westward ho- 第85部分

〃Must　we　fire　upon　the　slaves？〃　asked　more　than　one；　as　the　thought　crossed　him。

Amyas　sighed。

〃Spare　them　all　you　can；　in　God's　name；　but　if　they　try　to　run　us　down；　rake　them　we　must；　and　God　forgive　us。〃

The　two　galleys　came　on　abreast　of　each　other；　some　forty　yards　apart。　　To　outmanoeuvre　their　oars　as　he　had　done　the　ship's　sails；　Amyas　knew　was　impossible。　　To　run　from　them　was　to　be　caught　between　them　and　the　ship。

He　made　up　his　mind；　as　usual；　to　the　desperate　game。

〃Lay　her　head　up　in　the　wind；　helmsman；　and　we　will　wait　for　them。〃

They　were　now　within　musket…shot；　and　opened　fire　from　their　bow…　guns；　but；　owing　to　the　chopping　sea；　their　aim　was　wild。　　Amyas；　as　usual；　withheld　his　fire。

The　men　stood　at　quarters　with　compressed　lips；　not　knowing　what　was　to　come　next。　　Amyas；　towering　motionless　on　the　quarter…deck；　gave　his　orders　calmly　and　decisively。　　The　men　saw　that　he　trusted　himself；　and　trusted　him　accordingly。

The　Spaniards；　seeing　him　wait　for　them；　gave　a　shout　of　joywas　the　Englishman　mad？　　And　the　two　galleys　converged　rapidly；　intending　to　strike　him　full；　one　on　each　bow。

They　were　within　forty　yardsanother　minute；　and　the　shock　would　come。　　The　Englishman's　helm　went　up；　his　yards　creaked　round；　and　gathering　way；　he　plunged　upon　the　larboard　galley。

〃A　dozen　gold　nobles　to　him　who　brings　down　the　steersman！〃　shouted　Cary；　who　had　his　cue。

And　a　flight　of　arrows　from　the　forecastle　rattled　upon　the　galley's　quarter…deck。

Hit　or　not　hit；　the　steersman　lost　his　nerve；　and　shrank　from　the　coming　shock。　　The　galley's　helm　went　up　to　port；　and　her　beak　slid　all　but　harmless　along　Amyas's　bow；　a　long　dull　grind；　and　then　loud　crack　on　crack；　as　the　Rose　sawed　slowly　through　the　bank　of　oars　from　stem　to　stern；　hurling　the　wretched　slaves　in　heaps　upon　each　other；　and　ere　her　mate　on　the　other　side　could　swing　round；　to　strike　him　in　his　new　position；　Amyas's　whole　broadside；　great　and　small；　had　been　poured　into　her　at　pistol…shot；　answered　by　a　yell　which　rent　their　ears　and　hearts。

〃Spare　the　slaves！　　Fire　at　the　soldiers！〃　cried　Amyas；　but　the　work　was　too　hot　for　much　discrimination；　for　the　larboard　galley；　crippled　but　not　undaunted；　swung　round　across　his　stern；　and　hooked　herself　venomously　on　to　him。

It　was　a　move　more　brave　than　wise；　for　it　prevented　the　other　galley　from　returning　to　the　attack　without　exposing　herself　a　second　time　to　the　English　broadside；　and　a　desperate　attempt　of　the　Spaniards　to　board　at　once　through　the　stern…ports　and　up　the　quarter　was　met　with　such　a　demurrer　of　shot　and　steel；　that　they　found　themselves　in　three　minutes　again　upon　the　galley's　poop；　accompanied；　to　their　intense　disgust；　by　Amyas　Leigh　and　twenty　English　swords。

Five　minutes'　hard　cutting；　hand　to　hand；　and　the　poop　was　clear。　The　soldiers　in　the　forecastle　had　been　able　to　give　them　no　assistance；　open　as　they　lay　to　the　arrows　and　musketry　from　the　Rose's　lofty　stern。　　Amyas　rushed　along　the　central　gangway；　shouting　in　Spanish；　〃Freedom　to　the　slaves！　death　to　the　masters！〃　clambered　into　the　forecastle；　followed　close　by　his　swarm　of　wasps；　and　set　them　so　good　an　example　how　to　use　their　stings；　that　in　three　minutes　more　there　was　not　a　Spaniard　on　board　who　was　not　dead　or　dying。

〃Let　the　slaves　free！〃　shouted　he。　　〃Throw　us　a　hammer　down；　men。　Hark！　there's　an　English　voice！〃

There　is　indeed。　　From　amid　the　wreck　of　broken　oars　and　writhing　limbs；　a　voice　is　shrieking　in　broadest　Devon　to　the　master；　who　is　looking　over　the　side。

〃Oh；　Robert　Drew！　　Robert　Drew！　　Come　down；　and　take　me　out　of　hell！〃

〃Who　be　you；　in　the　name　of　the　Lord！〃

〃Don't　you　mind　William　Prust；　that　Captain　Hawkins　left　behind　in　the　Honduras；　years　and　years　agone？　　There's　nine　of　us　aboard；　if　your　shot　hasn't　put　'em　out　of　their　misery。　　Come　down；　if　you've　a　Christian　heart；　come　down！〃

Utterly　forgetful　of　all　discipline；　Drew　leaps　down　hammer　in　hand；　and　the　two　old　comrades　rush　into　each　other's　arms。

Why　make　a　long　story　of　what　took　but　five　minutes　to　do？　　The　nine　men　（luckily　none　of　them　wounded）　are　freed；　and　helped　on　board；　to　be　hugged　and　kissed　by　old　comrades　and　young　kinsmen；　while　the　remaining　slaves；　furnished　with　a　couple　of　hammers；　are　told　to　free　themselves　and　help　the　English。　　The　wretches　answer　by　a　shout；　and　Amyas；　once　more　safe　on　board　again；　dashes　after　the　other　galley；　which　has　been　hovering　out　of　reach　of　his　guns：　but　there　is　no　need　to　trouble　himself　about　her；　sickened　with　what　she　has　got；　she　is　struggling　right　up　wind；　leaning　over　to　one　side；　and　seemingly　ready　to　sink。

〃Are　there　any　English　on　board　of　her？〃　asks　Amyas；　loath　to　lose　the　chance　of　freeing　a　countryman。

〃Never　a　one；　sir；　thank　God。〃

So　they　set　to　work　to　repair　damages；　while　the　liberated　slaves；　having　shifted　some　of　the　galley's　oars；　pull　away　after　their　comrade；　and　that　with　such　a　will；　that　in　ten　minutes　they　have　caught　her　up；　and　careless　of　the　Spaniard's　fire；　boarded　her　en　masse；　with　yells　as　of　a　thousand　wolves。　　There　will　be　fearful　vengeance　taken　on　those　tyrants；　unless　they　play　the　man　this　day。

And　in　the　meanwhile　half　the　crew　are　clothing；　feeding；　questioning；　caressing　those　nine　poor　fellows　thus　snatched　from　living　death；　and　Yeo；　hearing　the　news；　has　rushed　up　on　deck　to　welcome　his　old　comrades；　and

〃Is　Michael　Heard；　my　cousin；　here　among　you？〃

Yes；　Michael　Heard　is　there；　white…headed　rather　from　misery　than　age；　and　the　embracings　and　questionings　begin　afresh。

〃Where　is　my　wife；　Salvation　Yeo？〃

〃With　the　Lord。〃

〃Amen！〃　says　the　old　man；　with　a　short　shudder。　　〃I　thought　so　much；　and　my　two　boys？〃

〃With　the　Lord。〃

The　old　man　catches　Yeo　by　the　arm。

〃How；　then？〃　It　is　Yeo's　turn　to　shudder　now。

〃Killed　in　Panama；　fighting　the　Spaniards；　sailing　with　Mr。　Oxenham；　and　'twas　I　led　'em　into　it。　　May　God　and　you　forgive　me！〃

〃They　couldn't　die　better；　cousin　Yeo。　　Where's　my　girl　Grace？〃

〃Died　in　childbed。〃

〃Any　childer？〃

〃No。〃

The　old　man　covers　his　face　with　his　hands　for　a　while。

〃Well；　I've　been　alone　with　the　Lord　these　fifteen　years；　so　I　must　not　whine　at　being　alone　a　while　longer't　won't　be　long。〃

〃Put　this　coat　on　your　back；　uncle；〃　says　some　one。

〃No；　no　coats　for　me。　　Naked　came　I　into　the　world；　and　naked　I　go　out　of　it　this　day；　if　I　have　a　chance。　　You'm　better　to　go　to　your　work；　lads；　or　the　big　one　will　have　the　wind　of　you　yet。〃

〃So　she　will；〃　said　Amyas；　who　has　overheard；　but　so　great　is　the　curiosity　on　all　hands；　that　he　has　some　trouble　in　getting　the　men　to　quarters　again；　indeed；　they　only　go　on　condition　of　parting　among　themselves　with　them　the　new…comers；　each　to　tell　his　sad　and　strange　story。　　How　after　Captain　Hawkins；　constrained　by　famine；　had　put　them　ashore；　they　wandered　in　misery　till　the　Spaniards　took　them；　how；　instead　of　hanging　them　（as　they　at　first　intended）；　the　Dons　fed　and　clothed　them；　and　allotted　them　as　servants　to　various　gentlemen　about　Mexico；　where　they　throve；　turned　their　hands　（like　true　sailors）　to　all　manner　of　trades；　and　made　much　money；　and　some　of　them　were　married；　even　to　women　of　wealth；　so　that　all　went　well；　until　the　fatal　year　1574；　when；　〃much　against　the　minds　of　many　of　the　Spaniards　themselves；　that　cruel　and　bloody　Inquisition　was　established　for　the　first　time　in　the　Indies；〃　and　how　from　that　moment　their　lives　were　one　long　tragedy；　how　they　were　all　imprisoned　for　a　year　and　a　half；　not　for　proselytizing；　but　simply　for　not　believing　in　transubstantiation；　racked　again　and　again；　and　at　last　adjudged　to　receive　publicly；　on　Good　Friday；　1575；　some　three　hundred；　some　one　hundred　stripes；　and　to　serve　in　the　galleys　for　six　or　ten　years　each；　while；　as　the　crowning　atrocity　of　the　Moloch　sacrifice；　three　of　them　were　burnt　alive　in　the　market…place　of　Mexico；　a　story　no　less　hideous　than　true；　the　details　whereof　whoso　list　may　read　in　Hakluyt's　third　volume；　as　told　by　Philip　Miles；　one　of　that　hapless　crew；　as　well　as　the　adventures　of　Job　Hortop；　a　messmate　of　his；　who；　after　being　sent　to　Spain；　and　seeing　two　more　of　his　companions　burnt　alive　at　Seville；　was　sentenced　to　row　in　the　galleys　ten　years；　and　after　that　to　go　to　the　〃everlasting　prison　remediless；〃　from　which　doom；　after　twenty…　three　years　of　slavery；　he　was　delivered　by　the　galleon　Dudley；　and　came　safely　home　to　Redriff。

The　fate　of　Hortop　and　his　comrades　was；　of　course；　still　unknown　to　the　rescued　men；　but　the　history　even　of　their　party　was　not　likely　to　improve　the　good　feeling　of　the　crew　toward　the　Spanish　ship　which　was　two　miles　to　leeward　of　them；　and　which　must　be　fought　with；　or　fled　from；　before　a　quarter　of　an　hour　was　past。　So；　kneeling　down　upon　the　deck；　as　many　a　brave　crew　in　those　days　did　in　like　case；　they　〃gave　God　thanks　devoutly　for　the　favor　they　had　found；〃　and　then　with　one　accord；　at　Jack's　leading；　sang　one　and　all　the　Ninety…fourth　Psalm：*


　　　　　〃Oh；　Lord；　thou　dost　revenge　all　wrong；　　　　　　　　Vengeance　belongs　to　thee；〃　etc。


*　The　crew　of　the　Tobie；　cast　away　on　the　Barbary　coast　a　few　years　after；　〃began　with　heavy　hearts　to　sing　the　twelfth　Psalm；　'Help；　Lord；　for　good　and　godly　men；'　etc。　　Howbeit；　ere　we　had　finished　four　verses；　the　waves　of　the　sea　had　stopped　the　breaths　of　most。〃


And　then　again　to　quarters；　for　half　the　day's　work；　or　more　than　half；　still　remained　to　be　done；　and　hardly　were　the　decks　cleared　afresh；　and　the　damage　repaired　as　best　it　could　be；　when　she　came　ranging　up　to　leeward；　as　closehauled　as　she　could。

She　was；　as　I　said；　a　long　flush…decked　ship　of　full　five　hundred　tons；　more　than　double　the　size；　in　fact；　of　the　Rose；　though　not　so　lofty　in　proportion；　and　many　a　bold　heart　beat　loud；　and　no　shame　to　them；　as　she　began　firing　away　merrily；　determined；　as　all　well　knew；　to　wipe　out　in　English　blood　the　disgrace　of　her　late　foil。

〃Never　mind；　my　merry　masters；〃　said　Amyas；　〃she　has　quantity　and　we　quality。〃

〃That's　true；〃　said　one；　〃for　one　honest　man　is　worth　two　rogues。〃

〃And　one　culverin　three　of　their　footy　little　ordnance；〃　said　another。　　〃So　when　you　will；　captain；　and　have　at　h