westward ho-第38节

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indeed；　Mr。　Oxenham's　party　had　once　gotten　within　the　barricades；　but　the　Spaniards　being　sheltered　by　the　tree　trunks　（and　especially　by　one　mighty　tree；　which　stood　as　I　remembered　it；　and　remember　it　now；　borne　up　two　fathoms　high　upon　its　own　roots；　as　it　were　upon　arches　and　pillars）；　shot　at　them　with　such　advantage；　that　they　had　several　slain；　and　seven　more　taken　alive；　only　among　the　roots　of　that　tree。　　So　seeing　that　they　could　prevail　nothing；　having　little　but　their　pikes　and　swords；　they　were　fain　to　give　back；　though　Mr。　Oxenham　swore　he　would　not　stir　a　foot；　and　making　at　the　Spanish　captain　was　borne　down　with　pikes；　and　hardly　pulled　away　by　some；　who　at　last　reminding　him　of　his　lady；　persuaded　him　to　come　away　with　the　rest。　　Whereon　the　other　party　fled　also；　but　what　had　become　of　them　they　knew　not；　for　they　took　another　way。　　And　so　they　miserably　drew　off；　having　lost　in　men　eleven　killed　and　seven　taken　alive；　besides　five　of　the　rascal　negroes　who　were　killed　before　they　had　time　to　run；　and　there　was　an　end　of　the　matter。*


*　In　the　documents　from　which　I　have　drawn　this　veracious　history；　a　note　is　appended　to　this　point　of　Yeo's　story；　which　seems　to　me　to　smack　sufficiently　of　the　old　Elizabethan　seaman；　to　be　inserted　at　length。

〃All　so　far；　and　most　after；　agreeth　with　Lopez　Vaz　his　tale；　taken　from　his　pocket　by　my　Lord　Cumberland's　mariners　at　the　river　Plate；　in　the　year　1586。　　But　note　here　his　vainglory　and　falsehood；　or　else　fear　of　the　Spaniard。

〃First；　lest　it　should　be　seen　how　great　an　advantage　the　Spaniards　had；　he　maketh　no　mention　of　the　English　calivers；　nor　those　two　pieces　of　ordnance　which　were　in　the　pinnace。

〃Second；　he　saith　nothing　of　the　flight　of　the　Cimaroons：　though　it　was　evidently　to　be　gathered　from　that　which　he　himself　saith；　that　of　less　than　seventy　English　were　slain　eleven；　and　of　the　negroes　but　five。　　And　while　of　the　English　seven　were　taken　alive；　yet　of　the　negroes　none。　　And　why；　but　because　the　rascals　ran？

〃Thirdly；　it　is　a　thing　incredible；　and　out　of　experience；　that　eleven　English　should　be　slain　and　seven　taken；　with　loss　only　of　two　Spaniards　killed。

〃Search　now；　and　see　（for　I　will　not　speak　of　mine　own　small　doings）；　in　all　those　memorable　voyages；　which　the　worthy　and　learned　Mr。　Hakluyt　hath　so　painfully　collected；　and　which　are　to　my　old　age　next　only　to　my　Bible；　whether　in　all　the　fights　which　we　have　endured　with　the　Spaniards；　their　loss；　even　in　victory；　hath　not　far　exceeded　ours。　　For　we　are　both　bigger　of　body　and　fiercer　of　spirit；　being　even　to　the　poorest　of　us　（thanks　so　the　care　of　our　illustrious　princes）；　the　best　fed　men　of　Europe；　the　most　trained　to　feats　of　strength　and　use　of　weapons；　and　put　our　trust　also　not　in　any　Virgin　or　saints；　dead　rags　and　bones；　painted　idols　which　have　no　breath　in　their　mouths；　or　St。　Bartholomew　medals　and　such　devil's　remembrancers；　but　in　the　only　true　God　and　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ；　in　whom　whosoever　trusteth；　one　of　them　shall　chase　a　thousand。　　So　I　hold；　having　had　good　experience；　and　say；　if　they　have　done　it　once；　let　them　do　it　again；　and　kill　their　eleven　to　our　two；　with　any　weapon　they　will；　save　paper　bullets　blown　out　of　Fame's　lying　trumpet。　　Yet　I　have　no　quarrel　with　the　poor　Portugal；　for　I　doubt　not　but　friend　Lopez　Vaz　had　looking　over　his　shoulder　as　he　wrote　some　mighty　black　velvet　Don；　with　a　name　as　long　as　that　Don　Bernaldino　Delgadillo　de　Avellaneda　who　set　forth　lately　his　vainglorious　libel　of　lies　concerning　the　last　and　fatal　voyage　of　my　dear　friends　Sir　F。　Drake　and　Sir　John　Hawkins；　who　rest　in　peace；　having　finished　their　labors；　as　would　God　I　rested。　　To　whose　shameless　and　unspeakable　lying　my　good　friend　Mr。　Henry　Savile　of　this　county　did　most　pithily　and　wittily　reply；　stripping　the　ass　out　of　his　lion's　skin；　and　Sir　Thomas　Baskerville；　general　of　the　fleet；　by　my　advice；　send　him　a　cartel　of　defiance；　offering　to　meet　him　with　choice　of　weapons；　in　any　indifferent　kingdom　of　equal　distance　from　this　realm；　which　challenge　he　hath　prudently　put　in　his　pipe；　or　rather　rolled　it　up　for　one　of　his　Spanish　cigarros；　and　smoked　it；　and　I　doubt　not；　found　it　foul　in　the　mouth。〃


〃But　the　next　day；　gentlemen；　in　came　some　five…and…twenty　more；　being　the　wreck　of　the　other　party；　and　with　them　a　few　negroes；　and　these　last　proved　themselves　no　honester　men　than　they　were　brave；　for　there　being　great　misery　among　us　English；　and　every　one　of　us　straggling　where　he　could　to　get　food；　every　day　one　or　more　who　went　out　never　came　back；　and　that　caused　a　suspicion　that　the　negroes　had　betrayed　them　to　the　Spaniards；　or；　maybe；　slain　and　eaten　them。　　So　these　fellows　being　upbraided；　with　that　altogether　left　us；　telling　us　boldly；　that　if　they　had　eaten　our　fellows；　we　owed　them　a　debt　instead　of　the　Spanish　prisoners；　and　we；　in　great　terror　and　hunger；　went　forward　and　over　the　mountains　till　we　came　to　a　little　river　which　ran　northward；　which　seemed　to　lead　into　the　Northern　Sea；　and　there　Mr。　O。who；　sirs；　I　will　say；　after　his　first　rage　was　over；　behaved　himself　all　through　like　a　valiant　and　skilful　commanderbade　us　cut　down　trees　and　make　canoes；　to　go　down　to　the　sea；　which　we　began　to　do；　with　great　labor　and　little　profit；　hewing　down　trees　with　our　swords；　and　burning　them　out　with　fire；　which；　after　much　labor；　we　kindled；　but　as　we　were　a…burning　out　of　the　first　tree；　and　cutting　down　of　another；　a　great　party　of　negroes　came　upon　us；　and　with　much　friendly　show　bade　us　flee　for　our　lives；　for　the　Spaniards　were　upon　us　in　great　force。　　And　so　we　were　up　and　away　again；　hardly　able　to　drag　our　legs　after　us　for　hunger　and　weariness；　and　the　broiling　heat。　　And　some　were　taken　（God　help　them！）　and　some　fled　with　the　negroes；　of　whom　what　became　God　alone　knoweth；　but　eight　or　ten　held　on　with　the　captain；　among　whom　was　I；　and　fled　downward　toward　the　sea　for　one　day；　but　afterwards　finding；　by　the　noise　in　the　woods；　that　the　Spaniards　were　on　the　track　of　us；　we　turned　up　again　toward　the　inland；　and　coming　to　a　cliff；　climbed　up　over　it；　drawing　up　the　lady　and　the　little　maid　with　cords　of　liana　（which　hang　from　those　trees　as　honeysuckle　does　here；　but　exceeding　stout　and　long；　even　to　fifty　fathoms）；　and　so　breaking　the　track；　hoped　to　be　out　of　the　way　of　the　enemy。

〃By　which；　nevertheless；　we　only　increased　our　misery。　　For　two　fell　from　that　cliff；　as　men　asleep　for　very　weariness；　and　miserably　broke　their　bones；　and　others；　whether　by　the　great　toil；　or　sunstrokes；　or　eating　of　strange　berries；　fell　sick　of　fluxes　and　fevers；　where　was　no　drop　of　water；　but　rock　of　pumice　stone　as　bare　as　the　back　of　my　hand；　and　full；　moreover；　of　great　cracks；　black　and　without　bottom；　over　which　we　had　not　strength　to　lift　the　sick；　but　were　fain　to　leave　them　there　aloft；　in　the　sunshine；　like　Dives　in　his　torments；　crying　aloud　for　a　drop　of　water　to　cool　their　tongues；　and　every　man　a　great　stinking　vulture　or　two　sitting　by　him；　like　an　ugly　black　fiend　out　of　the　pit；　waiting　till　the　poor　soul　should　depart　out　of　the　corpse：　but　nothing　could　avail；　and　for　the　dear　life　we　must　down　again　and　into　the　woods；　or　be　burned　up　alive　upon　those　rocks。

〃So　getting　down　the　slope　on　the　farther　side；　we　came　into　the　woods　once　more；　and　there　wandered　for　many　days；　I　know　not　how　many；　our　shoes　being　gone；　and　our　clothes　all　rent　off　us　with　brakes　and　briars。　　And　yet　how　the　lady　endured　all　was　a　marvel　to　see；　for　she　went　barefoot　many　days；　and　for　clothes　was　fain　to　wrap　herself　in　Mr。　Oxenham's　cloak；　while　the　little　maid　went　all　but　naked：　but　ever　she　looked　still　on　Mr。　Oxenham；　and　seemed　to　take　no　care　as　long　as　he　was　by；　comforting　and　cheering　us　all　with　pleasant　words；　yea；　and　once　sitting　down　under　a　great　fig…tree；　sang　us　all　to　sleep　with　very　sweet　music；　yet；　waking　about　midnight；　I　saw　her　sitting　still　upright；　weeping　very　bitterly；　on　whom；　sirs；　God　have　mercy；　for　she　was　a　fair　and　a　brave　jewel。

〃And　so；　to　make　few　words　of　a　sad　matter；　at　last　there　were　none　left　but　Mr。　Oxenham　and　the　lady　and　the　little　maid；　together　with　me　and　William　Penberthy　of　Marazion；　my　good　comrade。　　And　Mr。　Oxenham　always　led　the　lady；　and　Penberthy　and　I　carried　the　little　maid。　　And　for　food　we　had　fruits；　such　as　we　could　find；　and　water　we　got　from　the　leaves　of　certain　lilies　which　grew　on　the　bark　of　trees；　which　I　found　by　seeing　the　monkeys　drink　at　them；　and　the　little　maid　called　them　monkey…cups；　and　asked　for　them　continually；　making　me　climb　for　them。　　And　so　we　wandered　on；　and　upward　into　very　high　mountains；　always　fearing　lest　the　Spaniards　should　track　us　with　dogs；　which　made　the　lady　leap　up　often　in　her　sleep；　crying　that　the　bloodhounds　were　upon　her。　　And　it　befell　upon　a　day；　that　we　came　into　a　great　wood　of　ferns　（which　grew　not　on　the　ground　like　ours；　but　on　stems　as　big　as　a　pinnace's　mast；　and　the　bark　of　them　was　like　a　fine　meshed　net；　very　strange　to　see）；　where　was　very　pleasant　shade；　cool　and　green；　and　there；　gentlemen；　we　sat　down　on　a　bank　of　moss；　like　folk　desperate　and　fordone；　and　every　one　looked　the　other　in　the　face　for　a　long　while。　　After　which　I　took