westward ho- 第100部分

Amyas　rested　the　point　of　his　sword　on　the　ground；　and　his　hands　upon　the　hilt；　and　looked　sadly　and　solemnly　upon　the　pair。　Ebsworthy　broke　the　silence；　half　reproachfully；　half　trying　to　bluster　away　the　coming　storm。

〃Well；　noble　captain；　so　you've　hunted　out　us　poor　fellows；　and　want　to　drag　us　back　again　in　a　halter；　I　suppose？〃

〃I　came　to　look　for　Christians；　and　I　find　heathens；　for　men；　and　I　find　swine。　　I　shall　leave　the　heathens　to　their　wilderness；　and　the　swine　to　their　trough。　　Parracombe！〃

〃He's　too　happy　to　answer　you；　sir。　　And　why　not？　　What　do　you　want　of　us？　　Our　two　years　vow　is　out；　and　we　are　free　men　now。〃

〃Free　to　become　like　the　beasts　that　perish？　　You　are　the　queen's　servants　still；　and　in　her　name　I　charge　you

〃Free　to　be　happy；〃　interrupted　the　man。　　〃With　the　best　of　wives；　the　best　of　food；　a　warmer　bed　than　a　duke's；　and　a　finer　garden　than　an　emperor's。　　As　for　clothes；　why　the　plague　should　a　man　wear　them　where　he　don't　need　them？　　As　for　gold；　what's　the　use　of　it　where　Heaven　sends　everything　ready…made　to　your　hands？　Hearken；　Captain　Leigh。　　You've　been　a　good　captain　to　me；　and　I'll　repay　you　with　a　bit　of　sound　advice。　　Give　up　your　gold…hunting；　and　toiling　and　moiling　after　honor　and　glory；　and　copy　us。　　Take　that　fair　maid　behind　you　there　to　wife；　pitch　here　with　us；　and　see　if　you　are　not　happier　in　one　day　than　ever　you　were　in　all　your　life　before。〃

〃You　are　drunk；　sirrah！　　William　Parracombe！　　Will　you　speak　to　me；　or　shall　I　heave　you　into　the　stream　to　sober　you？〃

〃Who　calls　William　Parracombe？〃　answered　a　sleepy　voice。

〃I；　fool！your　captain。〃

〃I　am　not　William　Parracombe。　　He　is　dead　long　ago　of　hunger；　and　labor；　and　heavy　sorrow；　and　will　never　see　Bideford　town　any　more。　He　is　turned　into　an　Indian　now；　and　he　is　to　sleep；　sleep；　sleep　for　a　hundred　years；　till　he　gets　his　strength　again；　poor　fellow〃

〃Awake；　then；　thou　that　sleepest；　and　arise　from　the　dead；　and　Christ　shall　give　thee　light！　　A　christened　Englishman；　and　living　thus　the　life　of　a　beast？〃

〃Christ　shall　give　thee　light？〃　answered　the　same　unnatural　abstracted　voice。　　〃Yes；　so　the　parsons　say。　　And　they　say　too；　that　He　is　Lord　of　heaven　and　earth。　　I　should　have　thought　His　light　was　as　near　us　here　as　anywhere；　and　nearer　too；　by　the　look　of　the　place。　　Look　round！〃　said　he；　waving　a　lazy　hand；　〃and　see　the　works　of　God；　and　the　place　of　Paradise；　whither　poor　weary　souls　go　home　and　rest；　after　their　masters　in　the　wicked　world　have　used　them　up；　with　labor　and　sorrow；　and　made　them　wade　knee…　deep　in　bloodI'm　tired　of　blood；　and　tired　of　gold。　　I'll　march　no　more；　I'll　fight　no　more；　I'll　hunger　no　more　after　vanity　and　vexation　of　spirit。　　What　shall　I　get　by　it？　　Maybe　I　shall　leave　my　bones　in　the　wilderness。　　I　can　but　do　that　here。　　Maybe　I　shall　get　home　with　a　few　pezos；　to　die　an　old　cripple　in　some　stinking　hovel；　that　a　monkey　would　scorn　to　lodge　in　here。　　You　may　go　on；　it'll　pay　you。　　You　may　be　a　rich　man；　and　a　knight；　and　live　in　a　fine　house；　and　drink　good　wine；　and　go　to　Court；　and　torment　your　soul　with　trying　to　get　more；　when　you've　got　too　much　already；　plotting　and　planning　to　scramble　upon　your　neighbor's　shoulders；　as　they　all　didSir　Richard；　and　Mr。　Raleigh；　and　Chichester；　and　poor　dear　old　Sir　Warham；　and　all　of　them　that　I　used　to　watch　when　I　lived　before。　　They　were　no　happier　than　I　was　then；　I'll　warrant　they　are　no　happier　now。　　Go　your　ways；　captain；　climb　to　glory　upon　some　other　backs　than　ours；　and　leave　us　here　in　peace；　alone　with　God　and　God's　woods；　and　the　good　wives　that　God　has　given　us；　to　play　a　little　like　school　children。　　It's　long　since　I've　had　play…hours；　and　now　I'll　be　a　little　child　once　more；　with　the　flowers；　and　the　singing　birds；　and　the　silver　fishes　in　the　stream；　that　are　at　peace；　and　think　no　harm；　and　want　neither　clothes；　nor　money；　nor　knighthood；　nor　peerage；　but　just　take　what　comes；　and　their　heavenly　Father　feedeth　them；　and　Solomon　in　all　his　glory　was　not　arrayed　like　one　of　theseand　will　He　not　much　more　feed　us；　that　are　of　more　value　than　many　sparrows？〃

〃And　will　you　live　here；　shut　out　from　all　Christian　ordinances？〃

〃Christian　ordinances？　　Adam　and　Eve　had　no　parsons　in　Paradise。　The　Lord　was　their　priest；　and　the　Lord　was　their　shepherd；　and　He'll　be　ours　too。　　But　go　your　ways；　sir；　and　send　up　Sir　John　Brimblecombe；　and　let　him　marry　us　here　Church　fashion　（though　we　have　sworn　troth　to　each　other　before　God　already）；　and　let　him　give　us　the　Holy　Sacrament　once　and　for　all；　and　then　read　the　funeral　service　over　us；　and　go　his　ways；　and　count　us　for　dead；　sirfor　dead　we　are　to　the　wicked　worthless　world　we　came　out　of　three　years　ago。　　And　when　the　Lord　chooses　to　call　us；　the　little　birds　will　cover　us　with　leaves；　as　they　did　the　babies　in　the　wood；　and　fresher　flowers　will　grow　out　of　our　graves；　sir；　than　out　of　yours　in　that　bare　Northam　churchyard　there　beyond　the　weary；　weary；　weary　sea。〃

His　voice　died　away　to　a　murmur；　and　his　head　sank　on　his　breast。

Amyas　stood　spell…bound。　　The　effect　of　the　narcotic　was　all　but　miraculous　in　his　eyes。　　The　sustained　eloquence；　the　novel　richness　of　diction　in　one　seemingly　drowned　in　sensual　sloth；　were；　in　his　eyes；　the　possession　of　some　evil　spirit。　　And　yet　he　could　not　answer　the　Evil　One。　　His　English　heart；　full　of　the　divine　instinct　of　duty　and　public　spirit；　told　him　that　it　must　be　a　lie：　but　how　to　prove　it　a　lie？　　And　he　stood　for　full　ten　minutes　searching　for　an　answer；　which　seemed　to　fly　farther　and　farther　off　the　more　he　sought　for　it。

His　eye　glanced　upon　Ayacanora。　　The　two　girls　were　whispering　to　her　smilingly。　　He　saw　one　of　them　glance　a　look　toward　him；　and　then　say　something；　which　raised　a　beautiful　blush　in　the　maiden's　face。　　With　a　playful　blow　at　the　speaker；　she　turned　away。　　Amyas　knew　instinctively　that　they　were　giving　her　the　same　advice　as　Ebsworthy　had　given　to　him。　　Oh；　how　beautiful　she　was！　　Might　not　the　renegades　have　some　reason　on　their　side　after　all。

He　shuddered　at　the　thought：　but　he　could　not　shake　it　off。　　It　glided　in　like　some　gaudy　snake；　and　wreathed　its　coils　round　all　his　heart　and　brain。　　He　drew　back　to　the　other　side　of　the　lawn；　and　thought　and　thought

Should　he　ever　get　home？　　If　he　did；　might　he　not　get　home　a　beggar？　　Beggar　or　rich；　he　would　still　have　to　face　his　mother；　to　go　through　that　meeting；　to　tell　that　tale；　perhaps；　to　hear　those　reproaches；　the　forecast　of　which　had　weighed　on　him　like　a　dark　thunder…cloud　for　two　weary　years；　to　wipe　out　which　by　some　desperate　deed　of　glory　he　had　wandered　the　wilderness；　and　wandered　in　vain。

Could　he　not　settle　here？　　He　need　not　be　a　savage；　he　and　his　might　Christianize；　civilize；　teach　equal　law；　mercy　in　war；　chivalry　to　women；　found　a　community　which　might　be　hereafter　as　strong　a　barrier　against　the　encroachments　of　the　Spaniard；　as　Manoa　itself　would　have　been。　　Who　knew　the　wealth　of　the　surrounding　forests？　　Even　if　there　were　no　gold；　there　were　boundless　vegetable　treasures。　　What　might　he　not　export　down　the　rivers？　　This　might　be　the　nucleus　of　a　great　commercial　settlement

And　yet；　was　even　that　worth　while？　　To　settle　here　only　to　torment　his　soul　with　fresh　schemes；　fresh　ambitions；　not　to　rest；　but　only　to　change　one　labor　for　another？　　Was　not　your　dreamer　right？　　Did　they　not　all　need　rest？　　What　if　they　each　sat　down　among　the　flowers；　beside　an　Indian　bride？　　They　might　live　like　Christians；　while　they　lived　like　the　birds　of　heaven。

What　a　dead　silence！　　He　looked　up　and　round；　the　birds　had　ceased　to　chirp；　the　parroquets　were　hiding　behind　the　leaves；　the　monkeys　were　clustered　motionless　upon　the　highest　twigs；　only　out　of　the　far　depths　of　the　forest；　the　campanero　gave　its　solemn　toll；　once；　twice；　thrice；　like　a　great　death…knell　rolling　down　from　far　cathedral　towers。　　Was　it　an　omen？　　He　looked　up　hastily　at　Ayacanora。　　She　was　watching　him　earnestly。　　Heavens！　was　she　waiting　for　his　decision？　　Both　dropped　their　eyes。　　The　decision　was　not　to　come　from　them。

A　rustle！　a　roar！　a　shriek！　and　Amyas　lifted　his　eyes　in　time　to　see　a　huge　dark　bar　shoot　from　the　crag　above　the　dreamer's　head；　among　the　group　of　girls。

A　dull　crash；　as　the　group　flew　asunder；　and　in　the　midst；　upon　the　ground；　the　tawny　limbs　of　one　were　writhing　beneath　the　fangs　of　a　black　jaguar；　the　rarest　and　most　terrible　of　the　forest　kings。　　Of　one？　　But　of　which？　　Was　it　Ayacanora？　　And　sword　in　hand；　Amyas　rushed　madly　forward；　before　he　reached　the　spot　those　tortured　limbs　were　still。

It　was　not　Ayacanora；　for　with　a　shriek　which　rang　through　the　woods；　the　wretched　dreamer；　wakened　thus　at　last；　sprang　up　and　felt　for　his　sword。　　Fool！　he　had　left　it　in　his　hammock！　Screaming　the　name　of　his　dead　bride；　he　rushed　on　the　jaguar；　as　it　crouched　above　its　prey；　and　seizing　its　head　with　teeth　and　nails；　worried　it；　in　the　ferocity　of　his　madness；　like　a　mastiff…　dog。

The　brute　wrenched　its　head　from　his　grasp；　and　raised　its　dreadful　paw。　　Another　moment　and　the　husband's　corpse　would　have　lain　by　the　wife's。

But　high　in　air　gleamed　Amyas's　blade；　down　with　all　the　weight　of　his　huge　body　and　strong　arm；　fell　that　most　trusty　steel；　the　head　of　the　jaguar　dropped　grinning　on　its　victim's　corpse；


　　　　　〃And　all　stood　still；　who　saw　him　fall；　　　　　　　While　men　might　count　a　score。〃


〃O　Lord　Jesus；〃　said　Amyas　to　himself；　〃Thou　hast　answered　the　devil　for　me！　　And　this　is　the　selfish　rest　for　which　I　would　have　bartered　the　rest　which　comes　by　working　where　Thou　hast　put　me！〃

They　bore　away　the　lithe　corpse　into　the　forest；　and　buried　it　under　soft　moss　and　virgin　mould；　and　so　the　fair　clay　was　transfigured　into　fairer　flowers；　and　the　poor；　gentle；　untaught　spirit　returned　to　God　who　gave　it。

And　then　Amyas　went　sadly　and　silently　back　again；　and　Parracombe　walked　after　him；　like　one　who　walks　in　sleep。

Ebsworthy；　sobered　by　the　shock；　entreated　to　come　too：　but　Amyas　forbade　him　gently；

〃No；　lad；　you　are　forgiven。　　God　forbid　that　I　should　judge　you　or　any　man！　　Sir　John　shall　come　up　and　marry　you；　and　then；　if　it　still　be　your　will　to　stay；　the　Lord　forgive　you；　if　you　be　wrong；