westward ho-第99节

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t　for　encampment　within　the　reach　of　water；　he　had　supported　Amyas；　when　again　and　again　the　weary　crew　entreated　to　be　dragged　no　farther；　and　had　gone　back　again　a　dozen　times　to　cheer　them　upward；　while　Cary；　who　brought　up　the　rear；　bullied　and　cheered　on　the　stragglers　who　sat　down　and　refused　to　move；　drove　back　at　the　sword's　point　more　than　one　who　was　beating　a　retreat；　carried　their　burdens　for　them；　sang　them　songs　on　the　halt；　in　all　things　approving　himself　the　gallant　and　hopeful　soul　which　he　had　always　been：　till　Amyas；　beside　himself　with　joy　at　finding　that　the　two　men　on　whom　he　had　counted　most　were　utterly　worthy　of　his　trust；　went　so　far　as　to　whisper　to　them　both；　in　confidence；　that　very　night

〃Cortez　burnt　his　ships　when　he　landed。　　Why　should　not　we？〃

Yeo　leapt　upright；　and　then　sat　down　again；　and　whispered

〃Do　you　say　that；　captain？　　'Tis　from　above；　then；　that's　certain；　for　it's　been　hanging　on　my　mind　too　all　day。〃

〃There's　no　hurry；〃　quoth　Amyas；　〃we　must　clear　her　out　first；　you　know；〃　while　Cary　sat　silent　and　musing。　　Amyas　had　evidently　more　schemes　in　his　head　than　he　chose　to　tell。

The　men　were　too　tired　that　evening　to　do　much；　but　ere　the　sun　rose　next　morning　Amyas　had　them　hard　at　work　fortifying　their　position。　　It　was；　as　I　said；　strong　enough　by　nature；　for　though　it　was　commanded　by　high　cliffs　on　three　sides；　yet　there　was　no　chance　of　an　enemy　coming　over　the　enormous　mountain…range　behind　them；　and　still　less　chance　that；　if　he　came；　he　would　discover　them　through　the　dense　mass　of　trees　which　crowned　the　cliff；　and　clothed　the　hills　for　a　thousand　feet　above。　　The　attack；　if　it　took　place；　would　come　from　below；　and　against　that　Amyas　guarded　by　felling　the　smaller　trees；　and　laying　them　with　their　boughs　outward　over　the　crest　of　the　slope；　thus　forming　an　abatis　（as　every　one　who　has　shot　in　thick　cover　knows　to　his　cost）　warranted　to　bring　up　in　two　steps；　horse；　dog；　or　man。　　The　trunks　were　sawn　into　logs；　laid　lengthwise；　and　steadied　by　stakes　and　mould；　and　three　or　four　hours'　hard　work　finished　a　stockade　which　would　defy　anything　but　artillery。　　The　work　done；　Amyas　scrambled　up　into　the　boughs　of　the　enormous　ceiba…tree；　and　there　sat　inspecting　his　own　handiwork；　looking　out　far　and　wide　over　the　forest…covered　plains　and　the　blue　sea　beyond；　and　thinking；　in　his　simple　straightforward　way；　of　what　was　to　be　done　next。

To　stay　there　long　was　impossible；　to　avenge　himself　upon　La　Guayra　was　impossible；　to　go　until　he　had　found　out　whether　Frank　was　alive　or　dead　seemed　at　first　equally　impossible。　　But　were　Brimblecombe；　Cary；　and　those　eighty　men　to　be　sacrificed　a　second　time　to　his　private　interest？　　Amyas　wept　with　rage；　and　then　wept　again　with　earnest；　honest　prayer；　before　he　could　make　up　his　mind。　　But　he　made　it　up。　　There　were　a　hundred　chances　to　one　that　Frank　was　dead；　and　if　not；　he　was　equally　past　their　help；　for　he　wasAmyas　knew　that　too　wellby　this　time　in　the　hands　of　the　Inquisition。　　Who　could　lift　him　from　that　pit？　　Not　Amyas；　at　least！　　And　crying　aloud　in　his　agony；　〃God　help　him！　for　I　cannot！〃　　Amyas　made　up　his　mind　to　move。　　But　whither？　　Many　an　hour　he　thought　and　thought　alone；　there　in　his　airy　nest；　and　at　last　he　went　down；　calm　and　cheerful；　and　drew　Cary　and　Yeo　aside。　They　could　not；　he　said；　refit　the　ship　without　dying　of　fever　during　the　process；　an　assertion　which　neither　of　his　hearers　was　bold　enough　to　deny。　　Even　if　they　refitted　her；　they　would　be　pretty　certain　to　have　to　fight　the　Spaniards　again；　for　it　was　impossible　to　doubt　the　Indian's　story；　that　they　had　been　forewarned　of　the　Rose's　coming；　or　to　doubt；　either；　that　Eustace　had　been　the　traitor。

〃Let　us　try　St。　Jago；　then；　sack　it；　come　down　on　La　Guayra　in　the　rear；　take　a　ship　there；　and　so　get　home。〃

〃Nay；　Will。　　If　they　have　strengthened　themselves　against　us　at　La　Guayra；　where　they　had　little　to　lose；　surely　they　have　done　so　at　St。　Jago；　where　they　have　much。　　I　hear　the　town　is　large；　though　new；　and　besides；　how　can　we　get　over　these　mountains　without　a　guide？〃

〃Or　with　one？〃　said　Cary；　with　a　sigh；　looking　up　at　the　vast　walls　of　wood　and　rock　which　rose　range　on　range　for　miles。　　〃But　it　is　strange　to　find　you；　at　least；　throwing　cold　water　on　a　daring　plot。〃

〃What　if　I　had　a　still　more　daring　one？　　Did　you　ever　hear　of　the　golden　city　of　Manoa？〃

Yeo　laughed　a　grim　but　joyful　laugh。　　〃I　have；　sir；　and　so　have　the　old　hands　from　the　Pelican　and　the　Jesus　of　Lubec；　I　doubt　not。〃

〃So　much　the　better；〃　and　Amyas　began　to　tell　Cary　all　which　he　had　learned　from　the　Spaniard；　while　Yeo　capped　every　word　thereof　with　rumors　and　traditions　of　his　own　gathering。　　Cary　sat　half　aghast　as　the　huge　phantasmagoria　unfolded　itself　before　his　dazzled　eyes；　and　at　last

〃So　that　was　why　you　wanted　to　burn　the　ship！　　Well；　after　all；　nobody　needs　me　at　home；　and　one　less　at　table　won't　be　missed。　　So　you　want　to　play　Cortez；　eh？〃

〃We　shall　never　need　to　play　Cortez　（who　was　not　such　a　bad　fellow　after　all；　Will）；　because　we　shall　have　no　such　cannibal　fiends'　tyranny　to　rid　the　earth　of；　as　he　had。　　And　I　trust　we　shall　fear　God　enough　not　to　play　Pizarro。〃

So　the　conversation　dropped　for　the　time；　but　none　of　them　forgot　it。

In　that　mountain…nook　the　party　spent　some　ten　days　and　more。　Several　of　the　sick　men　died；　some　from　the　fever　superadded　to　their　wounds；　some；　probably；　from　having　been　bled　by　the　surgeon；　the　others　mended　steadily；　by　the　help　of　certain　herbs　which　Yeo　administered；　much　to　the　disgust　of　the　doctor；　who；　of　course；　wanted　to　bleed　the　poor　fellows　all　round；　and　was　all　but　mutinous　when　Amyas　stayed　his　hand。　　In　the　meanwhile；　by　dint　of　daily　trips　to　the　ship；　provisions　were　plentiful　enough；beside　the　raccoons；　monkeys；　and　other　small　animals；　which　Yeo　and　the　veterans　of　Hawkins's　crew　knew　how　to　catch；　and　the　fruit　and　vegetables；　above　all；　the　delicious　mountain　cabbage　of　the　Areca　palm；　and　the　fresh　milk　of　the　cow…tree；　which　they　brought　in　daily；　paying　well　thereby　for　the　hospitality　they　received。

All　day　long　a　careful　watch　was　kept　among　the　branches　of　the　mighty　ceiba…tree。　　And　what　a　tree　that　was！　　The　hugest　English　oak　would　have　seemed　a　stunted　bush　beside　it。　　Borne　up　on　roots；　or　rather　walls；　of　twisted　board；　some　twelve　feet　high；　between　which　the　whole　crew；　their　ammunitions；　and　provisions；　were　housed　roomily；　rose　the　enormous　trunk　full　forty　feet　in　girth；　towering　like　some　tall　lighthouse；　smooth　for　a　hundred　feet；　then　crowned　with　boughs；　each　of　which　was　a　stately　tree；　whose　topmost　twigs　were　full　two　hundred　and　fifty　feet　from　the　ground。　And　yet　it　was　easy　for　the　sailors　to　ascend；　so　many　natural　ropes　had　kind　Nature　lowered　for　their　use；　in　the　smooth　lianes　which　hung　to　the　very　earth；　often　without　a　knot　or　leaf。　　Once　in　the　tree；　you　were　within　a　new　world；　suspended　between　heaven　and　earth；　and　as　Cary　said；　no　wonder　if；　like　Jack　when　he　climbed　the　magic　bean…stalk；　you　had　found　a　castle；　a　giant；　and　a　few　acres　of　well…stocked　park；　packed　away　somewhere　amid　that　labyrinth　of　timber。　　Flower…gardens　at　least　were　there　in　plenty；　for　every　limb　was　covered　with　pendent　cactuses；　gorgeous　orchises；　and　wild　pines；　and　while　one…half　the　tree　was　clothed　in　rich　foliage；　the　other　half；　utterly　leafless；　bore　on　every　twig　brilliant　yellow　flowers；　around　which　humming…birds　whirred　all　day　long。　　Parrots　peeped　in　and　out　of　every　cranny；　while；　within　the　airy　woodland；　brilliant　lizards　basked　like　living　gems　upon　the　bark；　gaudy　finches　flitted　and　chirruped；　butterflies　of　every　size　and　color　hovered　over　the　topmost　twigs；　innumerable　insects　hummed　from　morn　till　eve；　and　when　the　sun　went　down；　tree…toads　came　out　to　snore　and　croak　till　dawn。　　There　was　more　life　round　that　one　tree　than　in　a　whole　square　mile　of　English　soil。

And　Amyas；　as　he　lounged　among　the　branches；　felt　at　moments　as　if　he　would　be　content　to　stay　there　forever；　and　feed　his　eyes　and　ears　with　all　its　wondersand　then　started　sighing　from　his　dream；　as　he　recollected　that　a　few　days　must　bring　the　foe　upon　them；　and　force　him　to　decide　upon　some　scheme　at　which　the　bravest　heart　might　falter　without　shame。　　So　there　he　sat　（for　he　often　took　the　scout's　place　himself）；　looking　out　over　the　fantastic　tropic　forest　at　his　feet；　and　the　flat　mangrove…swamps　below；　and　the　white　sheet　of　foam…flecked　blue；　and　yet　no　sail　appeared；　and　the　men；　as　their　fear　of　fever　subsided；　began　to　ask　when　they　would　go　down　and　refit　the　ship；　and　Amyas　put　them　off　as　best　he　could；　till　one　noon　he　saw　slipping　along　the　shore　from　the　westward；　a　large　ship　under　easy　sail；　and　recognized　in　her；　or　thought　he　did　so；　the　ship　which　they　had　passed　upon　their　way。

If　it　was　she；　she　must　have　run　past　them　to　La　Guayra　in　the　night；　and　have　now　returned；　perhaps；　to　search　for　them　along　the　coast。

She　crept　along　slowly。　　He　was　in　hopes　that　she　might　pass　the　river's　mouth：　but　no。　　She　lay…to　close　to　the　shore；　and；　after　a　while；　Amyas　saw　two　boats　pull　in　from　her；　and　vanish　behind　the　mangroves。

Sliding　down　a　liane；　he　told