south sea tales-第11节

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

colonial　was　sent　to　take　his　place；　he　beat　him　up　with　his　fists　and　sent

him　off　a　wreck　in　the　schooner　that　brought　him。



Mr。　Haveby　next　selected　a　young　Yorkshire　giant　to　relieve　Bunster。　The

Yorkshire　man　had　a　reputation　as　a　bruiser　and　preferred　fighting　to　eating。

But　Bunster　wouldn't　fight。　He　was　a　regular　little　lambfor　ten　days；　at　the

end　of　which　time　the　Yorkshire　man　was　prostrated　by　a　combined　attack　of

dysentery　and　fever。　Then　Bunster　went　for　him；　among　other　things　getting　him

down　and　jumping　on　him　a　score　or　so　of　times。　Afraid　of　what　would　happen

when　his　victim　recovered。　Bunster　fled　away　in　a　cutter　to　Guvutu；　where　he

signalized　himself　by　beating　up　a　young　Englishman　already　crippled　by　a　Boer

bullet　through　both　hips。



Then　it　was　that　Mr。　Haveby　sent　Bunster　to　Lord　Howe；　the　falling…off　place。

He　celebrated　his　landing　by　mopping　up　half　a　case　of　gin　and　by　thrashing

the　elderly　and　wheezy　mate　of　the　schooner　which　had　brought　him。　When　the

schooner　departed；　he　called　the　kanakas　down　to　the　beach　and　challenged　them

to　throw　him　in　a　wrestling　bout；　promising　a　case　of　tobacco　to　the　one　who

succeeded。　Three　kanakas　he　threw；　but　was　promptly　thrown　by　a　fourth；　who；

instead　of　receiving　the　tobacco；　got　a　bullet　through　his　lungs。



And　so　began　Bunster's　reign　on　Lord　Howe。　Three　thousand　people　lived　in　the

principal　village；　but　it　was　deserted；　even　in　broad　day；　when　he　passed

through。　Men；　women；　and　children　fled　before　him。　Even　the　dogs　and　pigs　got

out　of　the　way；　while　the　king　was　not　above　hiding　under　a　mat。　The　two　prime

ministers　lived　in　terror　of　Bunster；　who　never　discussed　any　moot　subject；

but　struck　out　with　his　fists　instead。



And　to　Lord　Howe　came　Mauki；　to　toil　for　Bunster　for　eight　long　years　and　a

half。　There　was　no　escaping　from　Lord　Howe。　For　better　or　worse；　Bunster　and

he　were　tied　together。　Bunster　weighed　two　hundred　pounds。　Mauki　weighed　one

hundred　and　ten。　　Bunster　was　a　degenerate　brute。　But　Mauki　was　a　primitive

savage。　While　both　had　wills　and　ways　of　their　own。



Mauki　had　no　idea　of　the　sort　of　master　he　was　to　work　for。　He　had　had　no

warnings；　and　he　had　concluded　as　a　matter　of　course　that　Bunster　would　be

like　other　white　men；　a　drinker　of　much　whiskey；　a　ruler　and　a　lawgiver　who

always　kept　his　word　and　who　never　struck　a　boy　undeserved。　Bunster　had　the

advantage。　He　knew　all　about　Mauki；　and　gloated　over　the　coming　into

possession　of　him。　The　last　cook　was　suffering　from　a　broken　arm　and　a

dislocated　shoulder；　so　Bunster　made　Mauki　cook　and　general　house…boy。



And　Mauki　soon　learned　that　there　were　white　men　and　white　men。　　On　the　very

day　the　schooner　departed　he　was　ordered　to　buy　a　chicken　from　Samisee；　the

native　Tongan　missionary。　But　Samisee　had　sailed　across　the　lagoon　and　would

not　be　back　for　three　days。　Mauki　returned　with　the　information。　He　climbed

the　steep　stairway　（the　house　stood　on　piles　twelve　feet　above　the　sand）；　and

entered　the　living　room　to　report。　The　trader　demanded　the　chicken。　Mauki

opened　his　mouth　to　explain　the　missionary's　absence。　But　Bunster　did　not　care

for　explanations。　He　struck　out　with　his　fist。　The　blow　caught　Mauki　on　the

mouth　and　lifted　him　into　the　air。　Clear　through　the　doorway　he　flew；　across

the　narrow　veranda；　breaking　the　top　railing；　and　down　to　the　ground。



His　lips　were　a　contused；　shapeless　mass；　and　his　mouth　was　full　of　blood　and

broken　teeth。



〃That'll　teach　you　that　back　talk　don't　go　with　me；〃　the　trader　shouted；

purple　with　rage；　peering　down　at　him　over　the　broken　railing。



Mauki　had　never　met　a　white　man　like　this；　and　he　resolved　to　walk　small　and

never　offend。　He　saw　the　boat　boys　knocked　about；　and　one　of　them　put　in　irons

for　three　days　with　nothing　to　eat　for　the　crime　of　breaking　a　rowlock　while

pulling。　Then；　too；　he　heard　the　gossip　of　the　village　and　learned　why　Bunster

had　taken　a　third　wifeby　force；　as　was　well　known。　The　first　and　second

wives　lay　in　the　graveyard；　under　the　white　coral　sand；　with　slabs　of　coral

rock　at　head　and　feet。　They　had　died；　it　was　said；　from　beatings　he　had　given

them。　The　third　wife　was　certainly　ill…used；　as　Mauki　could　see　for　himself。



But　there　was　no　way　by　which　to　avoid　offending　the　white　man　who　seemed

offended　with　life。　When　Mauki　kept　silent；　he　was　struck　and　called　a　sullen

brute。　When　he　spoke；　he　was　struck　for　giving　back　talk。　When　he　was　grave；

Bunster　accused　him　of　plotting　and　gave　him　a　thrashing　in　advance；　and　when

he　strove　to　be　cheerful　and　to　smile；　he　was　charged　with　sneering　at　his

lord　and　master　and　given　a　taste　of　stick。　Bunster　was　a　devil。



The　village　would　have　done　for　him；　had　it　not　remembered　the　lesson　of　the

three　schooners。　It　might　have　done　for　him　anyway；　if　there　had　been　a　bush

to　which　to　flee。　As　it　was；　the　murder　of　the　white　men；　of　any　white　man；

would　bring　a　man…of…war　that　would　kill　the　offenders　and　chop　down　the

precious　cocoanut　trees。　Then　there　were　the　boat　boys；　with　minds　fully　made

up　to　drown　him　by　accident　at　the　first　opportunity　to　capsize　the　cutter。

Only　Bunster　saw　to　it　that　the　boat　did　not　capsize。



Mauki　was　of　a　different　breed；　and　escape　being　impossible　while　Bunster

lived；　he　was　resolved　to　get　the　white　man。　The　trouble　was　that　he　could

never　find　a　chance。　Bunster　was　always　on　guard。　Day　and　night　his　revolvers

were　ready　to　hand。　He　permitted　nobody　to　pass　behind　his　back；　as　Mauki

learned　after　having　been　knocked　down　several　times。　Bunster　knew　that　he　had

more　to　fear　from　the　good…natured；　even　sweet…faced；　Malaita　boy　than　from

the　entire　population　of　Lord　Howe；　and　it　gave　added　zest　to　the　programme　of

torment　he　was　carrying　out。　And　Mauki　walked　small；　accepted　his　punishments；

and　waited。



All　other　white　men　had　respected　his　tambos；　but　not　so　Bunster。



Mauki's　weekly　allowance　of　tobacco　was　two　sticks。　Bunster　passed　them　to　his

woman　and　ordered　Mauki　to　receive　them　from　her　hand。　But　this　could　not　be；

and　Mauki　went　without　his　tobacco。　In　the　same　way　he　was　made　to　miss　many　a

meal；　and　to　go　hungry　many　a　day。　He　was　ordered　to　make　chowder　out　of　the

big　clams　that　grew　in　the　lagoon。　This　he　could　not　do；　for　clams　were　tambo。

Six　times　in　succession　he　refused　to　touch　the　clams；　and　six　times　he　was

knocked　senseless。　Bunster　knew　that　the　boy　would　die　first；　but　called　his

refusal　mutiny；　and　would　have　killed　him　had　there　been　another　cook　to　take

his　place。



One　of　the　trader's　favorite　tricks　was　to　catch　Mauki's　kinky　locks　and　bat

his　head　against　the　wall。　Another　trick　was　to　catch　Mauki　unawares　and

thrust　the　live　end　of　a　cigar　against　his　flesh。　This　Bunster　called

vaccination；　and　Mauki　was　vaccinated　a　number　of　times　a　week。　Once；　in　a

rage；　Bunster　ripped　the　cup　handle　from　Mauki's　nose；　tearing　the　hole　clear

out　of　the　cartilage。



〃Oh；　what　a　mug！〃　was　his　comment；　when　he　surveyed　the　damage　he　had　wrought。



The　skin　of　a　shark　is　like　sandpaper；　but　the　skin　of　a　ray　fish　is　like　a

rasp。　In　the　South　Seas　the　natives　use　it　as　a　wood　file　in　smoothing　down

canoes　and　paddles。　Bunster　had　a　mitten　made　of　ray　fish　skin。　The　first　time

he　tried　it　on　Mauki；　with　one　sweep　of　the　hand　it　fetched　the　skin　off　his

back　from　neck　to　armpit。　Bunster　was　delighted。　He　gave　his　wife　a　taste　of

the　mitten；　and　tried　it　out　thoroughly　on　the　boat　boys。　The　prime　ministers

came　in　for　a　stroke　each；　and　they　had　to　grin　and　take　it　for　a　joke。



〃Laugh；　damn　you；　laugh！〃　was　the　cue　he　gave。



Mauki　came　in　for　the　largest　share　of　the　mitten。　Never　a　day　passed　without

a　caress　from　it。　There　were　times　when　the　loss　of　so　much　cuticle　kept　him

awake　at　night；　and　often　the　half…healed　surface　was　raked　raw　afresh　by　the

facetious　Mr。　Bunster。　Mauki　continued　his　patient　wait；　secure　in　the

knowledge　that　sooner　or　later　his　time　would　come。　And　he　knew　just　what　he

was　going　to　do；　down　to　the　smallest　detail；　when　the　time　did　come。



One　morning　Bunster　got　up　in　a　mood　for　knocking　seven　bells　out　of　the

universe。　He　began　on　Mauki；　and　wound　up　on　Mauki；　in　the　interval　knocking

down　his　wife　and　hammering　all　the　boat　boys。　At　breakfast　he　called　the

coffee　slops　and　threw　the　scalding　contents　of　the　cup　into　Mauki's　face。　By

ten　o'clock　Bunster　was　shivering　with　ague；　and　half　an　hour　later　he　was

burning　with　fever。　It　was　no　ordinary　attack。　It　quickly　became　pernicious；

and　developed　into　black…water　fever。　The　days　passed；　and　he　grew　weaker　and

weaker；　never　leaving　his　bed。　　Mauki　waited　and　watched；　the　while　his　skin

grew　intact　once　more。　He　ordered　the　boys　to　beach　the　cutter；　scrub　her

bottom；　and　give　her　a　general　overhauling。　They　thought　the　order　emanated

from　Bunster；　and　they　obeyed。　But　Bunster　at　the　tim