south sea tales-第13节

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

high…stomached　and　warlike。　In　the　big　graveyard；　at　head　and　feet　of　the

graves；　were　relics　of　past　sanguinary　historyblubber…spades；　rusty　old

bayonets　and　cutlasses；　copper　bolts；　rudder…irons；　harpoons；　bomb　guns；

bricks　that　could　have　come　from　nowhere　but　a　whaler's　trying…out　furnace；

and　old　brass　pieces　of　the　sixteenth　century　that　verified　the　traditions　of

the　early　Spanish　navigators。　Ship　after　ship　had　come　to　grief　on　Oolong。　Not

thirty　years　before；　the　whaler　BLENNERDALE；　running　into　the　lagoon　for

repair；　had　been　cut　off　with　all　hands。　　In　similar　fashion　had　the　crew　of

the　GASKET；　a　sandalwood　trader；　perished。　　There　was　a　big　French　bark；　the

TOULON；　becalmed　off　the　atoll；　which　the　islanders　boarded　after　a　sharp

tussle　and　wrecked　in　the　Lipau　Passage；　the　captain　and　a　handful　of　sailors

escaping　in　the　longboat。　Then　there　were　the　Spanish　pieces；　which　told　of

the　loss　of　one　of　the　early　explorers。　All　this；　of　the　vessels　named；　is　a

matter　of　history；　and　is　to　be　found　in　the　SOUTH　PACIFIC　SAILING　DIRECTORY。

But　that　there　was　other　history；　unwritten；　I　was　yet　to　learn。　In　the

meantime　I　puzzled　why　six　thousand　primitive　savages　let　one　degenerate

Scotch　despot　live。



One　hot　afternoon　McAllister　and　I　sat　on　the　veranda　looking　out　over　the

lagoon；　with　all　its　wonder　of　jeweled　colors。　At　our　backs；　across　the

hundred　yards　of　palm…studded　sand；　the　outer　surf　roared　on　the　reef。　It　was

dreadfully　warm。　We　were　in　four　degree　south　latitude　and　the　sun　was

directly　overhead；　having　crossed　the　Line　a　few　days　before　on　its　journey

south。　There　was　no　windnot　even　a　catspaw。　The　season　of　the　southeast

trade　was　drawing　to　an　early　close；　and　the　northwest　monsoon　had　not　yet

begun　to　blow。



〃They　can't　dance　worth　a　damn；〃　said　McAllister。



I　had　happened　to　mention　that　the　Polynesian　dances　were　superior　to　the

Papuan；　and　this　McAllister　had　denied；　for　no　other　reason　than　his

cantankerousness。　　But　it　was　too　not　to　argue；　and　I　said　nothing。　Besides；　I

had　never　seen　the　Oolong　people　dance。



〃I'll　prove　it　to　you；〃　he　announced；　beckoning　to　the　black　New　Hanover　boy；

a　labor　recruit；　who　served　as　cook　and　general　house　servant。　〃Hey；　you；　boy；

you　tell　'm　one　fella　king　come　along　me。〃



The　boy　departed；　and　back　came　the　prime　minister；　perturbed；　ill　at　ease；

and　garrulous　with　apologetic　explanation。　In　short；　the　king　slept；　and　was

not　to　be　disturbed。



〃King　he　plenty　strong　fella　sleep；〃　was　his　final　sentence。



McAllister　was　in　such　a　rage　that　the　prime　minister　incontinently　fled；　to

return　with　the　king　himself。　They　were　a　magnificent　pair；　the　king

especially；　who　must　have　been　all　of　six　feet　three　inches　in　height。　His

features　had　the　eagle…like　quality　that　is　so　frequently　found　in　those　of

the　North　American　Indian。　He　had　been　molded　and　born　to　rule。　His　eyes

flashed　as　he　listened；　but　right　meekly　he　obeyed　McAllister's　command　to

fetch　a　couple　of　hundred　of　the　best　dancers；　male　and　female；　in　the

village。　And　dance　they　did；　for　two　mortal　hours；　under　that　broiling　sun。

They　did　not　love　him　for　it；　and　little　he　cared；　in　the　end　dismissing　them

with　abuse　and　sneers。



The　abject　servility　of　those　magnificent　savages　was　terrifying。　How　could　it

be？　What　was　the　secret　of　his　rule？　More　and　more　I　puzzled　as　the　days　went

by；　and　though　I　observed　perpetual　examples　of　his　undisputed　sovereignty；

never　a　clew　was　there　as　to　how　it　was。



One　day　I　happened　to　speak　of　my　disappointment　in　failing　to　trade　for　a

beautiful　pair　of　orange　cowries。　The　pair　was　worth　five　pounds　in　Sydney　if

it　was　worth　a　cent。　I　had　offered　two　hundred　sticks　of　tobacco　to　the　owner；

who　had　held　out　for　three　hundred。　When　I　casually　mentioned　the　situation；

McAllister　immediately　sent　for　the　man；　took　the　shells　from　him；　and　turned

them　over　to　me。　Fifty　sticks　were　all　he　permitted　me　to　pay　for　them。　The

man　accepted　the　tobacco　and　seemed　overjoyed　at　getting　off　so　easily。　As　for

me；　I　resolved　to　keep　a　bridle　on　my　tongue　in　the　future。　And　still　I　mulled

over　the　secret　of　McAllister's　power。　I　even　went　to　the　extent　of　asking　him

directly；　but　all　he　did　was　to　cock　one　eye；　look　wise；　and　take　another

drink。



One　night　I　was　out　fishing　in　the　lagoon　with　Oti；　the　man　who　had　been

mulcted　of　the　cowries。　Privily；　I　had　made　up　to　him　an　additional　hundred

and　fifty　sticks；　and　he　had　come　to　regard　me　with　a　respect　that　was　almost

veneration；　which　was　curious；　seeing　that　he　was　an　old　man；　twice　my　age　at

least。



〃What　name　you　fella　kanaka　all　the　same　pickaninny？〃　I　began　on　him。　〃This

fella　trader　he　one　fella。　You　fella　kanaka　plenty　fella　too　much。　You　fella

kanaka　just　like　'm　dogplenty　fright　along　that　fella　trader。　He　no　eat　you；

fella。　He　no　get　'm　teeth　along　him。　What　name　you　too　much　fright？〃



〃S'pose　plenty　fella　kanaka　kill　m？〃　he　asked。



〃He　die；〃　I　retorted。　〃You　fella　kanaka　kill　'm　plenty　fella　white　man　long

time　before。　What　name　you　fright　this　fella　white　man？〃



〃Yes；　we　kill　'm　plenty；〃　was　his　answer。　〃My　word！　Any　amount！　Long　time

before。　One　time；　me　young　fella　too　much；　one　big　fella　ship　he　stop　outside。　

Wind　he　no　blow。　Plenty　fella　kanaka　we　get　'm　canoe；　plenty　fella　canoe；　we

go　catch　'm　that　fella　ship。　My　wordwe　catch　'm　big　fella　fight。　Two；　three

white　men　shoot　like　hell。　We　no　fright。　We　come　alongside；　we　go　up　side；

plenty　fella；　maybe　I　think　fifty…ten　（five　hundred）。　One　fella　white　Mary

（woman）　belong　that　fella　ship。　Never　before　I　see　'm　white　Mary。　Bime　by

plenty　white　man　finish。　One　fella　skipper　he　no　die。　Five　fella；　six　fella

white　man　no　die。　Skipper　he　sing　out。　Some　fella　white　man　he　fight。　Some

fella　white　man　he　lower　away　boat。　After　that；　all　together　over　the　side

they　go。　Skipper　he　sling　white　Mary　down。　After　that　they　washee　（row）　strong

fella　plenty　too　much。　Father　belong　me；　that　time　he　strong　fella。　He　throw

'm　one　fella　spear。　That　fella　spear　he　go　in　one　side　that　white　Mary。　He　no

stop。　　My　word；　he　go　out　other　side　that　fella　Mary。　She　finish。　Me　no

fright。　　Plenty　kanaka　too　much　no　fright。〃



Old　Oti's　pride　had　been　touched；　for　he　suddenly　stripped　down　his　lava…lava

and　showed　me　the　unmistakable　scar　of　a　bullet。　Before　I　could　speak；　his

line　ran　out　suddenly。　He　checked　it　and　attempted　to　haul　in；　but　found　that

the　fish　had　run　around　a　coral　branch。　Casting　a　look　of　reproach　at　me　for

having　beguiled　him　from　his　watchfulness；　he　went　over　the　side；　feet　first；

turning　over　after　he　got　under　and　following　his　line　down　to　bottom。　The

water　was　ten　fathoms。　I　leaned　over　and　watched　the　play　of　his　feet；　growing

dim　and　dimmer；　as　they　stirred　the　wan　phosphorescence　into　ghostly　fires。

Ten　fathomssixty　feetit　was　nothing　to　him；　an　old　man；　compared　with　the

value　of　a　hook　and　line。　After　what　seemed　five　minutes；　though　it　could　not

have　been　more　than　a　minute；　I　saw　him　flaming　whitely　upward。　He　broke

surface　and　dropped　a　ten　pound　rock　cod　into　the　canoe；　the　line　and　hook

intact；　the　latter　still　fast　in　the　fish's　mouth。



〃It　may　be；〃　I　said　remorselessly。　〃You　no　fright　long　ago。　You　plenty　fright

now　along　that　fella　trader。〃



〃Yes；　plenty　fright；〃　he　confessed；　with　an　air　of　dismissing　the　subject。　For

half　an　hour　we　pulled　up　our　lines　and　flung　them　out　in　silence。　Then　small

fish…sharks　began　to　bite；　and　after　losing　a　hook　apiece；　we　hauled　in　and

waited　for　the　sharks　to　go　their　way。



〃I　speak　you　true；〃　Oti　broke　into　speech；　〃then　you　savve　we　fright　now。〃



I　lighted　up　my　pipe　and　waited；　and　the　story　that　Oti　told　me　in　atrocious

bech…de…mer　I　here　turn　into　proper　English。　Otherwise；　in　spirit　and　order　of

narrative；　the　tale　is　as　it　fell　from　Oti's　lips。



〃It　was　after　that　that　we　were　very　proud。　We　had　fought　many　times　with　the

strange　white　men　who　live　upon　the　sea；　and　always　we　had　beaten　them。　A　few

of　us　were　killed；　but　what　was　that　compared　with　the　stores　of　wealth　of　a

thousand　thousand　kinds　that　we　found　on　the　ships？　And　then　one　day；　maybe

twenty　years　ago；　or　twenty…five；　there　came　a　schooner　right　through　the

passage　and　into　the　lagoon。　It　was　a　large　schooner　with　three　masts。　She　had

five　white　men　and　maybe　forty　boat's　crew；　black　fellows　from　New　Guinea　and

New　Britain；　and　she　had　come　to　fish　beche…de…mer。　She　lay　at　anchor　across

the　lagoon　from　here；　at　Pauloo；　and　her　boats　scattered　out　everywhere；

making　camps　on　the　beaches　where　they　cured　the　beche…de…mer。　This　made　them

weak　by　dividing　them；　for　those　who　fished　here　and　those　on　the　schooner　at

Pauloo　were　fifty　miles　apart；　and　there　were　others　farther　away　still。



〃Our　king　and　headmen　held　council；　and　I　was　one　in　the　canoe　that　paddled

all