roads of destiny-第19节

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e　rail；　and　that's　why　I　grabbed　that　rope's　end。　Who'd　have　thought　that　a　sailoreven　a　Sicilian　lubber　on　a　banana　coasterwould　have　fastened　a　line　in　a　bow…knot？　Don't　think　I'm　trying　to　dodge　the　responsibility；　Captain。　It's　my　luck。'

〃'There　are　men；　Kearny；'　said　I　gravely；　'who　pass　through　life　blaming　upon　luck　and　chance　the　mistakes　that　result　from　their　own　faults　and　incompetency。　I　do　not　say　that　you　are　such　a　man。　But　if　all　your　mishaps　are　traceable　to　that　tiny　star；　the　sooner　we　endow　our　colleges　with　chairs　of　moral　astronomy；　the　better。'

〃'It　isn't　the　size　of　the　star　that　counts；'　said　Kearny；　'it's　the　quality。　Just　the　way　it　is　with　women。　That's　why　they　give　the　biggest　planets　masculine　names；　and　the　little　stars　feminine　ones　to　even　things　up　when　it　comes　to　getting　their　work　in。　Suppose　they　had　called　my　star　Agamemnon　or　Bill　McCarty　or　something　like　that　instead　of　Phoebe。　Every　time　one　of　those　old　boys　touched　their　calamity　button　and　sent　me　down　one　of　their　wireless　pieces　of　bad　luck；　I　could　talk　back　and　tell　'em　what　I　thought　of　'em　in　suitable　terms。　But　you　can't　address　such　remarks　to　a　Phoebe。'

〃'It　pleases　you　to　make　a　joke　of　it；　Kearny；'　said　I；　without　smiling。　'But　it　is　no　joke　to　me　to　think　of　my　Gatling　mired　in　the　river　ooze。'

〃'As　to　that；'　said　Kearny；　abandoning　his　light　mood　at　once；　'I　have　already　done　what　I　could。　I　have　had　some　experience　in　hoisting　stone　in　quarries。　Torres　and　I　have　already　spliced　three　hawsers　and　stretched　them　from　the　steamer's　stern　to　a　tree　on　shore。　We　will　rig　a　tackle　and　have　the　gun　on　terra　firma　before　noon　to…morrow。'

〃One　could　not　remain　long　at　outs　with　Bad…Luck　Kearny。

〃'Once　more；'　said　I　to　him；　'we　will　waive　this　question　of　luck。　Have　you　ever　had　experience　in　drilling　raw　troops？'

〃'I　was　first　sergeant　and　drill…master；'　said　Kearny；　'in　the　Chilean　army　for　one　year。　And　captain　of　artillery　for　another。'

〃'What　became　of　your　command？'　I　asked。

〃'Shot　down　to　a　man；'　said　Kearny；　'during　the　revolutions　against　Balmaceda。'

〃Somehow　the　misfortunes　of　the　evil…starred　one　seemed　to　turn　to　me　their　comedy　side。　I　lay　back　upon　my　goat's…hide　cot　and　laughed　until　the　woods　echoed。　Kearny　grinned。　'I　told　you　how　it　was；'　he　said。

〃'To…morrow；'　I　said；　'I　shall　detail　one　hundred　men　under　your　command　for　manual…of…arms　drill　and　company　evolutions。　You　rank　as　lieutenant。　Now；　for　God's　sake；　Kearny；'　I　urged　him；　'try　to　combat　this　superstition　if　it　is　one。　Bad　luck　may　be　like　any　other　visitor　preferring　to　stop　where　it　is　expected。　Get　your　mind　off　stars。　Look　upon　Esperando　as　your　planet　of　good　fortune。'

〃'I　thank　you；　Captain；'　said　Kearny　quietly。　'I　will　try　to　make　it　the　best　handicap　I　ever　ran。'

〃By　noon　the　next　day　the　submerged　Gatling　was　rescued；　as　Kearny　had　promised。　Then　Carlos　and　Manuel　Ortiz　and　Kearny　（my　lieutenants）　distributed　Winchesters　among　the　troops　and　put　them　through　an　incessant　rifle　drill。　We　fired　no　shots；　blank　or　solid；　for　of　all　coasts　Esperando　is　the　stillest；　and　we　had　no　desire　to　sound　any　warnings　in　the　ear　of　that　corrupt　government　until　they　should　carry　with　them　the　message　of　Liberty　and　the　downfall　of　Oppression。

〃In　the　afternoon　came　a　mule…rider　bearing　a　written　message　to　me　from　Don　Rafael　Valdevia　in　the　capital；　Aguas　Frias。

〃Whenever　that　man's　name　comes　to　my　lips；　words　of　tribute　to　his　greatness；　his　noble　simplicity；　and　his　conspicuous　genius　follow　irrepressibly。　He　was　a　traveller；　a　student　of　peoples　and　governments；　a　master　of　sciences；　a　poet；　an　orator；　a　leader；　a　soldier；　a　critic　of　the　world's　campaigns　and　the　idol　of　the　people　in　Esperando。　I　had　been　honoured　by　his　friendship　for　years。　It　was　I　who　first　turned　his　mind　to　the　thought　that　he　should　leave　for　his　monument　a　new　Esperandoa　country　freed　from　the　rule　of　unscrupulous　tyrants；　and　a　people　made　happy　and　prosperous　by　wise　and　impartial　legislation。　When　he　had　consented　he　threw　himself　into　the　cause　with　the　undivided　zeal　with　which　he　endowed　all　of　his　acts。　The　coffers　of　his　great　fortune　were　opened　to　those　of　us　to　whom　were　entrusted　the　secret　moves　of　the　game。　His　popularity　was　already　so　great　that　he　had　practically　forced　President　Cruz　to　offer　him　the　portfolio　of　Minister　of　War。

〃The　time；　Don　Rafael　said　in　his　letter；　was　ripe。　Success；　he　prophesied；　was　certain。　The　people　were　beginning　to　clamour　publicly　against　Cruz's　misrule。　Bands　of　citizens　in　the　capital　were　even　going　about　of　nights　hurling　stones　at　public　buildings　and　expressing　their　dissatisfaction。　A　bronze　statue　of　President　Cruz　in　the　Botanical　Gardens　had　been　lassoed　about　the　neck　and　overthrown。　It　only　remained　for　me　to　arrive　with　my　force　and　my　thousand　rifles；　and　for　himself　to　come　forward　and　proclaim　himself　the　people's　saviour；　to　overthrow　Cruz　in　a　single　day。　There　would　be　but　a　half…hearted　resistance　from　the　six　hundred　government　troops　stationed　in　the　capital。　Th　country　was　ours。　He　presumed　that　by　this　time　my　steamer　had　arrived　at　Quintana's　camp。　He　proposed　the　eighteenth　of　July　for　the　attack。　That　would　give　us　six　days　in　which　to　strike　camp　and　march　to　Aguas　Frias。　In　the　meantime　Don　Rafael　remained　my　good　friend　and　/compadre　en　la　cause　de　la　libertad/。

〃On　the　morning　of　the　14th　we　began　our　march　toward　the　sea…　following　range　of　mountains；　over　the　sixty…mile　trail　to　the　capital。　Our　small　arms　and　provisions　were　laden　on　pack　mules。　Twenty　men　harnessed　to　each　Gatling　gun　rolled　them　smoothly　along　the　flat；　alluvial　lowlands。　Our　troops；　well…shod　and　well…fed；　moved　with　alacrity　and　heartiness。　I　and　my　three　lieutenants　were　mounted　on　the　tough　mountain　ponies　of　the　country。

〃A　mile　out　of　camp　one　of　the　pack　mules；　becoming　stubborn；　broke　away　from　the　train　and　plunged　from　the　path　into　the　thicket。　The　alert　Kearny　spurred　quickly　after　it　and　intercepted　its　flight。　Rising　in　his　stirrups；　he　released　one　foot　and　bestowed　upon　the　mutinous　animal　a　hearty　kick。　The　mule　tottered　and　fell　with　a　crash　broadside　upon　the　ground。　As　we　gathered　around　it；　it　walled　its　great　eyes　almost　humanly　towards　Kearny　and　expired。　That　was　bad；　but　worse；　to　our　minds；　was　the　concomitant　disaster。　Part　of　the　mule's　burden　had　been　one　hundred　pounds　of　the　finest　coffee　to　be　had　in　the　tropics。　The　bag　burst　and　spilled　the　priceless　brown　mass　of　the　ground　berries　among　the　dense　vines　and　weeds　of　the　swampy　land。　/Mala　suerte/！　When　you　take　away　from　an　Esperandan　his　coffee；　you　abstract　his　patriotism　and　50　per　cent。　of　his　value　as　a　soldier。　The　men　began　to　rake　up　the　precious　stuff；　but　I　beckoned　Kearny　back　along　the　trail　where　they　would　not　hear。　The　limit　had　been　reached。

〃I　took　from　my　pocket　a　wallet　of　money　and　drew　out　some　bills。

〃'Mr。　Kearny；'　said　I；　'here　are　some　funds　belonging　to　Don　Rafael　Valdevia；　which　I　am　expending　in　his　cause。　I　know　of　no　better　service　it　can　buy　for　him　that　this。　Here　is　one　hundred　dollars。　Luck　or　no　luck；　we　part　company　here。　Star　or　no　star；　calamity　seems　to　travel　by　your　side。　You　will　return　to　the　steamer。　She　touches　at　Amotapa　to　discharge　her　lumber　and　iron；　and　then　puts　back　to　New　Orleans。　Hand　this　note　to　the　sailing…master；　who　will　give　you　passage。'　I　wrote　on　a　leaf　torn　from　my　book；　and　placed　it　and　the　money　in　Kearny's　hand。

〃'Good…bye；'　I　said；　extending　my　own。　'It　is　not　that　I　am　displeased　with　you；　but　there　is　no　place　in　this　expedition　forlet　us　say；　the　Senorita　Phoebe。'　I　said　this　with　a　smile；　trying　to　smooth　the　thing　for　him。　'May　you　have　better　luck；　/companero/。'

〃Kearny　took　the　money　and　the　paper。

〃'It　was　just　a　little　touch；'　said　he；　'just　a　little　lift　with　the　toe　of　my　bootbut　what's　the　odds？that　blamed　mule　would　have　died　if　I　had　only　dusted　his　ribs　with　a　powder　puff。　It　was　my　luck。　Well；　Captain；　I　would　have　liked　to　be　in　that　little　fight　with　you　over　in　Aguas　Frias。　Success　to　the　cause。　/Adios/！'

〃He　turned　around　and　set　off　down　the　trail　without　looking　back。　The　unfortunate　mule's　pack…saddle　was　transferred　to　Kearny's　pony；　and　we　again　took　up　the　march。

〃Four　days　we　journeyed　over　the　foot…hills　and　mountains；　fording　icy　torrents；　winding　around　the　crumbling　brows　of　ragged　peaks；　creeping　along　rocky　flanges　that　overlooked　awful　precipices；　crawling　breathlessly　over　tottering　bridges　that　crossed　bottomless　chasms。

〃On　the　evening　of　the　seventeenth　we　camped　by　a　little　stream　on　the　bare　hills　five　miles　from　Aguas　Frias。　At　daybreak　we　were　to　take　up　the　march　again。

〃At　midnight　I　was　standing　outside　my　tent　inhaling　the　fresh　cold　air。　The　stars　were　shining　bright　in　the　cloudless　sky；　giving　the　heavens　their　proper　aspect　of　illimitable　depth　and　distance　when　viewed　from　the　vague　darkness　of　the　blotted　earth。　Almost　at　its　zenith　was　the　planet　Saturn；　and　with　a　half…smile　I　observed　the　sinister　red　sparkle　of　his　malignant　attendantthe　demon　star　of　Kearny's　ill　luck。　And　then　my　thoughts　strayed　across　the　hills　to　the　scene　of　our　coming　triu