westward ho- 第77部分

〃And　now；　Jack；〃　said　Amyas；　〃I　will　give　thee　a　piece　of　news。　　No　wonder　that　young　men；　as　the　parsons　complain　so　loudly；　will　not　listen　to　the　Gospel；　while　it　is　preached　to　them　by　men　on　whom　they　cannot　but　look　down；　a　set　of　softhanded　fellows　who　cannot　dig；　and　are　ashamed　to　beg；　and；　as　my　brother　has　it；　must　needs　be　parsons　before　they　are　men。

Frank。　　Ay；　and　even　though　we　may　excuse　that　in　Popish　priests　and　friars；　who　are　vowed　not　to　be　men；　and　get　their　bread　shamefully　and　rascally　by　telling　sinners　who　owe　a　hundred　measures　to　sit　down　quickly　and　take　their　bill　and　write　fifty：　yet　for　a　priest　of　the　Church　of　England　（whose　business　is　not　merely　to　smuggle　sinful　souls　up　the　backstairs　into　heaven；　but　to　make　men　good　Christians　by　making　them　good　men；　good　gentlemen；　and　good　Englishmen）　to　show　the　white　feather　in　the　hour　of　need；　is　to　unpreach　in　one　minute　all　that　he　had　been　preaching　his　life　long。

〃I　tell　thee；〃　says　Amyas；　〃if　I　had　not　taken　thee　for　another　guess　sort　of　man；　I　had　never　let　thee　have　the　care　of　a　hundred　brave　lads'　immortal　souls〃

And　so　on；　both　of　them　boarding　him　at　once　with　their　heavy　shot；　larboard　and　starboard；　till　he　fairly　clapped　his　hands　to　his　ears　and　ran　for　it；　leaving　poor　Frank　laughing　so　heartily；　that　Amyas　was　after　all　glad　the　thing　had　happened；　for　the　sake　of　the　smile　which　it　put　into　his　sad　and　steadfast　countenance。

The　next　day　was　Sunday；　on　which；　after　divine　service　（which　they　could　hardly　persuade　Jack　to　read；　so　shamefaced　was　he；　and　as　for　preaching　after　it；　he　would　not　hear　of　such　a　thing）；　Amyas　read　aloud；　according　to　custom；　the　articles　of　their　agreement；　and　then　seeing　abreast　of　them　a　sloping　beach　with　a　shoot　of　clear　water　running　into　the　sea；　agreed　that　they　should　land　there；　wash　the　clothes；　and　again　water　the　ship；　for　they　had　found　water　somewhat　scarce　at　Barbados。　　On　this　party　Jack　Brimblecombe　must　needs　go；　taking　with　him　his　sword　and　a　great　arquebuse；　for　he　had　dreamed　last　night　（he　said）　that　he　was　set　upon　by　Spaniards；　and　was　sure　that　the　dream　would　come　true；　and　moreover；　that　he　did　not　very　much　care　if　they　did；　or　if　he　ever　got　back　alive；　〃for　it　was　better　to　die　than　be　made　an　ape；　and　a　scarecrow；　and　laughed　at　by　the　men；　and　badgered　with　Ramus　his　logic；　and　Plato　his　dialectical　devilries；　to　confess　himself　a　Manichee；　and；　for　aught　he　knew；　a　turbaned　Turk；　or　Hebrew　Jew；〃　and　so　flung　into　the　boat　like　a　man　desperate。

So　they　went　ashore；　after　Amyas　had　given　strict　commands　against　letting　off　firearms；　for　fear　of　alarming　the　Spaniards。　　There　they　washed　their　clothes；　and　stretched　their　legs　with　great　joy；　admiring　the　beauty　of　the　place；　and　then　began　to　shoot　the　seine　which　they　had　brought　on　shore　with　them。　　〃In　which；〃　says　the　chronicler；　〃we　caught　many　strange　fishes；　and　beside　them；　a　sea…　cow　full　seven　feet　long；　with　limpets　and　barnacles　on　her　back；　as　if　she　had　been　a　stick　of　drift…timber。　　This　is　a　fond　and　foolish　beast：　and　yet　pious　withal；　for　finding　a　corpse；　she　watches　over　it　day　and　night　until　it　decay　or　be　buried。　　The　Indians　call　her　manati；　who　carries　her　young　under　her　arm；　and　gives　it　suck　like　a　woman；　and　being　wounded；　she　lamenteth　aloud　with　a　human　voice；　and　is　said　at　certain　seasons　to　sing　very　melodiously；　which　melody；　perhaps；　having　been　heard　in　those　seas；　is　that　which　Mr。　Frank　reported　to　be　the　choirs　of　the　Sirens　and　Tritons。　　The　which　I　do　not　avouch　for　truth；　neither　rashly　deny；　having　seen　myself　such　fertility　of　Nature's　wonders　that　I　hold　him　who　denieth　aught　merely　for　its　strangeness　to　be　a　ribald　and　an　ignoramus。　　Also　one　of　our　men　brought　in　two　great　black　fowls　which　he　had　shot　with　a　crossbow；　bodied　and　headed　like　a　capon；　but　bigger　than　any　eagle；　which　the　Spaniards　call　curassos；　which；　with　that　sea…cow；　afterwards　made　us　good　cheer；　both　roast　and　sodden；　for　the　cow　was　very　dainty　meat；　as　good　as　a　four…months'　calf；　and　tender　and　fat　withal。〃

After　that　they　set　to　work　filling　the　casks　and　barricos；　having　laid　the　boat　up　to　the　outflow　of　the　rivulet。　　And　lucky　for　them　it　was；　as　it　fell　out；　that　they　were　all　close　together　at　that　work；　and　not　abroad　skylarking　as　they　had　been　half…an…hour　before。

Now　John　Brimblecombe　had　gone　apart　as　soon　as　they　landed；　with　a　shamefaced　and　doleful　countenance；　and　sitting　down　under　a　great　tree；　plucked　a　Bible　from　his　bosom；　and　read　steadfastly；　girded　with　his　great　sword；　and　his　arquebuse　lying　by　him。　　This　too　was　well　for　him；　and　for　the　rest；　for　they　had　not　yet　finished　their　watering；　when　there　was　a　cry　that　the　enemy　was　on　them；　and　out　of　the　wood；　not　twenty　yards　from　the　good　parson；　came　full　fifty　shot；　with　a　multitude　of　negroes　behind　them；　and　an　officer　in　front　on　horseback；　with　a　great　plume　of　feathers　in　his　hat；　and　his　sword　drawn　in　his　hand。

〃Stand；　for　your　lives！〃　shouted　Amyas：　and　only　just　in　time；　for　there　was　ten　good　minutes　lost　in　running　up　and　down　before　he　could　get　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