inca.gold-第2部分

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　people　studying　him。
　　　　Trembling　with　fear；　they　tenderly　carried　him　to　a　canoe　and　gently　lowered　him　inside。　Then　two　of　the　bravest　men　were　chosen　to　transport　the　body　to　the　island。　Upon　reaching　the　beach　they　quickly　laid　him　on　the　sand　and　paddled　furiously　back　to　shore。　Years　after　those　who　witnessed　the　remarkable　event　had　died；　the　bleached　skeleton　could　still　be　observed　partly　embedded　in　the　sand　as　a　morbid　warning　to　stay　off　the　island。
　　　　It　was　whispered　the　golden　warriors'　guardian；　the　winged　jaguar/serpent；　had　devoured　the　inquisitive　men　who　trespassed　its　sanctuary；　and　no　one　ever　again　dared　risk　its　wrath　by　setting　foot　on　the　island。　There　was　an　eerie　quality；　almost　a　ghostliness　about　the　island。　It　became　a　sacred　place　that　was　only　mentioned　in　hushed　voices　and　never　visited。
　　　　Who　were　the　warriors　in　gold　and　where　did　they　e　from？　Why　had　they　sailed　into　the　inland　sea　and　what　did　they　do　there？　The　witnesses　had　to　accept　what　they　had　seen；　no　explanation　was　possible。　Without　knowledge　the　myths　were　born。　Legends　were　created　and　nurtured　when　the　surrounding　land　was　shaken　by　an　immense　earthquake　that　destroyed　the　shoreline　villages。　When；　after　five　days；　the　tremors　finally　died　away；　the　great　inland　sea　had　vanished；　leaving　only　a　thick　ring　of　shells　on　what　was　once　a　shoreline。
　　　　The　mysterious　intruders　soon　wove　their　way　into　religious　tradition　and　became　gods。　Through　time；　stories　of　their　sudden　manifestation　and　disappearance　grew　and　then　eventually　faded　until　they　were　but　a　bit　of　vague　supernatural　folklore　handed　down　from　generation　to　generation；　by　a　people　who　lived　in　a　haunted　land　where　unexplained　phenomena　hovered　like　smoke　over　a　campfire。

CATACLYSM
March　1；　1578
West　Coast　of　Peru

Captain　Juan　de　Anton；　a　brooding　man　with　castilian　green　eyes　and　a　precisely　trimmed　black　beard；　peered　through　his　spyglass　at　the　strange　ship　following　in　his　wake　and　raised　his　eyebrows　in　mild　surprise。　A　chance　encounter；　he　wondered；　or　a　planned　interception？
　　　　On　the　final　lap　of　a　voyage　from　Callao　de　Lima；　de　Anton　had　not　expected　to　meet　other　treasure　galleons　bound　for　Panama；　where　the　king's　wealth　would　be　packed　aboard　mules　for　a　journey　across　the　isthmus；　and　then　shipped　over　the　Atlantic　to　the　coffers　of　Seville。　He　perceived　a　trace　of　French　design　in　the　hull　and　rigging　of　the　stranger　trailing　his　wake　a　league　and　a　half　astern。　If　he　had　been　sailing　the　Caribbean　trade　routes　to　Spain；　de　Anton　would　have　shunned　contact　with　other　ships；　but　his　suspicions　cooled　slightly　when　he　spied　an　enormous　flag　streaming　from　a　tall　staff　on　the　stern。　Like　his　own　ensign；　snapping　tautly　in　the　wind；　it　sported　a　white　background　with　the　rampant　red　cross　of　sixteenth…century　Spain。　Still；　he　felt　a　trifle　uneasy。
　　　　De　Anton　turned　to　his　second…in…mand　and　chief　pilot；　Luis　Tomes。　〃What　do　you　make　of　her；　Luis？〃
　　　　Tomes；　a　tall；　clean…shaven　Galician；　shrugged。　〃Too　small　for　a　bullion　galleon。　I　judge　her　to　be　a　wine　merchantman　out　of　Valparaiso　heading　for　port　in　Panama　the　same　as　we。〃
　　　　〃You　do　not　think　there　is　a　possibility　she　might　be　an　enemy　of　Spain？〃
　　　　〃Impossible。　No　enemy　ships　have　ever　dared　attempt　the　passage　through　the　treacherous　labyrinth　of　the　Magellan　Strait　around　South　America。〃
　　　　Reassured；　de　Anton　nodded。　〃Since　we　have　no　fear　of　them　being　French　or　English；　let　us　put　about　and　greet　them。〃
　　　　Torres　gave　the　order　to　the　steersman；　who　sighted　his　course　across　the　gun　deck　from　under　a　raised　trunk　on　the　deck　above。　He　manhandled　a　vertical　pole　that　pivoted　on　a　long　shaft　that　turned　the　rudder。　The　Nuestra　Senora　de　la　Concepcion；　the　largest　and　most　regal　of　the　Pacific　armada　treasure　galleons；　leaned　onto　her　port　side　and　came　around　on　a　reverse　course　to　the　southwest。　Her　nine　sails　filled　from　a　swift；　easterly　offshore　breeze　that　pushed　her　570…ton　bulk　through　the　rolling　swells　at　a　fortable　five　knots。
　　　　Despite　her　majestic　lines　and　the　ornate　carvings　and　colorful　art　designs　painted　on　the　sides　of　her　high　stern　and　forecastle；　the　galleon　was　a　tough　customer。　Extremely　rugged　and　seaworthy；　she　was　the　workhorse　of　the　oceangoing　vessels　of　her　time。　And　if　need　be；　she　could　slug　it　out　with　the　best　privateers　a　marauding　sea　nation　could　throw　at　her　to　defend　the　precious　treasure　in　her　cargo　holds。
　　　　To　the　casual　eye；　the　treasure　galleon　looked　to　be　a　threatening　warship　bristling　with　armament；　but　surveyed　from　the　inside　she　could　not　conceal　her　true　purpose　as　a　merchant　ship。　Her　gun　decks　held　ports　for　nearly　fifty　four…pound　cannon。　But　lulled　by　the　Spanish　belief　that　the　South　Seas　were　their　private　pond；　and　the　knowledge　that　none　of　their　ships　had　ever　been　attacked　or　captured　by　a　foreign　raider；　the　Concepcion　was　lightly　armed　with　only　two　guns　to　reduce　her　tonnage　so　she　could　carry　heavier　cargo。
　　　　Now　feeling　that　his　ship　was　in　no　danger；　Captain　de　Anton　casually　sat　on　a　small　stool　and　resumed　peering　through　his　spyglass　at　the　rapidly　approaching　ship。　It　never　occurred　to　him　to　alert　his　crew　for　battle　just　to　be　on　the　safe　side。
　　　　He　had　no　certain　foreknowledge；　not　even　a　vague　premonition　that　the　ship　he　had　turned　to　meet　was　the　Golden　Hind；　captained　by　England's　indefatigable　seadog；　Francis　Drake；　who　stood　on　his　quarterdeck　and　calmly　stared　back　at　de　Anton　through　a　telescope；　with　the　cold　eye　of　a　shark　following　a　trail　of　blood。

　　　　〃Damned　considerate　of　him　to　e　about　and　meet　us；〃　muttered　Drake；　a　beady…eyed　gamecock　of　a　man　with　dark　red　curly　hair　plemented　by　a　light　sandy　beard　that　tapered　to　a　sharp　point　under　a　long　swooping　moustache。
　　　　〃The　very　least　he　could　do　after　we've　chased　his　wake　for　the　past　two　weeks；〃　replied　Thomas　Cuttill；　sailing　master　of　the　Golden　Hind。
　　　　〃Aye；　but　she's　a　prize　worth　chasing。〃
　　　　Already　laden　with　gold　and　silver　bullion；　a　small　chest　of　precious　stones；　and　valuable　linens　and　silks　after　capturing　a　score　of　Spanish　ships　since　being　the　first　English　vessel　to　sail　into　the　Pacific；　the　Golden　Hind；　formerly　named　the　Pelican；　pounded　through　the　waves　like　a　beagle　after　a　fox。　She　was　a　stout　and　sturdy　vessel　with　an　overall　length　of　about　31　meters　（102　feet）　and　a　displacement　tonnage　of　140。　She　was　a　good　sailor　and　answered　the　helm　well。　Her　hull　and　masts　were　far　from　new；　but；　after　a　lengthy　refit　at　Plymouth；　she　had　been　made　ready　for　a　voyage　that　was　to　take　her　55；000　kilometers　（over　34；000　miles）　around　the　world　in　thirty…five　months；　in　one　of　the　greatest　sea　epics　of　all　time。
　　　　〃Do　you　wish　to　cut　across　her　bow　and　rake　the　Spanish　jackals？〃　Cuttill　inquired。
　　　　Drake　dropped　his　long　telescope；　shook　his　head；　and　smiled　broadly。　〃The　better　part　of　courtesy　would　be　to　trim　sail　and　greet　them　like　proper　gentlemen。〃
　　　　Cuttill　stared　unprehending　at　his　audacious　mander。　〃But　suppose　they've　put　about　to　give　battle？〃
　　　　〃Not　damned　likely　her　captain　has　a　notion　as　to　who　we　are。〃
　　　　〃She's　twice　our　size；〃　Cuttill　persisted。
　　　　〃According　to　the　sailors　we　captured　at　Callao　de　Lima；　the　Concepcion　carries　only　two　guns。　The　Hind　boasts　eighteen。〃
　　　　〃Spaniards！〃　Cuttill　spit。　〃They　lie　worse　than　the　Irish。〃
　　　　Drake　pointed　at　the　unsuspecting　ship　approaching　bow　on。　〃Spanish　ship　captains　run　rather　than　fight；〃　he　reminded　his　feisty　subordinate。
　　　　〃Then　why　not　stand　off　and　blast　her　into　submission？〃
　　　　〃Not　wise　to　fire　our　guns　and　run　the　risk　of　sinking　her　with　all　her　loot。〃　Drake　clapped　a　hand　on　Cuttill's　shoulder。　〃Not　to　fear；　Thomas。　If　I　scheme　a　crafty　plan；　we'll　save　our　powder　and　rely　on　stout　Englishmen　who　are　spoiling　for　a　good　fight。〃
　　　　Cuttill　nodded　in　understanding。　〃You　mean　to　grapple　and　board　her　then？〃
　　　　Drake　nodded。　〃We'll　be　on　her　decks　before　her　crew　can　prime　a　musket。　They　don't　know　it　yet；　but　they're　sailing　into　a　trap　of　their　own　making。〃

　　　　Slightly　after　three　in　the　afternoon；　the　Nuestra　Senora　de　la　Concepcion　came　about　on　a　parallel　course　to　the　northwest　again　and