the red one-第21节

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not　see　her。　　And　when　I　came　up；　she　was　there　ahead　of　me；

clinging　to　the　side　of　the　canoe　and　laughing。



〃Almost　I　would　not　be　denied。　　But　not　for　nothing　was　she　a

princess。　　She　rested　her　hand　on　my　arm　and　compelled　me　to

listen。　　We　should　play　a　game；　she　said；　enter　into　a　competition

for　which　should　get　the　more　squid；　the　biggest　squid；　and　the

smallest　squid。　　Since　the　wagers　were　kisses；　you　can　well　imagine

I　went　down　on　the　first　next　dive　with　soul　aflame。



〃I　got　no　squid。　　Never　again　in　all　my　life　have　I　dived　for

squid。　　Perhaps　we　were　five　fathoms　down　and　exploring　the　face　of

the　reefwall　for　lurking　places　of　our　prey；　when　it　happened。　　I

had　found　a　likely　lair　and　just　proved　it　empty；　when　I　felt　or

sensed　the　nearness　of　something　inimical。　　I　turned。　　There　it

was；　alongside　of　me；　and　no　mere　fish…shark。　　Fully　a　dozen　feet

in　length；　with　the　unmistakable　phosphorescent　cat's　eye　gleaming

like　a　drowning　star；　I　knew　it　for　what　it　was；　a　tiger　shark。



〃Not　ten　feet　to　the　right；　probing　a　coral　fissure　with　her　squid

stick；　was　the　Princess；　and　the　tiger　shark　was　heading　directly

for　her。　　My　totality　of　thought　was　precipitated　to　consciousness

in　a　single　all…embracing　flash。　　The　man…eater　must　be　deflected

from　her；　and　what　was　I；　except　a　mad　lover　who　would　gladly　fight

and　die；　or　more　gladly　fight　and　live；　for　his　beloved？　　Remember；

she　was　the　woman　wonderful；　and　I　was　aflame　for　her。



〃Knowing　fully　the　peril　of　my　act；　I　thrust　the　blunt…sharp　end　of

my　squid…stick　into　the　side　of　the　shark；　much　as　one　would

attract　a　passing　acquaintance　with　a　thumb…nudge　in　the　ribs。　　And

the　man…eater　turned　on　me。　　You　know　the　South　Seas；　and　you　know

that　the　tiger　shark；　like　the　bald…face　grizzly　of　Alaska；　never

gives　trail。　　The　combat；　fathoms　deep　under　the　sea；　was　on　…　if

by　combat　may　be　named　such　a　one…sided　struggle。



〃The　Princess　unaware；　caught　her　squid　and　rose　to　the　surface。

The　man…eater　rushed　me。　　I　fended　him　off　with　both　hands　on　his

nose　above　his　thousand…toothed　open　mouth；　so　that　he　backed　me

against　the　sharp　coral。　　The　scars　are　there　to　this　day。

Whenever　I　tried　to　rise；　he　rushed　me；　and　I　could　not　remain　down

there　indefinitely　without　air。　　Whenever　he　rushed　me；　I　fended

him　off　with　my　hands　on　his　nose。　　And　I　would　have　escaped

unharmed；　except　for　the　slip　of　my　right　hand。　　Into　his　mouth　it

went　to　the　elbow。　　His　jaws　closed；　just　below　the　elbow。　　You

know　how　a　shark's　teeth　are。　　Once　in　they　cannot　be　released。

They　must　go　through　to　complete　the　bite；　but　they　cannot　go

through　heavy　bone。　　So；　from　just　below　the　elbow　he　stripped　the

bone　clean　to　the　articulation　of　the　wrist…joint；　where　his　teeth

met　and　my　good　right　hand　became　his　for　an　appetizer。



〃But　while　he　was　doing　this；　I　drove　the　thumb　of　my　left　hand；　to

the　hilt　into　his　eye…orifice　and　popped　out　his　eye。　　This　did　not

stop　him。　　The　meat　had　maddened　him。　　He　pursued　the　gushing　stump

of　my　wrist。　　Half　a　dozen　times　I　fended　with　my　intact　arm。　　Then

he　got　the　poor　mangled　arm　again；　closed　down；　and　stripped　the

meat　off　the　bone　from　the　shoulder　down　to　the　elbow…joint；　where

his　teeth　met　and　he　was　free　of　his　second　mouthful　of　me。　　But；

at　the　same　time；　with　my　good　arm；　I　thumbed　out　his　remaining

eye。〃



Percival　Delaney　shrugged　his　shoulders；　ere　he　resumed。



〃From　above；　those　in　the　canoe　had　beheld　the　entire　happening　and

were　loud　in　praise　of　my　deed。　　To　this　day　they　still　sing　the

song　of　me；　and　tell　the　tale　of　me。　　And　the　Princess。〃　　His　pause

was　brief　but　significant。　　〃The　Princess　married　me。　。　。　。　Oh；

well…a…day　and　lack…a…day；　the　whirligig　of　time　and　fortune；　the

topsyturviness　of　luck；　the　wooden　shoe　going　up　and　the　polished

heel　descending　a　French　gunboat；　a　conquered　island　kingdom　of

Oceania；　to…day　ruled　over　by　a　peasant…born；　unlettered；　colonial

gendarme；　and　。　。　。　〃



He　completed　the　sentence　and　the　tale　by　burying　his　face　in　the

down…tilted　mouth　of　the　condensed　milk　can　and　by　gurgling　the

corrosive　drink　down　his　throat　in　thirsty　gulps。





After　an　appropriate　pause；　Chauncey　Delarouse；　otherwise　Whiskers；

took　up　the　tale。



〃Far　be　it　from　me　to　boast　of　no　matter　what　place　of　birth　I　have


descended　from　to　sit　here　by　this　fire　with　such　as　。　。　。　as

chance　along。　　I　may　say；　however；　that　I；　too；　was　once　a

considerable　figure　of　a　man。　　I　may　add　that　it　was　horses；　plus

parents　too　indulgent；　that　exiled　me　out　over　the　world。　　I　may

still　wonder　to　query：　　'Are　Dover's　cliffs　still　white？'〃



〃Huh！〃　Bruce　Cadogan　Cavendish　sneered。　　〃Next　you'll　be　asking：

'How　fares　the　old　Lord　Warden？'〃



〃And　I　took　every　liberty；　and　vainly；　with　a　constitution　that　was

iron；〃　Whiskers　hurried　on。　　〃Here　I　am　with　my　three　score　and　ten

behind　me；　and　back　on　that　long　road　have　I　buried　many　a

youngster　that　was　as　rare　and　devilish　as　I；　but　who　could　not

stand　the　pace。　　I　knew　the　worst　too　young。　　And　now　I　know　the

worst　too　old。　　But　there　was　a　time；　alas　all　too　short；　when　I

knew；　the　best。



〃I；　too；　kiss　my　hand　to　the　Princess　of　my　heart。　　She　was　truly　a

princess；　Polynesian；　a　thousand　miles　and　more　away　to　the

eastward　and　the　south　from　Delaney's　Isle　of　Love。　　The　natives　of

all　around　that　part　of　the　South　Seas　called　it　the　Jolly　Island。

Their　own　name；　the　name　of　the　people　who　dwelt　thereon；

translates　delicately　and　justly　into　'The　Island　of　Tranquil

Laughter。'　　On　the　chart　you　will　find　the　erroneous　name　given　to

it　by　the　old　navigators　to　be　Manatomana。　　The　seafaring　gentry

the　round　ocean　around　called　it　the　Adamless　Eden。　　And　the

missionaries　for　a　time　called　it　God's　Witness　…　so　great　had　been

their　success　at　converting　the　inhabitants。　　As　for　me；　it　was；

and　ever　shall　be；　Paradise。



〃It　was　MY　Paradise；　for　it　was　there　my　Princess　lived。　　John

Asibeli　Tungi　was　king。　　He　was　full…blooded　native；　descended　out

of　the　oldest　and　highest　chief…stock　that　traced　back　to　Manua

which　was　the　primeval　sea　home　of　the　race。　　Also　was　he　known　as

John　the　Apostate。　　He　lived　a　long　life　and　apostasized

frequently。　　First　converted　by　the　Catholics；　he　threw　down　the

idols；　broke　the　tabus；　cleaned　out　the　native　priests；　executed　a

few　of　the　recalcitrant　ones；　and　sent　all　his　subjects　to　church。



〃Next　he　fell　for　the　traders；　who　developed　in　him　a　champagne

thirst；　and　he　shipped　off　the　Catholic　priests　to　New　Zealand。

The　great　majority　of　his　subjects　always　followed　his　lead；　and；

having　no　religion　at　all；　ensued　the　time　of　the　Great

Licentiousness；　when　by　all　South　Seas　missionaries　his　island；　in

sermons；　was　spoken　of　as　Babylon。



〃But　the　traders　ruined　his　digestion　with　too　much　champagne；　and

after　several　years　he　fell　for　the　Gospel　according　to　the

Methodists；　sent　his　people　to　church；　and　cleaned　up　the　beach　and

the　trading　crowd　so　spick　and　span　that　he　would　not　permit　them

to　smoke　a　pipe　out　of　doors　on　Sunday；　and；　fined　one　of　the　chief

traders　one　hundred　gold　sovereigns　for　washing　his　schooner's

decks　on　the　Sabbath　morn。



〃That　was　the　time　of　the　Blue　Laws；　but　perhaps　it　was　too

rigorous　for　King　John。　　Off　he　packed　the　Methodists；　one　fine

day；　exiled　several　hundred　of　his　people　to　Samoa　for　sticking　to

Methodism；　and；　of　all　things；　invented　a　religion　of　his　own；　with

himself　the　figure…head　of　worship。　　In　this　he　was　aided　and

abetted　by　a　renegade　Fijian。　　This　lasted　five　years。　　Maybe　he

grew　tired　of　being　God；　or　maybe　it　was　because　the　Fijian

decamped　with　the　six　thousand　pounds　in　the　royal　treasury；　but　at

any　rate　the　Second　Reformed　Wesleyans　got　him；　and　his　entire

kingdom　went　Wesleyan。　　The　pioneer　Wesleyan　missionary　he　actually

made　prime　minister；　and　what　he　did　to　the　trading　crowd　was　a

caution。　　Why；　in　the　end；　King　John's　kingdom　was　blacklisted　and

boycotted　by　the　traders　till　the　revenues　diminished　to　zero；　the

people　went　bankrupt；　and　King　John　couldn't　borrow　a　shilling　from

his　most　powerful　chief。



〃By　this　time　he　was　getting　old；　and　philosophic；　and　tolerant；

and　spiritually　atavistic。　　He　fired　out　the　Second　Reformed

Wesleyans；　called　back　the　exiles　from　Samoa；　invited　in　the

traders；　held　a　general　love…feast；　took　the　lid　off；　proclaimed

religious　liberty　and　high　tariff；　and　as　for　himself　went　back　to

the　worship　of　his　ancestors；　dug　up　the　idols；　reinstated　a　few

octogenarian　priests；　and　observed　the　tabus。　　All　of　which　was

lovely　for　the　traders；　and　prosperity　reigned。　　Of　course；　most　of

his　subjects　followed　him　back　into　heathen　worship。　　Yet　quite　a

sprinkling　of　Catholics；　Methodists　and　Wesleyans　remained　true　to

their　beliefs　and　managed　to　maintain　a　few　squalid；　one…horse

churches。　　But　King　John　didn't