westward ho-第83部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



And　now　the　first　instinctive　cry　of　nature　was　for　fruit！　fruit！　fruit！　　The　poor　lame　wretches　crawled　from　place　to　place　plucking　greedily　the　violet　grapes　of　the　creeping　shore　vine；　and　staining　their　mouths　and　blistering　their　lips　with　the　prickly　pears；　in　spite　of　Yeo's　entreaties　and　warnings　against　the　thorns。　　Some　of　the　healthy　began　hewing　down　cocoa…nut　trees　to　get　at　the　nuts；　doing　little　thereby　but　blunt　their　hatchets；　till　Yeo　and　Drew；　having　mustered　half…a…dozen　reasonable　men；　went　off　inland；　and　returned　in　an　hour　laden　with　the　dainties　of　that　primeval　orchard；with　acid　junipa…apples；　luscious　guavas；　and　crowned　ananas；　queen　of　all　the　fruits；　which　they　had　found　by　hundreds　on　the　broiling　ledges　of　the　low　tufa…cliffs；　and　then　all；　sitting　on　the　sandy　turf；　defiant　of　galliwasps　and　jackspaniards；　and　all　the　weapons　of　the　insect　host；　partook　of　the　equal　banquet；　while　old　blue　land…crabs　sat　in　their　house…doors　and　brandished　their　fists　in　defiance　at　the　invaders；　and　solemn　cranes　stood　in　the　water　on　the　shoals　with　their　heads　on　one　side；　and　meditated　how　long　it　was　since　they　had　seen　bipeds　without　feathers　breaking　the　solitude　of　their　isle。

And　Frank　wandered　up　and　down；　silent；　but　rather　in　wonder　than　in　sadness；　while　great　Amyas　walked　after　him；　his　mouth　full　of　junipa…apples；　and　enacted　the　part　of　showman；　with　a　sort　of　patronizing　air；　as　one　who　had　seen　the　wonders　already；　and　was　above　being　astonished　at　them。

〃New；　new；　everything　new！〃　said　Frank；　meditatively。　　〃Oh；　awful　feeling！　　All　things　changed　around　us；　even　to　the　tiniest　fly　and　flower；　yet　we　the　same；　the　same　forever！〃

Amyas；　to　whom　such　utterances　were　altogether　sibylline　and　unintelligible；　answered　by：

〃Look；　Frank；　that's　a　colibri。　　You　've　heard　of　colibris？〃

Frank　looked　at　the　living　gem；　which　hung；　loud　humming；　over　some　fantastic　bloom；　and　then　dashed　away；　seemingly　to　call　its　mate；　and　whirred　and　danced　with　it　round　and　round　the　flower…starred　bushes；　flashing　fresh　rainbows　at　every　shifting　of　the　lights。

Frank　watched　solemnly　awhile；　and　then：

〃Qualis　Natura　formatrix；　si　talis　formata？　　Oh　my　God；　how　fair　must　be　Thy　real　world；　if　even　Thy　phantoms　are　so　fair！〃

〃Phantoms？〃　asked　Amyas；　uneasily。　　〃That's　no　ghost；　Frank；　but　a　jolly　little　honey…sucker；　with　a　wee　wife；　and　children　no　bigger　than　peas；　but　yet　solid　greedy　little　fellows　enough；　I'll　warrant。〃

〃Not　phantoms　in　thy　sense；　good　fellow；　but　in　the　sense　of　those　who　know　the　worthlessness　of　all　below。〃

〃I'll　tell　you　what；　brother　Frank；　you　are　a　great　deal　wiser　than　me；　I　know；　but　I　can't　abide　to　see　you　turn　up　your　nose　as　it　were　at　God's　good　earth。　　See　now；　God　made　all　these　things；　and　never　a　man；　perhaps；　set　eyes　on　them　till　fifty　years　agone；　and　yet　they　were　as　pretty　as　they　are　now；　ever　since　the　making　of　the　world。　　And　why　do　you　think　God　could　have　put　them　here；　then；　but　to　please　Himself〃and　Amyas　took　off　his　hat〃with　the　sight　of　them？　　Now；　I　say；　brother　Frank；　what's　good　enough　to　please　God；　is　good　enough　to　please　you　and　me。〃

〃Your　rebuke　is　just；　dear　old　simple…hearted　fellow；　and　God　forgive　me；　if　with　all　my　learning；　which　has　brought　me　no　profit；　and　my　longings；　which　have　brought　me　no　peace；　I　presume　at　moments；　sinner　that　I　am；　to　be　more　dainty　than　the　Lord　Himself。　　He　walked　in　Paradise　among　the　trees　of　the　garden；　Amyas；　and　so　will　we；　and　be　content　with　what　He　sends。　　Why　should　we　long　for　the　next　world；　before　we　are　fit　even　for　this　one？〃

〃And　in　the　meanwhile；〃　said　Amyas；　〃this　earth's　quite　good　enough；　at　least　here　in　Barbados。〃

〃Do　you　believe；〃　asked　Frank；　trying　to　turn　his　own　thoughts；　〃in　those　tales　of　the　Spaniards；　that　the　Sirens　and　Tritons　are　heard　singing　in　these　seas？〃

〃I　can't　tell。　　There's　more　fish　in　the　water　than　ever　came　out　of　it；　and　more　wonders　in　the　world；　I'll　warrant；　than　we　ever　dreamt　of；　but　I　was　never　in　these　parts　before；　and　in　the　South　Sea；　I　must　say；　I　never　came　across　any；　though　Yeo　says　he　has　heard　fair　music　at　night　up　in　the　Gulf；　far　away　from　land。〃

〃The　Spaniards　report　that　at　certain　seasons　choirs　of　these　nymphs　assemble　in　the　sea；　and　with　ravishing　music　sing　their　watery　loves。　　It　may　be　so。　　For　Nature；　which　has　peopled　the　land　with　rational　souls；　may　not　have　left　the　sea　altogether　barren　of　them；　above　all；　when　we　remember　that　the　ocean　is　as　it　were　the　very　fount　of　all　fertility；　and　its　slime　（as　the　most　learned　hold　with　Thales　of　Miletus）　that　prima　materia　out　of　which　all　things　were　one　by　one　concocted。　　Therefore；　the　ancients　feigned　wisely　that　Venus；　the　mother　of　all　living　things；　whereby　they　designed　the　plastic　force　of　nature；　was　born　of　the　sea…foam；　and　rising　from　the　deep；　floated　ashore　upon　the　isles　of　Greece。〃

〃I　don't　know　what　plastic　force　is；　but　I　wish　I　had　had　the　luck　to　be　by　when　the　pretty　poppet　came　up：　however；　the　nearest　thing　I　ever　saw　to　that　was　maidens　swimming　alongside　of　us　when　we　were　in　the　South　Seas；　and　would　have　come　aboard；　too；　but　Drake　sent　them　all　off　again　for　a　lot　of　naughty　packs；　and　I　verily　believe　they　were　no　better。　　Look　at　the　butterflies；　now！　　Don't　you　wish　you　were　a　boy　again；　and　not　too　proud　to　go　catching　them　in　your　cap？〃

And　so　the　two　wandered　on　together　through　the　glorious　tropic　woods；　and　then　returned　to　the　beach　to　find　the　sick　already　grown　cheerful；　and　many　who　that　morning　could　not　stir　from　their　hammocks；　pacing　up　and　down；　and　gaining　strength　with　every　step。

〃Well　done；　lads！〃　cried　Amyas；　〃keep　a　cheerful　mind。　　We　will　have　the　music　ashore　after　dinner；　for　want　of　mermaids　to　sing　to　us；　and　those　that　can　dance　may。〃

And　so　those　four　days　were　spent；　and　the　men；　like　schoolboys　on　a　holiday；　gave　themselves　up　to　simple　merriment；　not　forgetting；　however；　to　wash　the　clothes；　take　in　fresh　water；　and　store　up　a　good　supply　of　such　fruit　as　seemed　likely　to　keep；　until；　tired　with　fruitless　rambles　after　gold；　which　they　expected　to　find　in　every　bush；　in　spite　of　Yeo's　warnings　that　none　had　been　heard　of　on　the　island；　they　were　fain　to　lounge　about；　full…grown　babies；　picking　up　shells　and　sea…fans　to　take　home　to　their　sweethearts；　smoking　agoutis　out　of　the　hollow　trees；　with　shout　and　laughter；　and　tormenting　every　living　thing　they　could　come　near；　till　not　a　land…crab　dare　look　out　of　his　hole；　or　an　armadillo　unroll　himself；　till　they　were　safe　out　of　the　bay；　and　off　again　to　the　westward；　unconscious　pioneers　of　all　the　wealth；　and　commerce；　and　beauty；　and　science　which　has　in　later　centuries　made　that　lovely　isle　the　richest　gem　of　all　the　tropic　seas。



CHAPTER　XVIII

HOW　THEY　TOOK　THE　PEARLS　AT　MARGARITA


P。　Henry。　　Why；　what　a　rascal　art　thou；　then；　to　praise　him　so　for　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　running！　Falstaff。　　O'　horseback；　ye　cuckoo！　but　a…foot；　he　will　not　budge　a　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　foot。　P。　Henry。　　Yes；　Jack；　upon　instinct。　Falstaff。　　I　grant　ye；　upon　instinct。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Henry　IV。　　Pt。　I。


They　had　slipped　past　the　southern　point　of　Grenada　in　the　night；　and　were　at　last　within　that　fairy　ring　of　islands；　on　which　nature　had　concentrated　all　her　beauty；　and　man　all　his　sin。　　If　Barbados　had　been　invested　in　the　eyes　of　the　newcomers　with　some　strange　glory；　how　much　more　the　seas　on　which　they　now　entered；　which　smile　in　almost　perpetual　calm；　untouched　by　the　hurricane　which　roars　past　them　far　to　northward！　　Sky；　sea；　and　islands　were　one　vast　rainbow；　though　little　marked；　perhaps；　by　those　sturdy　practical　sailors；　whose　main　thought　was　of　Spanish　gold　and　pearls；　and　as　little　by　Amyas；　who；　accustomed　to　the　scenery　of　the　tropics；　was　speculating　inwardly　on　the　possibility　of　extirpating　the　Spaniards；　and　annexing　the　West　Indies　to　the　domains　of　Queen　Elizabeth。　　And　yet　even　their　unpoetic　eyes　could　not　behold　without　awe　and　excitement　lands　so　famous　and　yet　so　new；　around　which　all　the　wonder；　all　the　pity；　and　all　the　greed　of　the　age　had　concentrated　itself。　　It　was　an　awful　thought；　and　yet　inspiriting；　that　they　were　entering　regions　all　but　unknown　to　Englishmen；　where　the　penalty　of　failure　would　be　worse　than　death　the　torments　of　the　Inquisition。　　Not　more　than　five　times　before；　perhaps；　had　those　mysterious　seas　been　visited　by　English　keels；　but　there　were　those　on　board　who　knew　them　well；　and　too　well；　who；　first　of　all　British　mariners；　had　attempted　under　Captain　John　Hawkins　to　trade　along　those　very　coasts；　and；　interdicted　from　the　necessaries　of　life　by　Spanish　jealousy；　had；　in　true　English　fashion；　won　their　markets　at　the　sword's　point；　and　then　bought　and　sold　honestly　and　peaceably　therein。　　The　old　mariners　of　the　Pelican　and　the　Minion　were　questioned　all　day　long　for　the　names　of　every　isle　and　cape；　every　fish　and　bird；　while　Frank　stood　by；　listening　serious　and　silent。

A　great　awe　seemed　to　have　possessed　his　soul；　yet　not　a　sad　one：　for　his　face　seemed　daily　to　drink　in　glory　from　the　glory　round　him；　and　murmuring　to　himself　at　whiles；　〃This　is　the　gate　of　heaven；〃　h