south sea tales-第12节

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from　Bunster；　and　they　obeyed。　But　Bunster　at　the　time　was　lying　unconscious

and　giving　no　orders。　This　was　Mauki's　chance；　but　still　he　waited。



When　the　worst　was　past；　and　Bunster　lay　convalescent　and　conscious；　but　weak

as　a　baby；　Mauki　packed　his　few　trinkets；　including　the　china　cup　handle；　into

his　trade　box。　Then　he　went　over　to　the　village　and　interviewed　the　king　and

his　two　prime　ministers。



〃This　fella　Bunster；　him　good　fella　you　like　too　much？〃　he　asked。



They　explained　in　one　voice　that　they　liked　the　trader　not　at　all。　The

ministers　poured　forth　a　recital　of　all　the　indignities　and　wrongs　that　had

been　heaped　upon　them。　The　king　broke　down　and　wept。　Mauki　interrupted　rudely。



〃You　savve　meme　big　fella　marster　my　country。　You　no　like　m　this　fella　white

marster。　Me　no　like　m。　Plenty　good　you　put　hundred　cocoanut；　two　hundred

cocoanut；　three　hundred　cocoanut　along　cutter。　Him　finish；　you　go　sleep　m　good

fella。　Altogether　kanaka　sleep　m　good　fella。　Bime　by　big　fella　noise　along

house；　you　no　savve　hear　m　that　fella　noise。　You　altogether　sleep　strong　fella

too　much。〃



In　like　manner　Mauki　interviewed　the　boat　boys。　Then　he　ordered　Bunster's　wife

to　return　to　her　family　house。　Had　she　refused；　he　would　have　been　in　a

quandary；　for　his　tambo　would　not　have　permitted　him　to　lay　hands　on　her。



The　house　deserted；　he　entered　the　sleeping　room；　where　the　trader　lay　in　a

doze。　Mauki　first　removed　the　revolvers；　then　placed　the　ray　fish　mitten　on

his　hand。　Bunster's　first　warning　was　a　stroke　of　the　mitten　that　removed　the

skin　the　full　length　of　his　nose。



〃Good　fella；　eh？〃　Mauki　grinned；　between　two　strokes；　one　of　which　swept　the

forehead　bare　and　the　other　of　which　cleaned　off　one　side　of　his　face。　〃Laugh；

damn　you；　laugh。〃



Mauki　did　his　work　throughly；　and　the　kanakas；　hiding　in　their　houses；　heard

the　〃big　fella　noise〃　that　Bunster　made　and　continued　to　make　for　an　hour　or

more。



When　Mauki　was　done；　he　carried　the　boat　compass　and　all　the　rifles　and

ammunition　down　to　the　cutter；　which　he　proceeded　to　ballast　with　cases　of

tobacco。　It　was　while　engaged　in　this　that　a　hideous；　skinless　thing　came　out

of　the　house　and　ran　screaming　down　the　beach　till　it　fell　in　the　sand　and

mowed　and　gibbered　under　the　scorching　sun。　Mauki　looked　toward　it　and

hesitated。　　Then　he　went　over　and　removed　the　head；　which　he　wrapped　in　a　mat

and　stowed　in　the　stern　locker　of　the　cutter。



So　soundly　did　the　kanakas　sleep　through　that　long　hot　day　that　they　did　not

see　the　cutter　run　out　through　the　passage　and　head　south；　close…hauled　on　the

southeast　trade。　Nor　was　the　cutter　ever　sighted　on　that　long　tack　to　the

shores　of　Ysabel；　and　during　the　tedious　head…beat　from　there　to　Malaita。　He

landed　at　Port　Adams　with　a　wealth　of　rifles　and　tobacco　such　as　no　one　man

had　ever　possessed　before。　But　he　did　not　stop　there。　He　had　taken　a　white

man's　head；　and　only　the　bush　could　shelter　him。　　So　back　he　went　to　the　bush

villages；　where　he　shot　old　Fanfoa　and　half　a　dozen　of　the　chief　men；　and　made

himself　the　chief　over　all　the　villages。　When　his　father　died；　Mauki's　brother

ruled　in　Port　Adams；　and　joined　together；　salt…water　men　and　bushmen；　the

resulting　combination　was　the　strongest　of　the　ten　score　fighting　tribes　of

Malaita。



More　than　his　fear　of　the　British　government　was　Mauki's　fear　of　the

all…powerful　Moongleam　Soap　Company；　and　one　day　a　message　came　up　to　him　in

the　bush；　reminding　him　that　he　owed　the　Company　eight　and　one…half　years　of

labor。　He　sent　back　a　favorable　answer；　and　then　appeared　the　inevitable　white

man；　the　captain　of　the　schooner；　the　only　white　man　during　Mauki's　reign；　who

ventured　the　bush　and　came　out　alive。　This　man　not　only　came　out；　but　he

brought　with　him　seven　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　in　gold　sovereignsthe　money

price　of　eight　years　and　a　half　of　labor　plus　the　cost　price　of　certain　rifles

and　cases　of　tobacco。



Mauki　no　longer　weighs　one　hundred　and　ten　pounds。　His　stomach　is　three　times

its　former　girth；　and　he　has　four　wives。　He　has　many　other　thingsrifles　and

revolvers；　the　handle　of　a　china　cup；　and　an　excellent　collection　of　bushmen's

heads。　But　more　precious　than　the　entire　collection　is　another　head；　perfectly

dried　and　cured；　with　sandy　hair　and　a　yellowish　beard；　which　is　kept　wrapped

in　the　finest　of　fibre　lava…lavas。　When　Mauki　goes　to　war　with　villages　beyond

his　realm；　he　invariably　gets　out　this　head；　and　alone　in　his　grass　palace；

contemplates　it　long　and　solemnly。　At　such　times　the　hush　of　death　falls　on

the　village；　and　not　even　a　pickaninny　dares　make　a　noise。　The　head　is

esteemed　the　most　powerful　devil…devil　on　Malaita；　and　to　the　possession　of　it

is　ascribed　all　of　Mauki's　greatness。







〃YAH！　YAH！　YAH！〃



He　was　a　whiskey…guzzling　Scotchman；　and　he　downed　his　whiskey　neat；　beginning

with　his　first　tot　punctually　at　six　in　the　morning；　and　thereafter　repeating

it　at　regular　intervals　throughout　the　day　till　bedtime；　which　was　usually

midnight。　　He　slept　but　five　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four；　and　for　the

remaining　nineteen　hours　he　was　quietly　and　decently　drunk。　During　the　eight

weeks　I　spent　with　him　on　Oolong　Atoll；　I　never　saw　him　draw　a　sober　breath。

In　fact；　his　sleep　was　so　short　that　he　never　had　time　to　sober　up。　It　was　the

most　beautiful　and　orderly　perennial　drunk　I　have　ever　observed。



McAllister　was　his　name。　He　was　an　old　man；　and　very　shaky　on　his　pins。　His

hand　trembled　as　with　a　palsy；　especially　noticeable　when　he　poured　his

whiskey；　though　I　never　knew　him　to　spill　a　drop。　He　had　been　twenty…eight

years　in　Melanesia；　ranging　from　German　New　Guinea　to　the　German　Solomons；　and

so　thoroughly　had　he　become　identified　with　that　portion　of　the　world；　that　he

habitually　spoke　in　that　bastard　lingo　called　〃bech…de…mer。〃　Thus；　in

conversation　with　me；　SUN　HE　COME　UP　meant　sunrise；　KAI…KAI　HE　STOP　meant　that

dinner　was　served；　and　BELLY　BELONG　ME　WALK　ABOUT　meant　that　he　was　sick　at

his　stomach。　He　was　a　small　man；　and　a　withered　one；　burned　inside　and　outside

by　ardent　spirits　and　ardent　sun。　He　was　a　cinder；　a　bit　of　a　clinker　of　a

man；　a　little　animated　clinker；　not　yet　quite　cold；　that　moved　stiffly　and　by

starts　and　jerks　like　an　automaton。　A　gust　of　wind　would　have　blown　him　away。

He　weighed　ninety　pounds。



But　the　immense　thing　about　him　was　the　power　with　which　he　ruled。　Oolong

Atoll　was　one　hundred　and　forty　miles　in　circumference。　One　steered　by　compass

course　in　its　lagoon。　It　was　populated　by　five　thousand　Polynesians；　all

strapping　men　and　women；　many　of　them　standing　six　feet　in　height　and　weighing

a　couple　of　hundred　pounds。　Oolong　was　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　the

nearest　land。　　Twice　a　year　a　little　schooner　called　to　collect　copra。　The　one

white　man　on　Oolong　was　McAllister；　petty　trader　and　unintermittent　guzzler；

and　he　ruled　Oolong　and　its　six　thousand　savages　with　an　iron　hand。　He　said

come；　and　they　came；　go；　and　they　went。　They　never　questioned　his　will　nor

judgment。　He　was　cantankerous　as　only　an　aged　Scotchman　can　be；　and　interfered

continually　in　their　personal　affairs。　When　Nugu；　the　king's　daughter；　wanted

to　marry　Haunau　from　the　other　end　of　the　atoll；　her　father　said　yes；　but

McAllister　said　no；　and　the　marriage　never　came　off。　When　the　king　wanted　to

buy　a　certain　islet　in　the　lagoon　from　the　chief　priest；　McAllister　said　no。

The　king　was　in　debt　to　the　Company　to　the　tune　of　180；000　cocoanuts；　and

until　that　was　paid　he　was　not　to　spend　a　single　cocoanut　on　anything　else。



And　yet　the　king　and　his　people　did　not　love　McAllister。　In　truth；　they　hated

him　horribly；　and；　to　my　knowledge；　the　whole　population；　with　the　priests　at

the　head；　tried　vainly　for　three　months　to　pray　him　to　death。　The　devil…devils

they　sent　after　him　were　awe…inspiring；　but　since　McAllister　did　not　believe

in　devil…devils；　they　were　without　power　over　him。　With　drunken　Scotchmen　all

signs　fail。　They　gathered　up　scraps　of　food　which　had　touched　his　lips；　an

empty　whiskey　bottle；　a　cocoanut　from　which　he　had　drunk；　and　even　his

spittle；　and　performed　all　kinds　of　deviltries　over　them。　But　McAllister　lived

on。　His　health　was　superb。　He　never　caught　fever；　nor　coughs　nor　colds；

dysentery　passed　him　by；　and　the　malignant　ulcers　and　vile　skin　diseases　that

attack　blacks　and　whites　alike　in　that　climate　never　fastened　upon　him。　He

must　have　been　so　saturated　with　alcohol　as　to　defy　the　lodgment　of　germs。　I

used　to　imagine　them　falling　to　the　ground　in　showers　of　microscopic　cinders

as　fast　as　they　entered　his　whiskey…sodden　aura。　No　one　loved　him；　not　even

germs；　while　he　loved　only　whiskey；　and　still　he　lived。



I　was　puzzled。　I　could　not　understand　six　thousand　natives　putting　up　with

that　withered　shrimp　of　a　tyrant。　It　was　a　miracle　that　he　had　not　died

suddenly　long　since。　Unlike　the　cowardly　Melanesians；　the　people　were

high…stomached　and　warlike。　In　the