south sea tales-第4节

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

occupied　no　place　in　that　mighty　volume　of　sound。　He　chanced　to　be　looking　in

Captain　Lynch's　direction　when　it　happened。　He　saw　the　trunk　of　the　tree；

half…way　up；　splinter　and　part　without　noise。　The　head　of　the　tree；　with　three

sailors　of　the　Aorai　and　the　old　captain　sailed　off　over　the　lagoon。　It　did

not　fall　to　the　ground；　but　drove　through　the　air　like　a　piece　of　chaff。　For　a

hundred　yards　he　followed　its　flight；　when　it　struck　the　water。　He　strained

his　eyes；　and　was　sure　that　he　saw　Captain　Lynch　wave　farewell。



Raoul　did　not　wait　for　anything　more。　He　touched　the　native　and　made　signs　to

descend　to　the　ground。　The　man　was　willing；　but　his　women　were　paralayzed　from

terror；　and　he　elected　to　remain　with　them。　Raoul　passed　his　rope　around　the

tree　and　slid　down。　　A　rush　of　salt　water　went　over　his　head。　He　held　his

breath　and　clung　desperately　to　the　rope。　The　water　subsided；　and　in　the

shelter　of　the　trunk　he　breathed　once　more。　He　fastened　the　rope　more

securely；　and　then　was　put　under　by　another　sea。　One　of　the　women　slid　down

and　joined　him；　the　native　remaining　by　the　other　woman；　the　two　children；　and

the　cat。



The　supercargo　had　noticed　how　the　groups　clinging　at　the　bases　of　the　other

trees　continually　diminished。　Now　he　saw　the　process　work　out　alongside　him。

It　required　all　his　strength　to　hold　on；　and　the　woman　who　had　joined　him　was

growing　weaker。　　Each　time　he　emerged　from　a　sea　he　was　surprised　to　find

himself　still　there；　and　next；　surprised　to　find　the　woman　still　there。　　At

last　he　emerged　to　find　himself　alone。　He　looked　up。　The　top　of　the　tree　had

gone　as　well。　At　half　its　original　height；　a　splintered　end　vibrated。　He　was

safe。　The　roots　still　held；　while　the　tree　had　been　shorn　of　its　windage。　He

began　to　climb　up。　He　was　so　weak　that　he　went　slowly；　and　sea　after　sea

caught　him　before　he　was　above　them。　Then　he　tied　himself　to　the　trunk　and

stiffened　his　soul　to　face　the　night　and　he　knew　not　what。



He　felt　very　lonely　in　the　darkness。　At　times　it　seemed　to　him　that　it　was　the

end　of　the　world　and　that　he　was　the　last　one　left　alive。　Still　the　wind

increased。　Hour　after　hour　it　increased。　By　what　he　calculated　was　eleven

o'clock；　the　wind　had　become　unbelievable。　It　was　a　horrible；　monstrous　thing；

a　screaming　fury；　a　wall　that　smote　and　passed　on　but　that　continued　to　smite

and　pass　ona　wall　without　end。　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　become　light　and

ethereal；　that　it　was　he　that　was　in　motion；　that　he　was　being　driven　with

inconceivable　velocity　through　unending　solidness。　The　wind　was　no　longer　air

in　motion。　It　had　become　substantial　as　water　or　quicksilver。　　He　had　a

feeling　that　he　could　reach　into　it　and　tear　it　out　in　chunks　as　one　might　do

with　the　meat　in　the　carcass　of　a　steer；　that　he　could　seize　hold　of　the　wind

and　hang　on　to　it　as　a　man　might　hang　on　to　the　face　of　a　cliff。



The　wind　strangled　him。　He　could　not　face　it　and　breathe；　for　it　rushed　in

through　his　mouth　and　nostrils；　distending　his　lungs　like　bladders。　At　such

moments　it　seemed　to　him　that　his　body　was　being　packed　and　swollen　with　solid

earth。　Only　by　pressing　his　lips　to　the　trunk　of　the　tree　could　he　breathe。

Also；　the　ceaseless　impact　of　the　wind　exhausted　him。　Body　and　brain　became

wearied。　He　no　longer　observed；　no　longer　thought；　and　was　but　semiconscious。

One　idea　constituted　his　consciousness：　SO　THIS　WAS　A　HURRICANE。　That　one　idea

persisted　irregularly。　It　was　like　a　feeble　flame　that　flickered　occasionally。

From　a　state　of　stupor　he　would　return　to　itSO　THIS　WAS　A　HURRICANE。　　Then

he　would　go　off　into　another　stupor。



The　height　of　the　hurricane　endured　from　eleven　at　night　till　three　in　the

morning；　and　it　was　at　eleven　that　the　tree　in　which　clung　Mapuhi　and　his

women　snapped　off。　Mapuhi　rose　to　the　surface　of　the　lagoon；　still　clutching

his　daughter　Ngakura。　　Only　a　South　Sea　islander　could　have　lived　in　such　a

driving　smother。　The　pandanus　tree；　to　which　he　attached　himself；　turned　over

and　over　in　the　froth　and　churn；　and　it　was　only　by　holding　on　at　times　and

waiting；　and　at　other　times　shifting　his　grips　rapidly；　that　he　was　able　to

get　his　head　and　Ngakura's　to　the　surface　at　intervals　sufficiently　near

together　to　keep　the　breath　in　them。　But　the　air　was　mostly　water；　what　with

flying　spray　and　sheeted　rain　that　poured　along　at　right　angles　to　the

perpendicular。



It　was　ten　miles　across　the　lagoon　to　the　farther　ring　of　sand。　　Here；　tossing

tree　trunks；　timbers；　wrecks　of　cutters；　and　wreckage　of　houses；　killed　nine

out　of　ten　of　the　miserable　beings　who　survived　the　passage　of　the　lagoon。

Half…drowned；　exhausted；　they　were　hurled　into　this　mad　mortar　of　the　elements

and　battered　into　formless　flesh。　But　Mapuhi　was　fortunate。　His　chance　was　the

one　in　ten；　it　fell　to　him　by　the　freakage　of　fate。　He　emerged　upon　the　sand；

bleeding　from　a　score　of　wounds。



Ngakura's　left　arm　was　broken；　the　fingers　of　her　right　hand　were　crushed；　and

cheek　and　forehead　were　laid　open　to　the　bone。　He　clutched　a　tree　that　yet

stood；　and　clung　on；　holding　the　girl　and　sobbing　for　air；　while　the　waters　of

the　lagoon　washed　by　knee…high　and　at　times　waist…high。



At　three　in　the　morning　the　backbone　of　the　hurricane　broke。　By　five　no　more

than　a　stiff　breeze　was　blowing。　And　by　six　it　was　dead　calm　and　the　sun　was

shining。　The　sea　had　gone　down。　On　the　yet　restless　edge　of　the　lagoon；　Mapuhi

saw　the　broken　bodies　of　those　that　had　failed　in　the　landing。　Undoubtedly

Tefara　and　Nauri　were　among　them。　He　went　along　the　beach　examining　them；　and

came　upon　his　wife；　lying　half　in　and　half　out　of　the　water。　　He　sat　down　and

wept；　making　harsh　animal　noises　after　the　manner　of　primitive　grief。　Then　she

stirred　uneasily；　and　groaned。　He　looked　more　closely。　Not　only　was　she　alive；

but　she　was　uninjured。　She　was　merely　sleeping。　Hers　also　had　been　the　one

chance　in　ten。



Of　the　twelve　hundred　alive　the　night　before　but　three　hundred　remained。　The

mormon　missionary　and　a　gendarme　made　the　census。　　The　lagoon　was　cluttered

with　corpses。　Not　a　house　nor　a　hut　was　standing。　In　the　whole　atoll　not　two

stones　remained　one　upon　another。　One　in　fifty　of　the　cocoanut　palms　still

stood；　and　they　were　wrecks；　while　on　not　one　of　them　remained　a　single　nut。



There　was　no　fresh　water。　The　shallow　wells　that　caught　the　surface　seepage　of

the　rain　were　filled　with　salt。　Out　of　the　lagoon　a　few　soaked　bags　of　flour

were　recovered。　The　survivors　cut　the　hearts　out　of　the　fallen　cocoanut　trees

and　ate　them。　　Here　and　there　they　crawled　into　tiny　hutches；　made　by

hollowing　out　the　sand　and　covering　over　with　fragments　of　metal　roofing。　　The

missionary　made　a　crude　still；　but　he　could　not　distill　water　for　three

hundred　persons。　By　the　end　of　the　second　day；　Raoul；　taking　a　bath　in　the

lagoon；　discovered　that　his　thirst　was　somewhat　relieved。　He　cried　out　the

news；　and　thereupon　three　hundred　men；　women；　and　children　could　have　been

seen；　standing　up　to　their　necks　in　the　lagoon　and　trying　to　drink　water　in

through　their　skins。　Their　dead　floated　about　them；　or　were　stepped　upon　where

they　still　lay　upon　the　bottom。　On　the　third　day　the　people　buried　their　dead

and　sat　down　to　wait　for　the　rescue　steamers。



In　the　meantime；　Nauri；　torn　from　her　family　by　the　hurricane；　had　been　swept

away　on　an　adventure　of　her　own。　Clinging　to　a　rough　plank　that　wounded　and

bruised　her　and　that　filled　her　body　with　splinters；　she　was　thrown　clear　over

the　atoll　and　carried　away　to　sea。　Here；　under　the　amazing　buffets　of

mountains　of　water；　she　lost　her　plank。　She　was　an　old　woman　nearly　sixty；　but

she　was　Paumotan…born；　and　she　had　never　been　out　of　sight　of　the　sea　in　her

life。　Swimming　in　the　darkness；　strangling；　suffocating；　fighting　for　air；　she

was　struck　a　heavy　blow　on　the　shoulder　by　a　cocoanut。　On　the　instant　her　plan

was　formed；　and　she　seized　the　nut。　In　the　next　hour　she　captured　seven　more。　

Tied　together；　they　formed　a　life…buoy　that　preserved　her　life　while　at　the

same　time　it　threatened　to　pound　her　to　a　jelly。　　She　was　a　fat　woman；　and　she

bruised　easily；　but　she　had　had　experience　of　hurricanes；　and　while　she　prayed

to　her　shark　god　for　protection　from　sharks；　she　waited　for　the　wind　to　break。　

But　at　three　o'clock　she　was　in　such　a　stupor　that　she　did　not　know。　Nor　did

she　know　at　six　o'clock　when　the　dead　calm　settled　down。　She　was　shocked　into

consciousness　when　she　was　thrown　upon　the　sand。　She　dug　in　with　raw　and

bleeding　hands　and　feet　and　clawed　against　the　backwash　until　she　was　beyond

the　reach　of　the　waves。



She　knew　where　she　was。　This　land　could　be　no　other　than　the　tiny　islet　of

Takokota。　It　had　no　lagoon。　No　one　lived　upon　it。



Hikueru　was　fifteen　miles　away。　She　could　not　see　Hikueru；　but　she　knew　that

it　lay　to　the　south。　The　days　went　by；　and　she　lived　on　the　cocoanuts　that　had