westward ho-第98章

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It　required　some　trouble　to　master　him；　so　strong　was　he；　and　so　slippery　his　naked　limbs；　Amyas；　meanwhile；　alternately　entreated　the　men　not　to　hurt　the　Indian；　and　the　Indian　to　be　quiet；　and　no　harm　should　happen　to　him；　and　so；　after　five　minutes'　confusion；　the　stranger　gave　in　sulkily。

〃Don't　bind　him。　　Let　him　loose；　and　make　a　ring　round　him。　　Now；　my　man；　there's　a　dollar　for　you。〃

The　Indian's　eyes　glistened；　and　he　took　the　coin。

〃All　I　want　of　you　is；　first；　to　tell　me　what　ships　are　in　La　Guayra；　and　next；　to　go　thither　on　board　of　me；　and　show　me　which　is　the　governor's　house；　and　which　the　custom…house。〃

The　Indian　laid　the　coin　down　on　the　deck；　and　crossing　himself；　looked　Amyas　in　the　face。

〃No；　senor！　　I　am　a　freeman　and　a　cavalier；　a　Christian　Guayqueria；　whose　forefathers；　first　of　all　the　Indians；　swore　fealty　to　the　King　of　Spain；　and　whom　he　calls　to　this　day　in　all　his　proclamations　his　most　faithful；　loyal；　and　noble　Guayquerias。　　God　forbid；　therefore；　that　I　should　tell　aught　to　his　enemies；　who　are　my　enemies　likewise。〃

A　growl　arose　from　those　of　the　men　who　understood　him；　and　more　than　one　hinted　that　a　cord　twined　round　the　head；　or　a　match　put　between　the　fingers；　would　speedily　extract　the　required　information。

〃God　forbid！〃　said　Amyas；　〃a　brave　and　loyal　man　he　is；　and　as　such　will　I　treat　him。　　Tell　me；　my　brave　fellow；　how　do　you　know　us　to　be　his　Catholic　majesty's　enemies？〃

The　Indian；　with　a　shrewd　smile；　pointed　to　half…a…dozen　different　objects；　saying　to　each；　〃Not　Spanish。〃

〃Well；　and　what　of　that？〃

〃None　but　Spaniards　and　free　Guayquerias　have　a　right　to　sail　these　seas。〃

Amyas　laughed。

〃Thou　art　a　right　valiant　bit　of　copper。　　Pick　up　thy　dollar；　and　go　thy　way　in　peace。　　Make　room　for　him；　men。　　We　can　learn　what　we　want　without　his　help。〃

The　Indian　paused；　incredulous　and　astonished。　　〃Overboard　with　you！〃　quoth　Amyas。　　〃Don't　you　know　when　you　are　well　off？〃

〃Most　illustrious　senor；〃　began　the　Indian；　in　the　drawling　sententious　fashion　of　his　race　（when　they　take　the　trouble　to　talk　at　all）；　〃I　have　been　deceived。　　I　heard　that　you　heretics　roasted　and　ate　all　true　Catholics　（as　we　Guayquerias　are）；　and　that　all　your　padres　had　tails。〃

〃Plague　on　you；　sirrah！〃　squeaked　Jack　Brimblecombe。　　〃Have　I　a　tail？　　Look　here！〃

〃Quien　sabe？　　Who　knows？〃　quoth　the　Indian　through　his　nose。

〃How　do　you　know　we　are　heretics？〃　said　Amyas。

〃Humph！　　But　in　repayment　for　your　kindness；　I　would　warn　you；　illustrious　senor；　not　to　go　on　to　La　Guayra。　　There　are　ships　of　war　there　waiting　for　you；　and　moreover；　the　governor　Don　Guzman　sailed　to　the　eastward　only　yesterday　to　look　for　you；　and　I　wonder　much　that　you　did　not　meet　him。〃

〃To　look　for　us！　　On　the　watch　for　us！〃　said　Cary。　　〃Impossible；　lies！　　Amyas；　this　is　some　trick　of　the　rascal's　to　frighten　us　away。〃

〃Don　Guzman　came　out　but　yesterday　to　look　for　us？　　Are　you　sure　you　spoke　truth？〃

〃As　I　live；　senor；　he　and　another　ship；　for　which　I　took　yours。〃

Amyas　stamped　upon　the　deck：　that　then　was　the　ship　which　they　had　passed！

〃Fool　that　I　was　to　have　been　close　to　my　enemy；　and　let　my　opportunity　slip！　　If　I　had　but　done　my　duty；　all　would　have　gone　right！〃

But　it　was　too　late　to　repine；　and　after　all；　the　Indian's　story　was　likely　enough　to　be　false。

〃Off　with　you！〃　said　he；　and　the　Indian　bounded　over　the　side　into　his　canoe；　leaving　the　whole　crew　wondering　at　the　stateliness　and　courtesy　of　this　bold　sea…cavalier。

So　Westward…ho　they　ran；　beneath　the　mighty　northern　wall；　the　highest　cliff　on　earth；　some　seven　thousand　feet　of　rock　parted　from　the　sea　by　a　narrow　strip　of　bright　green　lowland。　　Here　and　there　a　patch　of　sugar…cane；　or　a　knot　of　cocoa…nut　trees；　close　to　the　water's　edge；　reminded　them　that　they　were　in　the　tropics；　but　above；　all　was　savage；　rough；　and　bare　as　an　Alpine　precipice。　Sometimes　deep　clefts　allowed　the　southern　sun　to　pour　a　blaze　of　light　down　to　the　sea　marge；　and　gave　glimpses　far　above　of　strange　and　stately　trees　lining　the　glens；　and　of　a　veil　of　perpetual　mist　which　shrouded　the　inner　summits；　while　up　and　down；　between　them　and　the　mountain　side；　white　fleecy　clouds　hung　motionless　in　the　burning　air；　increasing　the　impression　of　vastness　and　of　solemn　rest；　which　was　already　overpowering。

〃Within　those　mountains；　three　thousand　feet　above　our　heads；〃　said　Drew；　the　master；　〃lies　Saint　Yago　de　Leon；　the　great　city　which　the　Spaniards　founded　fifteen　years　agone。〃

〃Is　it　a　rich　place？〃　asked　Cary。

〃Very；　they　say。〃

〃Is　it　a　strong　place？〃　asked　Amyas。

〃No　forts　to　it　at　all；　they　say。　　The　Spaniards　boast；　that　Heaven　has　made　such　good　walls　to　it　already；　that　man　need　make　none。〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　quoth　Amyas。　　〃Lads；　could　you　climb　those　hills；　do　you　think？〃

〃Rather　higher　than　Harty　Point；　sir：　but　it　depends　pretty　much　on　what's　behind　them。〃

And　now　the　last　point　is　rounded；　and　they　are　full　in　sight　of　the　spot　in　quest　of　which　they　have　sailed　four　thousand　miles　of　sea。　　A　low　black　cliff；　crowned　by　a　wall；　a　battery　at　either　end。　　Within；　a　few　narrow　streets　of　white　houses；　running　parallel　with　the　sea；　upon　a　strip　of　flat；　which　seemed　not　two　hundred　yards　in　breadth；　and　behind；　the　mountain　wall；　covering　the　whole　in　deepest　shade。　　How　that　wall　was　ever　ascended　to　the　inland　seemed　the　puzzle；　but　Drew；　who　had　been　off　the　place　before；　pointed　out　to　them　a　narrow　path；　which　wound　upwards　through　a　glen；　seemingly　sheer　perpendicular。　　That　was　the　road　to　the　capital；　if　any　man　dare　try　it。　　In　spite　of　the　shadow　of　the　mountain；　the　whole　place　wore　a　dusty　and　glaring　look。　　The　breaths　of　air　which　came　off　the　land　were　utterly　stifling；　and　no　wonder；　for　La　Guayra；　owing　to　the　radiation　of　that　vast　fire…　brick　of　heated　rock；　is　one　of　the　hottest　spots　upon　the　face　of　the　whole　earth。

Where　was　the　harbor？　　There　was　none。　　Only　an　open　roadstead；　wherein　lay　tossing　at　anchor　five　vessels。　　The　two　outer　ones　were　small　merchant　caravels。　　Behind　them　lay　two　long；　low；　ugly…　looking　craft；　at　sight　of　which　Yeo　gave　a　long　whew。

〃Galleys；　as　I'm　a　sinful　saint！　　And　what's　that　big　one　inside　of　them；　Robert　Drew？　　She　has　more　than　hawseholes　in　her　idolatrous　black　sides；　I　think。〃

〃We　shall　open　her　astern　of　the　galleys　in　another　minute；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃Look　out；　Cary；　your　eyes　are　better　than　mine。〃

〃Six　round　portholes　on　the　main　deck；〃　quoth　Will。

〃And　I　can　see　the　brass　patararoes　glittering　on　her　poop；〃　quoth　Amyas。　　〃Will；　we're　in　for　it。〃

〃In　for　it　we　are；　captain。


　　　　　〃Farewell；　farewell；　my　parents　dear。　　　　　　　I　never　shall　see　you　more；　I　fear。


Let's　go　in；　nevertheless；　and　pound　the　Don's　ribs；　my　old　lad　of　Smerwick。　　Eh？　　Three　to　one　is　very　fair　odds。〃

〃Not　underneath　those　fort　guns；　I　beg　leave　to　say；〃　quoth　Yeo。　〃If　the　Philistines　will　but　come　out　unto　us；　we　will　make　them　like　unto　Zeba　and　Zalmunna。〃

〃Quite　true；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃Game　cocks　are　game　cocks；　but　reason's　reason。〃

〃If　the　Philistines　are　not　coming　out；　they　are　going　to　send　a　messenger　instead；〃　quoth　Cary。　　〃Look　out；　all　thin　skulls！〃

And　as　he　spoke；　a　puff　of　white　smoke　rolled　from　the　eastern　fort；　and　a　heavy　ball　plunged　into　the　water　between　it　and　the　ship。

〃I　don't　altogether　like　this；〃　quoth　Amyas。　　〃What　do　they　mean　by　firing　on　us　without　warning？　　And　what　are　these　ships　of　war　doing　here？　　Drew；　you　told　me　the　armadas　never　lay　here。〃

〃No　more；　I　believe；　they　do；　sir；　on　account　of　the　anchorage　being　so　bad；　as　you　may　see。　　I'm　mortal　afeared　that　rascal's　story　was　true；　and　that　the　Dons　have　got　wind　of　our　coming。〃

〃Run　up　a　white　flag；　at　all　events。　　If　they　do　expect　us；　they　must　have　known　some　time　since；　or　how　could　they　have　got　their　craft　hither？〃

〃True；　sir。　　They　must　have　come　from　Santa　Marta；　at　the　least；　perhaps　from　Cartagena。　　And　that　would　take　a　month　at　least　going　and　coming。〃

Amyas　suddenly　recollected　Eustace's　threat　in　the　wayside　inn。　Could　he　have　betrayed　their　purpose？　　Impossible！

〃Let　us　hold　a　council　of　war；　at　all　events；　Frank。〃

Fra