westward ho-第103节

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　to　them；　to　set　him　above　all　suspicion；　Eustace's　past　valiant　services　to　the　Church。　　His　testimony　was　no　longer　needed；　he　left　Cartagena　for　Nombre　that　very　night；　and　sailed　the　next　week　I　know　not　whither。

I　say；　I　know　not　whither。　　Eustace　Leigh　vanishes　henceforth　from　these　pages。　　He　may　have　ended　as　General　of　his　Order。　　He　may　have　worn　out　his　years　in　some　tropic　forest；　〃conquering　the　souls〃　（including；　of　course；　the　bodies）　of　Indians；　he　may　have　gone　back　to　his　old　work　in　England；　and　been　the　very　Ballard　who　was　hanged　and　quartered　three　years　afterwards　for　his　share　in　Babington's　villainous　conspiracy：　I　know　not。　　This　book　is　a　history　of　men；of　men's　virtues　and　sins；　victories　and　defeats；　and　Eustace　is　a　man　no　longer：　he　is　become　a　thing；　a　tool；　a　Jesuit；　which　goes　only　where　it　is　sent；　and　does　good　or　evil　indifferently　as　it　is　bid；　which；　by　an　act　of　moral　suicide；　has　lost　its　soul；　in　the　hope　of　saving　it；　without　a　will；　a　conscience；　a　responsibility　（as　it　fancies）；　to　God　or　man；　but　only　to　〃The　Society。〃　　In　a　word；　Eustace；　as　he　says　himself；　is　〃dead。〃　　Twice　dead；　I　fear。　　Let　the　dead　bury　their　dead。　　We　have　no　more　concern　with　Eustace　Leigh。



CHAPTER　XXIII

THE　BANKS　OF　THE　META


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃My　mariners；　Souls　that　have　toil'd；　and　wrought；　and　thought　with　me　Death　closes　all：　but　something　ere　the　end；　Some　work　of　noble　note；　may　yet　be　done；　Not　unbecoming　men　that　strove　with　gods！〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TENNYSON'S　Ulysses。


Nearly　three　years　are　past　and　gone　since　that　little　band　had　knelt　at　evensong　beneath　the　giant　tree　of　Guayrayears　of　seeming　blank；　through　which　they　are　to　be　tracked　only　by　scattered　notes　and　mis…spelt　names。　　Through　untrodden　hills　and　forests；　over　a　space　of　some　eight　hundred　miles　in　length　by　four　hundred　in　breadth；　they　had　been　seeking　for　the　Golden　City；　and　they　had　sought　in　vain。　　They　had　sought　it　along　the　wooded　banks　of　the　Orinoco；　and　beyond　the　roaring　foam…world　of　Maypures；　and　on　the　upper　waters　of　the　mighty　Amazon。　　They　had　gone　up　the　streams　even　into　Peru　itself；　and　had　trodden　the　cinchona　groves　of　Loxa；　ignorant；　as　all　the　world　was　then；　of　their　healing　virtues。　　They　had　seen　the　virgin　snows　of　Chimborazo　towering　white　above　the　thundercloud；　and　the　giant　cone　of　Cotopaxi　blackening　in　its　sullen　wrath；　before　the　fiery　streams　rolled　down　its　sides。　　Foiled　in　their　search　at　the　back　of　the　Andes；　they　had　turned　eastward　once　more；　and　plunged　from　the　alpine　cliffs　into　〃the　green　and　misty　ocean　of　the　Montana。〃　　Slowly　and　painfully　they　had　worked　their　way　northward　again；　along　the　eastern　foot　of　the　inland　Cordillera；　and　now　they　were　bivouacking；　as　it　seems；　upon　one　of　the　many　feeders　of　the　Meta；　which　flow　down　from　the　Suma　Paz　into　the　forest…covered　plains。　There　they　sat；　their　watch…fires　glittering　on　the　stream；　beneath　the　shadow　of　enormous　trees；　Amyas　and　Cary；　Brimblecombe；　Yeo；　and　the　Indian　lad；　who　has　followed　them　in　all　their　wanderings；　alive　and　well：　but　as　far　as　ever　from　Manoa；　and　its　fairy　lake；　and　golden　palaces；　and　all　the　wonders　of　the　Indian's　tale。　Again　and　again　in　their　wanderings　they　had　heard　faint　rumors　of　its　existence；　and　started　off　in　some　fresh　direction；　to　meet　only　a　fresh　disappointment；　and　hope　deferred；　which　maketh　sick　the　heart。

There　they　sit　at　lastfour…and…forty　men　out　of　the　eighty…four　who　left　the　tree　of　Guayra：where　are　the　rest？


　　　　　〃Their　bones　are　scatter'd　far　and　wide；　　　　　　　By　mount；　by　stream；　and　sea。〃


Drew；　the　master；　lies　on　the　banks　of　the　Rio　Negro；　and　five　brave　fellows　by　him；　slain　in　fight　by　the　poisoned　arrows　of　the　Indians；　in　a　vain　attempt　to　penetrate　the　mountain…gorges　of　the　Parima。　　Two　more　lie　amid　the　valleys　of　the　Andes；　frozen　to　death　by　the　fierce　slaty　hail　which　sweeps　down　from　the　condor's　eyrie；　four　more　were　drowned　at　one　of　the　rapids　of　the　Orinoco；　five　or　six　more　wounded　men　are　left　behind　at　another　rapid　among　friendly　Indians；　to　be　recovered　when　they　can　be：　perhaps　never。　Fever；　snakes；　jaguars；　alligators；　cannibal　fish；　electric　eels；　have　thinned　their　ranks　month　by　month；　and　of　their　march　through　the　primeval　wilderness　no　track　remains；　except　those　lonely　graves。

And　there　the　survivors　sit；　beside　the　silent　stream；　beneath　the　tropic　moon；　sun…dried　and　lean；　but　strong　and　bold　as　ever；　with　the　quiet　fire　of　English　courage　burning　undimmed　in　every　eye；　and　the　genial　smile　of　English　mirth　fresh　on　every　lip；　making　a　jest　of　danger　and　a　sport　of　toil；　as　cheerily　as　when　they　sailed　over　the　bar　of　Bideford；　in　days　which　seem　to　belong　to　some　antenatal　life。　　Their　beards　have　grown　down　upon　their　breasts；　their　long　hair　is　knotted　on　their　heads；　like　women's；　to　keep　off　the　burning　sunshine；　their　leggings　are　of　the　skin　of　the　delicate　Guazu…puti　deer；　their　shirts　are　patched　with　Indian　cotton　web；　the　spoils　of　jaguar；　puma；　and　ape　hang　from　their　shoulders。　　Their　ammunition　is　long　since　spent；　their　muskets；　spoilt　by　the　perpetual　vapor…bath　of　the　steaming　woods；　are　left　behind　as　useless　in　a　cave　by　some　cataract　of　the　Orinoco：　but　their　swords　are　bright　and　terrible　as　ever；　and　they　carry　bows　of　a　strength　which　no　Indian　arm　can　bend；　and　arrows　pointed　with　the　remnants　of　their　armor；　many　of　them；　too；　are　armed　with　the　pocuna　or　blowgun　of　the　Indiansmore　deadly；　because　more　silent；　than　the　firearms　which　they　have　left　behind　them。　　So　they　have　wandered；　and　so　they　will　wander　still；　the　lords　of　the　forest　and　its　beasts；　terrible　to　all　hostile　Indians；　but　kindly；　just；　and　generous　to　all　who　will　deal　faithfully　with　them；　and　many　a　smooth…chinned　Carib　and　Ature；　Solimo　and　Guahiba；　recounts　with　wonder　and　admiration　the　righteousness　of　the　bearded　heroes；　who　proclaimed　themselves　the　deadly　foes　of　the　faithless　and　murderous　Spaniard；　and　spoke　to　them　of　the　great　and　good　queen　beyond　the　seas；　who　would　send　her　warriors　to　deliver　and　avenge　the　oppressed　Indian。

The　men　are　sleeping　among　the　trees；　some　on　the　ground；　and　some　in　grass…hammocks　slung　between　the　stems。　　All　is　silent；　save　the　heavy　plunge　of　the　tapir　in　the　river；　as　he　tears　up　the　water…　weeds　for　his　night's　repast。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　the　jaguar；　as　he　climbs　from　one　tree…top　to　another　after　his　prey；　wakens　the　monkeys　clustered　on　the　boughs；　and　they　again　arouse　the　birds；　and　ten　minutes　of　unearthly　roars；　howls；　shrieks；　and　cacklings　make　the　forest　ring　as　if　all　pandemonium　had　broke　loose；　but　that　soon　dies　away　again；　and；　even　while　it　lasts；　it　is　too　common　a　matter　to　awaken　the　sleepers；　much　less　to　interrupt　the　council　of　war　which　is　going　on　beside　the　watch…fire；　between　the　three　adventurers　and　the　faithful　Yeo。　　A　hundred　times　have　they　held　such　a　council；　and　in　vain；　and；　for　aught　they　know；　this　one　will　be　as　fruitless　as　those　which　have　gone　before　it。　Nevertheless；　it　is　a　more　solemn　one　than　usual；　for　the　two　years　during　which　they　had　agreed　to　search　for　Manoa　are　long　past；　and　some　new　place　must　be　determined　on；　unless　they　intend　to　spend　the　rest　of　their　lives　in　that　green　wilderness。

〃Well；〃　says　Will　Cary；　taking　his　cigar　out　of　his　mouth；　〃at　least　we　have　got　something　out　of　those　last　Indians。　　It　is　a　comfort　to　have　a　puff　at　tobacco　once　more；　after　three　weeks'　fasting。〃

〃For　me；〃　said　Jack　Brimblecombe；　〃Heaven　forgive　me！　but　when　I　get　the　magical　leaf　between　my　teeth　again；　I　feel　tempted　to　sit　as　still　as　a　chimney；　and　smoke　till　my　dying　day；　without　stirring　hand　or　foot。〃

〃Then　I　shall　forbid　you　tobacco；　Master　Parson；〃　said　Amyas；　〃for　we　must　be　up　and　away　again　to…morrow。　　We　have　been　idling　here　three　mortal　days；　and　nothing　done。〃

〃Shall　we　ever　do　anything？　　I　think　the　gold　of　Manoa　is　like　the　gold　which　lies　where　the　rainbow　touches　the　ground；　always　a　field　beyond　you。〃

Amyas　was　silent　awhile；　and　so　were　the　rest。　　There　was　no　denying　that　their　hopes　were　all　but　gone。　　In　the　immense　circuit　which　they　had　made；　they　had　met　with　nothing　but　disappointment。

〃There　is　but　one　more　chance；〃　said　he　at　length；　〃and　that　is；　the　mountains　to　the　east　of　the　Orinoco；　where　we　failed　the　first　time。　　The　Incas　may　have　moved　on　to　them　when　they　escaped。〃

〃Why　not？〃　said　Cary；　〃they　would　so　put　all　the　forests；　beside　the　Llanos　and　half…a…dozen　great　rivers；　between　them　and　those　dogs　of　Spaniards。〃

〃Shall　we　try　it　once　more？〃　said　Amyas。　　〃This　river　ought　to　run　into　the　Orinoco；　and　once　there；　we　are　again　at　the　very　foot　of　the　mountains。　　What　say　you；　Yeo？〃

〃I　cannot　but　mind；　your　worship；　that　when　we　came　up　the　Orinoco；　the　Indians　told　us　terrible　stories　of　those　mountains；　how　far　they　stretched；　and　how　difficult　they　were　to　cross；　by　reason　of　the　cliffs　aloft；　and　the　thick　forests　in　the　valleys。　　And　have　we　not　lost　five　good　men　there　already？〃

〃What　care　we？　　No　forests　can　be　thicker　than　those　we　have　bored　through　already；　why；　if　one　had　had　but　a　tail；　like　a　monkey；　for　an　e