south sea tales-第3节

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in　from　the　opposite　direction；　the　men　and　women　carrying　a　heterogeneous

assortment　of　possessions。　And　soon　several　hundred　persons　of　all　ages　and

sexes　were　congregated　about　the　captain's　dwelling。　He　called　to　one　new

arrival；　a　woman　with　a　nursing　babe　in　her　arms；　and　in　answer　received　the

information　that　her　house　had　just　been　swept　into　the　lagoon。



This　was　the　highest　spot　of　land　in　miles；　and　already；　in　many　places　on

either　hand；　the　great　seas　were　making　a　clean　breach　of　the　slender　ring　of

the　atoll　and　surging　into　the　lagoon。　　Twenty　miles　around　stretched　the　ring

of　the　atoll；　and　in　no　place　was　it　more　than　fifty　fathoms　wide。　It　was　the

height　of　the　diving　season；　and　from　all　the　islands　around；　even　as　far　as

Tahiti；　the　natives　had　gathered。



〃There　are　twelve　hundred　men；　women；　and　children　here；〃　said　Captain　Lynch。

〃I　wonder　how　many　will　be　here　tomorrow　morning。〃



〃But　why　don't　it　blow？that's　what　I　want　to　know；〃　Raoul　demanded。



〃Don't　worry；　young　man；　don't　worry；　you'll　get　your　troubles　fast　enough。〃



Even　as　Captain　Lynch　spoke；　a　great　watery　mass　smote　the　atoll。



The　sea　water　churned　about　them　three　inches　deep　under　the　chairs。　A　low

wail　of　fear　went　up　from　the　many　women。　The　children；　with　clasped　hands；

stared　at　the　immense　rollers　and　cried　piteously。　Chickens　and　cats；　wading

perturbedly　in　the　water；　as　by　common　consent；　with　flight　and　scramble　took

refuge　on　the　roof　of　the　captain's　house。　A　Paumotan；　with　a　litter　of

new…born　puppies　in　a　basket；　climbed　into　a　cocoanut　tree　and　twenty　feet

above　the　ground　made　the　basket　fast。　The　mother　floundered　about　in　the

water　beneath；　whining　and　yelping。



And　still　the　sun　shone　brightly　and　the　dead　calm　continued。　　They　sat　and

watched　the　seas　and　the　insane　pitching　of　the　Aorai。　Captain　Lynch　gazed　at

the　huge　mountains　of　water　sweeping　in　until　he　could　gaze　no　more。　He

covered　his　face　with　his　hands　to　shut　out　the　sight；　then　went　into　the

house。



〃Twenty…eight…sixty；〃　he　said　quietly　when　he　returned。



In　his　arm　was　a　coil　of　small　rope。　He　cut　it　into　two…fathom　lengths；　giving

one　to　Raoul　and；　retaining　one　for　himself；　distributed　the　remainder　among

the　women　with　the　advice　to　pick　out　a　tree　and　climb。



A　light　air　began　to　blow　out　of　the　northeast；　and　the　fan　of　it　on　his　cheek

seemed　to　cheer　Raoul　up。　He　could　see　the　Aorai　trimming　her　sheets　and

heading　off　shore；　and　he　regretted　that　he　was　not　on　her。　She　would　get　away

at　any　rate；　but　as　for　the　atollA　sea　breached　across；　almost　sweeping　him

off　his　feet；　and　he　selected　a　tree。　Then　he　remembered　the　barometer　and　ran

back　to　the　house。　He　encountered　Captain　Lynch　on　the　same　errand　and

together　they　went　in。



〃Twenty…eight…twenty；〃　said　the　old　mariner。　〃It's　going　to　be　fair　hell

around　herewhat　was　that？〃



The　air　seemed　filled　with　the　rush　of　something。　The　house　quivered　and

vibrated；　and　they　heard　the　thrumming　of　a　mighty　note　of　sound。　The　windows

rattled。　Two　panes　crashed；　a　draught　of　wind　tore　in；　striking　them　and

making　them　stagger。　　The　door　opposite　banged　shut；　shattering　the　latch。　The

white　door　knob　crumbled　in　fragments　to　the　floor。　The　room's　walls　bulged

like　a　gas　balloon　in　the　process　of　sudden　inflation。　　Then　came　a　new　sound

like　the　rattle　of　musketry；　as　the　spray　from　a　sea　struck　the　wall　of　the

house。　Captain　Lyncyh　looked　at　his　watch。　It　was　four　o'clock。　He　put　on　a

coat　of　pilot　cloth；　unhooked　the　barometer；　and　stowed　it　away　in　a　capacious

pocket。　Again　a　sea　struck　the　house；　with　a　heavy　thud；　and　the　light

building　tilted；　twisted；　quarter　around　on　its　foundation；　and　sank　down；　its

floor　at　an　angle　of　ten　degrees。



Raoul　went　out　first。　The　wind　caught　him　and　whirled　him　away。　　He　noted　that

it　had　hauled　around　to　the　east。　With　a　great　effort　he　threw　himself　on　the

sand；　crouching　and　holding　his　own。　Captain　Lynch；　driven　like　a　wisp　of

straw；　sprawled　over　him。　Two　of　the　Aorai'S　sailors；　leaving　a　cocoanut　tree

to　which　they　had　been　clinging；　came　to　their　aid；　leaning　against　the　wind

at　impossible　angles　and　fighting　and　clawing　every　inch　of　the　way。



The　old　man's　joints　were　stiff　and　he　could　not　climb；　so　the　sailors；　by

means　of　short　ends　of　rope　tied　together；　hoisted　him　up　the　trunk；　a　few

feet　at　a　time；　till　they　could　make　him　fast；　at　the　top　of　the　tree；　fifty

feet　from　the　ground。　Raoul　passed　his　length　of　rope　around　the　base　of　an

adjacent　tree　and　stood　looking　on。　The　wind　was　frightful。　He　had　never

dreamed　it　could　blow　so　hard。　A　sea　breached　across　the　atoll；　wetting　him　to

the　knees　ere　it　subsided　into　the　lagoon。　The　sun　had　disappeared；　and　a

lead…colored　twilight　settled　down。　A　few　drops　of　rain；　driving　horizontally；

struck　him。　The　impact　was　like　that　of　leaden　pellets。　A　splash　of　salt　spray

struck　his　face。　It　was　like　the　slap　of　a　man's　hand。　His　cheeks　stung；　and

involuntary　tears　of　pain　were　in　his　smarting　eyes。　Several　hundred　natives

had　taken　to　the　trees；　and　he　could　have　laughed　at　the　bunches　of　human

fruit　clustering　in　the　tops。　Then；　being　Tahitian…born；　he　doubled　his　body

at　the　waist；　clasped　the　trunk　of　his　tree　with　his　hands；　pressed　the　soles

of　his　feet　against　the　near　surface　of　the　trunk；　and　began　to　walk　up　the

tree。　At　the　top　he　found　two　women；　two　children；　and　a　man。　One　little　girl

clasped　a　housecat　in　her　arms。



From　his　eyrie　he　waved　his　hand　to　Captain　Lynch；　and　that　doughty　patriarch

waved　back。　Raoul　was　appalled　at　the　sky。　It　had　approached　much　nearerin

fact；　it　seemed　just　over　his　head；　and　it　had　turned　from　lead　to　black。　Many

people　were　still　on　the　ground　grouped　about　the　bases　of　the　trees　and

holding　on。　Several　such　clusters　were　praying；　and　in　one　the　Mormon

missionary　was　exhorting。　A　weird　sound；　rhythmical；　faint　as　the　faintest

chirp　of　a　far　cricket；　enduring　but　for　a　moment；　but　in　the　moment

suggesting　to　him　vaguely　the　thought　of　heaven　and　celestial　music；　came　to

his　ear。　He　glanced　about　him　and　saw；　at　the　base　of　another　tree；　a　large

cluster　of　people　holding　on　by　ropes　and　by　one　another。　He　could　see　their

faces　working　and　their　lips　moving　in　unison。　No　sound　came　to　him；　but　he

knew　that　they　were　singing　hymns。



Still　the　wind　continued　to　blow　harder。　By　no　conscious　process　could　he

measure　it；　for　it　had　long　since　passed　beyond　all　his　experience　of　wind；

but　he　knew　somehow；　nevertheless；　that　it　was　blowing　harder。　Not　far　away　a

tree　was　uprooted；　flinging　its　load　of　human　beings　to　the　ground。　A　sea

washed　across　the　strip　of　sand；　and　they　were　gone。　Things　were　happening

quickly。　He　saw　a　brown　shoulder　and　a　black　head　silhouetted　against　the

churning　white　of　the　lagoon。　The　next　instant　that；　too；　had　vanished。　Other

trees　were　going；　falling　and　criss…crossing　like　matches。　He　was　amazed　at

the　power　of　the　wind。　His　own　tree　was　swaying　perilously；　one　woman　was

wailing　and　clutching　the　little　girl；　who　in　turn　still　hung　on　to　the　cat。



The　man；　holding　the　other　child；　touched　Raoul's　arm　and　pointed。　He　looked

and　saw　the　Mormon　church　careering　drunkenly　a　hundred　feet　away。　It　had　been

torn　from　its　foundations；　and　wind　and　sea　were　heaving　and　shoving　it　toward

the　lagoon。　A　frightful　wall　of　water　caught　it；　tilted　it；　and　flung　it

against　half　a　dozen　cocoanut　trees。　The　bunches　of　human　fruit　fell　like　ripe

cocoanuts。　The　subsiding　wave　showed　them　on　the　ground；　some　lying

motionless；　others　squirming　and　writhing。　　They　reminded　him　strangely　of

ants。　He　was　not　shocked。　He　had　risen　above　horror。　Quite　as　a　matter　of

course　he　noted　the　succeeding　wave　sweep　the　sand　clean　of　the　human

wreckage。　A　third　wave；　more　colossal　than　any　he　had　yet　seen；　hurled　the

church　into　the　lagoon；　where　it　floated　off　into　the　obscurity　to　leeward；

half…submerged；　reminding　him　for　all　the　world　of　a　Noah's　ark。



He　looked　for　Captain　Lynch's　house；　and　was　surprised　to　find　it　gone。　Things

certainly　were　happening　quickly。　He　noticed　that　many　of　the　people　in　the

trees　that　still　held　had　descended　to　the　ground。　The　wind　had　yet　again

increased。　His　own　tree　showed　that。　It　no　longer　swayed　or　bent　over　and

back。　　Instead；　it　remained　practically　stationary；　curved　in　a　rigid　angle

from　the　wind　and　merely　vibrating。　But　the　vibration　was　sickening。　It　was

like　that　of　a　tuning…fork　or　the　tongue　of　a　jew's…harp。　It　was　the　rapidity

of　the　vibration　that　made　it　so　bad。　Even　though　its　roots　held；　it　could　not

stand　the　strain　for　long。　Something　would　have　to　break。



Ah；　there　was　one　that　had　gone。　He　had　not　seen　it　go；　but　there　it　stood；

the　remnant；　broken　off　half…way　up　the　trunk。　　One　did　not　know　what　happened

unless　he　saw　it。　The　mere　crashing　of　trees　and　wails　of　human　despair

occupied　no　place　in　that　mighty　volum