Lofts, Norah - [Here was a Man] - A novel of Sir Walter Raleigh by A novel of Sir Walter Raleigh

Author:A novel of Sir Walter Raleigh [Raleigh, A novel of Sir Walter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

decrepitude could quite deny him a certain odd dignity. Raleigh stood still and looked at him. About five paces away the old man stopped and said in tolerable Spanish:

‘I am Topiawari, King of Arromaia. If you come in peace

you are welcome.’

‘I come in peace,’ answered Raleigh gravely.

‘From the Spaniards?’

‘Not so. I come from England.’

‘Ah yes. I have heard of that land and of the Queen who rules it. She is the enemy of Spain.’

That is so. I trust that that does not make me less welcome to you, Topiawari.’

The old man shook his head, but he eyed Raleigh closely.

‘The stranger who comes in peace must ever demand a welcome. Are you alone?’

‘There are nigh a hundred with me, but all in peace. They eat of your food, below there.”

‘Bid them come up,’ said the old man, looking towards the spot to which Raleigh had pointed, ‘and we will eat together as is the custom amongst friends.’

He turned to his people who had stood quietly during the conversation, and spoke in his own language. They hurried towards the huts and some of them blew upon the embers of the fire, others took the clay jars and fetched water while the rest killed and plucked chickens and spitted them on sharp sticks which they then held in the fire. Soon the whole village was full of the savour of cooking food. The English sailors came up from the boats and old Topiawari with twitching nostrils as mobile and sensitive as those of an inquisitive dog moved amongst them, examining their clothes, their weapons, their very money for signs of Spanish origin. He held his head on one side as they talked amongst themselves, listening for some Spanish word or phrase that might betray them. But by the time that the feast was ready and the sun had set, he seemed satisfied and returned to Raleigh and began to speak with more confidence.

They spread the feast in the open, for there was no hut in the village that would have accommodated all the natives and their eighty guests and, although friendly feelings were prevailing, there was a tendency for both white men and

brown to feel more at ease in the company of their own kind. Raleigh and Topiawari, Keymis and two of the Indians who had come with the king, sat a little apart and were served first with the choicer portions. The fish and the chickens and the pork were laid upon the ground on leaves or round plates of clay. There were more of the flat cakes of bread and wine in clay jars decorated with colours as Raleigh’s first pipe had been. Other smaller flatter jars, filled with oil, and with a floating wick, lighted up the strange scene.

Choosing simple Spanish words, so that the old king should understand, Raleigh told him of the taking of St. Joseph.

At the mention of Berreo’s name the Indian scowled and spat into the darkness behind him. When he heard that Berreo’s city had

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