westward ho-第142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！


arleycorn；　and　a　pledge　to　thy　repentance　and　amendment　of　life。〃

〃Admiral　Hawkins；　Admiral　Hawkins；　this　is　no　time　for　drinking。〃

〃Why　not；　then；　my　lord？　　Good　news　should　be　welcomed　with　good　wine。　　Frank；　send　down　to　the　sexton；　and　set　the　bells　a…ringing　to　cheer　up　all　honest　hearts。　　Why；　my　lord；　if　it　were　not　for　the　gravity　of　my　office；　I　could　dance　a　galliard　for　joy！〃

〃Well；　you　may　dance；　port　admiral：　but　I　must　go　and　plan；　but　God　give　to　all　captains　such　a　heart　as　yours　this　day！〃

〃And　God　give　all　generals　such　a　head　as　yours！　　Come；　Frank　Drake；　we'll　play　the　game　out　before　we　move。　　It　will　be　two　good　days　before　we　shall　be　fit　to　tackle　them；　so　an　odd　half…hour　don't　matter。〃

〃I　must　command　the　help　of　your　counsel；　vice…admiral；〃　said　Lord　Charles；　turning　to　Drake。

〃And　it's　this；　my　good　lord；〃　said　Drake；　looking　up；　as　he　aimed　his　bowl。　　〃They'll　come　soon　enough　for　us　to　show　them　sport；　and　yet　slow　enough　for　us　to　be　ready；　so　let　no　man　hurry　himself。　And　as　example　is　better　than　precept；　here　goes。〃

Lord　Howard　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　departed；　knowing　two　things：　first；　that　to　move　Drake　was　to　move　mountains；　and　next；　that　when　the　self…taught　hero　did　bestir　himself；　he　would　do　more　work　in　an　hour　than　any　one　else　in　a　day。　　So　he　departed；　followed　hastily　by　most　of　the　captains；　and　Drake　said　in　a　low　voice　to　Hawkins：

〃Does　he　think　we　are　going　to　knock　about　on　a　lee…shore　all　the　afternoon　and　run　our　noses　at　nightand　dead　up…wind；　toointo　the　Dons'　mouths？　　No；　Jack；　my　friend。　　Let　Orlando…Furioso…　punctilio…fire…eaters　go　and　get　their　knuckles　rapped。　　The　following　game　is　the　game；　and　not　the　meeting　one。　　The　dog　goes　after　the　sheep；　and　not　afore　them；　lad。　　Let　them　go　by；　and　go　by；　and　stick　to　them　well　to　windward；　and　pick　up　stragglers；　and　pickings；　too；　Jackthe　prizes；　Jack！〃

〃Trust　my　old　eyes　for　not　being　over…quick　at　seeing　signals；　if　I　be　hanging　in　the　skirts　of　a　fat…looking　Don。　　We'm　the　eagles；　Drake；　and　where　the　carcase　is；　is　our　place；　eh？〃

And　so　the　two　old　sea…dogs　chatted　on；　while　their　companions　dropped　off　one　by　one；　and　only　Amyas　remained。

〃Eh；　Captain　Leigh；　where's　my　boy　Dick？〃

〃Gone　off　with　his　lordship；　Sir　John。〃

〃On　his　punctilios　too；　I　suppose；　the　young　slashed…breeks。　　He's　half　a　Don；　that　fellow；　with　his　fine　scholarship；　and　his　fine　manners；　and　his　fine　clothes。　　He'll　get　a　taking　down　before　he　dies；　unless　he　mends。　　Why　ain't　you　gone　too；　sir？〃

〃I　follow　my　leader；〃　said　Amyas；　filling　his　pipe。

〃Well　said；　my　big　man；〃　quoth　Drake。　　〃If　I　could　lead　you　round　the　world；　I　can　lead　you　up　Channel；　can't　I？Eh？　my　little　bantam…cock　of　the　Orinoco？　　Drink；　lad！　　You're　over…sad　to…day。〃

〃Not　a　whit；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃Only　I　can't　help　wondering　whether　I　shall　find　him　after　all。〃

〃Whom？　　That　Don？　　We'll　find　him　for　you；　if　he's　in　the　fleet。　We'll　squeeze　it　out　of　our　prisoners　somehow。　　Eh；　Hawkins？　　I　thought　all　the　captains　had　promised　to　send　you　news　if　they　heard　of　him。〃

〃Ay；　but　it's　ill　looking　for　a　needle　in　a　haystack。　　But　I　shall　find　him。　　I　am　a　coward　to　doubt　it；〃　said　Amyas；　setting　his　teeth。

〃There；　vice…admiral；　you're　beaten；　and　that's　the　rubber。　　Pay　up　three　dollars；　old　high…flyer；　and　go　and　earn　more；　like　an　honest　adventurer。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Drake；　as　he　pulled　out　his　purse；　〃we'll　walk　down　now；　and　see　about　these　young　hot…heads。　　As　I　live；　they　are　setting　to　tow　the　ships　out　already！　　Breaking　the　men's　backs　over…night；　to　make　them　fight　the　lustier　in　the　morning！　　Well；　well；　they　haven't　sailed　round　the　world；　Jack　Hawkins。〃

〃Or　had　to　run　home　from　San　Juan　d'Ulloa　with　half　a　crew。

〃Well；　if　we　haven't　to　run　out　with　half　crews。　　I　saw　a　sight　of　our　lads　drunk　about　this　morning。〃

〃The　more　reason　for　waiting　till　they　be　sober。　　Besides；　if　everybody's　caranting　about　to　once　each　after　his　own　men；　nobody'll　find　nothing　in　such　a　scrimmage　as　that。　　Bye；　bye；　Uncle　Martin。　　We'm　going　to　blow　the　Dons　up　now　in　earnest。〃



CHAPTER　XXXI

THE　GREAT　ARMADA


〃Britannia　needs　no　bulwarks；　　　　No　towers　along　the　steep；　Her　march　is　o'er　the　mountain　wave；　　　　Her　home　is　on　the　deep。〃

　　　CAMPBELL；　Ye　Mariners　of　England。


And　now　began　that　great　sea…fight　which　was　to　determine　whether　Popery　and　despotism；　or　Protestantism　and　freedom；　were　the　law　which　God　had　appointed　for　the　half　of　Europe；　and　the　whole　of　future　America。　　It　is　a　twelve　days'　epic；　worthy；　as　I　said　in　the　beginning　of　this　book；　not　of　dull　prose；　but　of　the　thunder…　roll　of　Homer's　verse：　but　having　to　tell　it；　I　must　do　my　best；　rather　using；　where　I　can；　the　words　of　contemporary　authors　than　my　own。

〃The　Lord　High　Admirall　of　England；　sending　a　pinnace　before；　called　the　Defiance；　denounced　war　by　discharging　her　ordnance；　and　presently　approaching　with　in　musquet…shot；　with　much　thundering　out　of　his　own　ship；　called　the　Arkroyall　（alias　the　Triumph）；　first　set　upon　the　admirall's；　as　he　thought；　of　the　Spaniards　（but　it　was　Alfonso　de　Leon's　ship。　　Soon　after；　Drake；　Hawkins；　and　Frobisher　played　stoutly　with　their　ordnance　on　the　hindmost　squadron；　which　was　commanded　by　Recalde。〃　　The　Spaniards　soon　discover　the　superior　〃nimbleness　of　the　English　ships；〃　and　Recalde's　squadron；　finding　that　they　are　getting　more　than　they　give；　in　spite　of　his　endeavors；　hurry　forward　to　join　the　rest　of　the　fleet。　　Medina　the　Admiral；　finding　his　ships　scattering　fast；　gathers　them　into　a　half…moon；　and　the　Armada　tries　to　keep　solemn　way　forward；　like　a　stately　herd　of　buffaloes；　who　march　on　across　the　prairie；　disdaining　to　notice　the　wolves　which　snarl　around　their　track。　　But　in　vain。　　These　are　no　wolves；　but　cunning　hunters；　swiftly　horsed；　and　keenly　armed；　and　who　will　〃shamefully　shuffle〃　（to　use　Drake's　own　expression）　that　vast　herd　from　the　Lizard　to　Portland；　from　Portland　to　Calais　Roads；　and　who；　even　in　this　short　two　hours'　fight；　have　made　many　a　Spaniard　question　the　boasted　invincibleness　of　this　Armada。

One　of　the　four　great　galliasses　is　already　riddled　with　shot；　to　the　great　disarrangement　of　her　〃pulpits；　chapels；〃　and　friars　therein　assistant。　　The　fleet　has　to　close　round　her；　or　Drake　and　Hawkins　will　sink　her；　in　effecting　which　manoeuvre；　the　〃principal　galleon　of　Seville；〃　in　which　are　Pedro　de　Valdez　and　a　host　of　blue…blooded　Dons；　runs　foul　of　her　neighbor；　carries　away　her　foremast；　and　is；　in　spite　of　Spanish　chivalry；　left　to　her　fate。　This　does　not　look　like　victory；　certainly。　　But　courage！　though　Valdez　be　left　behind；　〃our　Lady；〃　and　the　saints；　and　the　bull　Caena　Domini　（dictated　by　one　whom　I　dare　not　name　here）；　are　with　them　still；　and　it　were　blasphemous　to　doubt。　　But　in　the　meanwhile；　if　they　have　fared　no　better　than　this　against　a　third　of　the　Plymouth　fleet；　how　will　they　fare　when　those　forty　belated　ships；　which　are　already　whitening　the　blue　between　them　and　the　Mewstone；　enter　the　scene　to　play　their　part？

So　ends　the　first　day；　not　an　English　ship；　hardly　a　man；　is　hurt。　It　has　destroyed　for　ever；　in　English　minds；　the　prestige　of　boastful　Spain。　　It　has　justified　utterly　the　policy　which　the　good　Lord　Howard　had　adopted　by　Raleigh's　and　Drake's　advice；　of　keeping　up　a　running　fight；　instead　of　〃clapping　ships　together　without　consideration；〃　in　which　case；　says　Raleigh；　〃he　had　been　lost；　if　he　had　not　been　better　advised　than　a　great　many　malignant　fools　were；　who　found　fault　with　his　demeanor。〃

Be　that　as　it　may；　so　ends　the　first　day；　in　which　Amyas　and　the　other　Bideford　ships　have　been　right　busy　for　two　hours；　knocking　holes　in　a　huge　galleon；　which　carries　on　her　poop　a　maiden　with　a　wheel；　and　bears　the　name　of　Sta。　Catharina。　　She　had　a　coat　of　arms　on　the　flag　at　her　sprit；　probably　those　of　the　commandant　of　soldiers；　but　they　were　shot　away　early　in　the　fight；　so　Amyas　cannot　tell　whether　they　were　De　Soto'　s　or　not。　　Nevertheless；　there　is　plenty　of　time　for　private　revenge；　and　Amyas；　called　off　at　last　by　the　admiral's　signal；　goes　to　bed　and　sleeps　soundly。

But　ere　he　has　been　in　his　hammock　an　hour；　he　is　awakened　by　Cary's　coming　down　to　ask　for　orders。

〃We　were　to　follow　Drake's　lantern；　Amyas；　but　where　it　is；　I　can't　see；　unless　he　has　been　taken　up　aloft　there　among　the　stars　for　a　new　Drakium　Sidus。〃

Amyas　turns　out　grumbling：　but　no　lantern　is　to　be　seen；　only　a　sudden　explosion　and　a　great　fire　on　board　some　Spaniard；　which　is　gradually　got　under；　while　they　have　to　lie…to　the　whole　night　long；　with　nearly　the　whole　fleet。

The　next　morning　finds　them　off　Torbay；　and　Amyas　is　hailed　by　a　pinnace；　bringing　a　letter　from　Drake；　which　（saving　the　spelling；　which　was　somewhat　arbitrary；　like　most　men's　in　those　days）　ran　somewhat　thus：


〃DEAR　LAD；I　have　been　wool…gathering　all　night　after　five　great　hulks；　which　the　Pixies　transfigured　overnight　into　galleons；　and　this　morning　again　into　German　merchantmen。　　I　let　them　go　with　my　blessing；　and　coming　back；　fell　in　（God　be　thanked！）　with　Valdez'　great　galleon；　and　in　it　good　booty；　which　the　Dons　his　fellows　had　left　behind；　like　faithful　and　vali