south sea tales-第10节

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three　runaways；　tied　them　like　pigs；　and　tossed　them　into　the　whale　boat。　But

the　man　in　whose　house　they　had　hiddenseven　times　seven　bells　must　have　been

knocked　out　of　him　from　the　way　the　hair；　skin；　and　teeth　flew；　and　he　was

discouraged　for　the　rest　of　his　natural　life　from　harboring　runaway　laborers。



For　a　year　Mauki　toiled　on。　Then　he　was　made　a　house…boy；　and　had　good　food

and　easy　times；　with　light　work　in　keeping　the　house　clean　and　serving　the

white　men　with　whiskey　and　beer　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　most　hours　of　the

night。　He　liked　it；　but　he　liked　Port　Adams　more。　He　had　two　years　longer　to

serve；　but　two　years　were　too　long　for　him　in　the　throes　of　homesickness。　He

had　grown　wiser　with　his　year　of　service；　and；　being　now　a　house…boy；　he　had

opportunity。　He　had　the　cleaning　of　the　rifles；　and　he　knew　where　the　key　to

the　store　room　was　hung。　He　planned　to　escape；　and　one　night　ten　Malaita　boys

and　one　boy　from　San　Cristoval　sneaked　from　the　barracks　and　dragged　one　of

the　whale　boats　down　to　the　beach。　It　was　Mauki　who　supplied　the　key　that

opened　the　padlock　on　the　boat；　and　it　was　Mauki　who　equipped　the　boat　with　a

dozen　Winchesters；　an　immense　amount　of　ammunition；　a　case　of　dynamite　with

detonators　and　fuse；　and　ten　cases　of　tobacco。



The　northwest　monsoon　was　blowing；　and　they　fled　south　in　the　night　time；

hiding　by　day　on　detached　and　uninhabited　islets；　or　dragging　their　whale　boat

into　the　bush　on　the　large　islands。　Thus　they　gained　Guadalcanar；　skirted

halfway　along　it；　and　crossed　the　Indispensable　Straits　to　Florida　Island。　It

was　here　that　they　killed　the　San　Cristoval　boy；　saving　his　head　and　cooking

and　eating　the　rest　of　him。　The　Malaita　coast　was　only　twenty　miles　away；　but

the　last　night　a　strong　current　and　baffling　winds　prevented　them　from　gaining

across。　Daylight　found　them　still　several　miles　from　their　goal。　But　daylight

brought　a　cutter；　in　which　were　two　white　men；　who　were　not　afraid　of　eleven

Malaita　men　armed　with　twelve　rifles。　Mauki　and　his　companions　were　carried

back　to　Tulagi；　where　lived　the　great　white　master　of　all　the　white　men。　And

the　great　white　master　held　a　court；　after　which；　one　by　one；　the　runaways

were　tied　up　and　given　twenty　lashes　each；　and　sentenced　to　a　fine　of　fifteen

dollars。　They　were　sent　back　to　New　Georgia；　where　the　white　men　knocked　seven

bells　out　of　them　all　around　and　put　them　to　work。　　But　Mauki　was　no　longer

house…boy。　He　was　put　in　the　road…making　gang。　The　fine　of　fifteen　dollars　had

been　paid　by　the　white　men　from　whom　he　had　run　away；　and　he　was　told　that　he

would　have　to　work　it　out；　which　meant　six　months'　additional　toil。　Further；

his　share　of　the　stolen　tobacco　earned　him　another　year　of　toil。



Port　Adams　was　now　three　years　and　a　half　away；　so　he　stole　a　canoe　one　night；

hid　on　the　islets　in　Manning　Straits；　passed　through　the　Straits；　and　began

working　along　the　eastern　coast　of　Ysabel；　only　to　be　captured；　two…thirds　of

the　way　along；　by　the　white　men　on　Meringe　Lagoon。　After　a　week；　he　escaped

from　them　and　took　to　the　bush。　There　were　no　bush　natives　on　Ysabel；　only

salt…water　men；　who　were　all　Christians。　The　white　men　put　up　a　reward　of

five…hundred　sticks　of　tobacco；　and　every　time　Mauki　ventured　down　to　the　sea

to　steal　a　canoe　he　was　chased　by　the　salt…water　men。　Four　months　of　this

passed；　when；　the　reward　having　been　raised　to　a　thousand　sticks；　he　was

caught　and　sent　back　to　New　Georgia　and　the　road…building　gang。　Now　a　thousand

sticks　are　worth　fifty　dollars；　and　Mauki　had　to　pay　the　reward　himself；　which

required　a　year　and　eight　months'　labor。　So　Port　Adams　was　now　five　years

away。



His　homesickness　was　greater　than　ever；　and　it　did　not　appeal　to　him　to　settle

down　and　be　good；　work　out　his　four　years；　and　go　home。　The　next　time；　he　was

caught　in　the　very　act　of　running　away。　His　case　was　brought　before　Mr。

Haveby；　the　island　manager　of　the　Moongleam　Soap　Company；　who　adjudged　him　an

incorrigible。　　The　Company　had　plantations　on　the　Santa　Cruz　Islands；　hundreds

of　miles　across　the　sea；　and　there　it　sent　its　Solomon　Islands'　incorrigibles。

And　there　Mauki　was　sent；　though　he　never　arrived。　The　schooner　stopped　at

Santa　Anna；　and　in　the　night　Mauki　swam　ashore；　where　he　stole　two　rifles　and

a　case　of　tobacco　from　the　trader　and　got　away　in　a　canoe　to　Cristoval。

Malaita　was　now　to　the　north；　fifty　or　sixty　miles　away。　But　when　he　attempted

the　passage；　he　was　caught　by　a　light　gale　and　driven　back　to　Santa　Anna；

where　the　trader　clapped　him　in　irons　and　held　him　against　the　return　of　the

schooner　from　Santa　Cruz。　　The　two　rifles　the　trader　recovered；　but　the　case

of　tobacco　was　charged　up　to　Mauki　at　the　rate　of　another　year。　The　sum　of

years　he　now　owed　the　Company　was　six。



On　the　way　back　to　New　Georgia；　the　schooner　dropped　anchor　in　Marau　Sound；

which　lies　at　the　southeastern　extremity　of　Guadalcanar。　Mauki　swam　ashore

with　handcuffs　on　his　wrists　and　got　away　to　the　bush。　The　schooner　went　on；

but　the　Moongleam　trader　ashore　offered　a　thousand　sticks；　and　to　him　Mauki

was　brought　by　the　bushmen　with　a　year　and　eight　months　tacked　on　to　his

account。　Again；　and　before　the　schooner　called　in；　he　got　away；　this　time　in　a

whale　boat　accompanied　by　a　case　of　the　trader's　tobacco。　But　a　northwest　gale

wrecked　him　upon　Ugi；　where　the　Christian　natives　stole　his　tobacco　and　turned

him　over　to　the　Moongleam　trader　who　resided　there。　The　tobacco　the　natives

stole　meant　another　year　for　him；　and　the　tale　was　now　eight　years　and　a　half。



〃We'll　send　him　to　Lord　Howe；〃　said　Mr。　Haveby。　〃Bunster　is　there；　and　we'll

let　them　settle　it　between　them。　It　will　be　a　case；　I　imagine；　of　Mauki

getting　Bunster；　or　Bunster　getting　Mauki；　and　good　riddance　in　either　event。〃



If　one　leaves　Meringe　Lagoon；　on　Ysabel；　and　steers　a　course　due　north；

magnetic；　at　the　end　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　he　will　lift　the　pounded

coral　beaches　of　Lord　Howe　above　the　sea。　　Lord　Howe　is　a　ring　of　land　some

one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　in　circumference；　several　hundred　yards　wide　at

its　widest；　and　towering　in　places　to　a　height　of　ten　feet　above　sea　level。　

Inside　this　ring　of　sand　is　a　mighty　lagoon　studded　with　coral　patches。　Lord

Howe　belongs　to　the　Solomons　neither　geographically　nor　ethnologically。　It　is

an　atoll；　while　the　Solomons　are　high　islands；　and　its　people　and　language　are

Polynesian；　while　the　inhabitants　of　the　Solomons　are　Melanesian。



Lord　Howe　has　been　populated　by　the　westward　Polynesian　drift　which　continues

to　this　day；　big　outrigger　canoes　being　washed　upon　its　beaches　by　the

southeast　trade。　That　there　has　been　a　slight　Melanesian　drift　in　the　period

of　the　northwest　monsoon；　is　also　evident。



Nobody　ever　comes　to　Lord　Howe；　or　Ontong…Java　as　it　is　sometimes　called。

Thomas　Cook　&　Son　do　not　sell　tickets　to　it；　and　tourists　do　not　dream　of　its

existence。　Not　even　a　white　missionary　has　landed　on　its　shore。　Its　five

thousand　natives　are　as　peaceable　as　they　are　primitive。　Yet　they　were　not

always　peaceable。　The　Sailing　Directions　speak　of　them　as　hostile　and

treacherous。　But　the　men　who　compile　the　Sailing　Directions　have　never　heard

of　the　change　that　was　worked　in　the　hearts　of　the　inhabitants；　who；　not　many

years　ago；　cut　off　a　big　bark　and　killed　all　hands　with　the　exception　of　the

second　mate。　The　survivor　carried　the　news　to　his　brothers。　The　captains　of

three　trading　schooners　returned　with　him　to　Lord　Howe。　They　sailed　their

vessels　right　into　the　lagoon　and　proceeded　to　preach　the　white　man's　gospel

that　only　white　men　shall　kill　white　men　and　that　the　lesser　breeds　must　keep

hands　off。　The　schooners　sailed　up　and　down　the　lagoon；　harrying　and

destroying。　There　was　no　escape　from　the　narrow　sand…circle；　no　bush　to　which

to　flee。　　The　men　were　shot　down　at　sight；　and　there　was　no　avoiding　being

sighted。　The　villages　were　burned；　the　canoes　smashed；　the　chickens　and　pigs

killed；　and　the　precious　cocoanut　trees　chopped　down。　For　a　month　this

continued；　when　the　schooner　sailed　away；　but　the　fear　of　the　white　man　had

been　seared　into　the　souls　of　the　islanders　and　never　again　were　they　rash

enough　to　harm　one。



Max　Bunster　was　the　one　white　man　on　Lord　Howe；　trading　in　the　pay　of　the

ubiquitous　Moongleam　Soap　Company。　And　the　Company　billeted　him　on　Lord　Howe；

because；　next　to　getting　rid　of　him；　it　was　the　most　out…of…the…way　place　to

be　found。　That　the　Company　did　not　get　rid　of　him　was　due　to　the　difficulty　of

finding　another　man　to　take　his　place。　He　was　a　strapping　big　German；　with

something　wrong　in　his　brain。　Semi…madness　would　be　a　charitable　statement　of

his　condition。　He　was　a　bully　and　a　coward；　and　a　thrice…bigger　savage　than

any　savage　on　the　island。



Being　a　coward；　his　brutality　was　of　the　cowardly　order。　When　he　first　went

into　the　Company's　employ；　he　was　stationed　on　Savo。　　When　a　consumptive

colonial　was　sent　to　take　his　place；　he　beat　h