south sea tales-第11章

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Papuan；　and　this　McAllister　had　denied；　for　no　other　reason　than　his

cantankerousness。　　But　it　was　too　not　to　argue；　and　I　said　nothing。　Besides；　I

had　never　seen　the　Oolong　people　dance。



〃I'll　prove　it　to　you；〃　he　announced；　beckoning　to　the　black　New　Hanover　boy；

a　labor　recruit；　who　served　as　cook　and　general　house　servant。　〃Hey；　you；　boy；

you　tell　'm　one　fella　king　come　along　me。〃



The　boy　departed；　and　back　came　the　prime　minister；　perturbed；　ill　at　ease；

and　garrulous　with　apologetic　explanation。　In　short；　the　king　slept；　and　was

not　to　be　disturbed。



〃King　he　plenty　strong　fella　sleep；〃　was　his　final　sentence。



McAllister　was　in　such　a　rage　that　the　prime　minister　incontinently　fled；　to

return　with　the　king　himself。　They　were　a　magnificent　pair；　the　king

especially；　who　must　have　been　all　of　six　feet　three　inches　in　height。　His

features　had　the　eagle…like　quality　that　is　so　frequently　found　in　those　of

the　North　American　Indian。　He　had　been　molded　and　born　to　rule。　His　eyes

flashed　as　he　listened；　but　right　meekly　he　obeyed　McAllister's　command　to

fetch　a　couple　of　hundred　of　the　best　dancers；　male　and　female；　in　the

village。　And　dance　they　did；　for　two　mortal　hours；　under　that　broiling　sun。

They　did　not　love　him　for　it；　and　little　he　cared；　in　the　end　dismissing　them

with　abuse　and　sneers。



The　abject　servility　of　those　magnificent　savages　was　terrifying。　How　could　it

be？　What　was　the　secret　of　his　rule？　More　and　more　I　puzzled　as　the　days　went

by；　and　though　I　observed　perpetual　examples　of　his　undisputed　sovereignty；

never　a　clew　was　there　as　to　how　it　was。



One　day　I　happened　to　speak　of　my　disappointment　in　failing　to　trade　for　a

beautiful　pair　of　orange　cowries。　The　pair　was　worth　five　pounds　in　Sydney　if

it　was　worth　a　cent。　I　had　offered　two　hundred　sticks　of　tobacco　to　the　owner；

who　had　held　out　for　three　hundred。　When　I　casually　mentioned　the　situation；

McAllister　immediately　sent　for　the　man；　took　the　shells　from　him；　and　turned

them　over　to　me。　Fifty　sticks　were　all　he　permitted　me　to　pay　for　them。　The

man　accepted　the　tobacco　and　seemed　overjoyed　at　getting　off　so　easily。　As　for

me；　I　resolved　to　keep　a　bridle　on　my　tongue　in　the　future。　And　still　I　mulled

over　the　secret　of　McAllister's　power。　I　even　went　to　the　extent　of　asking　him

directly；　but　all　he　did　was　to　cock　one　eye；　look　wise；　and　take　another

drink。



One　night　I　was　out　fishing　in　the　lagoon　with　Oti；　the　man　who　had　been

mulcted　of　the　cowries。　Privily；　I　had　made　up　to　him　an　additional　hundred

and　fifty　sticks；　and　he　had　come　to　regard　me　with　a　respect　that　was　almost

veneration；　which　was　curious；　seeing　that　he　was　an　old　man；　twice　my　age　at

least。



〃What　name　you　fella　kanaka　all　the　same　pickaninny？〃　I　began　on　him。　〃This

fella　trader　he　one　fella。　You　fella　kanaka　plenty　fella　too　much。　You　fella

kanaka　just　like　'm　dogplenty　fright　along　that　fella　trader。　He　no　eat　you；

fella。　He　no　get　'm　teeth　along　him。　What　name　you　too　much　fright？〃



〃S'pose　plenty　fella　kanaka　kill　m？〃　he　asked。



〃He　die；〃　I　retorted。　〃You　fella　kanaka　kill　'm　plenty　fella　white　man　long

time　before。　What　name　you　fright　this　fella　white　man？〃



〃Yes；　we　kill　'm　plenty；〃　was　his　answer。　〃My　word！　Any　amount！　Long　time

before。　One　time；　me　young　fella　too　much；　one　big　fella　ship　he　stop　outside。　

Wind　he　no　blow。　Plenty　fella　kanaka　we　get　'm　canoe；　plenty　fella　canoe；　we

go　catch　'm　that　fella　ship。　My　wordwe　catch　'm　big　fella　fight。　Two；　three

white　men　shoot　like　hell。　We　no　fright。　We　come　alongside；　we　go　up　side；

plenty　fella；　maybe　I　think　fifty…ten　（five　hundred）。　One　fella　white　Mary

（woman）　belong　that　fella　ship。　Never　before　I　see　'm　white　Mary。　Bime　by

plenty　white　man　finish。　One　fella　skipper　he　no　die。　Five　fella；　six　fella

white　man　no　die。　Skipper　he　sing　out。　Some　fella　white　man　he　fight。　Some

fella　white　man　he　lower　away　boat。　After　that；　all　together　over　the　side

they　go。　Skipper　he　sling　white　Mary　down。　After　that　they　washee　（row）　strong

fella　plenty　too　much。　Father　belong　me；　that　time　he　strong　fella。　He　throw

'm　one　fella　spear。　That　fella　spear　he　go　in　one　side　that　white　Mary。　He　no

stop。　　My　word；　he　go　out　other　side　that　fella　Mary。　She　finish。　Me　no

fright。　　Plenty　kanaka　too　much　no　fright。〃



Old　Oti's　pride　had　been　touched；　for　he　suddenly　stripped　down　his　lava…lava

and　showed　me　the　unmistakable　scar　of　a　bullet。　Before　I　could　speak；　his

line　ran　out　suddenly。　He　checked　it　and　attempted　to　haul　in；　but　found　that

the　fish　had　run　around　a　coral　branch。　Casting　a　look　of　reproach　at　me　for

having　beguiled　him　from　his　watchfulness；　he　went　over　the　side；　feet　first；

turning　over　after　he　got　under　and　following　his　line　down　to　bottom。　The

water　was　ten　fathoms。　I　leaned　over　and　watched　the　play　of　his　feet；　growing

dim　and　dimmer；　as　they　stirred　the　wan　phosphorescence　into　ghostly　fires。

Ten　fathomssixty　feetit　was　nothing　to　him；　an　old　man；　compared　with　the

value　of　a　hook　and　line。　After　what　seemed　five　minutes；　though　it　could　not

have　been　more　than　a　minute；　I　saw　him　flaming　whitely　upward。　He　broke

surface　and　dropped　a　ten　pound　rock　cod　into　the　canoe；　the　line　and　hook

intact；　the　latter　still　fast　in　the　fish's　mouth。



〃It　may　be；〃　I　said　remorselessly。　〃You　no　fright　long　ago。　You　plenty　fright

now　along　that　fella　trader。〃



〃Yes；　plenty　fright；〃　he　confessed；　with　an　air　of　dismissing　the　subject。　For

half　an　hour　we　pulled　up　our　lines　and　flung　them　out　in　silence。　Then　small

fish…sharks　began　to　bite；　and　after　losing　a　hook　apiece；　we　hauled　in　and

waited　for　the　sharks　to　go　their　way。



〃I　speak　you　true；〃　Oti　broke　into　speech；　〃then　you　savve　we　fright　now。〃



I　lighted　up　my　pipe　and　waited；　and　the　story　that　Oti　told　me　in　atrocious

bech…de…mer　I　here　turn　into　proper　English。　Otherwise；　in　spirit　and　order　of

narrative；　the　tale　is　as　it　fell　from　Oti's　lips。



〃It　was　after　that　that　we　were　very　proud。　We　had　fought　many　times　with　the

strange　white　men　who　live　upon　the　sea；　and　always　we　had　beaten　them。　A　few

of　us　were　killed；　but　what　was　that　compared　with　the　stores　of　wealth　of　a

thousand　thousand　kinds　that　we　found　on　the　ships？　And　then　one　day；　maybe

twenty　years　ago；　or　twenty…five；　there　came　a　schooner　right　through　the

passage　and　into　the　lagoon。　It　was　a　large　schooner　with　three　masts。　She　had

five　white　men　and　maybe　forty　boat's　crew；　black　fellows　from　New　Guinea　and

New　Britain；　and　she　had　come　to　fish　beche…de…mer。　She　lay　at　anchor　across

the　lagoon　from　here；　at　Pauloo；　and　her　boats　scattered　out　everywhere；

making　camps　on　the　beaches　where　they　cured　the　beche…de…mer。　This　made　them

weak　by　dividing　them；　for　those　who　fished　here　and　those　on　the　schooner　at

Pauloo　were　fifty　miles　apart；　and　there　were　others　farther　away　still。



〃Our　king　and　headmen　held　council；　and　I　was　one　in　the　canoe　that　paddled

all　afternoon　and　all　night　across　the　lagoon；　bringing　word　to　the　people　of

Pauloo　that　in　the　morning　we　would　attack　the　fishing　camps　at　the　one　time

and　that　it　was　for　them　to　take　the　schooner。　We　who　brought　the　word　were

tired　with　the　paddling；　but　we　took　part　in　the　attack。　On　the　schooner　were

two　white　men；　the　skipper　and　the　second　mate；　with　half　a　dozen　black　boys。

The　skipper　with　three　boys　we　caught　on　shore　and　killed；　but　first　eight　of

us　the　skipper　killed　with　his　two　revolvers。　We　fought　close　together；　you

see；　at　hand　grapples。



〃The　noise　of　our　fighting　told　the　mate　what　was　happening；　and　he　put　food

and　water　and　a　sail　in　the　small　dingy；　which　was　so　small　that　it　was　no

more　than　twelve　feet　long。　We　came　down　upon　the　schooner；　a　thousand　men；

covering　the　lagoon　with　our　canoes。　Also；　we　were　blowing　conch　shells；

singing　war　songs；　and　striking　the　sides　of　the　canoes　with　our　paddles。　What

chance　had　one　white　man　and　three　black　boys　against　us？　No　chance　at　all；

and　the　mate　knew　it。



〃White　men　are　hell。　I　have　watched　them　much；　and　I　am　an　old　man　now；　and　I

understand　at　last　why　the　white　men　have　taken　to　themselves　all　the　islands

in　the　sea。　It　is　because　they　are　hell。　Here　are　you　in　the　canoe　with　me。

You　are　hardly　more　than　a　boy。　You　are　not　wise；　for　each　day　I　tell　you　many

things　you　do　not　know。　When　I　was　a　little　pickaninny；　I　knew　more　about　fish

and　the　ways　of　fish　than　you　know　now。　I　am　an　old　man；　but　I　swim　down　to

the　bottom　of　the　lagoon；　and　you　cannot　follow　me。　What　are　you　good　for；

anyway？　　I　do　not　know；　except　to　fight。　I　have　never　seen　you　fight；　yet　I

know　that　you　are　like　your　brothers　and　that　you　will　fight　like　hell。　Also；

you　are　a　fool；　like　your　brothers。　You　do　not　know　when　you　are　beaten。　You

will　fight　until　you　die；　and　then　it　will　be　too　late　to　know　that　you　are

beaten。



〃Now　behold　what　this　mate　did。　As　we　came　down　upon　him；　covering　the　sea　and

blowing　our　conches；　he　put　off　from　the　schooner　in　the　small　boat；　along

with　the　three　black　boys；　and　rowed　for　the　passage。　There　again　he　was　a

fool；　for　no　wise　man　would　put　out　to　sea　in　so　small　a　boat。　The　sides　of　it

were　not　four　inches　above　the　water。　Twenty　canoes　went　after　him；　filled

with　two　hundred　young　men。　We　paddled　five　fathoms　while　his　black　boys　were

rowing　one　fathom。　He　had　no　chance；　but　he　was　a　fool。　He　stood　up　in　the

boat　with　a　rifle；　and　he　shot　many　times。　He　was　not　a　good　shot；　but　as　we

drew　close　many　of　us　were　wounded　and　killed。　But　still　he　had　no　chance。



〃I　remember　that　all　the　time　he　was　smoking　a　cigar。　When　we　were　forty　feet

away　and　coming　fast；　he　dropped　the　rifle；　lighted　a　stick　of　dynamite　with

the　cigar；　and　threw　it　at　us。　He　lighted　another　and　another；　and　threw　them

at　us　very　rapidly；　many　of　them。　I　know　now　that　he　must　have　split　the　ends

of　the　fuses　and　stuck　in　match　heads；　because　they　lighted　so　quickly。　Also；

the　fuses　were　very　short。　Sometimes　the　dynamite　sticks　went　off　in　the　air；

but　most　of　them　went　off　in　the　canoes。　And　each　time　they　went　off　in　a

canoe；　that　canoe　was　finished。　Of　the　twenty　canoes；　the　half　were　smashed　to

pieces。　The　canoe　I　was　in　was　so　smashed；　and　likewise　the　two　men　who　sat

next　to　me。　The　dynamite　fell　between　them。　The　other　canoes　turned　and　ran

away。　Then　that　mate　yelled；　Yah！　Yah！　Yah！'　at　us。　Also　he　went　at　us　again

with　his　rifle；　so　that　many　were　killed　through　the　back　as　they　fled　away。

And　all　the　time　the　black　boys　in　the　boat　went　on　rowing。　You　see；　I　told

you　true；　that　mate　was　hell。



〃Nor　was　that　all。　Before　he　left　the　schooner；　he　set　her　on　fire；　and　fixed

up　all　the　powder　and　dynamite　so　that　it　would　go　off　at　one　time。　There　were

hundreds　of　us　on　board；　trying　to　put　out　the　fire；　heaving　up　water　from

overside；　when　the　schooner　blew　up。　So　that　all　we　had　fought　for　was　los