westward ho-第157章

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t…grandchild；　a　little　maid　of　six；　has　laid　her　curly　head　upon　his　knees；　and　his　grand…daughter；　a　buxom　black…　eyed　dame　of　thirty；　stands　by　him　and　tends　him；　half　as　nurse；　and　half；　too；　as　showman；　for　he　seems　an　object　of　curiosity　to　all　the　captains；　and　his　fair　nurse　has　to　entreat　again　and　again；　〃Bless　you；　sir；　please　now；　don't　give　him　no　liquor；　poor　old　soul；　the　doctor　says。〃　　It　is　old　Martin　Cockrem；　father　of　the　ancient　host；　aged　himself　beyond　the　years　of　man；　who　can　recollect　the　bells　of　Plymouth　ringing　for　the　coronation　of　Henry　the　Eighth；　and　who　was　the　first　Englishman；　perhaps；　who　ever　set　foot　on　the　soil　of　the　New　World。　　There　he　sits；　like　an　old　Druid　Tor　of　primeval　granite　amid　the　tall　wheat　and　rich　clover　crops　of　a　modern　farm。　　He　has　seen　the　death　of　old　Europe　and　the　birth…throes　of　the　new。　　Go　to　him；　and　question　him；　for　his　senses　are　quick　as　ever；　and　just　now　the　old　man　seems　uneasy。　He　is　peering　with　rheumy　eyes　through　the　groups；　and　seems　listening　for　a　well…known　voice。

〃There　'a　be　again！　　Why　don't　'a　come；　then？〃

〃Quiet；　gramfer；　and　don't　trouble　his　worship。〃

〃Here　an　hour；　and　never　speak　to　poor　old　Martin！　　I　say；　sir〃　and　the　old　man　feebly　plucks　Amyas's　cloak　as　he　passes。　　〃I　say；　captain；　do　'e　tell　young　master　old　Martin's　looking　for　him。〃

〃Marcy；　gramfer；　where's　your　manners？　　Don't　be　vexed；　sir；　he'm　a'most　a　babe；　and　tejous　at　times；　mortal。〃

〃Young　master　who？〃　says　Amyas；　bending　down　to　the　old　man；　and　smiling　to　the　dame　to　let　him　have　his　way。

〃Master　Hawkins；　he'm　never　been　a…near　me　all　day。〃

Off　goes　Amyas；　and；　of　course；　lays　hold　of　the　sleeve　of　young　Richard　Hawkins；　but　as　he　is　in　act　to　speak；　the　dame　lays　hold　of　his；　laughing　and　blushing。

〃No；　sir；　not　Mr。　Richard；　sir；　Admiral　John；　sir；　his　father；　he　always　calls　him　young　master；　poor　old　soul！〃　and　she　points　to　the　grizzled　beard　and　the　face　scarred　and　tanned　with　fifty　years　of　fight　and　storm。

Amyas　goes　to　the　Admiral；　and　gives　his　message。

〃Mercy　on　me！　　Where　be　my　wits？　　Iss；　I'm　a…coming；〃　says　the　old　hero　in　his　broadest　Devon；　waddles　off　to　the　old　man；　and　begins　lugging　at　a　pocket。　　〃Here；　Martin；　I've　got　mun；　I've　got　mun；　man　alive；　but　his　Lordship　keept　me　so。　　Lookee　here；　then！　　Why；　I　do　get　so　lusty　of　late；　Martin；　I　can't　get　to　my　pockets！〃

And　out　struggle　a　piece　of　tarred　string；　a　bundle　of　papers；　a　thimble；　a　piece　of　pudding…tobacco；　and　last　of　all；　a　little　paper　of　Muscovado　sugarthen　as　great　a　delicacy　as　any　French　bonbons　would　be　nowwhich　he　thrusts　into　the　old　man's　eager　and　trembling　hand。

Old　Martin　begins　dipping　his　finger　into　it；　and　rubbing　it　on　his　toothless　gums；　smiling　and　nodding　thanks　to　his　young　master；　while　the　little　maid　at　his　knee；　unrebuked；　takes　her　share　also。

〃There；　Admiral　Leigh；　both　ends　meetgramfers　and　babies！　　You　and　I　shall　be　like　to　that　one　day；　young　Samson！〃

〃We　shall　have　slain　a　good　many　Philistines　first；　I　hope。〃

〃Amen！　so　be　it；　but　look　to　mun！　so　fine　a　sailor　as　ever　drank　liquor；　and　now　greedy　after　a　hit　of　sweet　trade！　'tis　piteous　like；　but　I　bring　mun　a　hit　whenever　I　come；　and　he　looks　for　it。　He's　one　of　my　own　flesh　like；　is　old　Martin。　　He　sailed　with　my　father　Captain　Will；　when　they　was　both　two　little　cracks　aboard　of　a　trawler；　and　my　father　went　up；　and　here　I　amhe　didn't；　and　there　he　is。　　We'm　up　now；　we　Hawkinses。　　We　may　be　down　again　some　day。〃

〃Never；　I　trust；〃　said　Amyas。

〃'Tain't　no　use　trusting；　young　man：　you　go　and　do。　　I　do　hear　too　much　of　that　there　from　my　lad。　　Let　they　ministers　preach　till　they'm　black　in　the　face；　works　is　the　trade！〃　with　a　nudge　in　Amyas's　ribs。　　〃Faith　can't　save；　nor　charity　nether。　　There；　you　tell　with　him；　while　I　go　play　bowls　with　Drake。　　He'll　tell　you　a　sight　of　stories。　　You　ask　him　about　good　King　Hal；　now；　just〃

And　off　waddled　the　Port　Admiral。

〃You　have　seen　good　King　Henry；　then；　father？〃　said　Amyas；　interested。

The　old　man's　eyes　lighted　at　once；　and　he　stopped　mumbling　his　sugar。

〃Seed　mun？　　Iss；　I　reckon。　　I　was　with　Captain　Will　when　he　went　to　meet　the　Frenchman　there　to　Calaisat　the　Field；　the　Field〃

〃The　Field　of　the　Cloth　of　Gold；　gramfer；〃　suggested　the　dame。

〃That's　it。　　Seed　mun？　　Iss；　fegs。　　Oh；　he　was　a　king！　　The　face　o'　mun　like　a　rising　sun；　and　the　back　o'　mun　so　broad　as　that　there〃　（and　he　held　out　his　palsied　arms）；　〃and　the　voice　of　mun！　　Oh；　to　hear　mun　swear　if　he　was　merry；　oh；　'tas　royal！Seed　mun？　　Iss；　fegs！　　And　I've　seed　mun　do　what　few　has；　I've　seed　mun　christle　like　any　child。〃

〃Whatcry？〃　said　Amyas。　　〃I　shouldn't　have　thought　there　was　much　cry　in　him。〃

〃You　think　what　you　like〃

〃Gramfer；　gramfer；　don't　you　be　rude；　now

〃Let　him　go　on；〃　said　Amyas。

〃I　seed　mun　christle；　and；　oh　dear；　how　he　did　put　hands　on　mun's　face；　and　'Oh；　my　gentlemen；'　says　he；　'my　gentlemen！　　Oh；　my　gallant　men！'　　Them　was　his　very　words。〃

〃But　when？〃

〃Why；　Captain　Will　had　just　come　to　the　Hardthat's　to　Portsmouth　to　speak　with　mun；　and　the　barge　Royal　lay　again　the　Hardso；　and　our　boot　alongsideso；　and　the　king　he　standth　as　it　might　be　there；　above　my　head；　on　the　quay　edge；　and　she　come　in　near　abreast　of　us；　looking　most　royal　to　behold；　poor　dear！　and　went　to　cast　about。　　And　Captain　Will；　saith　he；　'Them　lower　ports　is　cruel　near　the　water；'　for　she　had　not　more　than　a　sixteen　inches　to　spare　in　the　nether　overloop；　as　I　heard　after。　　And　saith　he；　'That　won't　do　for　going　to　windward　in　a　say；　Martin。'　　And　as　the　words　came　out　of　mun's　mouth；　your　worship；　there　was　a　bit　of　a　flaw　from　the　westward；　sharp　like；　and　overboard　goeth　my　cap；　and　hitth　against　the　wall；　and　as　I　stooped　to　pick　it　up；　I　heard　a　cry；　and　it　was　all　over！〃

〃He　is　telling　of　the　Mary　Rose；　sir。〃

〃I　guessed　so。〃

〃All　over：　and　the　cry　of　mun；　and　the　screech　of　mun！　　Oh；　sir；　up　to　the　very　heavens！　　And　the　king　he　screeched　right　out　like　any　maid；　'Oh　my　gentlemen；　oh　my　gallant　men！'　and　as　she　lay　on　her　beam…ends；　sir；　and　just　a…settling；　the　very　last　souls　I　seen　was　that　man's　father；　and　that　man's。　　I　knowed　mun　by　their　armor。〃

And　he　pointed　to　Sir　George　Carew　and　Sir　Richard　Grenville。

〃Iss！　Iss！　　Drowned　like　rattens。　　Drowned　like　rattens！〃

〃Now；　you　mustn't　trouble　his　worship　any　more。〃

〃Trouble？　　Let　him　tell　till　midnight；　I　shall　be　well　pleased；〃　said　Amyas；　sitting　down　on　the　bench　by　him。　　〃Drawer！　aleand　a　parcel　of　tobacco。〃

And　Amyas　settled　himself　to　listen；　while　the　old　man　purred　to　himself

〃Iss。　　They　likes　to　hear　old　Martin。　　All　the　captains　look　upon　old　Martin。〃

〃Hillo；　Amyas！〃　said　Cary；　〃who's　your　friend？　　Here's　a　man　been　telling　me　wonders　about　the　River　Plate。　　We　should　go　thither　for　luck　there　next　time。〃

〃River　Plate？〃　said　old　Martin。　　〃It's　I　knows　about　the　River　Plate；　none　so　well。　　Who'd　ever　been　there；　nor　heard　of　it　nether；　before　Captain　Will　and　me　went；　and　I　lived　among　the　savages　a　whole　year；　and　audacious　civil　I　found　'em　if　they　'd　had　but　shirts　to　their　backs；　and　so　was　the　prince　o'　mun；　that　Captain　Will　brought　home　to　King　Henry；　leastwise　he　died　on　the　voyage；　but　the　wild　folk　took　it　cruel　well；　for　you　see；　we　was　always　as　civil　with　them　as　Christians；　and　if　we　hadn't　been；　I　should　not　have　been　here　now。〃

〃What　year　was　that？〃

〃In　the　fifteen　thirty：　but　I　was　there　afore；　and　learnt　the　speech　o'　mun；　and　that's　why　Captain　Will　left　me　to　a　hostage；　when　he　tuked　their　prince。〃

〃Before　that？〃　said　Cary；　〃why；　the　country　was　hardly　known　before　that。〃

The　old　man's　eyes　flashed　up　in　triumph。

〃Knowed？　　Iss；　and　you　may　well　say　that！　　Look　ye　here！　　Look　to　mun！〃　and　he　waved　his　hand　round〃There's　captains！　and　I'm　the　father　of　'em　all　now；　now　poor　Captain　Will's　in　gloory；　I；　Martin　Cockrem！　。　。　。　　Iss；　I've　seen　a　change。　　I　mind　when　Tavistock　Abbey　was　so　full　o'　friars；　and　goolden　idols；　and　sich　noxious　trade；　as　ever　was　a　wheat…rick　of　rats。　　I　mind　the　fight　off　Brest　in　the　French　warsOh；　that　was　a　fight；　surely！when　the　Regent　and　the　French　Carack　were　burnt　side