westward ho-第113节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


a。　　Jaguar　it　is　not；　nor　monkey：　it　is　unlike　any　sound　they　know；　and　why　should　it　follow　them？　　However；　they　are　in　the　land　of　wonders；　and；　moreover；　the　gold　train　is　far　more　important　than　any　noise。

At　last；　up　from　beneath　there　was　a　sharp　crack　and　a　loud　cry。　The　crack　was　neither　the　snapping　of　a　branch；　nor　the　tapping　of　a　woodpecker；　the　cry　was　neither　the　scream　of　the　parrot；　nor　the　howl　of　the　monkey。

〃That　was　a　whip's　crack；〃　said　Yeo；　〃and　a　woman's　wail。　　They　are　close　here；　lads！〃

〃A　woman's？　　Do　they　drive　women　in　their　gangs？〃　asked　Amyas。

〃Why　not；　the　brutes？　　There　they　are；　sir。　　Did　you　see　their　basnets　glitter？〃

〃Men！〃　said　Amyas；　in　a　low　voice；　〃I　trust　you　all　not　to　shoot　till　I　do。　　Then　give　them　one　arrow；　out　swords；　and　at　them！　Pass　the　word　along。〃

Up　they　came；　slowly；　and　all　hearts　beat　loud　at　their　coming。

First；　about　twenty　soldiers；　only　one…half　of　whom　were　on　foot；　the　other　half　being　borne；　incredible　as　it　may　seem；　each　in　a　chair　on　the　back　of　a　single　Indian；　while　those　who　marched　had　consigned　their　heaviest　armor　and　their　arquebuses　into　the　hands　of　attendant　slaves；　who　were　each　pricked　on　at　will　by　the　pike　of　the　soldier　behind　them。

〃The　men　are　mad　to　let　their　ordnance　out　of　their　hands。〃

〃Oh；　sir；　an　Indian　will　pray　to　an　arquebus　not　to　shoot　him；　he　sure　their　artillery　is　safe　enough；〃　said　Yeo。

〃Look　at　the　proud　villains；〃　whispered　another；　〃to　make　dumb　beasts　of　human　creatures　like　that！〃

〃Ten　shot；〃　counted　the　business…like　Amyas；　〃and　ten　pikes；　Will　can　tackle　them　up　above。〃

Last　of　this　troop　came　some　inferior　officer；　also　in　his　chair；　who；　as　he　went　slowly　up　the　hill；　with　his　face　turned　toward　the　gang　which　followed；　drew　every　other　second　the　cigar　from　his　lips；　to　inspirit　them　with　those　pious　ejaculations　to　the　various　objects　of　his　worship；　divine；　human；　anatomic；　wooden　and　textile；　which　earned　for　the　pious　Spaniards　of　the　sixteenth　century　the　uncharitable　imputation　of　being　at　once　the　most　fetish…ridden　idolaters　and　the　most　abominable　swearers　of　all　Europeans。

〃The　blasphemous　dog！〃　said　Yeo；　fumbling　at　his　bow…string；　as　if　he　longed　to　send　an　arrow　through　him。　　But　Amyas　had　hardly　laid　his　finger　on　the　impatient　veteran's　arm；　when　another　procession　followed；　which　made　them　forget　all　else。

A　sad　and　hideous　sight　it　was：　yet　one　too　common　even　then　in　those　remoter　districts；　where　the　humane　edicts　were　disregarded　which　the　prayers　of　Dominican　friars　（to　their　everlasting　honor　be　it　spoken）　had　wrung　from　the　Spanish　sovereigns；　and　which　the　legislation　of　that　most　wise；　virtuous；　and　heroic　Inquisitor　（paradoxical　as　the　words　may　seem）；　Pedro　de　la　Gasca；　had　carried　into　effect　in　Peru；futile　and　tardy　alleviations　of　cruelties　and　miseries　unexampled　in　the　history　of　Christendom；　or　perhaps　on　earth；　save　in　the　conquests　of　Sennacherib　and　Zingis　Khan。　But　on　the　frontiers；　where　negroes　were　imported　to　endure　the　toil　which　was　found　fatal　to　the　Indian；　and　all　Indian　tribes　convicted　（or　suspected）　of　cannibalism　were　hunted　down　for　the　salvation　of　their　souls　and　the　enslavement　of　their　bodies；　such　scenes　as　these　were　still　too　common；　and；　indeed；　if　we　are　to　judge　from　Humboldt's　impartial　account；　were　not　very　much　amended　even　at　the　close　of　the　last　century；　in　those　much…boasted　Jesuit　missions　in　which　（as　many　of　them　as　existed　anywhere　but　on　paper）　military　tyranny　was　superadded　to　monastic；　and　the　Gospel　preached　with　fire　and　sword；　almost　as　shamelessly　as　by　the　first　Conquistadores。

A　line　of　Indians；　Negroes；　and　Zambos；　naked；　emaciated；　scarred　with　whips　and　fetters；　and　chained　together　by　their　left　wrists；　toiled　upwards；　panting　and　perspiring　under　the　burden　of　a　basket　held　up　by　a　strap　which　passed　across　their　foreheads。　　Yeo's　sneer　was　but　too　just；　there　were　not　only　old　men　and　youths　among　them；　but　women；　slender　young　girls；　mothers　with　children；　running　at　their　knee；　and；　at　the　sight；　a　low　murmur　of　indignation　rose　from　the　ambushed　Englishmen；　worthy　of　the　free　and　righteous　hearts　of　those　days；　when　Raleigh　could　appeal　to　man　and　God；　on　the　ground　of　a　common　humanity；　in　behalf　of　the　outraged　heathens　of　the　New　World；　when　Englishmen　still　knew　that　man　was　man；　and　that　the　instinct　of　freedom　was　the　righteous　voice　of　God；　ere　the　hapless　seventeenth　century　had　brutalized　them　also；　by　bestowing　on　them；　amid　a　hundred　other　bad　legacies；　the　fatal　gift　of　negro…slaves。

But　the　first　forty；　so　Amyas　counted；　bore　on　their　backs　a　burden　which　made　all；　perhaps；　but　him　and　Yeo；　forget　even　the　wretches　who　bore　it。　　Each　basket　contained　a　square　package　of　carefully　corded　hide；　the　look　whereof　friend　Amyas　knew　full　well。

〃What's　in　they；　captain？〃

〃Gold！〃　　And　at　that　magic　word　all　eyes　were　strained　greedily　forward；　and　such　a　rustle　followed；　that　Amyas；　in　the　very　face　of　detection；　had　to　whisper

〃Be　men；　be　men；　or　you　will　spoil　all　yet！〃

The　last　twenty；　or　so；　of　the　Indians　bore　larger　baskets；　but　more　lightly　freighted；　seemingly　with　manioc；　and　maize…bread；　and　other　food　for　the　party；　and　after　them　came；　with　their　bearers　and　attendants；　just　twenty　soldiers　more；　followed　by　the　officer　in　charge；　who　smiled　away　in　his　chair；　and　twirled　two　huge　mustachios；　thinking　of　nothing　less　than　of　the　English　arrows　which　were　itching　to　be　away　and　through　his　ribs。　　The　ambush　was　complete；　the　only　question　how　and　when　to　begin？

Amyas　had　a　shrinking；　which　all　will　understand；　from　drawing　bow　in　cool　blood　on　men　so　utterly　unsuspicious　and　defenceless；　even　though　in　the　very　act　of　devilish　crueltyfor　devilish　cruelty　it　was；　as　three　or　four　drivers　armed　with　whips　lingered　up　and　down　the　slowly　staggering　file　of　Indians；　and　avenged　every　moment's　lagging；　even　every　stumble；　by　a　blow　of　the　cruel　manati…hide；　which　cracked　like　a　pistol…shot　against　the　naked　limbs　of　the　silent　and　uncomplaining　victim。

Suddenly　the　casus　belli；　as　usually　happens；　arose　of　its　own　accord。

The　last　but　one　of　the　chained　line　was　an　old　gray…headed　man；　followed　by　a　slender　graceful　girl　of　some　eighteen　years　old；　and　Amyas's　heart　yearned　over　them　as　they　came　up。　　Just　as　they　passed；　the　foremost　of　the　file　had　rounded　the　corner　above；　there　was　a　bustle；　and　a　voice　shouted；　〃Halt；　senors！　there　is　a　tree　across　the　path！〃

〃A　tree　across　the　path？〃　bellowed　the　officer；　with　a　variety　of　passionate　addresses　to　the　Mother　of　Heaven；　the　fiends　of　hell；　Saint　Jago　of　Compostella；　and　various　other　personages；　while　the　line　of　trembling　Indians；　told　to　halt　above；　and　driven　on　by　blows　below；　surged　up　and　down　upon　the　ruinous　steps　of　the　Indian　road；　until　the　poor　old　man　fell　grovelling　on　his　face。

The　officer　leaped　down；　and　hurried　upward　to　see　what　had　happened。　　Of　course；　he　came　across　the　old　man。

〃Sin　peccado　concebida！　　Grandfather　of　Beelzebub；　is　this　a　place　to　lie　worshipping　your　fiends？〃　and　he　pricked　the　prostrate　wretch　with　the　point　of　his　sword。

The　old　man　tried　to　rise：　but　the　weight　on　his　head　was　too　much　for　him；　he　fell　again；　and　lay　motionless。

The　driver　applied　the　manati…hide　across　his　loins；　once；　twice；　with　fearful　force；　but　even　that　specific　was　useless。

〃Gastado；　Senor　Capitan；〃　said　he；　with　a　shrug。　　〃Used　up。　　He　has　been　failing　these　three　months！〃

〃What　does　the　intendant　mean　by　sending　me　out　with　worn…out　cattle　like　these？　　Forward　there！〃　shouted　he。　　〃Clear　away　the　tree；　senors；　and　I'll　soon　clear　the　chain。　　Hold　it　up；　Pedrillo！〃

The　driver　held　up　the　chain；　which　was　fastened　to　the　old　man's　wrist。　　The　officer　stepped　back；　and　flourished　round　his　head　a　Toledo　blade；　whose　beauty　made　Amyas　break　the　Tenth　Commandment　on　the　spot。

The　man　was　a　tall；　handsome；　broad…shouldered；　high…bred　man；　and　Amyas　thought　that　he　was　going　to　display　the　strength　of　his　arm；　and　the　temper　of　his　blade；　in　severing　the　chain　at　one　stroke。

Even　he　was　not　prepared　for　the　recondite　fancies　of　a　Spanish　adventurer；　worthy　son　or　nephew　of　those　first　conquerors；　who　used　to　try　the　keenness　of　their　swords　upon　the　living　bodies　of　Indians；　and　regale　themselves　at　meals　with　the　odor　of　roasting　caciques。

The　blade　gleamed　in　the　air；　once；　twice；　and　fell：　not　on　the　chain；　but　on　the　wrist　which　it　fettered。　　There　was　a　shrieka　crimson　flashand　the　chain　and　its　prisoner　were　parted　indeed。

One　moment　more；　and　Amyas's　arrow　would　have　been　through　the　throat　of　the　murderer；　who　paused；　regarding　his　workmanship　with　a　satisfied　smile；　but　vengeance　was　not　to　come　from　him。

Quick　and　fierce　as　a　tiger…cat；　the　girl　sprang　on　the　ruffian；　and　with　the　intense　strength　of　passion；　clasped　him　in　her　arms；　and　leaped　with　him　from　the　narrow　ledge　into　the　abyss　below。

There　was　a　rush；　a　shout；　all　faces　were　bent　over　the　precipice。　The　girl　hung　by　her　chained　wrist：　the　officer　was　gone。　　There　was　a　moment's　awful　silence；　and　then　Amyas　heard　his　body　crashing　through　the　tree…tops　far　below。

〃Haul　her　up！　　He