south sea tales-第31节

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the　officers。



The　men　wavered　reluctantly　where　they　stood；　and　those　who　had　loosed　the

turns　made　them　fast　again。　Then　one；　and　then　another；　and　then　all　of　them；

began　to　sidle　awkwardly　away。



McCoy's　face　was　beaming　with　childlike　pleasure　as　he　descended　from　the　top

of　the　cabin。　Thee　was　no　trouble。　For　that　matter　there　had　been　no　trouble

averted。　There　never　had　been　any　trouble；　for　there　was　no　place　for　such　in

the　blissful　world　in　which　he　lived。



〃You　hypnotized　em；〃　Mr。　Konig　grinned　at　him；　speaking　in　a　low　voice。



〃Those　boys　are　good；〃　was　the　answer。　〃Their　hearts　are　good。　　They　have　had

a　hard　time；　and　they　have　worked　hard；　and　they　will　work　hard　to　the　end。〃



Mr。　Konig　had　not　time　to　reply。　His　voice　was　ringing　out　orders；　the　sailors

were　springing　to　obey；　and　the　PYRENEES　was　paying　slowly　off　from　the　wind

until　her　bow　should　point　in　the　direction　of　Makemo。



The　wind　was　very　light；　and　after　sundown　almost　ceased。　It　was　insufferably

warm；　and　fore　and　aft　men　sought　vainly　to　sleep。　　The　deck　was　too　hot　to

lie　upon；　and　poisonous　vapors；　oozing　through　the　seams；　crept　like　evil

spirits　over　the　ship；　stealing　into　the　nostrils　and　windpipes　of　the　unwary

and　causing　fits　of　sneezing　and　coughing。　The　stars　blinked　lazily　in　the　dim

vault　overhead；　and　the　full　moon；　rising　in　the　east；　touched　with　its　light

the　myriads　of　wisps　and　threads　and　spidery　films　of　smoke　that　intertwined

and　writhed　and　twisted　along　the　deck；　over　the　rails；　and　up　the　masts　and

shrouds。



〃Tell　me；〃　Captain　Davenport　said；　rubbing　his　smarting　eyes；　〃what　happened

with　that　BOUNTY　crowd　after　they　reached　Pitcairn？　The　account　I　read　said

they　burnt　the　Bounty；　and　that　they　were　not　discovered　until　many　years

later。　But　what　happened　in　the　meantime？　I've　always　been　curious　to　know。

They　were　men　with　their　necks　in　the　rope。　There　were　some　native　men；　too。

And　then　there　were　women。　That　made　it　look　like　trouble　right　from　the

jump。〃



〃There　was　trouble；〃　McCoy　answered。　〃They　were　bad　men。　They　quarreled　about

the　women　right　away。　One　of　the　mutineers；　Williams；　lost　his　wife。　All　the

women　were　Tahitian　women。　His　wife　fell　from　the　cliffs　when　hunting　sea

birds。　Then　he　took　the　wife　of　one　of　the　native　men　away　from　him。　All　the

native　men　were　made　very　angry　by　this；　and　they　killed　off　nearly　all　the

mutineers。　Then　the　mutineers　that　escaped　killed　off　all　the　native　men。　The

women　helped。　And　the　natives　killed　each　other。　Everybody　killed　everybody。

They　were　terrible　men。



〃Timiti　was　killed　by　two　other　natives　while　they　were　combing　his　hair　in

friendship。　The　white　men　had　sent　them　to　do　it。　　Then　the　white　men　killed

them。　The　wife　of　Tullaloo　killed　him　in　a　cave　because　she　wanted　a　white　man

for　husband。　They　were　very　wicked。　God　had　hidden　His　face　from　them。　At　the

end　of　two　years　all　the　native　men　were　murdered；　and　all　the　white　men

except　four。　They　were　Young；　John　Adams；　McCoy；　who　was　my　great…grandfather；

and　Quintal。　He　was　a　very　bad　man；　too。　　Once；　just　because　his　wife　did　not

catch　enough　fish　for　him；　he　bit　off　her　ear。〃



〃They　were　a　bad　lot！〃　Mr。　Konig　exclaimed。



〃Yes；　they　were　very　bad；〃　McCoy　agreed　and　went　on　serenely　cooing　of　the

blood　and　lust　of　his　iniquitous　ancestry。　〃My　great…grandfather　escaped

murder　in　order　to　die　by　his　own　hand。　He　made　a　still　and　manufactured

alcohol　from　the　roots　of　the　ti…plant。　Quintal　was　his　chum；　and　they　got

drunk　together　all　the　time。　At　last　McCoy　got　delirium　tremens；　tied　a　rock

to　his　neck；　and　jumped　into　the　sea。



〃Quintal's　wife；　the　one　whose　ear　he　bit　off；　also　got　killed　by　falling　from

the　cliffs。　Then　Quintal　went　to　Young　and　demanded　his　wife；　and　went　to

Adams　and　demanded　his　wife。　Adams　and　Young　were　afraid　of　Quintal。　They　knew

he　would　kill　them。　So　they　killed　him；　the　two　of　them　together；　with　a

hatchet。　Then　Young　died。　And　that　was　about　all　the　trouble　they　had。〃



〃I　should　say　so；〃　Captain　Davenport　snorted。　〃There　was　nobody　left　to　kill。〃



〃You　see；　God　had　hidden　His　face；〃　McCoy　said。



By　morning　no　more　than　a　faint　air　was　blowing　from　the　eastward；　and；　unable

to　make　appreciable　southing　by　it；　Captain　Davenport　hauled　up　full…and…by　on

the　port　track。　He　was　afraid　of　that　terrible　westerly　current　which　had

cheated　him　out　of　so　many　ports　of　refuge。　All　day　the　calm　continued；　and

all　night；　while　the　sailors；　on　a　short　ration　of　dried　banana；　were

grumbling。　Also；　they　were　growing　weak　and　complaining　of　stomach　pains

caused　by　the　straight　banana　diet。　All　day　the　current　swept　the　PYRENEES　to

the　westward；　while　there　was　no　wind　to　bear　her　south。　In　the　middle　of　the

first　dogwatch；　cocoanut　trees　were　sighted　due　south；　their　tufted　heads

rising　above　the　water　and　marking　the　low…lying　atoll　beneath。



〃That　is　Taenga　Island；〃　McCoy　said。　〃We　need　a　breeze　tonight；　or　else　we'll

miss　Makemo。〃



〃What's　become　of　the　southeast　trade？〃　the　captain　demanded。　　〃Why　don't　it

blow？　What's　the　matter？〃



〃It　is　the　evaporation　from　the　big　lagoonsthere　are　so　many　of　them；〃　McCoy

explained。　The　evaporation　upsets　the　whole　system　of　trades。　It　even　causes

the　wind　to　back　up　and　blow　gales　from　the　southwest。　This　is　the　Dangerous

Archipelago；　Captain。〃



Captain　Davenport　faced　the　old　man；　opened　his　mouth；　and　was　about　to　curse；

but　paused　and　refrained。　'mcCoy's　presence　was　a　rebuke　to　the　blasphemies

that　stirred　in　his　brain　and　trembled　in　his　larynx。　'mcCoy's　influence　had

been　growing　during　the　many　days　they　had　been　together。　Captain　Davenport

was　an　autocrat　of　the　sea；　fearing　no　man；　never　bridling　his　tongue；　and　now

he　found　himself　unable　to　curse　in　the　presence　of　this　old　man　with　the

feminine　brown　eyes　and　the　voice　of　a　dove。　　When　he　realized　this；　Captain

Davenport　experienced　a　distinct　shock。　This　old　man　was　merely　the　seed　of

McCoy；　of　McCoy　of　the　BOUNTY；　the　mutineer　fleeing　from　the　hemp　that　waited

him　in　England；　the　McCoy　who　was　a　power　for　evil　in　the　early　days　of　blood

and　lust　and　violent　death　on　Pitcairn　Island。



Captain　Davenport　was　not　religious；　yet　in　that　moment　he　felt　a　mad　impulse

to　cast　himself　at　the　other's　feetand　to　say　he　knew　not　what。　It　was　an

emotion　that　so　deeply　stirred　him；　rather　than　a　coherent　thought；　and　he　was

aware　in　some　vague　way　of　his　own　unworthiness　and　smallness　in　the　presence

of　this　other　man　who　possessed　the　simplicity　of　a　child　and　the　gentleness

of　a　woman。



Of　course　he　could　not　so　humble　himself　before　the　eyes　of　his　officers　and

men。　And　yet　the　anger　that　had　prompted　the　blasphemy　still　raged　in　him。　He

suddenly　smote　the　cabin　with　his　clenched　hand　and　cried：



〃Look　here；　old　man；　I　won't　be　beaten。　These　Paumotus　have　cheated　and

tricked　me　and　made　a　fool　of　me。　I　refuse　to　be　beaten。　I　am　going　to　drive

this　ship；　and　drive　and　drive　and　drive　clear　through　the　Paumotus　to　China

but　what　I　find　a　bed　for　her。　If　every　man　deserts；　I'll　stay　by　her。　I'll

show　the　Paumotus。　They　can't　fool　me。　She's　a　good　girl；　and　I'll　stick　by

her　as　long　as　there's　a　plank　to　stand　on。　You　hear　me？〃



〃And　I'll　stay　with　you；　Captain；〃　McCoy　said。



During　the　night；　light；　baffling　airs　blew　out　of　the　south；　and　the　frantic

captain；　with　his　cargo　of　fire；　watched　and　measured　his　westward　drift　and

went　off　by　himself　at　times　to　curse　softly　so　that　McCoy　should　not　hear。



Daylight　showed　more　palms　growing　out　of　the　water　to　the　south。



〃That's　the　leeward　point　of　Makemo；〃　McCoy　said。　〃Katiu　is　only　a　few　miles

to　the　west。　We　may　make　that。〃



But　the　current；　sucking　between　the　two　islands；　swept　them　to　the　northwest；

and　at　one　in　the　afternoon　they　saw　the　palms　of　Katiu　rise　above　the　sea　and

sink　back　into　the　sea　again。



A　few　minutes　later；　just　as　the　captain　had　discovered　that　a　new　current

from　the　northeast　had　gripped　the　Pyrenees；　the　masthead　lookouts　raised

cocoanut　palms　in　the　northwest。



〃It　is　Raraka；〃　said　McCoy。　〃We　won't　make　it　without　wind。　The　current　is

drawing　us　down　to　the　southwest。　But　we　must　watch　out。　A　few　miles　farther

on　a　current　flows　north　and　turns　in　a　circle　to　the　northwest。　This　will

sweep　us　away　from　Fakarava；　and　Fakarava　is　the　place　for　the　Pyrenees　to

find　her　bed。〃



〃They　can　sweep　all　they　daall　they　well　please；〃　Captain　Davenport　remarked

with　heat。　〃We'll　find　a　bed　for　her　somewhere　just　the　same。〃



But　the　situation　on　the　Pyrenees　was　reaching　a　culmination。　　The　deck　was　so

hot　that　it　seemed　an　increase　of　a　few　degrees　would　cause　it　to　burst　into

flames。　In　many　places　even　the　heavy…soled　shoes　of　the　men　were　no

protection；　and　they　were　compelled　to　step　lively　to　avoid　scorching　their

feet。　The　smoke　had　increased　and　grown　more　acrid。　Every　man　on