westward ho-第99章

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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。〃

Frank　was　absorbed　in　a　very　different　matter。　　A　half…mile　to　the　eastward　of　the　town；　two　or　three　hundred　feet　up　the　steep　mountain　side；　stood　a　large；　low；　white　house　embosomed　in　trees　and　gardens。　　There　was　no　other　house　of　similar　size　near；　no　place　for　one。　　And　was　not　that　the　royal　flag　of　Spain　which　flaunted　before　it？　　That　must　be　the　governor's　house；　that　must　be　the　abode　of　the　Rose　of　Torridge！　　And　Frank　stood　devouring　it　with　wild　eyes；　till　he　had　persuaded　himself　that　he　could　see　a　woman's　figure　walking　upon　the　terrace　in　front；　and　that　the　figure　was　none　other　than　hers　whom　he　sought。　　Amyas　could　hardly　tear　him　away　to　a　council　of　war；　which　was　a　sad；　and　only　not　a　peevish　one。

The　three　adventurers；　with　Brimblecombe；　Yeo；　and　Drew；　went　apart　upon　the　poop；　and　each　looked　the　other　in　the　face　awhile。　　For　what　was　to　be　done？　　The　plans　and　hopes　of　months　were　brought　to　naught　in　an　hour。

〃It　is　impossible；　you　see；〃　said　Amyas；　at　last；　〃to　surprise　the　town　by　land；　while　these　ships　are　here；　for　if　we　land　our　men；　we　leave　our　ship　without　defence。〃

〃As　impossible　as　to　challenge　Don　Guzman　while　he　is　not　here；〃　said　Cary。

〃I　wonder　why　the　ships　have　not　opened　on　us　already；〃　said　Drew。

〃Perhaps　they　respect　our　flag　of　truce；〃　said　Cary。　　〃Why　not　send　in　a　boat　to　treat　with　them；　and　to　inquire　for

〃For　her？〃　interrupted　Frank。　　〃If　we　show　that　we　are　aware　of　her　existence；　her　name　is　blasted　in　the　eyes　of　those　jealous　Spaniards。〃

〃And　as　for　respecting　our　flag　of　truce；　gentlemen；〃　said　Yeo；　〃if　you　will　take　an　old　man's　advice；　trust　them　not。　　They　will　keep　the　same　faith　with　us　as　they　kept　with　Captain　Hawkins　at　San　Juan　d'Ulloa；　in　that　accursed　business　which　was　the　beginning　of　all　the　wars；　when　we　might　have　taken　the　whole　plate…fleet；　with　two　hundred　thousand　pounds'　worth　of　gold　on　board；　and　did　not；　but　only　asked　license　to　trade　like　honest　men。　　And　yet；　after　they　had　granted　us　license；　and　deceived　us　by　fair　speech　into　landing　ourselves　and　our　ordnance；　the　governor　and　all　the　fleet　set　upon　us；　five　to　one；　and　gave　no　quarter　to　any　soul　whom　he　took。　　No；　sir；　I　expect　the　only　reason　why　they　don't　attack　us　is；　because　their　crews　are　not　on　board。〃

〃They　will　be；　soon　enough；　then；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃I　can　see　soldiers　coming　down　the　landing…stairs。〃

And；　in　fact；　boats　full　of　armed　men　began　to　push　off　to　the　ships。

〃We　may　thank　Heaven；〃　said　Drew；　〃that　we　were　not　here　two　hours　agone。　　The　sun　will　be　down　before　they　are　ready　for　sea；　and　the　fellows　will　have　no　stomach　to　go　looking　for　us　by　night。〃

〃So　much　the　worse　for　us。　　If　they　will　but　do　that；　we　may　give　them　the　slip；　and　back　again　to　the　town；　and　there　try　our　luck；　for　I　cannot　find　it　in　my　heart　to　leave　the　place　without　having　one　dash　at　it。〃

Yeo　shook　his　head。　　〃There　are　plenty　more　towns　along　the　coast　more　worth　trying　than　this；　sir：　but　Heaven's　will　be　done！〃

And　as　they　spoke；　the　sun　plunged　into　the　sea；　and　all　was　dark。

At　last　it　was　agreed　to　anchor；　and　wait　till　midnight。　　If　the　ships　of　war　came　out；　they　were　to　try　to　run　in　past　them；　and；　desperate　as　the　attempt　might　be；　attempt　their　original　plan　of　landing　to　the　westward　of　the　town；　taking　it　in　flank；　plundering　the　government　storehouses；　which　they　saw　close　to　the　landing…　place；　and　then　fighting　their　way　back　to　their　boats；　and　out　of　the　roadstead。　　Two　hours　would　suffice　if　the　armada　and　the　galleys　were　but　once　out　of　the　way。

Amyas　went　forward；　called　the　men　together；　and　told　them　the　plan。　　It　was　not　very　cheerfully　received：　but　what　else　was　there　to　be　done！

They　ran　down　about　a　mile　and　a　half　to　the　westward；　and　anchored。

The　night　wore　on；　and　there　was　no　sign　of　stir　among　the　shipping；　for　though　they　could　not　see　the　vessels　themselves；　yet　their　lights　（easily　distinguished　by　their　relative　height　from　those　in　the　town　above）　remained　motionless；　and　the　men　fretted　and　fumed　for　weary　hours　at　thus　seeing　a　rich　prize　（for　of　course　the　town　was　paved　with　gold）　within　arm's　reach；　and　yet　impossible。

Let　Amyas　and　his　men　have　patience。　　Some　short　five　years　more；　and　the　great　Armada　will　have　come　and　gone；　and　then　that　avenging　storm；　of　which　they；　like　Oxenham；　Hawkins；　and　Drake；　are　but　the　avant…couriers；　will　burst　upon　every　Spanish　port　from　Corunna　to　Cadiz；　from　the　Canaries　to　Havana；　and　La　Guayra　and　St。　Yago　de　Leon　will　not　escape　their　share。　　Captain　Amyas　Preston　and　Captain　Sommers；　the　colonist　of　the　Bermudas；　or　Sommers'　Islands；　will　land；　with　a　force　tiny　enough；　though　larger　far　than　Leigh's；　where　Leigh　dare　not　land；　and　taking　the　fort　of　Guayra；　will　find；　as　Leigh　found；　that　their　coming　has　been　expected；　and　that　the　Pass　of　the　Venta；　three　thousand　feet　above；　has　been　fortified　with　huge　barricadoes；　abattis；　and　cannon；　making　the　capital；　amid　its　ring　of　mountain…walls；　impregnableto　all　but　Englishmen　or　Zouaves。　　For　up　that　seven　thousand　feet　of　precipice；　which　rises　stair　on　stair　behind　the　town；　those　fierce　adventurers　will　climb　hand　over　hand；　through　rain　and　fog；　while　men　lie　down；　and　beg　their　officers　to　kill　them；　for　no　farther　can　they　go。　　Yet　farther　they　will　go；　hewing　a　path　with　their　swords　through　woods　of　wild　plantain；　and　rhododendron　thickets；　over　（so　it　seems；　however　incredible）　the　very　saddle　of　the　Silla；*　down　upon　the　astonished　〃Mantuanos〃　of　St。　Jago；　driving　all　before　them；　and　having　burnt　the　city　in　default　of　ransom；　will　return　triumphant　by　the　right　road；　and　pass　along　the　coast；　the　masters　of　the　deep。


*　Humboldt　says　that　there　is　a　path　from　Caravellada　to　St。　Jago；　between　the　peaks；　used　by　smugglers。　　This　is　probably　the　〃unknowen　way　of　the　Indians；〃　which　Preston　used。


I　know　not　whether　any　men　still　live　who　count　their　descent　from　those　two　valiant　captains；　but　if　such　there　be；　let　them　be　sure　that　the　history　of　the　English　navy　tells　no　more　Titanic　victory　over　nature　and　man　than　that　now　forgotten　raid　of　Amyas　Preston　and　his　comrade；　in　the　year　of　grace　1595。

But　though　a　venture　on　the　town　was　impossible；　yet　there　was　another　venture　which　Frank　was　unwilling　to　let　slip。　　A　light　which　now　shone　brightly　in　one　of　the　windows　of　the　governor's　house　was　the　lodestar　to　which　all　his　thoughts　were　turned；　and　as　he　sat　in　the　cabin　with　Amyas；　Cary；　and　Jack；　he　opened　his　heart　to　them。

〃And　are　we；　then；〃　asked　he；　mournfully；　〃to　go　without　doing　the　very　thing　for　which　we　came？〃

All　were　silent　awhile。　　At　last　John　Brimblecombe　spoke。

〃Show　me　the　way　to　do　it；　Mr。　Frank；　and　I　will　go。〃

〃My　dearest　man；〃　said　Amyas；　〃what　would　you　have？　　Any　attempt　to　see　her；　even　if　she　be　here；　would　be　all　but　certain　death。〃

〃And　what　if　it　were？　　What　if　it　were；　my　brother　Amyas？　　Listen　to　me。　　I　have　long　ceased　to　shrink　from　Death；　but　till　I　came　into　these　magic　climes；　I　never　knew　the　beauty　of　his　face。〃

〃Of　death？〃　said　Cary。　　〃I　should　have　said；　of　life。　　God　forgive　me！　but　man　might　wish　to　live　forever；　if　he　had　such　a　world　as　this　wherein　to　live。〃

〃And　do　you　forget；　Cary；　that　the　more　fair　this　passing　world　of　time；　by　so　much　the　more　fair　is　that　eternal　world；　whereof　all　here　is　but　a　shadow　and　a　dream；　by　so　much　the　more　fair　is　He　before　whose　throne　the　four　mystic　beasts；　the　substantial　ideas　of　Nature　and　her　powers；　stand　day　and　night；　crying；　'Holy；　holy；　holy；　Lord　God　of　hosts；　Thou　hast　made　all　things；　and　for　Thy　pleasure　they　are　and　were　created！'　　My　friends；　if　He　be　so　prodigal　of　His　own　glory　as　to　have　decked　these　lonely　shores；　all　but　unknown　since　the　foundation　of　the　world；　with　splendors　beyond　all　our　dreams；　what　must　be　the　glory　of　His　face　itself！　I　have　done　with　vain　shadows。　　It　is　better　to　depart　and　to　be　with　Him；　where　shall　be　neither　desire　nor　anger；　self…deception　nor　pretence；　b