south sea tales-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



fear；　he　exulted　in　all　he　saw。　He　knew　that　since　the　beginning　of　time　he

was　the　first　white　man　ever　to　tread　the　mountain　stronghold　of　Gatoka。



The　grass　houses　clung　to　the　steep　mountain　side　or　overhung　the　rushing

Rewa。　On　either　side　towered　a　mighty　precipice。　At　the　best；　three　hours　of

sunlight　penetrated　that　narrow　gorge。　No　cocoanuts　nor　bananas　were　to　be

seen；　though　dense；　tropic　vegetation　overran　everything；　dripping　in　airy

festoons　from　the　sheer　lips　of　the　precipices　and　running　riot　in　all　the

crannied　ledges。　At　the　far　end　of　the　gorge　the　Rewa　leaped　eight　hundred

feet　in　a　single　span；　while　the　atmosphere　of　the　rock　fortress　pulsed　to　the

rhythmic　thunder　of　the　fall。



From　the　Buli's　house；　John　Starhurst　saw　emerging　the　Buli　and　his　followers。



〃I　bring　you　good　tidings；〃　was　the　missionary's　greeting。



〃Who　has　sent　you？〃　the　Buli　rejoined　quietly。



〃God。〃



〃It　is　a　new　name　in　Viti　Levu；〃　the　Buli　grinned。　〃Of　what　islands；　villages；

or　passes　may　he　be　chief？〃



〃He　is　the　chief　over　all　islands；　all　villages；　all　passes；〃　John　Starhurst

answered　solemnly。　〃He　is　the　Lord　over　heaven　and　earth；　and　I　am　come　to

bring　His　word　to　you。〃



〃Has　he　sent　whale　teeth？〃　was　the　insolent　query。



〃No；　but　more　precious　than　whale　teeth　is　the〃



〃It　is　the　custom；　between　chiefs；　to　send　whale　teeth；〃　the　Buli　interrupted。



〃Your　chief　is　either　a　niggard；　or　you　are　a　fool；　to　come　empty…handed　into

the　mountains。　Behold；　a　more　generous　than　you　is　before　you。〃



So　saying；　he　showed　the　whale　tooth　he　had　received　from　Erirola。



Narau　groaned。



〃It　is　the　whale　tooth　of　Ra　Vatu；〃　he　whispered　to　Starhurst。　　〃I　know　it

well。　Now　are　we　undone。〃



〃A　gracious　thing；〃　the　missionary　answered；　passing　his　hand　through　his　long

beard　and　adjusting　his　glasses。　〃Ra　Vatu　has　arranged　that　we　should　be　well

received。〃



But　Narau　groaned　again；　and　backed　away　from　the　heels　he　had　dogged　so

faithfully。



〃Ra　Vatu　is　soon　to　become　Lotu；〃　Starhurst　explained；　〃and　I　have　come

bringing　the　Lotu　to　you。〃



〃I　want　none　of　your　Lotu；〃　said　the　Buli；　proudly。　〃And　it　is　in　my　mind　that

you　will　be　clubbed　this　day。〃



The　Buli　nodded　to　one　of　his　big　mountaineers；　who　stepped　forward；　swinging

a　club。　Narau　bolted　into　the　nearest　house；　seeking　to　hide　among　the　woman

and　mats；　but　John　Starhurst　sprang　in　under　the　club　and　threw　his　arms

around　his　executioner's　neck。　From　this　point　of　vantage　he　proceeded　to

argue。　He　was　arguing　for　his　life；　and　he　knew　it；　but　he　was　neither　excited

nor　afraid。



〃It　would　be　an　evil　thing　for　you　to　kill　me；〃　he　told　the　man。　　〃I　have　done

you　no　wrong；　nor　have　I　done　the　Buli　wrong。〃



So　well　did　he　cling　to　the　neck　of　the　one　man　that　they　dared　not　strike

with　their　clubs。　And　he　continued　to　cling　and　to　dispute　for　his　life　with

those　who　clamored　for　his　death。



〃I　am　John　Starhurst；〃　he　went　on　calmly。　〃I　have　labored　in　Fiji　for　three

years；　and　I　have　done　it　for　no　profit。　I　am　here　among　you　for　good。　Why

should　any　man　kill　me？　To　kill　me　will　not　profit　any　man。〃



The　Buli　stole　a　look　at　the　whale　tooth。　He　was　well　paid　for　the　deed。



The　missionary　was　surrounded　by　a　mass　of　naked　savages；　all　struggling　to

get　at　him。　The　death　song；　which　is　the　song　of　the　oven；　was　raised；　and　his

expostulations　could　no　longer　be　heard。　But　so　cunningly　did　he　twine　and

wreathe　his　body　about　his　captor's　that　the　death　blow　could　not　be　struck。

Erirola　smiled；　and　the　Buli　grew　angry。



〃Away　with　you！〃　he　cried。　〃A　nice　story　to　go　back　to　the　coasta　dozen　of

you　and　one　missionary；　without　weapons；　weak　as　a　woman；　overcoming　all　of

you。〃



〃Wait；　O　Buli；〃　John　Starhurst　called　out　from　the　thick　of　the　scuffle；　〃and

I　will　overcome　even　you。　For　my　weapons　are　Truth　and　Right；　and　no　man　can

withstand　them。〃



〃Come　to　me；　then；〃　the　Buli　answered；　〃for　my　weapon　is　only　a　poor　miserable

club；　and；　as　you　say；　it　cannot　withstand　you。〃



The　group　separated　from　him；　and　John　Starhurst　stood　alone；　facing　the　Buli；

who　was　leaning　on　an　enormous；　knotted　warclub。



〃Come　to　me；　missionary　man；　and　overcome　me；〃　the　Buli　challenged。



〃Even　so　will　I　come　to　you　and　overcome　you；〃　John　Starhurst　made　answer；

first　wiping　his　spectacles　and　settling　them　properly；　then　beginning　his

advance。



The　Buli　raised　the　club　and　waited。



〃In　the　first　place；　my　death　will　profit　you　nothing；〃　began　the　argument。



〃I　leave　the　answer　to　my　club；〃　was　the　Buli's　reply。



And　to　every　point　he　made　the　same　reply；　at　the　same　time　watching　the

missionary　closely　in　order　to　forestall　that　cunning　run…in　under　the　lifted

club。　Then；　and　for　the　first　time；　John　Starhurst　knew　that　his　death　was　at

hand。　He　made　no　attempt　to　run　in。　Bareheaded；　he　stood　in　the　sun　and　prayed

aloudthe　mysterious　figure　of　the　inevitable　white　man；　who；　with　Bible；

bullet；　or　rum　bottle；　has　confronted　the　amazed　savage　in　his　every

stronghold。　Even　so　stood　John　Starhurst　in　the　rock　fortress　of　the　Buli　of

Gatoka。



〃Forgive　them；　for　they　know　not　what　they　do；〃　he　prayed。　〃O　Lord！　Have　mercy

upon　Fiji。　Have　compasssion　for　Fiji。　O　Jehovah；　hear　us　for　His　sake；　Thy

Son；　whom　Thou　didst　give　that　through　Him　all　men　might　also　become　Thy

children。　From　Thee　we　came；　and　our　mind　is　that　to　Thee　we　may　return。　The

land　is　dark；　O　Lord；　the　land　is　dark。　But　Thou　art　mighty　to　save。　　Reach

out　Thy　hand；　O　Lord；　and　save　Fiji；　poor　cannibal　Fiji。〃



The　Buli　grew　impatient。



〃Now　will　I　answer　thee；〃　he　muttered；　at　the　same　time　swinging　his　club　with

both　hands。



Narau；　hiding　among　the　women　and　the　mats；　heard　the　impact　of　the　blow　and

shuddered。　Then　the　death　song　arose；　and　he　knew　his　beloved　missionary's

body　was　being　dragged　to　the　oven　as　he　heard　the　words：



〃Drag　me　gently。　Drag　me　gently。〃



〃For　I　am　the　champion　of　my　land。〃



〃Give　thanks！　Give　thanks！　Give　thanks！〃



Next；　a　single　voice　arose　out　of　the　din；　asking：



〃Where　is　the　brave　man？〃



A　hundred　voices　bellowed　the　answer：



〃Gone　to　be　dragged　into　the　oven　and　cooked。〃



〃Where　is　the　coward？〃　the　single　voice　demanded。



〃Gone　to　report！〃　the　hundred　voices　bellowed　back。　〃Gone　to　report！　Gone　to

report！〃



Narau　groaned　in　anguish　of　spirit。　The　words　of　the　old　song　were　true。　He

was　the　coward；　and　nothing　remained　to　him　but　to　go　and　report。







MAUKI



He　weighed　one　hundred　and　ten　pounds。　His　hair　was　kinky　and　negroid；　and　he

was　black。　He　was　peculiarly　black。　He　was　neither　blue…black　nor

purple…black；　but　plum…black。　His　name　was　Mauki；　and　he　was　the　son　of　a

chief。　He　had　three　tambos。　　Tambo　is　Melanesian　for　taboo；　and　is　first

cousin　to　that　Polynesian　word。　Mauki's　three　tambos　were　as　follows：　First；

he　must　never　shake　hands　with　a　woman；　nor　have　a　woman's　hand　touch　him　or

any　of　his　personal　belongings；　secondly；　he　must　never　eat　clams　nor　any　food

from　a　fire　in　which　clams　had　been　cooked；　thirdly；　he　must　never　touch　a

crocodile；　nor　travel　in　a　canoe　that　carried　any　part　of　a　crocodile　even　if

as　large　as　a　tooth。



Of　a　different　black　were　his　teeeth；　which　were　deep　black；　or；　perhaps

better；　LAMP…black。　They　had　been　made　so　in　a　single　night；　by　his　mother；

who　had　compressed　about　them　a　powdered　mineral　which　was　dug　from　the

landslide　back　of　Port　Adams。　　Port　Adams　is　a　salt…water　village　on　Malaita；

and　Malaita　is　the　most　savage　island　in　the　Solomonsso　savage　that　no

traders　or　planters　have　yet　gained　a　foothold　on　it；　while；　from　the　time　of

the　earliest　b坈he…de…mer　fishers　and　sandalwood　traders　down　to　the　latest

labor　recruiters　equipped　with　automatic　rifles　and　gasolene　engines；　scores

of　white　adventurers　have　been　passed　out　by　tomahawks　and　soft…nosed　Snider

bullets。　So　Malaita　remains　today；　in　the　twentieth　century；　the　stamping

ground　of　the　labor　recruiters；　who　farm　its　coasts　for　laborers　who　engage

and　contract　themselves　to　toil　on　the　plantations　of　the　neighboring　and　more

civilized　islands　for　a　wage　of　thirty　dollars　a　year。　The　natives　of　those

neighboring　and　more　civilized　islands　have　themselves　become　too　civilized　to

work　on　plantations。



Mauki's　ears　were　pierced；　not　in　one　place；　nor　two　places；　but　in　a　couple

of　dozen　places。　In　one　of　the　smaller　holes　he　carried　a　clay　pipe。　The

larger　holes　were　too　large　for　such　use。　The　bowl　of　the　pipe　would　have

fallen　through。　In　fact；　in　the　largest　hole　in　each　ear　he　habitually　wore

round　wooden　plugs　that　were　an　even　four　inches　in　diameter。　Roughly

speaking；　the　circumference　of　said　holes　was　twelve　and　one…half　inches。

Mauki　was　catholic　in　his　tastes。　In　the　various　smaller　holes　he　carried　such

things　as　empty　rifle　cartridges；　horseshoe　nails；　cop