south sea tales-第14节

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

all　afternoon　and　all　night　across　the　lagoon；　bringing　word　to　the　people　of

Pauloo　that　in　the　morning　we　would　attack　the　fishing　camps　at　the　one　time

and　that　it　was　for　them　to　take　the　schooner。　We　who　brought　the　word　were

tired　with　the　paddling；　but　we　took　part　in　the　attack。　On　the　schooner　were

two　white　men；　the　skipper　and　the　second　mate；　with　half　a　dozen　black　boys。

The　skipper　with　three　boys　we　caught　on　shore　and　killed；　but　first　eight　of

us　the　skipper　killed　with　his　two　revolvers。　We　fought　close　together；　you

see；　at　hand　grapples。



〃The　noise　of　our　fighting　told　the　mate　what　was　happening；　and　he　put　food

and　water　and　a　sail　in　the　small　dingy；　which　was　so　small　that　it　was　no

more　than　twelve　feet　long。　We　came　down　upon　the　schooner；　a　thousand　men；

covering　the　lagoon　with　our　canoes。　Also；　we　were　blowing　conch　shells；

singing　war　songs；　and　striking　the　sides　of　the　canoes　with　our　paddles。　What

chance　had　one　white　man　and　three　black　boys　against　us？　No　chance　at　all；

and　the　mate　knew　it。



〃White　men　are　hell。　I　have　watched　them　much；　and　I　am　an　old　man　now；　and　I

understand　at　last　why　the　white　men　have　taken　to　themselves　all　the　islands

in　the　sea。　It　is　because　they　are　hell。　Here　are　you　in　the　canoe　with　me。

You　are　hardly　more　than　a　boy。　You　are　not　wise；　for　each　day　I　tell　you　many

things　you　do　not　know。　When　I　was　a　little　pickaninny；　I　knew　more　about　fish

and　the　ways　of　fish　than　you　know　now。　I　am　an　old　man；　but　I　swim　down　to

the　bottom　of　the　lagoon；　and　you　cannot　follow　me。　What　are　you　good　for；

anyway？　　I　do　not　know；　except　to　fight。　I　have　never　seen　you　fight；　yet　I

know　that　you　are　like　your　brothers　and　that　you　will　fight　like　hell。　Also；

you　are　a　fool；　like　your　brothers。　You　do　not　know　when　you　are　beaten。　You

will　fight　until　you　die；　and　then　it　will　be　too　late　to　know　that　you　are

beaten。



〃Now　behold　what　this　mate　did。　As　we　came　down　upon　him；　covering　the　sea　and

blowing　our　conches；　he　put　off　from　the　schooner　in　the　small　boat；　along

with　the　three　black　boys；　and　rowed　for　the　passage。　There　again　he　was　a

fool；　for　no　wise　man　would　put　out　to　sea　in　so　small　a　boat。　The　sides　of　it

were　not　four　inches　above　the　water。　Twenty　canoes　went　after　him；　filled

with　two　hundred　young　men。　We　paddled　five　fathoms　while　his　black　boys　were

rowing　one　fathom。　He　had　no　chance；　but　he　was　a　fool。　He　stood　up　in　the

boat　with　a　rifle；　and　he　shot　many　times。　He　was　not　a　good　shot；　but　as　we

drew　close　many　of　us　were　wounded　and　killed。　But　still　he　had　no　chance。



〃I　remember　that　all　the　time　he　was　smoking　a　cigar。　When　we　were　forty　feet

away　and　coming　fast；　he　dropped　the　rifle；　lighted　a　stick　of　dynamite　with

the　cigar；　and　threw　it　at　us。　He　lighted　another　and　another；　and　threw　them

at　us　very　rapidly；　many　of　them。　I　know　now　that　he　must　have　split　the　ends

of　the　fuses　and　stuck　in　match　heads；　because　they　lighted　so　quickly。　Also；

the　fuses　were　very　short。　Sometimes　the　dynamite　sticks　went　off　in　the　air；

but　most　of　them　went　off　in　the　canoes。　And　each　time　they　went　off　in　a

canoe；　that　canoe　was　finished。　Of　the　twenty　canoes；　the　half　were　smashed　to

pieces。　The　canoe　I　was　in　was　so　smashed；　and　likewise　the　two　men　who　sat

next　to　me。　The　dynamite　fell　between　them。　The　other　canoes　turned　and　ran

away。　Then　that　mate　yelled；　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'　at　us。　Also　he　went　at　us　again

with　his　rifle；　so　that　many　were　killed　through　the　back　as　they　fled　away。

And　all　the　time　the　black　boys　in　the　boat　went　on　rowing。　You　see；　I　told

you　true；　that　mate　was　hell。



〃Nor　was　that　all。　Before　he　left　the　schooner；　he　set　her　on　fire；　and　fixed

up　all　the　powder　and　dynamite　so　that　it　would　go　off　at　one　time。　There　were

hundreds　of　us　on　board；　trying　to　put　out　the　fire；　heaving　up　water　from

overside；　when　the　schooner　blew　up。　So　that　all　we　had　fought　for　was　lost　to

us；　besides　many　more　of　us　being　killed。　Sometimes；　even　now；　in　my　old　age；

I　have　bad　dreams　in　which　I　hear　that　mate　yell；　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'　In　a　voice

of　thunder　he　yells；　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'　But　all　those　in　the　fishing　camps　were

killed。



〃The　mate　went　out　of　the　passage　in　his　little　boat；　and　that　was　the　end　of

him　we　made　sure；　for　how　could　so　small　a　boat；　with　four　men　in　it；　live　on

the　ocean？　A　month　went　by；　and　then；　one　morning；　between　two　rain　squalls；　a

schooner　sailed　in　through　our　passage　and　dropped　anchor　before　the　village。　

The　king　and　the　headmen　made　big　talk；　and　it　was　agreed　that　we　would　take

the　schooner　in　two　or　three　days。　In　the　meantime；　as　it　was　our　custom

always　to　appear　friendly；　we　went　off　to　her　in　canoes；　bringing　strings　of

cocoanuts；　fowls；　and　pigs；　to　trade。　But　when　we　were　alongside；　many　canoes

of　us；　the　men　on　board　began　to　shoot　us　with　rifles；　and　as　we　paddled　away

I　saw　the　mate　who　had　gone　to　sea　in　the　little　boat　spring　upon　the　rail　and

dance　and　yell；　　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'



〃That　afternoon　they　landed　from　the　schooner　in　three　small　boats　filled　with

white　men。　They　went　right　through　the　village；　shooting　every　man　they　saw。　

Also　they　shot　the　fowls　and　pigs。　We　who　were　not　killed　got　away　in　canoes

and　paddled　out　into　the　lagoon。　Looking　back；　we　could　see　all　the　houses　on

fire。　　Late　in　the　afternoon　we　saw　many　canoes　coming　from　Nihi；　which　is　the

village　near　the　Nihi　Passage　in　the　northeast。　They　were　all　that　were　left；

and　like　us　their　village　had　been　burned　by　a　second　schooner　that　had　come

through　Nihi　Passage。



〃We　stood　on　in　the　darkness　to　the　westward　for　Pauloo；　but　in　the　middle　of

the　night　we　heard　women　wailing　and　then　we　ran　into　a　big　fleet　of　canoes。

They　were　all　that　were　left　of　Pauloo；　which　likewise　was　in　ashes；　for　a

third　schooner　had　come　in　through　the　Pauloo　Passage。　You　see；　that　mate；

with　his　black　boys；　had　not　been　drowned。　He　had　made　the　Solomon　Islands；

and　there　told　his　brothers　of　what　we　had　done　in　Oolong。　And　all　his

brothers　had　said　they　would　come　and　punish　us；　and　there　they　were　in　the

three　schooners；　and　our　three　villages　were　wiped　out。



〃And　what　was　there　for　us　to　do？　In　the　morning　the　two　schooners　from

windward　sailed　down　upon　us　in　the　middle　of　the　lagoon。　The　trade　wind　was

blowing　fresh；　and　by　scores　of　canoes　they　ran　us　down。　And　the　rifles　never

ceased　talking。　We　scattered　like　flying　fish　before　the　bonita；　and　there

were　so　many　of　us　that　we　escaped　by　thousands；　this　way　and　that；　to　the

islands　on　the　rim　of　the　atoll。



〃And　thereafter　the　schooners　hunted　us　up　and　down　the　lagoon。　In　the

nighttime　we　slipped　past　them。　But　the　next　day；　or　in　two　days　or　three

days；　the　schooners　would　be　coming　back；　hunting　us　toward　the　other　end　of

the　lagoon。　　And　so　it　went。　We　no　longer　counted　nor　remembered　our　dead。

True；　we　were　many　and　they　were　few。　But　what　could　we　do？　I　was　in　one　of

the　twenty　canoes　filled　with　men　who　were　not　afraid　to　die。　We　attacked　the

smallest　schooner。　　They　shot　us　down　in　heaps。　They　threw　dynamite　into　the

canoes；　and　when　the　dynamite　gave　out；　they　threw　hot　water　down　upon　us。　And

the　rifles　never　ceased　talking。　And　those　whose　canoes　were　smashed　were　shot

as　they　swam　away。　　And　the　mate　danced　up　and　down　upon　the　cabin　top　and

yelled；　〃Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'



〃Every　house　on　every　smallest　island　was　burned。　Not　a　pig　nor　a　fowl　was

left　alive。　Our　wells　were　defiled　with　the　bodies　of　the　slain；　or　else

heaped　high　with　coral　rock。　We　were　twenty…five　thousand　on　Oolong　before　the

three　schooners　came。　Today　we　are　five　thousand。　After　the　schooners　left；　we

were　but　three　thousand；　as　you　shall　see。



〃At　last　the　three　schooners　grew　tired　of　chasing　us　back　and　forth。　So　they

went；　the　three　of　them；　to　Nihi；　in　the　northeast。　And　then　they　drove　us

steadily　to　the　west。　Their　nine　boats　were　in　the　water　as　well。　They　beat　up

every　island　as　they　moved　along。　They　drove　us；　drove　us；　drove　us　day　by

day。　　And　every　night　the　three　schooners　and　the　nine　boats　made　a　chain　of

watchfulness　that　stretched　across　the　lagoon　from　rim　to　rim；　so　that　we

could　not　escape　back。



〃They　could　not　drive　us　forever　that　way；　for　the　lagoon　was　only　so　large；

and　at　last　all　of　us　that　yet　lived　were　driven　upon　the　last　sand　bank　to

the　west。　　Beyond　lay　the　open　sea。　There　were　ten　thousand　of　us；　and　we

covered　the　sand　bank　from　the　lagoon　edge　to　the　pounding　surf　on　the　other

side。　No　one　could　lie　down。　There　was　no　room。　We　stood　hip　to　hip　and

shoulder　to　shoulder。　Two　days　they　kept　us　there；　and　the　mate　would　climb　up

in　the　rigging　to　mock　us　and　yell；　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'　till　we　were　well　sorry

that　we　had　ever　harmed　him　or　his　schooner　a　month　before。　We　had　no　food；

and　we　stood　on　our　feet　two　days　and　nights。　The