westward ho-第104节

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〃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　extra　warp；　one　might　have　gone　a　hundred　miles　on　end　along　the　tree…tops；　and　found　it　far　pleasanter　walking　than　tripping　in　withes；　and　being　eaten　up　with　creeping　things；　from　morn　till　night。〃

〃But　remember；　too；〃　said　Jack；　〃how　they　told　us　to　beware　of　the　Amazons。〃

〃What；　Jack；　afraid　of　a　parcel　of　women？〃

〃Why　not？〃　said　Jack；　〃I　wouldn't　run　from　a　man；　as　you　know；　but　a　womanit's　not　natural；　like。　　They　must　be　witches　or　devils。　See　how　the　Caribs　feared　them。　　And　there　were　men　there　without　necks；　and　with　their　eyes　in　their　breasts；　they　said。　　Now　how　could　a　Christian　tackle　such　customers　as　them？〃

〃He　couldn't　cut　off　their　heads；　that's　certain；　but；　I　suppose；　a　poke　in　the　ribs　will　do　as　much　for　them　as　for　their　neighbors。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Jack；　〃if　I　fight；　let　me　fight　honest　flesh　and　blood；　that's　all；　and　none　of　these　outlandish　monsters。　　How　do　you　know　but　that　they　are　invulnerable　by　art…magic？〃

〃How　do　you　know　that　they　are？　　And　as　for　the　Amazons；〃　said　Cary；　〃woman's　woman；　all　the　world　over。　　I'll　bet　that　you　may　wheedle　them　round　with　a　compliment　or　two；　just　as　if　they　were　so　many　burghers'　wives。　　Pity　I　have　not　a　court…suit　and　a　Spanish　hat。　　I　would　have　taken　an　orange　in　one　hand　and　a　handkerchief　in　the　other；　gone　all　alone　to　them　as　ambassador；　and　been　in　a　week　as　great　with　Queen　Blackfacealinda　as　ever　Raleigh　is　at　Whitehall。〃

〃Gentlemen！〃　said　Yeo；　〃where　you　go；　I　go；　and　not　only　I；　but　every　man　of　us；　I　doubt　not；　but　we　have　lost　now　half　our　company；　and　spent　our　ammunition；　so　we　are　no　better　men；　were　it　not　for　our　swords；　than　these　naked　heathens　round　us。　　Now　it　was；　as　you　all　know；　by　the　wonder　and　noise　of　their　ordnance　（let　alone　their　horses；　which　is　a　break…neck　beast　I　put　no　faith　in）　that　both　Cortez　and　Pizarro；　those　imps　of　Satan；　made　their　golden　conquests；　with　which　if　we　could　have　astounded　the　people　of　Manoa〃

〃Having　first　found　the　said　people；〃　laughed　Amyas。　　〃It　is　like　the　old　fable。　　Every　craftsman　thinks　his　own　trade　the　one　pillar　of　the　commonweal。〃

〃Well！　your　worship；〃　quoth　Yeo；　〃it　may　be　that　being　a　gunner　I　overprize　guns。　　But　it　don't　need　slate　and　pencil　to　do　this　sum　Are　forty　men　without　shot　as　good　as　eighty　with？〃

〃Thou　art　right；　old　fellow；　right　enough；　and　I　was　only　jesting　for　very　sorrow；　and　must　needs　laugh　about　it　lest　I　weep　about　it。　　Our　chance　is　over；　I　believe；　though　I　dare　not　confess　as　much　to　the　men。〃

〃Sir；〃　said　Yeo；　〃I　have　a　feeling　on　me　that　the　Lord's　hand　is　against　us　in　this　matter。　　Whether　He　means　to　keep　this　wealth　for　worthier　men　than　us；　or　whether　it　is　His　will　to　hide　this　great　city　in　the　secret　place　of　His　presence　from　the　strife　of　tongues；　and　so　to　spare　them　from　sinful　man's　covetousness；　and　England　from　that　sin　and　luxury　which　I　have　seen　gold　beget　among　the　Spaniards；　I　know　not；　sir；　for　who　knoweth　the　counsels　of　the　Lord？　　But　I　have　long　had　a　voice　within　which　saith；　'Salvation　Yeo；　thou　shalt　never　behold　the　Golden　City　which　is　on　earth；　where　heathens　worship　sun　and　moon　and　the　hosts　of　heaven；　be　content；　therefore；　to　see　that　Golden　City　which　is　above；　where　is　neither　sun　nor　moon；　but　the　Lord　God　and　the　Lamb　are　the　light　thereof。'

There　was　a　simple　majesty　about　old　Yeo　when　he　broke　forth　in　utterances　like　these；　which　made　his　comrades；　and　even　Amyas　and　Cary；　look　on　him　as　Mussulmans　look　on　madmen；　as　possessed　of　mysterious　knowledge　and　flashes　of　inspiration；　and　Brimblecombe；　whose　pious　soul　looked　up　to　the　old　hero　with　a　reverence　which　had　overcome　all　his　Churchman's　prejudices　against　Anabaptists；　answered　gently；

〃Amen！　amen！　my　masters　all：　and　it　has　been　on　my　mind；　too；　this　long　time；　that　there　is　a　providence　against　our　going　east；　for　see　how　this　two　years　past；　whenever　we　have　pushed　eastward；　we　have　fallen　into　trouble；　and　lost　good　men；　and　whenever　we　went　Westward…ho；　we　have　prospered；　and　do　prosper　to　this　day。〃

〃And　what　is　more；　gentlemen；〃　said　Yeo；　if；　as　Scripture　says；　dreams　are　from　the　Lord；　I　verily　believe　mine　last　night　came　from　Him；　for　as　I　lay　by　the　fire；　sirs；　I　heard　my　little　maid's　voice　calling　of　me；　as　plain　as　ever　I　heard　in　my　life；　and　the　very　same　words；　sirs；　which　she　learned　from　me　and　my　good　comrade　William　Penberthy　to　say；　'Westward…ho！　jolly　mariners　all！'　a　bit　of　an　ungodly　song；　my　masters；　which　we　sang　in　our　wild　days；　but　she　stood　and　called　it　as　plain　as　ever　mortal　ears　heard；　and　called　again　till　I　answered；　'Coming！　my　maid；　coming！'　and　after　that　the　dear　chuck　called　no　moreGod　grant　I　find　her　yet！and　so　I　woke。〃

Cary　had　long　since　given　up　laughing　at　Yeo　about　the　〃little　maid；〃　and　Amyas　answered；

〃So　let　it　be；　Yeo；　if　the　rest　agree：　but　what　shall　we　do　to　the　westward？〃

〃Do？〃　said　Cary；　〃there's　plenty　to　do；　for　there's　plenty　of　gold；　and　plenty　of　Spaniards；　too；　they　say；　on　the　other　side　of　these　mountains：　so　that　our　swords　will　not　rust　for　lack　of　adventures；　my　gay　knights…errant　all。〃

So　they　chatted　on；　and　before　night　was　half　through　a　plan　was　matured；　desperate　enoughbut　what　cared　those　brave　hearts　for　that？　　They　would　cross　the　Cordillera　to　Santa　Fe　de　Bogota；　of　the　wealth　whereof　both　Yeo　and　Amyas　had　often　heard　in　the　Pacific：　try　to　seize　either　the　town　or　some　convoy　of　gold　going　from　it；　make　for　the　nearest　river　（there　was　said　to　be　a　large　one　which　ran　northward　thence）；　build　canoes；　and　try　to　reach　the　Northern　Sea　once　more；　and　then；　if　Heaven　prospered　them；　they　might　seize　a　Spanish　ship；　and　make　their　way　home　to　England；　not；　indeed；　with　the　wealth　of　Manoa；　but　with　a　fair　booty　of　Spanish　gold。　　This　was　their　new　dream。　　It　was　a　wild　one：　but　hardly　more　wild　than　the　one　which　Drake　had　fulfilled；　and　not　as　wild　as　the　one　which　Oxenham　might　have　fulfilled；　but　for　his　own　fatal　folly。

Amyas　sat　watching　late　that　night；　sad　of　heart。　　To　give　up　the　cherished　dream　of　years　was　hard；　to　face　his　mother；　harder　still：　but　it　must　be　done；　for　the　men's　sake。　　So　the　new　plan　was　proposed　next　day；　and　accepted　joyfully。　　They　would　go　up　to　the　mountains　and　rest　awhile；　if　possible；　bring　up　the　wounded　whom　they　had　left　behind；　and　then；　try　a　new　venture；　with　new　hopes；　perhaps　new　dangers；　they　were　inured　to　the　latter。

They　started　next　morning　cheerfully　enough；　and　for　three　hours　or　more　paddled　easily　up　the　glassy　and　windless　reaches；　between　two　green　flower…bespangled　walls　of　forest；　gay　with　innumerable　birds　and　insects；　while　down　from　the　branches　which　overhung　the　stream　long　trailers　hung　to　the　water's　edge；　and　seemed　admiring　in　the　clear　mirror　the　images　of　their　own　gorgeous　flowers。　　River；　trees；　flowers；　birds；　insects；it　was　all　a　fairy…land：　but　it　was　a　colossal　one；　and　yet　the　voyagers　took　little　note　of　it。　It　was　now　to　them　an　everyday　occurrence；　to　see　trees　full　two　hundred　feet　high　one　mass　of　yellow　or　purple　blossom　to　the　highest　twigs；　and　every　branch　and　stem　one　hanging　garden　of　crimson　and　orange　orchids　or　vanillas。　　Common　to　them　were　all　the　fantastic　and　enormous　shapes　with　which　Nature　bedecks　her　robes　beneath　the　fierce　suns　and　fattening　rains　of　the　tropic　forest。　　Common　were　forms　and　colors　of　bird；　and　fish；　and　butterfly；　more　strange　and　bright　than　ever　opium…eater　dreamed。　The　long　processions　of　monkeys；　who　kept　pace　with　them　along　the　tree…tops；　and　proclaimed　their　wonder　in　every　imaginable　whistle；　and　grunt；　and　howl；　had　ceased　to　move　their　laughter；　as　much　as　the　roar　of　the　jaguar　and　the　rustle　of　the　boa　had　ceased　to　move　their　fear；　and　when　a　brilliant　green　and　rose…colored　fish；　flat…　bodied　like　a　bream；　flab…finned　like　a　salmon；　and　saw…toothed　like　a　shark；　leapt　clean　on　board　of　the　canoe　to　escape　the　rush　of　the　huge　alligator　（whose　loathsome　snout；　ere　he　could　stop；　actually　rattled　against　the　canoe　within　a　foot　of　Jack　Brimblecombe's　hand）；　Jack；　instead　of　turning　pale；　as　he　had　done　at　the　sharks　upon　a　certain　memorable　occasion；　coolly　picked　up　the　fish；　and　said；　〃He's　four　pound　weight！　　If　you　can　catch　'pirai'　for　us　like　that；　old　fellow；　just　keep　in　our　wake；　and　we'll　give　you　the　cleanings　for　wages。〃

Yes。　　The　mind　of　man　is　not　so　〃infinite；〃　in　the　vulgar　sense　of　that　word；　as　people　fancy；　and　however　greedy　the　appetite　for　wonder　may　be；　while　it　remains　unsatisfied　in　everyday　European　life；　it　is　as　easily　satiated　as　any　other　appetite；　and　then　leaves　the　senses　of　its　possessor　as　dull　as　those　of　a　city　gourmand　after　a　lord　mayor's　feast。　　Only　the　highest　mindsour　Humboldts；　and　Bonplands；　and　Schomburgks　（and　they　only　when　quickened　to　an　almost　unhealthy　activity　by　civilization）can　go　on　long　appreciating　where　Nature　is　insatiable；　imperious；　maddening；　in　her　demands　on　our　admiration。　　The　very　power　of　observing　wears　out　under　the　rush　of　ever　new　objects；　and　the　dizzy　spectator　is　fain　at　last　to　shut　the　eyes　of　hi