed；　for　the　Spaniard　was　as　abstemious　as　any　monk；　and　drank　little　but　water；　the　second　succeeded　not　over　well；　for　the　Spaniard　was　as　cunning　as　any　fox；　and　answered　little　but　wind。

In　the　midst　of　which　tongue…fence　in　came　the　Rose　of　Torridge；　looking　as　beautiful　as　usual；　and　hearing　what　they　were　upon；　added；　artlessly　enough；　her　questions　to　her　father's：　to　her　Don　Guzman　could　not　but　answer；　and　without　revealing　any　very　important　commercial　secrets；　gave　his　host　and　his　host's　daughter　a　very　amusing　evening。

Now　little　Eros；　though　spirits　like　Frank　Leigh's　may　choose　to　call　him　（as；　perhaps；　he　really　is　to　them）　the　eldest　of　the　gods；　and　the　son　of　Jove　and　Venus；　yet　is　reported　by　other　equally　good　authorities；　as　Burton　has　set　forth　in　his　〃Anatomy　of　Melancholy；〃　to　be　after　all　only　t