when the world shook-第21节

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Oro；　who　instantly　burst　into　flame。　Then　he　ran　back；　calling

out　that　the　devil　was　dead。　As　he　did　so　there　was　a　loud

explosion　and　Oro　flew　into　pieces。　His　burning　head　went　a　long

way　into　the　air　and；　falling　on　to　one　of　the　priests；　killed

him。　Thereon　the　other　priests　and　the　people　seized　the　Bellower

and　made　him　fast。　Now　they　were　engaged　in　heating　an　oven　in

which　to　put　him　to　cook。　When　it　was　ready　they　would　eat　him　in

honour　of　Oro。



〃And　serve　him　right　too！〃　gasped　Bickley；　who；　being　stout；

was　not　a　good　runner。　〃Why　can't　he　leave　other　people's　gods

alone　instead　of　blowing　them　up　with　gunpowder？〃



〃Don't　know；〃　I　answered。　〃Hope　we　shall　get　there　in　time！〃



〃To　be　cooked　and　eaten　with　Bastin！〃　wheezed　Bickley；　after

which　his　breath　gave　out。



As　it　chanced　we　did；　for　these　stone　ovens　take　a　long　time　to

heat。　There　by　the　edge　of　his　fiery　grave　with　his　hands　and

legs　bound　in　palm…fibre　shackles；　stood　Bastin；　quite　unmoved；

smiling　indeed；　in　a　sort　of　seraphic　way　which　irritated　us　both

extremely。　Round　him　danced　the　infuriated　priests　of　Oro；　and

round　them；　shrieking　and　howling　with　rage；　was　most　of　the

population　of　Orofena。　We　rushed　up　so　suddenly　that　none　tried

to　stop　us；　and　took　our　stand　on　either　side　of　him；　producing

our　pistols　as　we　did　so。



〃Thank　you　for　coming；〃　said　Bastin　in　the　silence　which

followed；　〃though　I　don't　think　it　is　the　least　use。　I　cannot

recall　that　any　of　the　early　martyrs　were　ever　roasted　and　eaten；

though；　of　course；　throwing　them　into　boiling　oil　or　water　was

fairly　common。　I　take　it　that　the　rite　is　sacrificial　and　even　in

a　low　sense；　sacramental；　not　merely　one　of　common　cannibalism。〃



I　stared　at　him；　and　Bickley　gasped　out：



〃If　you　are　to　be　eaten；　what　does　it　matter　why　you　are

eaten？〃



〃Oh！〃　replied　Bastin；　〃there　is　all　the　difference　in　the

world；　though　it　is　one　that　I　cannot　expect　you　to　appreciate。

And　now　please　be　quiet　as　I　wish　to　say　my　prayers。　I　imagine

that　those　stones　will　be　hot　enough　to　do　their　office　within

twenty　minutes　or　so；　which　is　not　very　long。〃



At　that　moment　Marama　appeared；　evidently　in　a　state　of　great

perturbation。　With　him　were　some　of　the　priests　or　sorcerers　who

were　dancing　about　as　I　imagine　the　priests　of　Baal　must　have

done；　and　filled　with　fury。　They　rolled　their　eyes；　they　stuck

out　their　tongues；　they　uttered　weird　cries　and　shook　their

wooden　knives　at　the　placid　Bastin。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　I　asked　sternly　of　the　chief。



〃This；　Friend…from…the…Sea。　The　Bellower　there；　when　the

sacrifice　was　about　to　be　offered　to　Oro　at　the　dawn；　rushed

forward；　and　having　thrust　something　between　the　legs　of　the

image　of　the　god；　poured　yellow　water　over　it；　and　with　fire

caused　it　to　burst　into　fierce　flame。　Then　he　ran　away　and　mocked

the　god　who　presently；　with　a　loud　report；　flew　into　pieces　and

killed　that　man。　Therefore　the　Bellower　must　be　sacrificed。〃



〃What　to？〃　I　asked。　〃The　image　has　gone　and　the　piece　of　it

that　ascended　fell　not　upon　the　Bellower；　as　would　have　happened

if　the　god　had　been　angry　with　him；　but　on　one　of　its　own

priests；　whom　it　killed。　Therefore；　having　been　sacrificed　by　the

god　itself；　he　it　is　that　should　be　eaten；　not　the　Bellower；　who

merely　did　what　his　Spirit　bade　him。〃



This　ingenious　argument　seemed　to　produce　some　effect　upon

Marama；　but　to　the　priests　it　did　not　at　all　appeal。



〃Eat　them　all！〃　these　cried。　〃They　are　the　enemies　of　Oro　and

have　worked　sacrilege！〃



Moreover；　to　judge　from　their　demeanour；　the　bulk　of　the　people

seemed　to　agree　with　them。　Things　began　to　look　very　ugly。　The

priests　rushed　forward；　threatening　us　with　their　wooden　weapons；

and　one　of　them　even　aimed　a　blow　at　Bickley；　which　only　missed

him　by　an　inch　or　two。



〃Look　here；　my　friend；〃　called　the　doctor　whose　temper　was

rising；　〃you　name　me　the　Great　Priest　or　Great　Healer；　do　you

not？　Well；　be　careful；　lest　I　should　show　you　that　I　can　kill　as

well　as　heal！〃



Not　in　the　least　intimidated　by　this　threat　the　man；　a　great

bedizened　fellow　who　literally　was　foaming　at　the　mouth　with

rage；　rushed　forward　again；　his　club　raised；　apparently　with　the

object　of　dashing　out　Bickley's　brains。



Suddenly　Bickley　lifted　his　revolver　and　fired。　The　man；　shot

through　the　heart；　sprang　into　the　air　and　fell　upon　his　face

stone　dead。　There　was　consternation；　for　these　people　had　never

seen　us　shoot　anything　before；　and　were　quite　unacquainted　with

the　properties　of　firearms；　which　they　supposed　to　be　merely

instruments　for　making　a　noise。　They　stared；　they　gasped　in　fear

and　astonishment；　and　then　they　fled；　pursued　by　Tommy；　barking；

leaving　us　alone　with　the　two　dead　men。



〃It　was　time　to　teach　them　a　lesson；〃　said　Bickley　as　he

replaced　the　empty　cartridge；　and；　seizing　the　dead　man；　rolled

him　into　the　burning　pit。



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃but　presently；　when　they　have　got　over

their　fright；　they　will　come　back　to　teach　us　one。〃



Bastin　said　nothing；　he　seemed　too　dazed　at　the　turn　events　had

taken。



〃What　do　you　suggest？〃　asked　Bickley。



〃Flight；〃　I　answered。



〃Where　tothe　ship？　We　might　hold　that。〃



〃No；　that　is　what　they　expect。　Look！　They　are　cutting　off　our

road　there。　To　the　island　in　the　lake　where　they　dare　not　follow

us；　for　it　is　holy　ground。〃



〃How　are　we　going　to　live　on　the　island？〃　asked　Bickley。



〃I　don't　know；〃　I　replied；　〃but　I　am　quite　certain　that　if　we

stay　here　we　shall　die。〃



〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　try　it。〃



While　we　were　speaking　I　was　cutting　Bastin's　bonds。　〃Thank

you；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　a　great　relief　to　stretch　one's　arms　after

they　have　been　compressed　with　cords。　But　at　the　same　time；　I　do

not　know　that　I　am　really　grateful。　The　martyr's　crown　was

hanging　above　me；　so　to　speak；　and　now　it　has　vanished　into　the

pit；　like　that　man　whom　Bickley　murdered。〃



〃Look　here；〃　exclaimed　the　exasperated　Bickley；　〃if　you　say

much　more；　Bastin；　I'll　chuck　you　into　the　pit　too；　to　look　for

your　martyr's　crown；　for　I　think　you　have　done　enough　mischief

for　one　morning。〃



〃If　you　are　trying　to　shift　the　responsibility　for　that

unfortunate　man's　destruction　on　to　me〃



〃Oh！　shut　it　and　trot；〃　broke　in　Bickley。　〃Those　infernal

savages　are　coming　with　your　blessed　converts　leading　the　van。〃



So　we　〃trotted〃　at　no　mean　pace。　As　we　passed　it；　Bastin

stooped　down　and　picked　up　the　head　of　the　image　of　Oro；　much　as

Atalanta　in　Academy　pictures　is　represented　as　doing　to　the

apples；　and　bore　it　away　in　triumph。



〃I　know　it　is　scorched；〃　he　ejaculated　at　intervals；　〃but　they

might　trim　it　up　and　stick　it　on　to　a　new　body　as　the　original

false　god。　Now　they　can't；　for　there's　nothing　left。〃



As　a　matter　of　fact；　we　were　never　in　any　real　danger；　for　our

pursuit　was　very　half…hearted　indeed。　To　begin　with；　now　that

their　first　rage　was　over；　the　Orofenans　who　were　fond　of　us　had

no　particular　wish　to　do　us　to　death；　while　the　ardour　of　their

sorcerers；　who　wished　this　very　much；　had　been　greatly　cooled　by

the　mysterious　annihilation　of　their　idol　and　the　violent　deaths

of　two　of　their　companions；　which　they　thought　might　be

reduplicated　in　their　own　persons。　So　it　came　about　that　the

chase；　if　noisy；　was　neither　close　nor　eager。



We　reached　the　edge　of　the　lake　where　was　the　boat…house　of

which　I　have　spoken　already；　travelling　at　little　more　than　a

walk。　Here　we　made　Bastin　unfasten　the　better　of　the　two　canoes

that　by　good　luck　was　almost　filled　with　offerings；　which

doubtless；　according　to　custom；　must　be　made　upon　the　day　of　this

feast　to　Oro；　while　we　watched　against　surprise　at　the　boat…house

door。　When　he　was　ready　we　slipped　in　and　took　our　seats；　Tommy

jumping　in　after　us；　and　pushed　the　canoe；　now　very　heavily

laden；　out　into　the　lake。



Here；　at　a　distance　of　about　forty　paces；　which　we　judged　to　be

beyond　wooden　spear…throw；　we　rested　upon　our　paddles　to　see　what

would　happen。　All　the　crowd　of　islanders　had　rushed　to　the　lake

edge　where　they　stood　staring　at　us　stupidly。　Bastin；　thinking

the　occasion　opportune；　lifted　the　hideous　head　of　the　idol　which

he　had　carefully　washed；　and　began　to　preach　on　the　downfall　of

〃the　god　of　the　Grove。〃



This　action　of　his　appeared　to　awake　memories　or　forebodings　in

the　minds　of　his　congregation。　Perhaps　some　ancient　prophecy　was

concernedI　do　not　know。　At　any　rate；　one　of　the　priests　shouted

something；　whereon　everybody　began　to　talk　at　once。　Then；

stooping　down；　they　threw　water　from　the　lake　over　themselves　and

rubbed　its　sand　and　mud　into　their　hair；　all　the　while　making

genuflexions　toward　the　mountain　in　the　middle；　after　which　they

turned　and　departed。



〃Don't　you　think　we　had　better　go　back？〃　asked　Bastin。

〃Evidently　my　words　have　touched　them　and　their　minds　are　melting

beneath　t