westward ho-第86节

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his　men　into　some　order　of　battle。　　But　when　Jack　beheld　the　Spaniards；　as　if　he　had　expected　their　coming；　he　plucked　a　leaf　and　put　it　into　the　page　of　his　book　for　a　mark；　laid　the　book　down　soberly；　caught　up　his　arquebuse；　ran　like　a　mad　dog　right　at　the　Spanish　captain；　shot　him　through　the　body　stark　dead；　and　then；　flinging　the　arquebuse　at　the　head　of　him　who　stood　next；　fell　on　with　his　sword　like　a　very　Colbrand；　breaking　in　among　the　arquebuses；　and　striking　right　and　left　such　ugly　strokes；　that　the　Spaniards　（who　thought　him　a　very　fiend；　or　Luther's　self　come　to　life　to　plague　them）　gave　back　pell…mell；　and　shot　at　him　five　or　six　at　once　with　their　arquebuses：　but　whether　from　fear　of　him；　or　of　wounding　each　other；　made　so　bad　play　with　their　pieces；　that　he　only　got　one　shrewd　gall　in　his　thigh；　which　made　him　limp　for　many　a　day。　　But　as　fast　as　they　gave　back　he　came　on；　and　the　rest　by　this　time　ran　up　in　good　order；　and　altogether　nearly　forty　men　well　armed。　　On　which　the　Spaniards　turned；　and　went　as　fast　as　they　had　come；　while　Cary　hinted　that；　〃The　dogs　had　had　such　a　taste　of　the　parson；　that　they　had　no　mind　to　wait　for　the　clerk　and　people。〃

〃Come　back；　Jack！　are　you　mad？〃　shouted　Amyas。

But　Jack　（who　had　not　all　this　time　spoken　one　word）　followed　them　as　fiercely　as　ever；　till；　reaching　a　great　blow　at　one　of　the　arquebusiers；　he　caught　his　foot　in　a　root；　on　which　down　he　went；　and　striking　his　head　against　the　ground；　knocked　out　of　himself　all　the　breath　he　had　left　（which　between　fatness　and　fighting　was　not　much）；　and　so　lay。　　Amyas；　seeing　the　Spaniards　gone；　did　not　care　to　pursue　them：　but　picked　up　Jack；　who；　staring　about；　cried；　〃Glory　be！　glory　be！How　many　have　I　killed？　　How　many　have　I　killed？〃

〃Nineteen；　at　the　least；〃　quoth　Cary；　〃and　seven　with　one　back　stroke；〃　and　then　showed　Brimblecombe　the　captain　lying　dead；　and　two　arquebusiers；　one　of　which　was　the　fugitive　by　whom　he　came　to　his　fall；　beside　three　or　four　more　who　were　limping　away　wounded；　some　of　them　by　their　fellows'　shot。

〃There！〃　said　Jack；　pausing　and　blowing；　〃will　you　laugh　at　me　any　more；　Mr。　Cary；　or　say　that　I　cannot　fight；　because　I　am　a　poor　parson's　son？〃

Cary　took　him　by　the　hand；　and　asked　pardon　of　him　for　his　scoffing；　saying　that　he　had　that　day　played　the　best　man　of　all　of　them；　and　Jack；　who　never　bore　malice；　began　laughing　in　his　turn；　and

〃Oh；　Mr。　Cary；　we　have　all　known　your　pleasant　ways；　ever　since　you　used　to　put　drumble…drones　into　my　desk　to　Bideford　school。〃　　And　so　they　went　to　the　boats；　and　pulled　off；　thanking　God　（as　they　had　need　to　do）　for　their　great　deliverance：　while　all　the　boats'　crew　rejoiced　over　Jack；　who　after　a　while　grew　very　faint　（having　bled　a　good　deal　without　knowing　it）；　and　made　as　little　of　his　real　wound　as　he　made　much　the　day　before　of　his　imaginary　one。

Frank　asked　him　that　evening　how　he　came　to　show　so　cool　and　approved　a　valor　in　so　sudden　a　mishap。

〃Well；　my　masters；〃　said　Jack；　〃I　don't　deny　that　I　was　very　downcast　on　account　of　what　you　said；　and　the　scandal　which　I　had　given　to　the　crew；　but　as　it　happened；　I　was　reading　there　under　the　tree；　to　fortify　my　spirits；　the　history　of　the　ancient　worthies；　in　St。　Paul　his　eleventh　chapter　to　the　Hebrews；　and　just　as　I　came　to　that；　'out　of　weakness　were　made　strong；　waxed　valiant　in　fight；　turned　to　flight　the　armies　of　the　aliens；'　arose　the　cry　of　the　Spaniards。　　At　which；　gentlemen；　thinking　in　myself　that　I　fought　in　just　so　good　a　cause　as　they；　and；　as　I　hoped；　with　like　faith；　there　came　upon　me　so　strange　an　assurance　of　victory；　that　I　verily　believed　in　myself　that　if　there　had　been　a　ten　thousand　of　them；　I　should　have　taken　no　hurt。　　Wherefore；〃　said　Jack；　modestly；　〃there　is　no　credit　due　to　me；　for　there　was　no　valor　in　me　whatsoever；　but　only　a　certainty　of　safety；　and　any　coward　would　fight　if　he　knew　that　he　were　to　have　all　the　killing　and　none　of　the　scratches。〃

Which　words　he　next　day；　being　Sunday；　repeated　in　his　sermon　which　he　made　on　that　chapter；　with　which　all；　even　Salvation　Yeo　himself；　were　well　content　and　edified；　and　allowed　him　to　be　as　godly　a　preacher　as　he　was　（in　spite　of　his　simple　ways）　a　valiant　and　true…hearted　comrade。

They　brought　away　the　Spanish　officer's　sword　（a　very　good　blade）；　and　also　a　great　chain　of　gold　which　he　wore　about　his　neck；　both　of　which　were　allotted　to　Brimblecombe　as　his　fair　prize；　but　he；　accepting　the　sword；　steadfastly　refused　the　chain；　entreating　Amyas　to　put　it　into　the　common　stock；　and　when　Amyas　refused；　he　cut　it　into　links　and　distributed　it　among　those　of　the　boat's　crew　who　had　succored　him；　winning　thereby　much　good…will。　　〃And　indeed〃　（says　the　chronicler）；　〃I　never　saw　in　that　worthy　man；　from　the　first　day　of　our　school…fellowship　till　he　was　laid　in　his　parish　church　of　Hartland　（where　he　now　sleeps　in　peace）；　any　touch　of　that　sin　of　covetousness　which　has　in　all　ages；　and　in　ours　no　less　than　others；　beset　especially　（I　know　not　why）　them　who　minister　about　the　sanctuary。　　But　this　man；　though　he　was　ugly　and　lowly　in　person；　and　in　understanding　simple；　and　of　breeding　but　a　poor　parson's　son；　had　yet　in　him　a　spirit　so　loving　and　cheerful；　so　lifted　from　base　and　selfish　purposes　to　the　worship　of　duty；　and　to　a　generosity　rather　knightly　than　sacerdotal；　that　all　through　his　life　he　seemed　to　think　only　that　it　was　more　blessed　to　give　than　to　receive。　　And　all　that　wealth　which　he　gained　in　the　wars　he　dispersed　among　his　sisters　and　the　poor　of　his　parish；　living　unmarried　till　his　death　like　a　true　lover　and　constant　mourner　（as　shall　be　said　in　place）；　and　leaving　hardly　wherewith　to　bring　his　body　to　the　grave。　　At　whom　if　we　often　laughed　once；　we　should　now　rather　envy　him；　desiring　to　be　here　what　he　was；　that　we　may　be　hereafter　where　he　is。　　Amen。〃



CHAPTER　XIX

WHAT　BEFELL　AT　LA　GUAYRA


　　〃Great　was　the　crying；　the　running　and　riding；　Which　at　that　season　was　made　in　the　place；　　　　The　beacons　were　fired；　as　need　then　required；　To　save　their　great　treasure　they　had　little　space。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Winning　of　Cales。


The　men　would　gladly　have　hawked　awhile　round　Margarita　and　Cubagua　for　another　pearl　prize。　　But　Amyas　having；　as　he　phrased　it；　〃fleshed　his　dogs；〃　was　loth　to　hang　about　the　islands　after　the　alarm　had　been　given。　　They　ran；　therefore；　south…west　across　the　mouth　of　that　great　bay　which　stretches　from　the　Peninsula　of　Paria　to　Cape　Codera；　leaving　on　their　right　hand　Tortuga；　and　on　their　left　the　meadow…islands　of　the　Piritoos；　two　long　green　lines　but　a　few　inches　above　the　tideless　sea。　　Yeo　and　Drew　knew　every　foot　of　the　way；　and　had　good　reason　to　know　it；　for　they；　the　first　of　all　English　mariners；　had　tried　to　trade　along　this　coast　with　Hawkins。　And　now；　right　ahead；　sheer　out　of　the　sea　from　base　to　peak；　arose　higher　and　higher　the　mighty　range　of　the　Caracas　mountains；　beside　which　all　hills　which　most　of　the　crew　had　ever　seen　seemed　petty　mounds。　　Frank；　of　course；　knew　the　Alps；　and　Amyas　the　Andes；　but　Cary's　notions　of　height　were　bounded　by　M'Gillicuddy's　Reeks；　and　Brimblecombe's　by　Exmoor；　and　the　latter；　to　Cary's　infinite　amusement；　spent　a　whole　day　holding　on　by　the　rigging；　and　staring　upwards　with　his　chin　higher　than　his　nose；　till　he　got　a　stiff　neck。　　Soon　the　sea　became　rough　and　chopping；　though　the　breeze　was　fair　and　gentle；　and　ere　they　were　abreast　of　the　Cape；　they　became　aware　of　that　strong　eastward　current　which；　during　the　winter　months；　so　often　baffles　the　mariner　who　wishes　to　go　to　the　westward。　　All　night　long　they　struggled　through　the　billows；　with　the　huge　wall　of　Cape　Codera　a　thousand　feet　above　their　heads　to　the　left；　and　beyond　it　again；　bank　upon　bank　of　mountain；　bathed　in　the　yellow　moonlight。

Morning　showed　them　a　large　ship；　which　had　passed　them　during　the　night　upon　the　opposite　course；　and　was　now　a　good　ten　miles　to　the　eastward。　　Yeo　was　for　going　back　and　taking　her。　　Of　the　latter　he　made　a　matter　of　course；　and　the　former　was　easy　enough；　for　the　breeze　blowing　dead　off　the　land；　was　a　〃soldier's　wind；　there　and　back　again；〃　for　either　ship；　but　Amyas　and　Frank　were　both　unwilling。

〃Why；　Yeo；　you　said　that　one　day　more　would　bring　us　to　La　Guayra。〃

〃All　the　more　reason；　sir；　for　doing　the　Lord's　work　thoroughly；　when　He　has　brought　us　safely　so　far　on　our　journey。〃

〃She　can　pass　well　enough；　and　no　loss。〃

〃Ah；　sirs；　sirs；　she　is　delivered　into　your　hands；　and　you　will　have　to　give　an　account　of　her。〃

〃My　good　Yeo；〃　said　Frank；　〃I　trust　we　shall　give　good　account　enough　of　many　a　tall　Spaniard　before　we　return：　but　you　know　surely　that　La　Guayra；　and　the　salvation　of　one　whom　we　believe　dwells　there；　was　our　first　object　in　this　adventure。〃

Yeo　shook　his　head　sadly。　　〃Ah；　sirs；　a　lady　brought　Captain　Oxenham　to　ruin。〃

〃You　do　not　dare　to　compare　her　with　this　one？〃　said　Frank　and　Cary；　both　in　a　breath。

〃God　forbid；　gentlemen：　but　no　adventure　will　prosper；　unless　there　is　a　single　eye　to　the　Lord's　work；　and　that　is；　as　I　take　it；　to　cripple　the　Spaniard；　and　exalt　her　majesty　the　queen。　　And　I　had　thought　that　nothing　was　more　dear　than　that　to　C