the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第7节

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same　time　putting　an　end　to　his　count。



Koolau　was　alone　in　the　gorge。　　He　watched　the　last　of　his　people　

drag　their　crippled　bodies　over　the　brow　of　the　height　and　

disappear。　　Then　he　turned　and　went　down　to　the　thicket　where　the　

maid　had　keen　killed。　　The　shell…fire　still　continued；　but　he　

remained；　for　far　below　he　could　see　the　soldiers　climbing　up。　　A　

shell　burst　twenty　feet　away。　　Flattening　himself　into　the　earth；　he　

heard　the　rush　of　the　fragments　above　his　body。　　A　shower　of　hau　

blossoms　rained　upon　him。　　He　lifted　his　head　to　peer　down　the　

trail；　and　sighed。　　He　was　very　much　afraid。　　Bullets　from　rifles　

would　not　have　worried　him；　but　this　shell…fire　was　abominable。　　

Each　time　a　shell　shrieked　by　he　shivered　and　crouched；　but　each　

time　he　lifted　his　head　again　to　watch　the　trail。



At　last　the　shells　ceased。　　This；　he　reasoned；　was　because　the　

soldiers　were　drawing　near。　　They　crept　along　the　trail　in　single　

file；　and　he　tried　to　count　them　until　he　lost　track。　　At　any　rate；　

there　were　a　hundred　or　so　of　themall　come　after　Koolau　the　leper。　　

He　felt　a　fleeting　prod　of　pride。　　With　war　guns　and　rifles；　police　

and　soldiers；　they　came　for　him；　and　he　was　only　one　man；　a　crippled　

wreck　of　a　man　at　that。　　They　offered　a　thousand　dollars　for　him；　

dead　or　alive。　　In　all　his　life　he　had　never　possessed　that　much　

money。　　The　thought　was　a　bitter　one。　　Kapahei　had　been　right。　　He；　

Koolau；　had　done　no　wrong。　　Because　the　haoles　wanted　labour　with　

which　to　work　the　stolen　land；　they　had　brought　in　the　Chinese　

coolies；　and　with　them　had　come　the　sickness。　　And　now；　because　he　

had　caught　the　sickness；　he　was　worth　a　thousand　dollarsbut　not　to　

himself。　　It　was　his　worthless　carcass；　rotten　with　disease　or　dead　

from　a　bursting　shell；　that　was　worth　all　that　money。



When　the　soldiers　reached　the　knife…edged　passage；　he　was　prompted　

to　warn　them。　　But　his　gaze　fell　upon　the　body　of　the　murdered　maid；　

and　he　kept　silent。　　When　six　had　ventured　on　the　knife…edge；　he　

opened　fire。　　Nor　did　he　cease　when　the　knife…edge　was　bare。　　He　

emptied　his　magazine；　reloaded；　and　emptied　it　again。　　He　kept　on　

shooting。　　All　his　wrongs　were　blazing　in　his　brain；　and　he　was　in　a　

fury　of　vengeance。　　All　down　the　goat…trail　the　soldiers　were　

firing；　and　though　they　lay　flat　and　sought　to　shelter　themselves　in　

the　shallow　inequalities　of　the　surface；　they　were　exposed　marks　to　

him。　　Bullets　whistled　and　thudded　about　him；　and　an　occasional　

ricochet　sang　sharply　through　the　air。　　One　bullet　ploughed　a　crease　

through　his　scalp；　and　a　second　burned　across　his　shoulder…blade　

without　breaking　the　skin。



It　was　a　massacre；　in　which　one　man　did　the　killing。　　The　soldiers　

began　to　retreat；　helping　along　their　wounded。　　As　Koolau　picked　

them　off　he　became　aware　of　the　smell　of　burnt　meat。　　He　glanced　

about　him　at　first；　and　then　discovered　that　it　was　his　own　hands。　　

The　heat　of　the　rifle　was　doing　it。　　The　leprosy　had　destroyed　most　

of　the　nerves　in　his　hands。　　Though　his　flesh　burned　and　he　smelled　

it；　there　was　no　sensation。



He　lay　in　the　thicket；　smiling；　until　he　remembered　the　war　guns。　　

Without　doubt　they　would　open　upon　him　again；　and　this　time　upon　the　

very　thicket　from　which　he　had　inflicted　the　danger。　　Scarcely　had　

he　changed　his　position　to　a　nook　behind　a　small　shoulder　of　the　

wall　where　he　had　noted　that　no　shells　fell；　than　the　bombardment　

recommenced。　　He　counted　the　shells。　　Sixty　more　were　thrown　into　

the　gorge　before　the　war…guns　ceased。　　The　tiny　area　was　pitted　with　

their　explosions；　until　it　seemed　impossible　that　any　creature　could　

have　survived。　　So　the　soldiers　thought；　for；　under　the　burning　

afternoon　sun；　they　climbed　the　goat…trail　again。　　And　again　the　

knife…edged　passage　was　disputed；　and　again　they　fell　back　to　the　

beach。



For　two　days　longer　Koolau　held　the　passage；　though　the　soldiers　

contented　themselves　with　flinging　shells　into　his　retreat。　　Then　

Pahau；　a　leper　boy；　came　to　the　top　of　the　wall　at　the　back　of　the　

gorge　and　shouted　down　to　him　that　Kiloliana；　hunting　goats　that　

they　might　eat；　had　been　killed　by　a　fall；　and　that　the　women　were　

frightened　and　knew　not　what　to　do。　　Koolau　called　the　boy　down　and　

left　him　with　a　spare　gun　with　which　to　guard　the　passage。　　Koolau　

found　his　people　disheartened。　　The　majority　of　them　were　too　

helpless　to　forage　food　for　themselves　under　such　forbidding　

circumstances；　and　all　were　starving。　　He　selected　two　women　and　a　

man　who　were　not　too　far　gone　with　the　disease；　and　sent　them　back　

to　the　gorge　to　bring　up　food　and　mats。　　The　rest　he　cheered　and　

consoled　until　even　the　weakest　took　a　hand　in　building　rough　

shelters　for　themselves。



But　those　he　had　dispatched　for　food　did　not　return；　and　he　started　

back　for　the　gorge。　　As　he　came　out　on　the　brow　of　the　wall；　half　a　

dozen　rifles　cracked。　　A　bullet　tore　through　the　fleshy　part　of　his　

shoulder；　and　his　cheek　was　cut　by　a　sliver　of　rock　where　a　second　

bullet　smashed　against　the　cliff。　　In　the　moment　that　this　happened；　

and　he　leaped　back；　he　saw　that　the　gorge　was　alive　with　soldiers。　　

His　own　people　had　betrayed　him。　　The　shell…fire　had　been　too　

terrible；　and　they　had　preferred　the　prison　of　Molokai。



Koolau　dropped　back　and　unslung　one　of　his　heavy　cartridge…belts。　　

Lying　among　the　rocks；　he　allowed　the　head　and　shoulders　of　the　

first　soldier　to　rise　clearly　into　view　before　pulling　trigger。　　

Twice　this　happened；　and　then；　after　some　delay；　in　place　of　a　head　

and　shoulders　a　white　flag　was　thrust　above　the　edge　of　the　wall。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　be　demanded。



〃I　want　you；　if　you　are　Koolau　the　leper；〃　came　the　answer。



Koolau　forgot　where　he　was；　forgot　everything；　as　he　lay　and　

marvelled　at　the　strange　persistence　of　these　haoles　who　would　have　

their　will　though　the　sky　fell　in。　　Aye；　they　would　have　their　will　

over　all　men　and　all　things；　even　though　they　died　in　getting　it。　　

He　could　not　but　admire　them；　too；　what　of　that　will　in　them　that　

was　stronger　than　life　and　that　bent　all　things　to　their　bidding。　　

He　was　convinced　of　the　hopelessness　of　his　struggle。　　There　was　no　

gainsaying　that　terrible　will　of　the　haoles。　　Though　he　killed　a　

thousand；　yet　would　they　rise　like　the　sands　of　the　sea　and　come　

upon　him；　ever　more　and　more。　　They　never　knew　when　they　were　

beaten。　　That　was　their　fault　and　their　virtue。　　It　was　where　his　

own　kind　lacked。　　He　could　see；　now；　how　the　handful　of　the　

preachers　of　God　and　the　preachers　of　Rum　had　conquered　the　land。　　

It　was　because　…



〃Well；　what　have　you　got　to　say？　　Will　you　come　with　me？〃



It　was　he　voice　of　the　invisible　man　under　the　white　flag。　　There　he　

was；　like　any　haole；　driving　straight　toward　the　end　determined。



〃Let　us　talk；〃　said　Koolau。



The　man's　head　and　shoulders　arose；　then　his　whole　body。　　He　was　a　

smooth…faced；　blue…eyed　youngster　of　twenty…five；　slender　and　natty　

in　his　captain's　uniform。　　He　advanced　until　halted；　then　seated　

himself　a　dozen　feet　away。



〃You　are　a　brave　man；〃　said　Koolau　wonderingly。　　〃I　could　kill　you　

like　a　fly。〃



〃No；　you　couldn't；〃　was　the　answer。



〃Why　not？〃



〃Because　you　are　a　man；　Koolau；　though　a　bad　one。　　I　know　your　

story。　　You　kill　fairly。〃



Koolau　grunted；　but　was　secretly　pleased。



〃What　have　you　done　with　my　people？〃　he　demanded。　　〃The　boy；　the　two　

women；　and　the　man？〃



〃They　gave　themselves　up；　as　I　have　now　come　for　you　to　do。〃



Koolau　laughed　incredulously。



〃I　am　a　free　man；〃　he　announced。　　〃I　have　done　no　wrong。　　All　I　ask　

is　to　be　left　alone。　　I　have　lived　free；　and　I　shall　die　free。　　I　

will　never　give　myself　up。〃



〃Then　your　people　are　wiser　than　you；〃　answered　the　young　captain。　　

〃Lookthey　are　coming　now。〃



Koolau　turned　and　watched　the　remnant　of　his　band　approach。　　

Groaning　and　sighing；　a　ghastly　procession；　it　dragged　its　

wretchedness　past。　　It　was　given　to　Koolau　to　taste　a　deeper　

bitterness；　for　they　hurled　imprecations　and　insults　at　him　as　they　

went　by；　and　the　panting　hag　who　brought　up　the　rear　halted；　and　

with　skinny；　harpy…claws　extended；　shaking　her　snarling　death's　head　

from　side　to　side；　she　laid　a　curse　upon　him。　　One　by　one　they　

dropped　over　the　lip…edge　and　surrendered　to　the　hiding　soldiers。



〃You　can　go　now；〃　said　Koolau　to　the　captain。　　〃I　will　never　give　

myself　up。　　That　is　my　last　word。　　Good…bye。〃



The　captain　slipped　over　the　cliff　to　his　soldiers。　　The　next　

moment；　and　without　a　flag　of　truce；　he　hoisted　his　hat　on　his　

scabbard；　and　Koolau's　bullet　tore　through　it。　　That　afternoon　they　

shelled　him　out　from　the　beach；　and　as　he　retreated　into　the　high　

inaccessible　pockets　beyond；　the　soldiers　followed　him。



For　six　weeks　they　hunted　him　from　pocket　to　pocket；　over　the　

volcanic　peaks　and　along　the　goat…trails