westward ho- 第96部分

Then；　leaping　into　her　tiny　piragua；　she　darted　into　the　wildest　whirl　of　the　eddies；　shooting　along　with　vigorous　strokes；　while　the　English　trembled　as　they　saw　the　frail　bark　spinning　and　leaping　amid　the　muzzles　of　the　alligators；　and　the　huge　dog…　toothed　trout：　but　with　the　swiftness　of　an　arrow　she　reached　the　northern　bank；　drove　her　canoe　among　the　bushes；　and　leaping　from　it；　darted　through　some　narrow　opening　in　the　bush；　and　vanished　like　a　dream。

〃What　fair　virago　have　you　unearthed？〃　cried　Cary；　as　they　toiled　up　again　to　the　landing…place。

〃Beshrew　me；〃　quoth　Jack；　〃but　we　are　in　the　very　land　of　the　nymphs；　and　I　shall　expect　to　see　Diana　herself　next；　with　the　moon　on　her　forehead。〃

〃Take　care；　then；　where　you　wander　hereabouts；　Sir　John：　lest　you　end　as　Actaeon　did；　by　turning　into　a　stag；　and　being　eaten　by　a　jaguar。〃

〃Actaeon　was　eaten　by　his　own　hounds；　Mr。　Cary；　so　the　parallel　don't　hold。　　But　surely　she　was　a　very　wonder　of　beauty！〃

Why　was　it　that　Amyas　did　not　like　this　harmless　talk？　　There　had　come　over　him　the　strangest　new　feeling；　as　if　that　fair　vision　was　his　property；　and　the　men　had　no　right　to　talk　about　her；　no　right　to　have　even　seen　her。　　And　he　spoke　quite　surlily　as　he　said

〃You　may　leave　the　women　to　themselves；　my　masters；　you'll　have　to　deal　with　the　men　ere　long：　so　get　your　canoes　up　on　the　rock；　and　keep　good　watch。〃

〃Hillo！〃　shouted　one　in　a　few　minutes；　〃here's　fresh　fish　enough　to　feed　us　all　round。　　I　suppose　that　young　cat…a…mountain　left　it　behind　her　in　her　hurry。　　I　wish　she　had　left　her　golden　chains　and　ouches　into　the　bargain。〃

〃Well；〃　said　another；　〃　we'll　take　it　as　fair　payment；　for　having　made　us　drop　down　the　current　again　to　let　her　ladyship　pass。〃

〃Leave　that　fish　alone；〃　said　Amyas；　〃it　is　none　of　yours。〃

〃Why；　sir！〃　quoth　the　finder　in　a　tone　of　sulky　deprecation。

〃If　we　are　to　make　good　friends　with　the　heathens；　we　had　better　not　begin　by　stealing　their　goods。　　There　are　plenty　more　fish　in　the　river；　go　and　catch　them；　and　let　the　Indians　have　their　own。〃

The　men　were　accustomed　enough　to　strict　and　stern　justice　in　their　dealings　with　the　savages：　but　they　could　not　help　looking　slyly　at　each　other；　and　hinting；　when　out　of　sight；　that　the　captain　seemed　in　a　mighty　fuss　about　his　new　acquaintance。

However；　they　were　expert　by　this　time　in　all　the　Indian's　fishing　methods；　and　so　abundant　was　the　animal　life　which　swarmed　around　every　rock；　that　in　an　hour　fish　enough　lay　on　the　beach　to　feed　them　all；　whose　forms　and　colors；　names　and　families；　I　must　leave　the　reader　to　guess　from　the　wondrous　pages　of　Sir　Richard　Schomburgk；　for　I　know　too　little　of　them　to　speak　without　the　fear　of　making　mistakes。

A　full　hour　passed　before　they　saw　anything　more　of　their　Indian　neighbors；　and　then　from　under　the　bushes　shot　out　a　canoe；　on　which　all　eyes　were　fixed　in　expectation。

Amyas；　who　expected　to　find　there　some　remnant　of　a　higher　race；　was　disappointed　enough　at　seeing　on　board　only　the　usual　half…　dozen　of　low…browed；　dirty　Orsons；　painted　red　with　arnotto：　but　a　gray…headed　elder　at　the　stern　seemed；　by　his　feathers　and　gold　ornaments；　to　be　some　man　of　note　in　the　little　woodland　community。

The　canoe　came　close　up　to　the　island；　Amyas　saw　that　they　were　unarmed；　and；　laying　down　his　weapons；　advanced　alone　to　the　bank；　making　all　signs　of　amity。　　They　were　returned　with　interest　by　the　old　man；　and　Amyas's　next　care　was　to　bring　forward　the　fish　which　the　fair　nymph　had　left　behind；　and；　through　the　medium　of　the　Indian　lad；　to　give　the　cacique　（for　so　he　seemed　to　be）　to　understand　that　he　wished　to　render　every　one　his　own。　　This　offer　was　received；　as　Amyas　expected；　with　great　applause；　and　the　canoe　came　alongside；　but　the　crew　still　seemed　afraid　to　land。　　Amyas　bade　his　men　throw　the　fish　one　by　one　into　the　boat；　and　then　proclaimed　by　the　boy's　mouth；　as　was　his　custom　with　all　Indians；　that　he　and　his　were　enemies　of　the　Spaniards；　and　on　their　way　to　make　war　against　them；and　that　all　which　they　desired　was　a　peaceable　and　safe　passage　through　the　dominions　of　the　mighty　potentate　and　renowned　warrior　whom　they　beheld　before　them；　for　Amyas　argued　rightly　enough；　that　even　if　the　old　fellow　aft　was　not　the　cacique；　he　would　be　none　the　less　pleased　at　being　mistaken　for　him。

Whereon　the　ancient　worthy；　rising　in　the　canoe；　pointed　to　heaven；　earth；　and　the　things　under；　and　commenced　a　long　sermon；　in　tone；　manner；　and　articulation；　very　like　one　of　those　which　the　great　black…bearded　apes　were　in　the　habit　of　preaching　every　evening　when　they　could　get　together　a　congregation　of　little　monkeys　to　listen；　to　the　great　scandal　of　Jack；　who　would　have　it　that　some　evil　spirit　set　them　on　to　mimic　him；　which　sermon；　being　partly　interpreted　by　the　Indian　lad；　seemed　to　signify；　that　the　valor　and　justice　of　the　white　men　had　already　reached　the　ears　of　the　speaker；　and　that　he　was　sent　to　welcome　them　into　those　regions　by　the　Daughter　of　the　Sun。

〃The　Daughter　of　the　Sun！〃　quoth　Amyas；　〃then　we　have　found　the　lost　Incas　after　all。〃

〃We　have　found　something；〃　said　Cary；　〃I　only　hope　it　may　not　be　a　mare's　nest；　like　many　another　of　our　finding。〃

〃Or　an　adder's；〃　said　Yeo。　　〃We　must　beware　of　treachery。〃

〃We　must　beware　of　no　such　thing；〃　said　Amyas；　pretty　sharply。　〃Have　I　not　told　you　fifty　times；　that　if　they　see　that　we　trust　them；　they　will　trust　us；　and　if　they　see　that　we　suspect　them；　they　will　suspect　us？　　And　when　two　parties　are　watching　to　see　who　strikes　the　first　blow；　they　are　sure　to　come　to　fisticuffs　from　mere　dirty　fear　of　each　other。〃

Amyas　spoke　truth；　for　almost　every　atrocity　against　savages　which　had　been　committed　by　the　Spaniards；　and　which　was　in　later　and　worse　times　committed　by　the　English；　was　wont　to　be　excused　in　that　same　base　fear　of　treachery。　　Amyas's　plan；　like　that　of　Drake；　and　Cook；　and　all　great　English　voyagers；　had　been　all　along　to　inspire　at　once　awe　and　confidence；　by　a　frank　and　fearless　carriage；　and　he　was　not　disappointed　here。　　He　bade　the　men　step　boldly　into　their　canoes；　and　follow　the　old　Indian　whither　he　would。　　The　simple　children　of　the　forest　bowed　themselves　reverently　before　the　mighty　strangers；　and　then　led　them　smilingly　across　the　stream；　and　through　a　narrow　passage　in　the　covert；　to　a　hidden　lagoon；　on　the　banks　of　which　stood；　not　Manoa；　but　a　tiny　Indian　village。



CHAPTER　XXIV

HOW　AMYAS　WAS　TEMPTED　OF　THE　DEVIL


〃Let　us　alone。　　What　pleasure　can　we　have　　　　To　war　with　evil？　　Is　there　any　peace　　In　always　climbing　up　the　climbing　wave？　　　　All　things　have　rest；　and　ripen　toward　the　grave　　In　silence；　ripen；　fall；　and　cease：　　　　Give　us　long　rest　or　death；　dark　death；　or　dreamful　ease。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TENNYSON。


Humboldt　has　somewhere　a　curious　passage；　in　which；　looking　on　some　wretched　group　of　Indians；　squatting　stupidly　round　their　fires；　besmeared　with　grease　and　paint；　and　devouring　ants　and　clay；　he　somewhat　naively　remarks；　that　were　it　not　for　science；　which　teaches　us　that　such　is　the　crude　material　of　humanity；　and　this　the　state　from　which　we　all　have　risen；　he　should　have　been　tempted　rather　to　look　upon　those　hapless　beings　as　the　last　degraded　remnants　of　some　fallen　and　dying　race。　　One　wishes　that　the　great　traveller　had　been　bold　enough　to　yield　to　that　temptation；　which　his　own　reason　and　common　sense　presented　to　him　as　the　real　explanation　of　the　sad　sight；　instead　of　following　the　dogmas　of　a　so…called　science；　which　has　not　a　fact　whereon　to　base　its　wild　notion；　and　must　ignore　a　thousand　facts　in　asserting　it。　　His　own　good　sense；　it　seems；　coincided　instinctively　with　the　Bible　doctrine；　that　man　in　a　state　of　nature　is　a　fallen　being；　doomed　to　deatha　view　which　may　be　a　sad　one；　but　still　one　more　honorable　to　poor　humanity　than　the　theory；　that　we　all　began　as　some　sort　of　two…handed　apes。　　It　is　surely　more　hopeful　to　believe　that　those　poor　Otomacs　or　Guahibas　were　not　what　they　ought　to　be；　than　to　believe　that　they　were。　　It　is　certainly　more　complimentary　to　them　to　think　that　they　had　been　somewhat　nobler　and　more　prudent　in　centuries　gone　by；　than　that　they　were　such　blockheads　as　to　have　dragged　on；　the　son　after　the　father；　for　all　the　thousands　of　years　which　have　elapsed　since　man　was　made；　without　having　had　wit　enough　to　discover　any　better　food　than　ants　and　clay。

Our　voyagers；　however；　like　those　of　their　time；　troubled　their　heads　with　no　such　questions。　　Taking　the　Bible　story　as　they　found　it；　they　agreed　with　Humboldt's　reason；　and　not　with　his　science；　or；　to　speak　correctly；　agreed　with　Humboldt's　self；　and　not　with　the　shallow　anthropologic　theories　which　happened　to　be　in　vogue　fifty　years　ago；　and　their　new　hosts　were　in　their　eyes　immortal　souls　like　themselves；　〃captivated　by　the　devil　at　his　will；〃　lost　there　in　the　pathless　forests；　likely　to　be　lost　hereafter。

And　certainly　facts　seemed　to　bear　out　their　old…fashioned　theories；　although　these　Indians　had　sunk　by　no　means　so　low　as　the　Guahibas　whom　they　had　met　upon　the　lower　waters　of　the　same　river。

They　beheld；　on　landing；　a　scattered　village　of　palm…leaf　sheds；　under　which；　as　usual；　the　hammocks　were　slung　from　tree　to　tree。　Here　and　there；　in　openings　in　the　forest；　patches　of　cassava　and　indigo　appeared；　and　there　was　a　look　of　neatness　and　comfort　about　the　little　settlement　superior　to　the　average。

But　now　for　the　signs　of　the　evil　spirit。　　Certainly　it　was　no　good　spirit　who　had　inspired　them　with　the　art　of　music；　or　else　（as　Cary　said）　Apollo　and　Mercury　（if　they　ever　visited　America）　had　played　their　forefathers　a　shabby　trick；　and　put　them　off　with　very　poor　instruments；　and　still　poorer　taste。　　For　on　either　side　of　the　landing…place　were　arranged　four　or　five　stout　fellows；　each　with　a　tall　drum；　or　long　earthen　trumpet；　swelling　out　in　the　course　of　its　length　into　several　hollow　balls　from　which　arose；　the　moment　the　strangers　set　foot　on　shore；　so　deafening　a　cacophony　of　howls；　and　groans；　and　thumps；　as　fully　to　justify　Yeo's　remark；　〃They　are　calling　upon　their　devil；　sir。〃　　To　which　Cary　answered；　with　some　show　of　reason；　that　〃they　wer