As they came over the blue wave Juan Lepe stepped down sand to water edge. Not here, but somewhat to the west, before La Navidad would one look for this anchoring. He thought rightly that the Admiral came here from La Navidad, where he found only ruin, but also some straying Indian who could give news. So it was, for presently in the foremost boat I made out two Guarico men. They had told of Caonabo and of Guacanagari's fortunes, and of every Spaniard dead of that illness or slain4 by Caonabo. They would put Juan Lepe among these last, but here was Juan Lepe, one only left of that thirty-eight.
The boat approached. I saw the bared head, higher than any other, the white hair, the blue-gray eyes, the strong nose and lips, the whole majestic5 air of the man, as of a great one chosen. Master Christopherus—Don Cristoval—el Almirante! One of the rowers, and that was Sancho with whom I had walked on the Fishertown road, first saw me and gave a startled cry. All in the boat turned head. I heard the Admiral's voice, "Aye, it is! It is!"
Boat touched sand, there was landing. All sprang out. The Admiral took me in his arms. "You alone—one only?"
I answered, "One only. The most died in their duty."
He released me. "Senors, this is senor Juan Lepe, that good physician whom we left. Now tell—tell all—before we go among this folk!"
By water edge I told, thirty men of Spain around me. A woeful story, I made it short. These men listened, and when it was done fell a silence. Christopherus Columbus broke it. "The wave sucks under and throws out again, but we sail the sea, have sailed it and will sail it!—Now were these Indians false or fair?"
I could tell how fair they had been—could praise Guarico and Guacanagari and Guarin. He listened with great satisfaction. "I would lay my head for that Indian!"
Talk with him could not be prolonged, for we were in a scene of the greatest business and commotion6. When I sought for Guarin he was gone. Nor was Guacanagari yet at hand. I looked at the swarming7 ships and ship boats, and the coming and coming upon the beach of more and more clothed men, and at the tall green palms and the feathered mountains. This host, it seemed to me, was not so artlessly amazed as had been we of the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina, when first we came to lands so strange to Europe. Presently I made out that they had seen others of these islands and shores. Coming from Spain they had sailed more southerly than we had done before them. They had made a great dip and had come north-by-west to Hispaniola. I heard names of islands given by the Admiral, Dominica, Marigalante, Guadaloupe, Santa Maria la Antigua, San Juan. They had anchored by these, set foot upon them, even fought with people who were Caribs, Caribals or Cannibals. They had a dozen Caribs, men and women, prisoners upon the Marigalante that was the Admiral's ship.
This group about Juan Lepe, survivor8 of La Navidad, talked like seasoned finders and takers. For the most part they were young men and hidalgos, fighters against the Moors10, released by the final conquest of those paynims, out now for further wild adventure and for gold with which to return, wealthy and still young, to Spanish country, Spanish cities, Spanish women! They had the virtue11 and the vice12 of their sort, courage, miraculous13 generosities14 and as miraculous weaknesses. Gold, valor15, comradeship—and eyes resting appraisingly16 upon young Guarico women there upon the silver beach with Guarico men.
I heard one cry "Master Juan Lepe!" and turning found Luis Torres. We embraced, we were so glad each to see the other. My hidalgos were gone, but before I could question Luis or he me, there bore down upon us, coming together like birds, half a dozen friars. "We bring twelve—number of the Apostles!" said Luis. "Monks17 and priests. Father Bernardo Buil is their head. The Holy Father hath appointed him Vicar here. You won't find him a Fray19 Ignatio!"
A bull-necked, dark-browed, choleric20 looking man addressed me. His Benedictine dress became him ill. He should have been a Captain of Free Lances in whatever brisk war was waging. He said, "The survivor, Juan Lepe?—We stopped at your La Navidad and found ruin and emptiness. There must have been ill management—gross!"
"They are all dead," I answered. "None of us manage the towers so very well!"
He regarded me more attentively22. "The physician, Juan Lepe. Where did you study?"
"In Poitiers and in Paris, Father."
"You have," he said, "the height and sinew and something of the eye and voice of a notable disappeared heretic, Jayme de Marchena, who slipped the Dominicans. I saw him once from a doorway23. But that the Prior of La Rabida himself told me that he had accurate knowledge that the man was gone with the Jews to Fez, I could almost think—But of course it is not possible, and now I see the differences."
I answered him with some indifferent word, and we came to the Haytiens, and how many had Fray Ignatio made Christian24? "I knew him," said the Benedictine. "A good man, but weak, weak!"
Juan Lepe asked of the Indians the Admiral had taken to Spain. "But six reached us alive. We instructed them and baptized them. A great event—the Grand Cardinal25 and the King and the Queen attending! Three died during the summer, but blessedly, being the first of all their people in all time to enter heaven. A great salvation26!"
He looked at the forest and mountains, the sands, the Guaricos, as at a city he was besieging27.
"Ha!" said Father Buil, and with his missionaries28 moved up the beach.
Luis and I began to talk. "No need to tell me that Spain gave you welcome!"'
"The royalest ever! First we came to Lisbon, driven in by storm, and had it there from King John, and then to Palos which, so to speak, went mad! Then through Spain to Barcelona, where was the court, and all the bells in every town ringing and every door and window crowded, and here is the Faery Prince on a white charger, his Indians behind him and gold and parrots and his sailors! Processions and processions—alcalde and alcayde and don and friar and priest, and let us stop at the church and kneel before high altar, and vow29 again in seven years to free the Sepulchre! He hath walked and ridden, waked and slept, in a great, high vision! Most men have visions but he can sustain vision."
"Aye, he can!"
"So at last into Barcelona, where grandees31 meet us, and so on to the court, and music as though the world had turned music! And the King and Queen and great welcome, and, 'Sit beside us, Don Cristoval Colon32!' and 'Tell and tell again', and 'Praise we Most High God!'"
"It is something for which to praise! Ends of the earth beginning to meet."
"Aye! So we write that very night to the Pope to be confirmed that the glory and profit under God are to Castile and Aragon. But the Queen thought most of the heathen brought to Christ. And the Admiral thinks of his sons and his brothers and his old father, and of the Holy Sepulchre and of the Prophecies, and he has the joy of the runner who touches the goal!—I would you could have seen the royalty33 with which he was treated—not one day nor week but a whole summer long—the flocking, the bowing and capping, the 'Do me the honor—', the 'I have a small petition.' Nothing conquers like conquering!"
"He had long patience."
"Aye. Well, he is at height now. But he has got with him the old disastrous34 seeds.—Fifteen hundred men, and among them quite a plenty like Gutierrez and Escobedo! But there are good men, too, and a great lot of romantical daredevils. No pressing this time! We might have brought five thousand could the ships have held them. 'Come to the Indies and make your fortune!'—'Aye, that is my desire!'"
I said, "I am looking now at a romantical daredevil whom I have seen before, though I am sure that he never noticed me."
"Don Alonso de Ojeda? He is feather in cap, and sometimes cap, and even at stress head within the cap! Without moving you've beckoned35 him."
There approached a young man of whom I knew something, having had him pointed18 out by Enrique de Cerda in Santa Fe. I had before that heard his name and somewhat of his exploits. In our day, over all Spain, one might find or hear of cavaliers of this brand. War with the Moor9 had lasted somewhat longer than the old famed war with Troy. It had modeled youth; young men were old soldiers. When there came up a sprite like this one he drank war like wine. A slight young man, taut36 as a rope in a gale37, with dark eyes and red lips and a swift, decisive step, up he came.
"Oh, you are the man who lived out of all your fort? How did you manage it?"
"I had a friend among these friendly Indians who rescued me."
"Yes! It is excellent warfare38 to have friends.—You have seen no knight39 nor men-at-arms, nor heard of such?"
"Not under those names."
"How far do you think we may be from true houses and cities, castles, fortresses40?"
"I haven't the least idea. By the looks of it, pretty far."
"It seems to me that you speak truth," he answered. "Well, it isn't what we looked for, but it's something! Room yet to dare!" Off he went, half Mercury, half Mars, and a sprig of youth to draw the eyes.
"Was there nothing ever heard," I asked Luis, "of the Pinta and Martin Pinzon?"
"He is dead."
"You saw the wreck41?"
"No, not that way, though true it is that he wrecked42 himself! I forget that you know nothing. We met the Pinta last January, not a day from here, with Monte Cristi there yet in sight. When he came aboard and sat in the great cabin I do not know what he said, except that it was of separation by that storm, and the feeling that two parties discovering would thereby43 discover the more, and the better serve their Majesties44. The Admiral made no quarrel with him. He had some gold and some news of coasts that we had not seen. And he did not seem to think it necessary to seem penitent45 or anything but just naturally Martin Pinzon. So on we sailed together, he on the Pinta and the Admiral on the Nina. But that was a rough voyage home over Ocean-Sea! Had we had such weather coming, might have been mutiny and throat-cutting and putting back, Cathay and India being of no aid to dead men! Six times at least we thought we were drowned, and made vows46, kneeling all together and the Admiral praying for us, Fray Ignatio not being there. Then came clear, but beyond Canaries a three days', three nights' weather that truly drove us apart, the Pinta and the Nina. We lost each other in the darkness and never found again. We were beaten into the Tagus, the Pinta on to Bayonne. Then, mid-March, we came to Palos, landed and the wonder began. And in three days who should come limping in but the Pinta? But she missed the triumph, and Martin Pinzon was sick, and there was some coldness shown. He went ashore47 to his own house, and his illness growing worse he died there. Well, he had qualities."
"Aye," I answered, with a vision of the big, bluff48, golden-haired man.
"Vicente Pinzon is here; his ship the Cordera yonder. What's the stir now? The Admiral will go to see Guacanagari?"
That, it seemed, was what it was, and presently came word that Juan Lepe should go with him. A body of cavaliers sumptuously49 clad, some even wearing shining corselet, greaves and helm, was forming about him who was himself in a magnificent dress. Besides these were fifty of the plainer sort, and there lacked not crossbow, lance and arquebus. And there were banners and music. We were going like an army to be brotherly with Guacanagari. Father Buil was going also, and his twelve gowned men. "Who," I asked Luis, "is the man beside the Admiral? He seems his kin21."
"He is. It is his brother, Don Diego. He is a good man, able, too, though not able like the Admiral. They say the other brother, Bartholomew, who is in England or in France, is almost as able. How dizzily turns the wheel for some of us! Yesterday plain Diego and Bartholomew, a would-be churchman and a shipmaster and chart-maker! Now Don Diego—Don Bartholomew! And the two sons watching us off from Cadiz! Pages both of them to the Prince, and pictures to look at! 'Father!' and 'Noble father! and 'Forget not your health, who are our Dependance!'"
Waiting for all to start, I yet regarded that huge dazzle upon the beach, so many landed, so many coming from the ships, the ships themselves so great a drift of sea birds! As for those dark folk—what should they think of all these breakers-in from heaven? It seemed to me to-day that despite their friendliness50 shown us here from the first, despite the miracle and the fed eye and ear and the excitement, they knew afar a pale Consternation51.
At last, to drum and trumpet52, we passed from shining beach into green forest. I found myself for a moment beside Diego Colon—not the Admiral's brother, but the young Indian so named. Now he was Christian and clothed, and truly the Haitiens stared at him hardly less than at the Admiral. I greeted him and he me. He tried to speak in Castilian but it was very hard for him, and in a moment we slipped into Indian.
I asked him, "How did you like Spain?"
He looked at me with a remote and childlike eye and began to speak of houses and roads and horses and oxen.
A message came from the Admiral at head of column. I went to him. Men looked at me as I passed them. I was ragged53 now, grizzle-bearded and wan54, and they seemed to say, "Is it so this strange land does them? But those first ones were few and we are many, and it does not lie in our fortune! Gold lies in ours, and return in splendor55 and happiness." But some had more thoughtful eyes and truer sense of wonder.
We found Guacanagari in a new, large, very clean house, and found him lying in a great hammock with his leg bound with cotton web, around him wives and chief men. He sat up to greet the Admiral and with a noble and affecting air poured forth56 speech and laid his hand upon his hidden hurt.
Now I knew, because Guarin had told me so, that that wound was healed. It had given trouble—the Caribs poisoned their darts—but now it was well. But they are simpler minded than we, this folk, and I read Guacanagari that he must impress the returning gods with his fidelity57. He had proved it, and while Juan Lepe was by he did not need this mummery, but he had thought that he might need. So, a big man evidently healthful, he sighed and winced58 and half closed his eyes as though half dying still in that old contest when he had stood by the people from the sky. I interpreted his speech, the Admiral already understanding, but not the surrounding cavaliers. It was a high speech or high assurance that he had done his highest best.
"Do I not believe that, Guacanagari?" said the Admiral, and thinking of Diego de Arana and Fray Ignatio and others and of the good hope of La Navidad, tears came into his eyes.
He sat upon the most honorable block of wood which was brought him and talked to Guacanagari. Then at his gesture one brought his presents, a mirror, a rich belt, a knife, a pair of castanets. Guacanagari, it seemed, since the sighting of the ships, had made collection on his part. He gave enough gold to make lustful60 many an eye looking upon that scene.
The women brought food and set before the Spaniards in the house. I found Guarin and presently we came to be standing59 without the entrance—they had no doors; sometimes they had curtains of cotton—looking upon that strange gathering61 in the little middle square of the town. So many Spaniards in the palm shadows, and the women feeding them, and Alonso de Ojeda's hand upon the arm of a slender brown girl with a wreath of flowers around her head. Father Buil was within with the Admiral, truculently62 and suspiciously regarding the idolater who now had left the hammock and seemed as well of a wound as any there! But here without were eight or ten friars, gathered together under a palm tree, making refection and talking among themselves. One devout63 brother, sitting apart and fasting, told his beads64.
Said Guarin, "I have been watching him. He is talking to his zeme. —They are all butios?"
"Yes. Most of them are good men."
"What is going to happen here to all my people? Something is over against me and my people, I feel it! Even the cacique has fear."
"It is the dark Ignorance and the light Ignorance, the clothed Ignorance and the naked Ignorance. I feel it too, what you feel. But I feel, O Guarin, that the inner and true Man will not and cannot take hurt!"
He said, "Do they come for good?"
I answered, "There is much good in their coming. Seen from the mountain brow, enormous good, I think. In the long run I am fain to think that all have their market here, you no less than I, Guacanagari no less than the Admiral."
"I do not know that," he said. "It seems to me the sunny day is dark."
I said, "In the main all things work together, and in the end is honey."
Out they came from palm-roofed house, the Admiral of the Ocean-Sea and Viceroy of what Indies he could find for Spain and Spain could take, and the Indian king or grandee30 or princeling. Perceiving that what he did was appreciated for what it was, Guacanagari had recovered his lameness65. The cotton was no longer about his thigh66; he moved straight and lightly,—a big, easy Indian.
It was now well on in the afternoon, but he would go with the Mighty67 Stranger, the Great Cacique his friend, to see the ships and all the wonders. His was a childlike craving68 for pure novelty and marvel69.
So we went, all of us, back through vast woodland to cerulean water. Water was deep, the Marigalante rode close in, and about and beyond her the Santa Clara, the Cordera, the San Juan, the Juana, another Nina, the Beatrix and many another fair name. They were beautiful, the ships on the gay water and about them the boats and the red men's canoes.
We went to the Marigalante, I with the Admiral. Dancing across in the boat there spoke70 to me Don Diego Colon, born Giacomo Colombo, and I found him a sober, able man, with a churchly inclination71. Here rose the Marigalante, and now we were upon it, and it was a greater ship than the Santa Maria, a goodly ship, with goodly gear aboard and goodly Spaniards. Jayme de Marchena felt the tug72 of blood, of home-coming into his country.
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1
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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generosities
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| n.慷慨( generosity的名词复数 )；大方；宽容；慷慨或宽容的行为 | |
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valor
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appraisingly
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monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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choleric
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| adj.易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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attentively
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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Christian
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cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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besieging
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missionaries
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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grandee
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| n.贵族；大公 | |
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grandees
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| n.贵族，大公，显贵者( grandee的名词复数 ) | |
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colon
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royalty
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disastrous
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beckoned
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taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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fortresses
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| 堡垒，要塞( fortress的名词复数 ) | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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majesties
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| n.雄伟( majesty的名词复数 )；庄严；陛下；王权 | |
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penitent
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| adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者 | |
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vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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ashore
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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sumptuously
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| 奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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58
winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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60
lustful
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| a.贪婪的；渴望的 | |
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61
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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62
truculently
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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lameness
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| n. 跛, 瘸, 残废 | |
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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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68
craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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69
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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