westward ho-第82章

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〃His　soul　is　lost　before　our　very　eyes；〃　said　Yeo。

〃Mind　your　own　business；〃　said　Amyas。

〃Humph；　but　I'll　tell　you；　sir；　what　our　business　is；　if　you'll　step　aside　with　me。　　I　find　that　poor　fellow　that　lies　dead　is　none　other　than　the　leader　of　the　Gubbings；　the　king　of　them；　as　they　dare　to　call　him。〃

〃Well；　what　of　that？〃

〃Mark　my　words；　sir；　if　we　have　not　a　hundred　stout　rogues　upon　us　before　two　hours　are　out；　forgive　us　they　never　will；　and　if　we　get　off　with　our　lives；　which　I　don't　much　expect；　we　shall　leave　our　horses　behind；　for　we　can　hold　the　house；　sir；　well　enough　till　morning；　but　the　courtyard　we　can't；　that's　certain！〃

〃We　had　better　march　at　once；　then。〃

〃Think；　sir；　if　they　catch　us　upas　they　are　sure　to　do；　knowing　the　country　better　than　wehow　will　our　shot　stand　their　arrows？〃

〃True；　old　wisdom；　we　must　keep　the　road；　and　we　must　keep　together；　and　so　be　a　mark　for　them；　while　they　will　be　behind　every　rock　and　bank；　and　two　or　three　flights　of　arrows　will　do　our　business　for　us。　　Humph！　stay；　I　have　a　plan。〃　　And　stepping　forward　he　spoke

〃Eustace；　you　will　be　so　kind　as　to　go　back　to　your　lambs；　and　tell　them；　that　if　they　meddle　with　us　cruel　wolves　again　to…night；　we　are　ready　and　willing　to　fight　to　the　death；　and　have　plenty　of　shot　and　powder　at　their　service。　　Father　Parsons；　you　will　be　so　kind　as　to　accompany　us；　it　is　but　fitting　that　the　shepherd　should　be　hostage　for　his　sheep。〃

〃If　you　carry　me　off　this　spot；　sir；　you　carry　my　corpse　only；〃　said　Parsons。　　〃I　may　as　well　die　here　as　be　hanged　elsewhere；　like　my　martyred　brother　Campian。〃

〃If　you　take　him；　you　must　take　me　too；〃　said　Eustace。

〃What　if　we　won't？〃

〃How　will　you　gain　by　that？　you　can　only　leave　me　here。　　You　cannot　make　me　go　to　the　Gubbings；　if　I　do　not　choose。〃

Amyas　uttered　sotto　voce　an　anathema　on　Jesuits；　Gubbings；　and　things　in　general。　　He　was　in　a　great　hurry　to　get　to　Bideford；　and　he　feared　that　this　business　would　delay　him；　as　it　was；　a　day　or　two。　　He　wanted　to　hang　Parsons；　he　did　not　want　to　hang　Eustace；　and　Eustace；　he　knew；　was　well　aware　of　that　latter　fact；　and　played　his　game　accordingly；　but　time　ran　on；　and　he　had　to　answer　sulkily　enough：

〃Well　then；　if　you；　Eustace；　will　go　and　give　my　message　to　your　converts；　I　will　promise　to　set　Mr。　Parsons　free　again　before　we　come　to　Lydford　town；　and　I　advise　you；　if　you　have　any　regard　for　his　life；　to　see　that　your　eloquence　be　persuasive　enough；　for　as　sure　as　I　am　an　Englishman；　and　he　none；　if　the　Gubbings　attack　us；　the　first　bullet　that　I　shall　fire　at　them　will　have　gone　through　his　scoundrelly　brains。〃

Parsons　still　kicked。

〃Very　well；　then；　my　merry　men　all。　　Tie　this　gentleman's　hands　behind　his　back；　get　the　horses　out；　and　we'll　right　away　up　into　Dartmoor；　find　a　good　high　tor；　stand　our　ground　there　till　morning；　and　then　carry　him　into　Okehampton　to　the　nearest　justice。　If　he　chooses　to　delay　me　in　my　journey；　it　is　fair　that　I　should　make　him　pay　for　it。〃

Whereon　Parsons　gave　in；　and　being　fast　tied　by　his　arm　to　Amyas's　saddle；　trudged　alongside　his　horse　for　several　weary　miles；　while　Yeo　walked　by　his　side；　like　a　friar　by　a　condemned　criminal；　and　in　order　to　keep　up　his　spirits；　told　him　the　woful　end　of　Nicholas　Saunders　the　Legate；　and　how　he　was　found　starved　to　death　in　a　bog。

〃And　if　you　wish；　sir；　to　follow　in　his　blessed　steps；　which　I　heartily　hope　you　will　do；　you　have　only　to　go　over　that　big　cow…　backed　hill　there　on　your　right　hand；　and　down　again　the　other　side　to　Crawmere　pool；　and　there　you'll　find　as　pretty　a　bog　to　die　in　as　ever　Jesuit　needed；　and　your　ghost　may　sit　there　on　a　grass　tummock；　and　tell　your　beads　without　any　one　asking　for　you　till　the　day　of　judgment；　and　much　good　may　it　do　you！〃

At　which　imagination　Yeo　was　actually　heard；　for　the　first　and　last　time　in　this　history；　to　laugh　most　heartily。

His　ho…ho's　had　scarcely　died　away　when　they　saw　shining　under　the　moon　the　old　tower　of　Lydford　castle。

〃Cast　the　fellow　off　now；〃　said　Amyas。

〃Ay；　ay；　sir！〃　and　Yeo　and　Simon　Evans　stopped　behind；　and　did　not　come　up　for　ten　minutes　after。

〃What　have　you　been　about　so　long？〃

〃Why；　sir；〃　said　Evans；　〃you　see　the　man　had　a　very　fair　pair　of　hose　on；　and　a　bran…new　kersey　doublet；　very　warm…lined；　and　so；　thinking　it　a　pity　good　clothes　should　be　wasted　on　such　noxious　trade；　we've　just　brought　them　along　with　us。〃

〃Spoiling　the　Egyptians；〃　said　Yeo　as　comment。

〃And　what　have　you　done　with　the　man？〃

〃Hove　him　over　the　bank；　sir；　he　pitched　into　a　big　furze…bush；　and　for　aught　I　know；　there　he'll　bide。〃

〃You　rascal；　have　you　killed　him？

〃Never　fear；　sir；〃　said　Yeo；　in　his　cool　fashion。　　〃A　Jesuit　has　as　many　lives　as　a　cat；　and；　I　believe；　rides　broomsticks　post；　like　a　witch。　　He　would　be　at　Lydford　now　before　us；　if　his　master　Satan　had　any　business　for　him　there。〃

Leaving　on　their　left　Lydford　and　its　ill…omened　castle　（which；　a　century　after；　was　one　of　the　principal　scenes　of　Judge　Jeffreys's　cruelty）；　Amyas　and　his　party　trudged　on　through　the　mire　toward　Okehampton　till　sunrise；　and　ere　the　vapors　had　lifted　from　the　mountain　tops；　they　were　descending　the　long　slopes　from　Sourton　down；　while　Yestor　and　Amicombe　slept　steep　and　black　beneath　their　misty　pall；　and　roaring　far　below　unseen；


　　　　　〃Ockment　leapt　from　crag　and　cloud　　　　　　　Down　her　cataracts；　laughing　loud。〃


The　voice　of　the　stream　recalled　these　words　to　Amyas's　mind。　　The　nymph　of　Torridge　had　spoken　them　upon　the　day　of　his　triumph。　　He　recollected；　too；　his　vexation　on　that　day　at　not　seeing　Rose　Salterne。　　Why；　he　had　never　seen　her　since。　　Never　seen　her　now　for　six　years　and　more！　　Of　her　ripened　beauty　he　knew　only　by　hearsay；　she　was　still　to　him　the　lovely　fifteen　years'　girl　for　whose　sake　he　had　smitten　the　Barnstaple　draper　over　the　quay。　What　a　chain　of　petty　accidents　had　kept　them　from　meeting；　though　so　often　within　a　mile　of　each　other！　　〃And　what　a　lucky　one！〃　said　practical　old　Amyas　to　himself。　　〃If　I　had　seen　her　as　she　is　now；　I　might　have　loved　her　as　Frank　doespoor　Frank！　what　will　he　say？　What　does　he　say；　for　he　must　know　it　already？　　And　what　ought　I　to　sayto　do　rather；　for　talking　is　no　use　on　this　side　the　grave；　nor　on　the　other　either；　I　expect！〃　　And　then　he　asked　himself　whether　his　old　oath　meant　nothing　or　something；　whether　it　was　a　mere　tavern　frolic；　or　a　sacred　duty。　　And　he　held；　the　more　that　he　looked　at　it；　that　it　meant　the　latter。

But　what　could　he　do？　　He　had　nothing　on　earth　but　his　sword；　so　he　could　not　travel　to　find　her。　　After　all；　she　might　not　be　gone　far。　　Perhaps　not　gone　at　all。　　It　might　be　a　mistake；　an　exaggerated　scandal。　　He　would　hope　so。　　And　yet　it　was　evident　that　there　had　been　some　passages　between　her　and　Don　Guzman。　Eustace's　mysterious　words　about　the　promise　at　Lundy　proved　that。　The　villain！　　He　had　felt　all　along　that　he　was　a　villain；　but　just　the　one　to　win　a　woman's　heart；　too。　　Frank　had　been　awayall　the　Brotherhood　away。　　What　a　fool　he　had　been；　to　turn　the　wolf　loose　into　the　sheepfold！　　And　yet　who　would　have　dreamed　of　it？　。　。　。

〃At　all　events；〃　said　Amyas；　trying　to　comfort　himself；　〃I　need　not　complain。　　I　have　lost　nothing。　　I　stood　no　more　chance　of　her　against　Frank　than　I　should　have　stood　against　the　Don。　　So　there　is　no　use　for　me　to　cry　about　the　matter。〃　　And　he　tried　to　hum　a　tune　concerning　the　general　frailty　of　women；　but　nevertheless；　like　Sir　Hugh；　felt　that　〃he　had　a　great　disposition　to　cry。〃

He　never　had　expected　to　win　her；　and　yet　it　seemed　bitter　to　know　that　she　was　lost　to　him　forever。　　It　was　not　so　easy　for　a　heart　of　his　make　to　toss　away　the　image　of　a　first　love；　and　all　the　less　easy　because　that　image　was　stained　and　ruined。

〃Curses　on　the　man　who　had　done　that　deed！　　I　will　yet　have　his　heart's　blood　somehow；　if　I　go　round　the　world　again　to　find　him。　If　there's　no　law　for　it　on　earth；　there's　law　in　heaven；　or　I'm　much　mistaken。〃

With　which　determination　he　rode　into　the　ugly；　dirty；　and　stupid　town　of　Okehampton；　with　which　fallen　man　（by　some　strange　perversity）　has　chosen　to　defile　one　of　the　loveliest　sites　in　the　pleasant　land