south sea tales-第9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！



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

things　as　empty　rifle　cartridges；　horseshoe　nails；　copper　screws；　pieces　of

string；　braids　of　sennit；　strips　of　green　leaf；　and；　in　the　cool　of　the　day；

scarlet　hibiscus　flowers。　From　which　it　will　be　seen　that　pockets　were　not

necessary　to　his　well…being。　Besides；　pockets　were　impossible；　for　his　only

wearing　apparel　consisted　of　a　piece　of　calico　several　inches　wide。　A　pocket

knife　he　wore　in　his　hair；　the　blade　snapped　down　on　a　kinky　lock。　His　most

prized　possession　was　the　handle　of　a　china　cup；　which　he　suspended　from　a

ring　of　turtle…shell；　which；　in　turn；　was　passed　through　the

partition…cartilage　of　his　nose。



But　in　spite　of　embellishments；　Mauki　had　a　nice　face。　It　was　really　a　pretty

face；　viewed　by　any　standard；　and　for　a　Melanesian　it　was　a　remarkably

good…looking　face。　Its　one　fault　was　its　lack　of　strength。　It　was　softly

effeminate；　almost　girlish。　The　features　were　small；　regular；　and　delicate。

The　chin　was　weak；　and　the　mouth　was　weak。　There　was　no　strength　nor　character

in　the　jaws；　forehead；　and　nose。　In　the　eyes　only　could　be　caught　any　hint　of

the　unknown　quantities　that　were　so　large　a　part　of　his　make…up　and　that　other

persons　could　not　understand。　These　unknown　quantities　were　pluck；

pertinacity；　fearlessness；　imagination；　and　cunning；　and　when　they　found

expression　in　some　consistent　and　striking　action；　those　about　him　were

astounded。



Mauki's　father　was　chief　over　the　village　at　Port　Adams；　and　thus；　by　birth　a

salt…water　man；　Mauki　was　half　amphibian。　He　knew　the　way　of　the　fishes　and

oysters；　and　the　reef　was　an　open　book　to　him。　Canoes；　also；　he　knew。　He

learned　to　swim　when　he　was　a　year　old。　At　seven　years　he　could　hold　his

breath　a　full　minute　and　swim　straight　down　to　bottom　through　thirty　feet　of

water。　And　at　seven　years　he　was　stolen　by　the　bushmen；　who　cannot　even　swim

and　who　are　afraid　of　salt　water。　Thereafter　Mauki　saw　the　sea　only　from　a

distance；　through　rifts　in　the　jungle　and　from　open　spaces　on　the　high

mountain　sides。　He　became　the　slave　of　old　Fanfoa；　head　chief　over　a　score　of

scattered　bush…villages　on　the　range…lips　of　Malaita；　the　smoke　of　which；　on

calm　mornings；　is　about　the　only　evidence　the　seafaring　white　men　have　of　the

teeming　interior　population。　For　the　whites　do　not　penetrate　Malaita。　They

tried　it　once；　in　the　days　when　the　search　was　on　for　gold；　but　they　always

left　their　heads　behind　to　grin　from　the　smoky　rafters　of　the　bushmen's　huts。



When　Mauki　was　a　young　man　of　seventeen；　Fanfoa　got　out　of　tobacco。　He　got

dreadfully　out　of　tobacco。　It　was　hard　times　in　all　his　villages。　He　had　been

guilty　of　a　mistake。　Suo　was　a　harbor　so　small　that　a　large　schooner　could　not

swing　at　anchor　in　it。　It　was　surrounded　by　mangroves　that　overhung　the　deep

water。　It　was　a　trap；　and　into　the　trap　sailed　two　white　men　in　a　small　ketch。

They　were　after　recruits；　and　they　possessed　much　tobacco　and　trade　goods；　to

say　nothing　of　three　rifles　and　plenty　of　ammunition。　Now　there　were　no

salt…water　men　living　at　Suo；　and　it　was　there　that　the　bushmen　could　come

down　to　the　sea。　The　ketch　did　a　splendid　traffic。　It　signed　on　twenty

recruits　the　first　day。　Even　old　Fanfoa　signed　on。　And　that　same　day　the　score

of　new　recruits　chopped　off　the　two　white　men's　head；　killed　the　boat's　crew；

and　burned　the　ketch。　　Thereafter；　and　for　three　months；　there　was　tobacco　and

trade　goods　in　plenty　and　to　spare　in　all　the　bush　villages。　Then　came　the

man…of…war　that　threw　shells　for　miles　into　the　hills；　frightening　the　people

out　of　their　villages　and　into　the　deeper　bush。　Next　the　man…of…war　sent

landing　parties　ashore。　The　villages　were　all　burned；　along　with　the　tobacco

and　trade　stuff。



The　cocoanuts　and　bananas　were　chopped　down；　the　taro　gardens　uprooted；　and

the　pigs　and　chickens　killed。



It　taught　Fanfoa　a　lesson；　but　in　the　meantime　he　was　out　of　tobacco。　Also；

his　young　men　were　too　frightened　to　sign　on　with　the　recruiting　vessels。　That

was　why　Fanfoa　ordered　his　slave；　Mauki；　to　be　carried　down　and　signed　on　for

half　a　case　of　tobacco　advance；　along　with　knives；　axes；　calico；　and　beads；

which　he　would　pay　for　with　his　toil　on　the　plantations。　Mauki　was　sorely

frightened　when　they　brought　him　on　board　the　schooner。　He　was　a　lamb　led　to

the　slaughter。　White　men　were　ferocious　creatures。　They　had　to　be；　or　else

they　would　not　make　a　practice　of　venturing　along　the　Malaita　coast　and　into

all　harbors；　two　on　a　schooner；　when　each　schooner　carried　from　fifteen　to

twenty　blacks　as　boat's　crew；　and　often　as　high　as　sixty　or　seventy　black

recruits。　In　addition　to　this；　there　was　always　the　danger　of　the　shore

population；　the　sudden　attack　and　the　cutting　off　of　the　schooner　and　all

hands。　Truly；　white　men　must　be　terrible。　Besides；　they　were　possessed　of　such

devil…devilsrifles　that　shot　very　rapidly　many　times；　things　of　iron　and

brass　that　made　the　schooners　go　when　there　was　no　wind；　and　boxes　that　talked

and　laughed　just　as　men　talked　and　laughed。



Ay；　and　he　had　heard　of　one　white　man　whose　particular　devil…devil　was　so

powerful　that　he　could　take　out　all　his　teeth　and　put　them　back　at　will。



Down　into　the　cabin　they　took　Mauki。　On　deck；　the　one　white　man　kept　guard

with　two　revolvers　in　his　belt。　In　the　cabin　the　other　white　man　sat　with　a

book　before　him；　in　which　he　inscribed　strange　marks　and　lines。　He　looked　at

Mauki　as　though　he　had　been　a　pig　or　a　fowl；　glanced　under　the　hollows　of　his

arms；　and　wrote　in　the　book。　Then　he　held　out　the　writing　stick　and　Mauki　just

barely　touched　it　with　his　hand；　in　so　doing　pledging　himself　to　toil　for

three　years　on　the　plantations　of　the　Moongleam　Soap　Company。　It　was　not

explained　to　him　that　the　will　of　the　ferocious　white　men　would　be　used　to

enforce　the　pledge；　and　that；　behind　all；　for　the　same　use；　was　all　the　power

and　all　the　warships　of　Great　Britain。



Other　blacks　there　were　on　board；　from　unheard…of　far　places；　and　when　the

white　man　spoke　to　them；　they　tore　the　long　feather　from　Mauki's　hair；　cut

that　same　hair　short；　and　wrapped　about　his　waist　a　lava…lava　of　bright　yellow

calico。



After　many　days　on　the　schooner；　and　after　beholding　more　land　and　islands

than　he　had　ever　dreamed　of；　he　was　landed　on　New　Georgia；　and　put　to　work　in

the　field　clearing　jungle　and　cutting　cane　grass。　For　the　first　time　he　knew

what　work　was。　Even　as　a　slave　to　Fanfoa　he　had　not　worked　like　this。　And　he

did　not　like　work。　It　was　up　at　dawn　and　in　at　dark；　on　two　meals　a　day。　And

the　food　was　tiresome。　For　weeks　at　a　time　they　were　given　nothing　but　sweet

potatoes　to　eat；　and　for　weeks　at　a　time　it　would　be　nothing　but　rice。　He　cut

out　the　cocoanut　from　the　shells　day　after　day；　and　for　long　days　and　weeks　he

fed　the　fires　that　smoked　the　copra；　till　his　eyes　got　sore　and　he　was　set　to

felling　trees。　He　was　a　good　axe…man；　and　later　he　was　put　in　the

bridge…building　gang。　Once；　he　was　punished　by　being　put　in　the　road…building

gang。　At　times　he　served　as　boat's　crew　in　the　whale　boats；　when　they　brought

in　copra　from　distant　beaches　or　when　the　white　men　went　out　to　dynamite　fish。



Among　other　things　he　learned　beche…de…mer　English；　with　which　he　could　talk

with　all　white　men；　and　with　all　recruits　who　otherwise　would　have　talked　in　a

thousand　different　dialects。　　Also；　he　learned　certain　things　about　the　white

men；　principally　that　they　kept　their　word。　If　they　told　a　boy　he　was　going　to

receive　a　stick　of　tobacco；　he　got　it。　If　they　told　a　boy　they　would　knock

seven　bells　out　of　him　if　he　did　a　certain　thing；　when　he　did　that　thing；

seven　bells　invariably　were　knocked　out　of　him。　Mauki　did　not　know　what　seven

bells　were；　but　they　occurred　in　beche…de…mer；　and　he　imagined　them　to　be　the

blood　and　teeth　that　sometimes　accompanied　the　process　of　knocking　out　seven

bells。　One　other　thing　he　learned：　no　boy　was　struck　or　punished　unless　he　did

wrong。　Even　when　the　white　men　were　drunk；　as　they　were　frequently；　they　never

struck　unless　a　rule　had　been　broken。



Mauki　did　not　like　the　plantation。　He　hated　work；　and　he　was　the　son　of　a

chief。　Furthermore；　it　was　ten　years　since　he　had　been　stolen　from　Port　Adams

by　Fanfoa；　and　he　was　homesick。　He　was　even　homesick　for　the　slavery　under

Fanfoa。　So　he　ran　away。　He　struck　back　into　the　bush；　with　the　idea　of　working

southward　to　the　beach　and　stealing　a　canoe　in　which　to　go　home　to　Port　Adams。



But　the　fever　got　him；　and　he　was　captured　and　brought　back　more　dead　than

alive。



A　second　time　he　ran　away；　in　the　company　of　two　Malaita　boys。　　They　got　down

the　coast　twenty　miles；　and　were　hidden　in　the　hut　of　a　Malaita　freeman；　who

dwelt　in　that　village。　But　in　the　dead　of　night　two　white　men　came；　who　were

not　afraid　of　all　the　village　people　and　who　knocked　seven　bells　out　of　the

three　runaways；　tied　them　like　pigs；　and　tossed　them　into　the　whale　boat。