south sea tales-第16章

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half　a　fortune。　Always　it　was　Otoo　who　looked　ahead　and　saw　the　opportunity。

He　was　responsible　for　the　salving　of　the　Doncasterbought　in　at　auction　for

a　hundred　pounds；　and　clearing　three　thousand　after　every　expense　was　paid。　He

led　me　into　the　Savaii　plantation　and　the　cocoa　venture　on　Upolu。



We　did　not　go　seafaring　so　much　as　in　the　old　days。　I　was　too　well　off。　I

married；　and　my　standard　of　living　rose；　but　Otoo　remained　the　same　old…time

Otoo；　moving　about　the　house　or　trailing　through　the　office；　his　wooden　pipe

in　his　mouth；　a　shilling　undershirt　on　his　back；　and　a　four…shilling　lava…lava

about　his　loins。　I　could　not　get　him　to　spend　money。　There　was　no　way　of

repaying　him　except　with　love；　and　God　knows　he　got　that　in　full　measure　from

all　of　us。　The　children　worshipped　him；　and　if　he　had　been　spoilable；　my　wife

would　surely　have　been　his　undoing。



The　children！　He　really　was　the　one　who　showed　them　the　way　of　their　feet　in

the　world　practical。　He　began　by　teaching　them　to　walk。　He　sat　up　with　them

when　they　were　sick。　One　by　one；　when　they　were　scarcely　toddlers；　he　took

them　down　to　the　lagoon；　and　made　them　into　amphibians。　He　taught　them　more

than　I　ever　knew　of　the　habits　of　fish　and　the　ways　of　catching　them。　In　the

bush　it　was　the　same　thing。　At　seven；　Tom　knew　more　woodcraft　than　I　ever

dreamed　existed。　At　six；　Mary　went　over　the　Sliding　Rock　without　a　quiver；　and

I　have　seen　strong　men　balk　at　that　feat。　　And　when　Frank　had　just　turned　six

he　could　bring　up　shillings　from　the　bottom　in　three　fathoms。



〃My　people　in　Bora　Bora　do　not　like　heathenthey　are　all　Christians；　and　I　do

not　like　Bora　Bora　Christians；〃　he　said　one　day；　when　I；　with　the　idea　of

getting　him　to　spend　some　of　the　money　that　was　rightfully　his；　had　been

trying　to　persuade　him　to　make　a　visit　to　his　own　island　in　one　of　our

schoonersa　special　voyage　which　I　had　hoped　to　make　a　record　breaker　in　the

matter　of　prodigal　expense。



I　say　one　of　OUR　schooners；　though　legally　at　the　time　they　belonged　to　me。　I

struggled　long　with　him　to　enter　into　partnership。



〃We　have　been　partners　from　the　day　the　Petite　Jeanne　went　down；〃　he　said　at

last。　〃But　if　your　heart　so　wishes；　then　shall　we　become　partners　by　the　law。

I　have　no　work　to　do；　yet　are　my　expenses　large。　I　drink　and　eat　and　smoke　in

plentyit　costs　much；　I　know。　I　do　not　pay　for　the　playing　of　billiards；　for

I　play　on　your　table；　but　still　the　money　goes。　Fishing　on　the　reef　is　only　a

rich　man's　pleasure。　It　is　shocking；　the　cost　of　hooks　and　cotton　line。　Yes；

it　is　necessary　that　we　be　partners　by　the　law。　I　need　the　money。　I　shall　get

it　from　the　head　clerk　in　the　office。〃



So　the　papers　were　made　out　and　recorded。　A　year　later　I　was　compelled　to

complain。



〃Charley；〃　said　I；　〃you　are　a　wicked　old　fraud；　a　miserly　skinflint；　a

miserable　land　crab。　Behold；　your　share　for　the　year　in　all　our　partnership

has　been　thousands　of　dollars。　The　head　clerk　has　given　me　this　paper。　It　says

that　in　the　year　you　have　drawn　just　eighty…seven　dollars　and　twenty　cents。〃



〃Is　there　any　owing　me？〃　he　asked　anxiously。



〃I　tell　you　thousands　and　thousands；〃　I　answered。



His　face　brightened；　as　with　an　immense　relief。



〃It　is　well；〃　he　said。　〃See　that　the　head　clerk　keeps　good　account　of　it。　When

I　want　it；　I　shall　want　it；　and　there　must　not　be　a　cent　missing。



〃If　there　is；：〃　he　added　fiercely；　after　a　pause；　〃it　must　come　out　of　the

clerk's　wages。〃



And　all　the　time；　as　I　afterwards　learned；　his　will；　drawn　up　by　Carruthers；

and　making　me　sole　beneficiary；　lay　in　the　American　consul's　safe。



But　the　end　came；　as　the　end　must　come　to　all　human　associations。



It　occurred　in　the　Solomons；　where　our　wildest　work　had　been　done　in　the　wild

young　days；　and　where　we　were　once　more　principally　on　a　holiday；

incidentally　to　look　after　our　holdings　on　Florida　Island　and　to　look　over　the

pearling　possibilities　of　the　Mboli　Pass。　We　were　lying　at　Savo；　having　run　in

to　trade　for　curios。



Now；　Savo　is　alive　with　sharks。　The　custom　of　the　woolly…heads　of　burying

their　dead　in　the　sea　did　not　tend　to　discourage　the　sharks　from　making　the

adjacent　waters　a　hangout。　It　was　my　luck　to　be　coming　aboard　in　a　tiny；

overloaded；　native　canoe；　when　the　thing　capsized。　There　were　four

woolly…heads　and　myself　in　it；　or　rather；　hanging　to　it。　The　schooner　was　a

hundred　yards　away。



I　was　just　hailing　for　a　boat　when　one　of　the　woolly…heads　began　to　scream。

Holding　on　to　the　end　of　the　canoe；　both　he　and　that　portion　of　the　canoe　were

dragged　under　several　times。　Then　he　loosed　his　clutch　and　disappeared。　A

shark　had　got　him。



The　three　remaining　niggers　tried　to　climb　out　of　the　water　upon　the　bottom　of

the　canoe。　I　yelled　and　cursed　and　struck　at　the　nearest　with　my　fist；　but　it

was　no　use。　They　were　in　a　blind　funk。　The　canoe　could　barely　have　supported

one　of　them。　Under　the　three　it　upended　and　rolled　sidewise；　throwing　them

back　into　the　water。



I　abandoned　the　canoe　and　started　to　swim　toward　the　schooner；　expecting　to　be

picked　up　by　the　boat　before　I　got　there。　One　of　the　niggers　elected　to　come

with　me；　and　we　swam　along　silently；　side　by　side；　now　and　again　putting　our

faces　into　the　water　and　peering　about　for　sharks。　The　screams　of　the　man　who

stayed　by　the　canoe　informed　us　that　he　was　taken。　I　was　peering　into　the

water　when　I　saw　a　big　shark　pass　directly　beneath　me。　He　was　fully　sixteen

feet　in　length。　I　saw　the　whole　thing。　He　got　the　woolly…head　by　the　middle；

and　away　he　went；　the　poor　devil；　head；　shoulders；　and　arms　out　of　the　water

all　the　time；　screeching　in　a　heart…rending　way。　He　was　carried　along　in　this

fashion　for　several　hundred　feet；　when　he　was　dragged　beneath　the　surface。



I　swam　doggedly　on；　hoping　that　that　was　the　last　unattached　shark。　But　there

was　another。　Whether　it　was　one　that　had　attacked　the　natives　earlier；　or

whether　it　was　one　that　had　made　a　good　meal　elsewhere；　I　do　not　know。　At　any

rate；　he　was　not　in　such　haste　as　the　others。　I　could　not　swim　so　rapidly　now；

for　a　large　part　of　my　effort　was　devoted　to　keeping　track　of　him。　I　was

watching　him　when　he　made　his　first　attack。　By　good　luck　I　got　both　hands　on

his　nose；　and；　though　his　momentum　nearly　shoved　me　under；　I　managed　to　keep

him　off。　He　veered　clear；　and　began　circling　about　again。　A　second　time　I

escaped　him　by　the　same　manoeuvre。　The　third　rush　was　a　miss　on　both　sides。　He

sheered　at　the　moment　my　hands　should　have　landed　on　his　nose；　but　his

sandpaper　hide　（I　had　on　a　sleeveless　undershirt）　scraped　the　skin　off　one　arm

from　elbow　to　shoulder。



By　this　time　I　was　played　out；　and　gave　up　hope。　The　schooner　was　still　two

hundred　feet　away。　My　face　was　in　the　water；　and　I　was　watching　him　manoeuvre

for　another　attempt；　when　I　saw　a　brown　body　pass　between　us。　It　was　Otoo。



〃Swim　for　the　schooner；　master！〃　he　said。　And　he　spoke　gayly；　as　though　the

affair　was　a　mere　lark。　〃I　know　sharks。　The　shark　is　my　brother。〃



I　obeyed；　swimming　slowly　on；　while　Otoo　swam　about　me；　keeping　always　between

me　and　the　shark；　foiling　his　rushes　and　encouraging　me。



〃The　davit　tackle　carried　away；　and　they　are　rigging　the　falls；〃　he　explained；

a　minute　or　so　later；　and　then　went　under　to　head　off　another　attack。



By　the　time　the　schooner　was　thirty　feet　away　I　was　about　done　for。　I　could

scarcely　move。　They　were　heaving　lines　at　us　from　on　board；　but　they

continually　fell　short。　The　shark；　finding　that　it　was　receiving　no　hurt；　had

become　bolder。　Several　times　it　nearly　got　me；　but　each　time　Otoo　was　there

just　the　moment　before　it　was　too　late。　Of　course；　Otoo　could　have　saved

himself　any　time。　But　he　stuck　by　me。



〃Good…by；　Charley！　I'm　finished！〃　I　just　managed　to　gasp。



I　knew　that　the　end　had　come；　and　that　the　next　moment　I　should　throw　up　my

hands　and　go　down。



But　Otoo　laughed　in　my　face；　saying：



〃I　will　show　you　a　new　trick。　I　will　make　that　shark　feel　sick！〃



He　dropped　in　behind　me；　where　the　shark　was　preparing　to　come　at　me。



〃A　little　more　to　the　left！〃　he　next　called　out。　〃There　is　a　line　there　on　the

water。　To　the　left；　masterto　the　left！〃



I　changed　my　course　and　struck　out　blindly。　I　was　by　that　time　barely

conscious。　As　my　hand　closed　on　the　line　I　heard　an　exclamation　from　on　board。

I　turned　and　looked。　There　was　no　sign　of　Otoo。　The　next　instant　he　broke

surface。　Both　hands　were　off　at　the　wrist；　the　stumps　spouting　blood。



〃Otoo！〃　he　called　softly。　And　I　could　see　in　his　gaze　the　love　that　thrilled

in　his　voice。



Then；　and　then　only；　at　the　very　last　of　all　our　years；　he　called　me　by　that

name。



〃Good…by；　Otoo！〃　he　called。



Then　he　was　dragged　under；　and　I　was　hauled　aboard；　where　I　fainted　in　the

captain's　arms。



And　so　passed　Otoo；　who　saved　me　and　made　me　a　man；　and　who　saved　me　in　the

end。　We　met　in　the　maw　of　a　hurricane；　and　parted　in　the　maw　of　a　shark；　with

seventeen　intervening　years　of　comradeship；　the　like　of　which　I　dare　to　assert

has　never　befallen　two　men；　the　one　brown　and　the　other　white。　If　Jehovah　be

from　His　high　place　watching　every　sparrow　fall；　not　least　in　His　kingdom

shall　be　Otoo；　the　one　heathen　of　Bora　Bora。







THE　TERRIBLE　SOLOMONS



There　is　no　gainsaying　that　the　Solomons　are　a　hard…bitten　bunch　of　islands。

On　the　other　hand；　there　are　worse　places　in　the　world。　But　to　the　new　chum

who　has　no　constitutional　understanding　of　men　and　life　in　the　rough；　the

Solomons　may　indeed　prove　terrible。



It　is　true　that　fever　and　dysentery　are　perpetually　on　the　walk…about；　that

loathsome　skin　diseases　abound；　that　the　air　is　saturated　with　a　poison　that

bites　into　every　pore；　cut；　or　abrasion　and　plants　malignant　ulcers；　and　that

many　strong　men　who　escape　dying　there　return　as　wrecks　to　their　own

countries。　　It　is　also　true　that　the　natives　of　the　Solomons　are　a　wild　lot；

with　a　hearty　appetite　for　human　flesh　and　a　fad　for　collecting　human　heads。

Their　highest　instinct　of　sportsmanship　is　to　catch　a　man　with　his　back　turned

and　to　smite　him　a　cunning　blow　with　a　tomahawk　that　severs　the　spinal　column

at　the　base　of　the　brain。　　It　is　equally　true　that　on　some　islands；　such　as

Malaita；　the　profit　and　loss　account　of　social　intercourse　is　calculated　in

homicides。　Heads　are　a　medium　of　exchange；　and　white　heads　are　extremely

valuable。　Very　often　a　dozen　villages　make　a　jack…pot；　which　they　fatten　moon

by　moon；　against　the　time　when　some　brave　warrior　presents　a　white　man's　head；

fresh　and　gory；　and　claims　the　pot。



All　the　foregoing　is　quite　true；　and　yet　there　are　white　men　who　have　lived　in

the　Solomons　a　score　of　years　and　who　feel　homesick　when　they　go　away　from

them。　A　man　needs　only　to　be　careful　and　luckyto　live　a　long　time　in　the

Solomons；　but　he　must　also　be　of　the　right　sort。　He　must　have　the　hallmark　of

the　inevitable　white　man