westward ho-第53节

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l　his　ransom　should　arrive；　and　as　Amyas　could　not　well　deliver　the　gallant　Don　into　the　safe　custody　of　Mrs。　Leigh　at　Burrough；　and　still　less　into　that　of　Frank　at　Court；　he　was　fain　to　write　to　Sir　Richard　Grenville；　and　ask　his　advice；　and　in　the　meanwhile　keep　the　Spaniard　with　him　upon　parole；　which　he　frankly　gave；saying　that　as　for　running　away；　he　had　nowhere　to　run　to；　and　as　for　joining　the　Irish　he　had　no　mind　to　turn　pig；　and　Amyas　found　him；　as　shall　be　hereafter　told；　pleasant　company　enough。　　But　one　morning　Raleigh　entered

〃I　have　done　you　a　good　turn；　Leigh；　if　you　think　it　one。　　I　have　talked　St。　Leger　into　making　you　my　lieutenant；　and　giving　you　the　custody　of　a　right　pleasant　hermitagesome　castle　Shackatory　or　other　in　the　midst　of　a　big　bog；　where　time　will　run　swift　and　smooth　with　you；　between　hunting　wild　Irish；　snaring　snipes；　and　drinking　yourself　drunk　with　usquebaugh　over　a　turf　fire。〃

〃I'll　go；〃　quoth　Amyas；　〃anything　for　work。〃　　So　he　went　and　took　possession　of　his　lieutenancy　and　his　black　robber　tower；　and　there　passed　the　rest　of　the　winter；　fighting　or　hunting　all　day；　and　chatting　and　reading　all　the　evening；　with　Senor　Don　Guzman；　who；　like　a　good　soldier　of　fortune；　made　himself　thoroughly　at　home；　and　a　general　favorite　with　the　soldiers。

At　first；　indeed；　his　Spanish　pride　and　stateliness；　and　Amyas's　English　taciturnity；　kept　the　two　apart　somewhat；　but　they　soon　began；　if　not　to　trust；　at　least　to　like　each　other；　and　Don　Guzman　told　Amyas；　bit　by　bit；　who　he　was；　of　what　an　ancient　house；　and　of　what　a　poor　one；　and　laughed　over　the　very　small　chance　of　his　ransom　being　raised；　and　the　certainty　that；　at　least；　it　could　not　come　for　a　couple　of　years；　seeing　that　the　only　De　Soto　who　had　a　penny　to　spare　was　a　fat　old　dean　at　St。　Yago　de　Leon；　in　the　Caracas；　at　which　place　Don　Guzman　had　been　born。　　This　of　course　led　to　much　talk　about　the　West　Indies；　and　the　Don　was　as　much　interested　to　find　that　Amyas　had　been　one　of　Drake's　world…famous　crew；　as　Amyas　was　to　find　that　his　captive　was　the　grandson　of　none　other　than　that　most　terrible　of　man…hunters；　Don　Ferdinando　de　Soto；　the　conqueror　of　Florida；　of　whom　Amyas　had　read　many　a　time　in　Las　Casas；　〃as　the　captain　of　tyrants；　the　notoriousest　and　most　experimented　amongst　them　that　have　done　the　most　hurts；　mischiefs；　and　destructions　in　many　realms。〃　　And　often　enough　his　blood　boiled；　and　he　had　much　ado　to　recollect　that　the　speaker　was　his　guest；　as　Don　Guzman　chatted　away　about　his　grandfather's　hunts　of　innocent　women　and　children；　murders　of　caciques　and　burnings　alive　of　guides；　〃pour　encourager　les　autres；〃　without；　seemingly；　the　least　feeling　that　the　victims　were　human　beings　or　subjects　for　human　pity；　anything；　in　short；　but　heathen　dogs；　enemies　of　God；　servants　of　the　devil；　to　be　used　by　the　Christian　when　he　needed；　and　when　not　needed　killed　down　as　cumberers　of　the　ground。　But　Don　Guzman　was　a　most　finished　gentleman　nevertheless；　and　told　many　a　good　story　of　the　Indies；　and　told　it　well；　and　over　and　above　his　stories；　he　had　among　his　baggage　two　books；the　one　Antonio　Galvano's　〃Discoveries　of　the　World；〃　a　mine　of　winter　evening　amusement　to　Amyas；　and　the　other；　a　manuscript　book；　which；　perhaps；　it　had　been　well　for　Amyas　had　he　never　seen。　　For　it　was　none　other　than　a　sort　of　rough　journal　which　Don　Guzman　had　kept　as　a　lad；　when　he　went　down　with　the　Adelantado　Gonzales　Ximenes　de　Casada；　from　Peru　to　the　River　of　Amazons；　to　look　for　the　golden　country　of　El　Dorado；　and　the　city　of　Manoa；　which　stands　in　the　midst　of　the　White　Lake；　and　equals　or　surpasses　in　glory　even　the　palace　of　the　Inca　Huaynacapac；　〃all　the　vessels　of　whose　house　and　kitchen　are　of　gold　and　silver；　and　in　his　wardrobe　statues　of　gold　which　seemed　giants；　and　figures　in　proportion　and　bigness　of　all　the　beasts；　birds；　trees；　and　herbs　of　the　earth；　and　the　fishes　of　the　water；　and　ropes；　budgets；　chests；　and　troughs　of　gold：　yea；　and　a　garden　of　pleasure　in　an　Island　near　Puna；　where　they　went　to　recreate　themselves　when　they　would　take　the　air　of　the　sea；　which　had　all　kind　of　garden　herbs；　flowers；　and　trees　of　gold　and　silver　of　an　invention　and　magnificence　till　then　never　seen。〃

Now　the　greater　part　of　this　treasure　（and　be　it　remembered　that　these　wonders　were　hardly　exaggerated；　and　that　there　were　many　men　alive　then　who　had　beheld　them；　as　they　had　worse　things；　〃with　their　corporal　and　mortal　eyes〃）　was　hidden　by　the　Indians　when　Pizarro　conquered　Peru　and　slew　Atahuallpa；　son　of　Huaynacapac；　at　whose　death；　it　was　said；　one　of　the　Inca's　younger　brothers　fled　out　of　Peru；　and　taking　with　him　a　great　army；　vanquished　all　that　tract　which　lieth　between　the　great　Rivers　of　Amazons　and　Baraquan；　otherwise　called　Maranon　and　Orenoque。

There　he　sits　to　this　day；　beside　the　golden　lake；　in　the　golden　city；　which　is　in　breadth　a　three　days'　journey；　covered；　he　and　his　court；　with　gold　dust　from　head　to　foot；　waiting　for　the　fulfilment　of　the　ancient　prophecy　which　was　written　in　the　temple　of　Caxamarca；　where　his　ancestors　worshipped　of　old；　that　heroes　shall　come　out　of　the　West；　and　lead　him　back　across　the　forests　to　the　kingdom　of　Peru；　and　restore　him　to　the　glory　of　his　forefathers。

Golden　phantom！　so　possible；　so　probable；　to　imaginations　which　were　yet　reeling　before　the　actual　and　veritable　prodigies　of　Peru；　Mexico；　and　the　East　Indies。　　Golden　phantom！　which　has　cost　already　the　lives　of　thousands；　and　shall　yet　cost　more；　from　Diego　de　Ordas；　and　Juan　Corteso；　and　many　another；　who　went　forth　on　the　quest　by　the　Andes；　and　by　the　Orinoco；　and　by　the　Amazons；　Antonio　Sedenno；　with　his　ghastly　caravan　of　manacled　Indians；　〃on　whose　dead　carcasses　the　tigers　being　fleshed；　assaulted　the　Spaniards；〃　Augustine　Delgado；　who　〃came　to　a　cacique；　who　entertained　him　with　all　kindness；　and　gave　him　beside　much　gold　and　slaves；　three　nymphs　very　beautiful；　which　bare　the　names　of　three　provinces；　Guanba；　Gotoguane；　and　Maiarare。　　To　requite　which　manifold　courtesies；　he　carried　off；　not　only　all　the　gold；　but　all　the　Indians　he　could　seize；　and　took　them　in　irons　to　Cubagua；　and　sold　them　for　slaves；　after　which；　Delgado　was　shot　in　the　eye　by　an　Indian；　of　which　hurt　he　died；〃　Pedro　d'Orsua；　who　found　the　cinnamon　forests　of　Loxas；　〃whom　his　men　murdered；　and　afterwards　beheaded　Lady　Anes　his　wife；　who　forsook　not　her　lord　in　all　his　travels　unto　death；〃　and　many　another；　who　has　vanished　with　valiant　comrades　at　his　back　into　the　green　gulfs　of　the　primaeval　forests；　never　to　emerge　again。　　Golden　phantom！　man…devouring；　whose　maw　is　never　satiate　with　souls　of　heroes；　fatal　to　Spain；　more　fatal　still　to　England　upon　that　shameful　day；　when　the　last　of　Elizabeth's　heroes　shall　lay　down　his　head　upon　the　block；　nominally　for　having　believed　what　all　around　him　believed　likewise　till　they　found　it　expedient　to　deny　it　in　order　to　curry　favor　with　the　crowned　cur　who　betrayed　him；　really　because　he　alone　dared　to　make　one　last　protest　in　behalf　of　liberty　and　Protestantism　against　the　incoming　night　of　tyranny　and　superstition。　　Little　thought　Amyas；　as　he　devoured　the　pages　of　that　manuscript；　that　he　was　laying　a　snare　for　the　life　of　the　man　whom；　next　to　Drake　and　Grenville；　he　most　admired　on　earth。

But　Don　Guzman；　on　the　other　hand；　seemed　to　have　an　instinct　that　that　book　might　be　a　fatal　gift　to　his　captor；　for　one　day　ere　Amyas　had　looked　into　it；　he　began　questioning　the　Don　about　El　Dorado。　　Whereon　Don　Guzman　replied　with　one　of　those　smiles　of　his；　which　（as　Amyas　said　afterwards）　was　so　abominably　like　a　sneer；　that　he　had　often　hard　work　to　keep　his　hands　off　the　man

〃Ah！　　You　have　been　eating　of　the　fruit　of　the　tree　of　knowledge；　senor？　　Well；　if　you　have　any　ambition　to　follow　many　another　brave　captain　to　the　pit；　I　know　no　shorter　or　easier　path　than　is　contained　in　that　little　book。〃

〃I　have　never　opened　your　book；〃　said　Amyas；　〃your　private　manuscripts　are　no　concern　of　mine：　but　my　man　who　recovered　your　baggage　read　part　of　it；　knowing　no　better；　and　now　you　are　at　liberty　to　tell　me　as　little　as　you　like。〃

The　〃man；〃　it　should　be　said；　was　none　other　than　Salvation　Yeo；　who　had　attached　himself　by　this　time　inseparably　to　Amyas；　in　quality　of　body…guard：　and；　as　was　common　enough　in　those　days；　had　turned　soldier　for　the　nonce；　and　taken　under　his　patronage　two　or　three　rusty　bases　（swivels）　and　falconets　（four…pounders）；　which　grinned　harmlessly　enough　from　the　tower　top　across　the　cheerful　expanse　of　bog。

Amyas　once　asked　him；　how　he　reconciled　this　Irish　sojourn　with　his　vow　to　find　his　little　maid？　　Yeo　shook　his　head。

〃I　can't　tell；　sir；　but　there's　something　that　makes　me　always　to　think　of　you　when　I　think　of　her；　and　that's　often　enough；　the　Lord　knows。　　Whether　it　is　that　I　ben't　to　find　the　dear　without　your　help；　or　whether　it　is　your　pleasant　face　puts　me　in　mind　of　hers；　or　what；　I　can't　tell；　but　don't　you　part　me　from　you；　sir；　for　I'm　like　Ruth；　and　where　you　lodge　I　lodge；　and　where　you　go　I　go；　and　where　you　diethough　I　shall　die　many　a　year　firstthere　I'll　die；　I　hope　and　trust；　for　I　can't　abear　you　out　of　my　sight；　and　that's　the　truth　thereof。〃

So