the crusade of the excelsior-第17节

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said　Mrs。　Markham。　　〃They've　forgotten　nothing。〃



〃But　you　are　a　captive！〃　said　Eleanor。　　〃What　does　it　mean？〃



〃Nothing；　my　dear。　　I　gave　them　a　piece　of　my　mind；〃　said　Mrs。

Markham；　looking；　however；　as　if　that　mental　offering　had　by　no

means　exhausted　her　capital；　〃and　I　have　written　six　pages　to　the

Governor　at　Mazatlan；　and　a　full　account　to　Mr。　Markham。〃



〃And　they　won't　get　them　in　thirty　years！〃　said　Miss　Keene

impetuously。　　〃But　where　is　this　letter　from　Senor　Perkins。　　And；

for　Heaven's　sake；　tell　me　if　you　had　the　least　suspicion　before　of

anything　that　has　happened。〃



〃Not　in　the　least。　　The　man　is　mad；　my　dear；　and　I　really　believe

driven　so　by　that　absurd　Illinois　woman's　poetry。　　Did　you　ever　see

anything　so　ridiculousand　shameful；　tooas　the　'Ulricardo'

business？　　I　don't　wonder　he　colored　so。〃



Miss　Keene　winced　with　annoyance。　　Was　everybody　going　crazy；　or

was　there　anything　more　in　this　catastrophe　that　had　only　enfeebled

the　minds　of　her　countrywomen！　　For　here　was　the　severe；　strong…

minded　Mrs。　Markham　actually　preoccupied；　like　Mrs。　Brimmer；　with

utterly　irrelevant　particulars；　and　apparently　powerless　to　grasp

the　fact　that　they　were　abandoned　on　a　half　hostile　strand；　and　cut

off　by　half　a　century　from　the　rest　of　the　world。



〃As　to　the　letter；〃　said　Mrs。　Markham；　quietly；　〃there　it　is。

There's　nothing　in　it　that　might　not　have　been　written　by　a

friend。〃



Miss　Keene　took　the　letter。　　It　was　written　in　a　delicate；　almost

feminine　hand。　　She　could　not　help　noticing　that　in　one　or　two

instances　corrections　had　been　made　and　blots　carefully　removed

with　an　eraser。





〃Midnight；　on　the　Excelsior。



〃MY　FRIEND：　When　you　receive　this　I　shall　probably　be　once　more　on

the　bosom　of　that　mysterious　and　mighty　element　whose　majesty　has

impressed　us；　whose　poetry　we　have　loved；　and　whose　moral　lessons；

I　trust；　have　not　been　entirely　thrown　away　upon　us。　　I　go　to　the

deliverance　of　one　of　those　oppressed　nations　whose　history　I　have

often　recited　to　you；　and　in　whose　destiny　you　have　from　time　to

time　expressed　a　womanly　sympathy。　　While　it　is　probable；

therefore；　that　my　MOTIVES　may　not　be　misunderstood　by　you；　or　even

other　dear　friends　of　the　Excelsior；　it　is　by　no　means　impossible

that　the　celerity　and　unexpectedness　of　my　ACTION　may　not　be

perfectly　appreciated　by　the　careless　mind；　and　may　seem　to　require

some　explanation。　　Let　me　then　briefly　say　that　the　idea　of

debarking　your　goods　and　chattels；　and　parting　from　your　delightful

company　at　Todos　Santos；　only　occurred　to　me　on　our　unexpected

shall　I　say　PROVIDENTIAL？arrival　at　that　spot；　and　the　necessity

of　expedition　forbade　me　either　inviting　your　cooperation　or

soliciting　your　confidence。　　Human　intelligence　is　variously

constitutedor；　to　use　a　more　homely　phrase；　'many　men　have　many

minds'and　it　is　not　impossible　that　a　premature　disclosure　of　my

plans　might　have　jeopardized　that　harmony　which　you　know　it　has

been　my　desire　to　promote。　　It　was　my　original　intention　to　have

landed　you　at　Mazatlan；　a　place　really　inferior　in　climate　and

natural　attractions　to　Todo　Santos；　although；　perhaps；　more　easy　of

access　and　egress；　but　the　presence　of　an　American　steamer　in　the

offing　would　have　invested　my　enterprise　with　a　certain　publicity

foreign；　I　think；　to　all　our　tastes。　　Taking　advantage；　therefore；

of　my　knowledge　of　the　peninsular　coast；　and　the　pardonable

ignorance　of　Captain　Bunker；　I　endeavored；　through　my　faithful

subordinates；　to　reach　a　less　known　port；　and　a　coast　rarely

frequented　by　reason　of　its　prevailing　fog。　　Here　occurred　one　of

those　dispensations　of　an　overruling　power　which；　dear　friend；　we

have　so　often　discussed。　　We　fell　in　with　an　unknown　current；　and

were　guided　by　a　mysterious　hand　into　the　bay　of　Todos　Santos！



〃You　know　of　my　belief　in　the　infinite　wisdom　and　benignity　of

events；　you　have；　dear　friend；　with　certain　feminine　limitations；

shared　it　with　me。　　Could　there　have　been　a　more　perfect

illustration　of　it　than　the　power　that　led　us　here？　　On　a　shore；

historic　in　interest；　beautiful　in　climate；　hospitable　in　its

people；　utterly　freed　from　external　influences；　and　absolutely

without　a　compromising　future；　you　are　landed；　my　dear　friend；　with

your　youthful　companions。　　From　the　crumbling　ruins　of　a　decaying

Past　you　are　called　to　construct　an　Arcadia　of　your　own；　the

rudiments　of　a　new　civilization　are　within　your　grasp；　the　cost　of

existence　is　comparatively　trifling；　the　various　sums　you　have　with

you；　which　even　in　the　chaos　of　revolution　I　have　succeeded　in

keeping　intact；　will　more　than　suffice　to　your　natural　wants　for

years　to　come。　　Were　I　not　already　devoted　to　the　task　of　freeing

Quinquinambo；　I　should　willingly　share　this　Elysium　with　you　all。

But；　to　use　the　glowing　words　of　Mrs。　M'Corkle；　slightly　altering

the　refrain





　　　　　'Ah；　stay　me　not！　　With　flying　feet

　　　　　　O'er　desert　sands；　I　rush　to　greet

　　　　　　My　fate；　my　love；　my　life；　my　sweet

　　　　　　　　Quinquinambo！'





〃I　venture　to　intrust　to　your　care　two　unpublished　manuscripts　of

that　gifted　woman。　　The　dangers　that　may　environ　my　present

mission；　the　vicissitudes　of　battle　by　sea　or　land；　forbid　my

imperiling　their　natural　descent　to　posterity。　　You；　my　dear

friend；　will　preserve　them　for　the　ages　to　come；　occasionally

refreshing　yourself；　from　time　to　time；　from　that　Parnassian

spring。



〃Adieu！　my　friend。　　I　look　around　the　familiar　cabin；　and　miss　your

gentle　faces。　　I　feel　as　Jason　might　have　felt；　alone　on　the　deck

of　the　Argo　when　his　companions　were　ashore；　except　that　I　know　of

no　Circean　influences　to　mar　their　destiny。　　In　examining　the

state…rooms　to　see　if　my　orders　for　the　complete　restoration　of

passengers'　property　had　been　carried　out；　I　allowed　myself　to　look

into　yours。　　Lying　alone；　forgotten　and　overlooked；　I　saw　a

peculiar　jet　hair…pin　which　I　think　I　have　observed　in　the　coils　of

your　tresses。　　May　I　venture　to　keep　this　gentle　instrument　as　a

reminder　of　the　superior　intellect　it　has　so　often　crowned？　　Adieu；

my　friend。



〃Ever　yours；　LEONIDAS　BOLIVAR　PERKINS。〃





〃Well？〃　said　Mrs。　Markham　impatiently；　as　Miss　Keene　remained

motionless　with　the　letter　in　her　hand。



〃It　seems　like　a　ridiculous　nightmare！　　I　can't　understand　it　at

all。　　The　man　that　wrote　this　letter　may　be　madbut　he　is　neither

a　pirate　nor　a　thiefand　yet〃



〃He　a　pirate？〃　echoed　Mrs。　Markham　indignantly；　〃He's　nothing　of

the　kind！　　It's　not　even　his　FAULT！〃



〃Not　his　fault？〃　repeated　Miss　Keene；　〃are　you　mad；　too？〃



〃Nonor　a　fool；　my　dear！　　Don't　you　see？　　It's　all　the　fault　of

Banks　and　Brimmer　for　compromising　the　vessel：　of　that　stupid；

drunken　captain　for　permitting　it。　　Senor　Perkins　is　a　liberator；　a

patriot；　who　has　periled　himself　and　his　country　to　treat　us

magnanimously。　　Don't　you　see　it？　　It's　like　that　Banks　and　that

Mrs。　Brimmer　to　call　HIM　a　pirate！　　I've　a　good　mind　to　give　the

Commander　my　opinion　of　THEM。〃



〃Hush！〃　said　Miss　Keene；　with　a　sudden　recollection　of　the

Commander's　suspicions；　〃for　Heaven's　sake；　you　do　not　know　what

you　are　saying。　　Look！　they　were　talking　with　that　strange　man；　and

now　they　are　coming　this　way。〃



The　Commander　and　his　secretary　approached　them。　　They　were　both

more　than　usually　grave；　but　the　look　of　inquiry　and　suspicion　with

which　they　regarded　the　two　women　was　gone　from　their　eyes。



〃The　Senor　Comandante　says　you　are　free；　Senoras；　and　begs　you　will

only　decide　whether　you　will　remain　his　guests　or　the　guests　of　the

Alcalde。　　But　for　the　present　he　cannot　allow　you　any　communication

with　the　prisoners　of　San　Antonio。〃



〃There　is　further　news？〃　said　Miss　Keene　faintly；　with　a　presentiment

of　worse　complications。



〃There　is！　　A　body　from　the　Excelsior　has　been　washed　on　shore。〃



The　two　women　turned　pale。



〃In　the　pocket　of　the　murdered　man　is　an　accusation　against　one

Senor　Hurlstone；　who　was　concealed　on　the　ship；　who　came　not　ashore

openly　with　the　other　passengers；　but　who　escaped　in　secret；　and　is

now　hiding　somewhere　in　Todos　Santos。〃



〃And　you　suspect　him　of　this　infamous　act？〃　said　Eleanor；

forgetting　all　prudence　in　her　indignation。　　〃You　are　deceiving

yourself。　　He　is　as　innocent　as　I　am！〃



The　Commander　and　the　secretary　smiled　sapiently；　but　gently。



〃The　Senor　Comandante　believes　you；　Dona　Leonora：　the　Senor

Hurlstone　is　innocent　of　the　piracy。　　He　is；　of　a　surety；　the

leader　of　the　Opposition。〃





CHAPTER　VIII。



IN　SANCTUARY。





When　James　Hurlstone　reached　the　shelter　of　the　shrubbery　he　leaned

exhaustedly　against　the　adobe　wall；　and　looked　back　upon　the　garden

he　had　just　traversed。　　At　its　lower　extremity　a　tall　hedge　of

cactus　reinforced　the　crumbling　wall　with　a　cheval　de　frise　of

bristling　thorns；　it　was　through　a　gap　in　this　green　barrier　that

he　had　found　his　way　a　f