within the tides-第27节

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the　village。　　There　will　be　a　wine　shop　for　sure　where　we　may　find



somebody　more　promising　to　talk　to　and　get　some　information　from。〃







〃Aye；　aye；　sir；〃　said　Tom　falling　into　step　behind　his　officer。　　〃A



bit　of　palaver　as　to　courses　and　distances　can　do　no　harm；　I



crossed　the　broadest　part　of　Cuba　by　the　help　of　my　tongue　tho'



knowing　far　less　Spanish　than　I　do　now。　　As　they　say　themselves　it



was　'four　words　and　no　more'　with　me；　that　time　when　I　got　left



behind　on　shore　by　the　Blanche；　frigate。〃







He　made　light　of　what　was　before　him；　which　was　but　a　day's　journey



into　the　mountains。　　It　is　true　that　there　was　a　full　day's　journey



before　striking　the　mountain　path；　but　that　was　nothing　for　a　man



who　had　crossed　the　island　of　Cuba　on　his　two　legs；　and　with　no



more　than　four　words　of　the　language　to　begin　with。







The　officer　and　the　man　were　walking　now　on　a　thick　sodden　bed　of



dead　leaves；　which　the　peasants　thereabouts　accumulate　in　the



streets　of　their　villages　to　rot　during　the　winter　for　field



manure。　　Turning　his　head　Mr。　Byrne　perceived　that　the　whole　male



population　of　the　hamlet　was　following　them　on　the　noiseless



springy　carpet。　　Women　stared　from　the　doors　of　the　houses　and　the



children　had　apparently　gone　into　hiding。　　The　village　knew　the



ship　by　sight；　afar　off；　but　no　stranger　had　landed　on　that　spot



perhaps　for　a　hundred　years　or　more。　　The　cocked　hat　of　Mr。　Byrne；



the　bushy　whiskers　and　the　enormous　pigtail　of　the　sailor；　filled



them　with　mute　wonder。　　They　pressed　behind　the　two　Englishmen



staring　like　those　islanders　discovered　by　Captain　Cook　in　the



South　Seas。







It　was　then　that　Byrne　had　his　first　glimpse　of　the　little　cloaked



man　in　a　yellow　hat。　　Faded　and　dingy　as　it　was；　this　covering　for



his　head　made　him　noticeable。







The　entrance　to　the　wine　shop　was　like　a　rough　hole　in　a　wall　of



flints。　　The　owner　was　the　only　person　who　was　not　in　the　street；



for　he　came　out　from　the　darkness　at　the　back　where　the　inflated



forms　of　wine　skins　hung　on　nails　could　be　vaguely　distinguished。



He　was　a　tall；　one…eyed　Asturian　with　scrubby；　hollow　cheeks；　a



grave　expression　of　countenance　contrasted　enigmatically　with　the



roaming　restlessness　of　his　solitary　eye。　　On　learning　that　the



matter　in　hand　was　the　sending　on　his　way　of　that　English　mariner



toward　a　certain　Gonzales　in　the　mountains；　he　closed　his　good　eye



for　a　moment　as　if　in　meditation。　　Then　opened　it；　very　lively



again。







〃Possibly；　possibly。　　It　could　be　done。〃







A　friendly　murmur　arose　in　the　group　in　the　doorway　at　the　name　of



Gonzales；　the　local　leader　against　the　French。　　Inquiring　as　to　the



safety　of　the　road　Byrne　was　glad　to　learn　that　no　troops　of　that



nation　had　been　seen　in　the　neighbourhood　for　months。　　Not　the



smallest　little　detachment　of　these　impious　POLIZONES。　　While



giving　these　answers　the　owner　of　the　wine…shop　busied　himself　in



drawing　into　an　earthenware　jug　some　wine　which　he　set　before　the



heretic　English；　pocketing　with　grave　abstraction　the　small　piece



of　money　the　officer　threw　upon　the　table　in　recognition　of　the



unwritten　law　that　none　may　enter　a　wine…shop　without　buying　drink。



His　eye　was　in　constant　motion　as　if　it　were　trying　to　do　the　work



of　the　two；　but　when　Byrne　made　inquiries　as　to　the　possibility　of



hiring　a　mule；　it　became　immovably　fixed　in　the　direction　of　the



door　which　was　closely　besieged　by　the　curious。　　In　front　of　them；



just　within　the　threshold；　the　little　man　in　the　large　cloak　and



yellow　hat　had　taken　his　stand。　　He　was　a　diminutive　person；　a　mere



homunculus；　Byrne　describes　him；　in　a　ridiculously　mysterious；　yet



assertive　attitude；　a　corner　of　his　cloak　thrown　cavalierly　over



his　left　shoulder；　muffling　his　chin　and　mouth；　while　the　broad…



brimmed　yellow　hat　hung　on　a　corner　of　his　square　little　head。　　He



stood　there　taking　snuff；　repeatedly。







〃A　mule；〃　repeated　the　wine…seller；　his　eyes　fixed　on　that　quaint



and　snuffy　figure。　。　。　〃No；　senor　officer！　　Decidedly　no　mule　is　to



be　got　in　this　poor　place。〃







The　coxswain；　who　stood　by　with　the　true　sailor's　air　of　unconcern



in　strange　surroundings；　struck　in　quietly　…







〃If　your　honour　will　believe　me　Shank's　pony's　the　best　for　this



job。　　I　would　have　to　leave　the　beast　somewhere；　anyhow；　since　the



captain　has　told　me　that　half　my　way　will　be　along　paths　fit　only



for　goats。〃







The　diminutive　man　made　a　step　forward；　and　speaking　through　the



folds　of　the　cloak　which　seemed　to　muffle　a　sarcastic　intention　…







〃Si；　senor。　　They　are　too　honest　in　this　village　to　have　a　single



mule　amongst　them　for　your　worship's　service。　　To　that　I　can　bear



testimony。　　In　these　times　it's　only　rogues　or　very　clever　men　who



can　manage　to　have　mules　or　any　other　four…footed　beasts　and　the



wherewithal　to　keep　them。　　But　what　this　valiant　mariner　wants　is　a



guide；　and　here；　senor；　behold　my　brother…in…law；　Bernardino；　wine…



seller；　and　alcade　of　this　most　Christian　and　hospitable　village；



who　will　find　you　one。〃







This；　Mr。　Byrne　says　in　his　relation；　was　the　only　thing　to　do。　　A



youth　in　a　ragged　coat　and　goat…skin　breeches　was　produced　after



some　more　talk。　　The　English　officer　stood　treat　to　the　whole



village；　and　while　the　peasants　drank　he　and　Cuba　Tom　took　their



departure　accompanied　by　the　guide。　　The　diminutive　man　in　the



cloak　had　disappeared。







Byrne　went　along　with　the　coxswain　out　of　the　village。　　He　wanted



to　see　him　fairly　on　his　way；　and　he　would　have　gone　a　greater



distance；　if　the　seaman　had　not　suggested　respectfully　the



advisability　of　return　so　as　not　to　keep　the　ship　a　moment　longer



than　necessary　so　close　in　with　the　shore　on　such　an　unpromising



looking　morning。　　A　wild　gloomy　sky　hung　over　their　heads　when　they



took　leave　of　each　other；　and　their　surroundings　of　rank　bushes　and



stony　fields　were　dreary。







〃In　four　days'　time；〃　were　Byrne's　last　words；　〃the　ship　will　stand



in　and　send　a　boat　on　shore　if　the　weather　permits。　　If　not　you'll



have　to　make　it　out　on　shore　the　best　you　can　till　we　come　along　to



take　you　off。〃







〃Right　you　are；　sir；〃　answered　Tom；　and　strode　on。　　Byrne　watched



him　step　out　on　a　narrow　path。　　In　a　thick　pea…jacket　with　a　pair



of　pistols　in　his　belt；　a　cutlass　by　his　side；　and　a　stout　cudgel



in　his　hand；　he　looked　a　sturdy　figure　and　well　able　to　take　care



of　himself。　　He　turned　round　for　a　moment　to　wave　his　hand；　giving



to　Byrne　one　more　view　of　his　honest　bronzed　face　with　bushy



whiskers。　　The　lad　in　goatskin　breeches　looking；　Byrne　says；　like　a



faun　or　a　young　satyr　leaping　ahead；　stopped　to　wait　for　him；　and



then　went　off　at　a　bound。　　Both　disappeared。







Byrne　turned　back。　　The　hamlet　was　hidden　in　a　fold　of　the　ground；



and　the　spot　seemed　the　most　lonely　corner　of　the　earth　and　as　if



accursed　in　its　uninhabited　desolate　barrenness。　　Before　he　had



walked　many　yards；　there　appeared　very　suddenly　from　behind　a　bush



the　muffled　up　diminutive　Spaniard。　　Naturally　Byrne　stopped　short。







The　other　made　a　mysterious　gesture　with　a　tiny　hand　peeping　from



under　his　cloak。　　His　hat　hung　very　much　at　the　side　of　his　head。



〃Senor；〃　he　said　without　any　preliminaries。　　〃Caution！　　It　is　a



positive　fact　that　one…eyed　Bernardino；　my　brother…in…law；　has　at



this　moment　a　mule　in　his　stable。　　And　why　he　who　is　not　clever　has



a　mule　there？　　Because　he　is　a　rogue；　a　man　without　conscience。



Because　I　had　to　give　up　the　MACHO　to　him　to　secure　for　myself　a



roof　to　sleep　under　and　a　mouthful　of　OLLA　to　keep　my　soul　in　this



insignificant　body　of　mine。　　Yet；　senor；　it　contains　a　heart　many



times　bigger　than　the　mean　thing　which　beats　in　the　breast　of　that



brute　connection　of　mine　of　which　I　am　ashamed；　though　I　opposed



that　marriage　with　all　my　power。　　Well；　the　misguided　woman



suffered　enough。　　She　had　her　purgatory　on　this　earth　…　God　rest



her　soul。〃







Byrne　says　he　was　so　astonished　by　the　sudden　appearance　of　that



sprite…like　being；　and　by　the　sardonic　bitterness　of　the　speech；



that　he　was　unable　to　disentangle　the　significant　fact　from　what



seemed　but　a　piece　of　family　history　fired　out　at　him　without　rhyme



or　reason。　　Not　at　first。　　He　was　confounded　and　at　the　same　time



he　was　impressed　by　the　rapid　forcible　delivery；　quite　different



from　the　frothy　excited　loquacity　of　an　Italian。　　So　he　stared



while　the　homunculus　letting　his　cloak　fall　about　him；　aspired　an



immense　quantity　of　snuff　out　of　the　hollow　of　his　palm。







〃A　mule；〃　exclaimed　Byrne　seizing　at　last　the　real　aspect　of　the



discourse。　　〃You　say　he　has　got　a　mule？　　That's　queer！　　Why　did　he



refuse　to　let　me　have　it？〃







The　diminutive　Span