south sea tales-第20章

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！



broke　in。　〃Tell　the　white　man　there's　pearl　shell　in　some　lagoon　infested　by

ten…thousand　howling　cannibals；　and　he'll　head　there　all　by　his　lonely；　with

half　a　dozen　kanaka　divers　and　a　tin　alarm　clock　for　chronometer；　all　packed

like　sardines　on　a　commodious；　five…ton　ketch。　Whisper　that　there's　a　gold

strike　at　the　North　Pole；　and　that　same　inevitable　white…skinned　creature　will

set　out　at　once；　armed　with　pick　and　shovel；　a　side　of　bacon；　and　the　latest

patent　rockerand　what's　more；　he'll　get　there。　Tip　it　off　to　him　that

there's　diamonds　on　the　red…hot　ramparts　of　hell；　and　Mr。　White　Man　will　storm

the　ramparts　and　set　old　Satan　himself　to　pick…and…shovel　work。　　That's　what

comes　of　being　stupid　and　inevitable。〃



〃But　I　wonder　what　the　black　man　must　think　of　thethe　inevitableness；〃　I

said。



Captain　Woodward　broke　into　quiet　laughter。　His　eyes　had　a　reminiscent　gleam。



〃I'm　just　wondering　what　the　niggers　of　Malu　thought　and　still　must　be

thinking　of　the　one　inevitable　white　man　we　had　on　board　when　we　visited　them

in　the　DUCHESS；〃　he　explained。



Roberts　mixed　three　more　Abu　Hameds。



〃That　was　twenty　years　ago。　Saxtorph　was　his　name。　He　was　certainly　the　most

stupid　man　I　ever　saw；　but　he　was　as　inevitable　as　death。　There　was　only　one

thing　that　chap　could　do；　and　that　was　shoot。　I　remember　the　first　time　I　ran

into　himright　here　in　Apia；　twenty　years　ago。　That　was　before　your　time；

Roberts。　I　was　sleeping　at　Dutch　Henry's　hotel；　down　where　the　market　is　now。

Ever　heard　of　him？　He　made　a　tidy　stake　smuggling　arms　in　to　the　rebels；　sold

out　his　hotel；　and　was　killed　in　Sydney　just　six　weeks　afterward　in　a　saloon

row。



〃But　Saxtorph。　One　night　I'd　just　got　to　sleep；　when　a　couple　of　cats　began　to

sing　in　the　courtyard。　It　was　out　of　bed　and　up　window；　water　jug　in　hand。　But

just　then　I　heard　the　window　of　the　next　room　go　up。　Two　shots　were　fired；　and

the　window　was　closed。　I　fail　to　impress　you　with　the　celerity　of　the

transaction。　Ten　seconds　at　the　outside。　Up　went　the　window；　bang　bang　went

the　revolver；　and　down　went　the　window。　Whoever　it　was；　he　had　never　stopped

to　see　the　effect　of　his　shots。　He　knew。　Do　you　follow　me？he　KNEW。　There　was

no　more　cat　concert；　and　in　the　morning　there　lay　the　two　offenders；　stone

dead。　It　was　marvelous　to　me。　It　still　is　marvelous。　First；　it　was　starlight；

and　Saxtorph　shot　without　drawing　a　bead；　next；　he　shot　so　rapidly　that　the

two　reports　were　like　a　double　report；　and　finally；　he　knew　he　had　hit　his

marks　without　looking　to　see。





〃Two　days　afterward　he　came　on　board　to　see　me。　I　was　mate；　then；　on　the

Duchess；　a　whacking　big　one…hundred…and　fifty…ton　schooner；　a　blackbirder。　And

let　me　tell　you　that　blackbirders　were　blackbirders　in　those　days。　There

weren't　any　government　protection　for　US；　either。　It　was　rough　work；　give　and

take；　if　we　were　finished；　and　nothing　said；　and　we　ran　niggers　from　every

south　sea　island　they　didn't　kick　us　off　from。　Well；　Saxtorph　came　on　board；

John　Saxtorph　was　the　name　he　gave。　He　was　a　sandy　little　man；　hair　sandy；

complexion　sandy；　and　eyes　sandy；　too。　Nothing　striking　about　him。　His　soul

was　as　neutral　as　his　color　scheme。　He　said　he　was　strapped　and　wanted　to　ship

on　board。　Would　go　cabin　boy；　cook；　supercargo；　or　common　sailor。　Didn't　know

anything　about　any　of　the　billets；　but　said　that　he　was　willing　to　learn。　I

didn't　want　him；　but　his　shooting　had　so　impressed　me　that　I　took　him　as

common　sailor；　wages　three　pounds　per　month。



〃He　was　willing　to　learn　all　right；　I'll　say　that　much。　But　he　was

constitutionally　unable　to　learn　anything。　He　could　no　more　box　the　compass

than　I　could　mix　drinks　like　Roberts　here。　And　as　for　steering；　he　gave　me　my

first　gray　hairs。　I　never　dared　risk　him　at　the　wheel　when　we　were　running　in

a　big　sea；　while　full…and…by　and　close…and…by　were　insoluble　mysteries。

Couldn't　ever　tell　the　difference　between　a　sheet　and　a　tackle；　simply

couldn't。　The　fore…throat…jig　and　the　jib…jig　were　all　one　to　him。　Tell　him　to

slack　off　the　mainsheet；　and　before　you　know　it；　he'd　drop　the　peak。　He　fell

overboard　three　times；　and　he　couldn't　swim。　But　he　was　always　cheerful；　never

seasick；　and　he　was　the　most　willing　man　I　ever　knew。　He　was　an

uncommunicative　soul。　Never　talked　about　himself。　His　history；　so　far　as　we

were　concerned；　began　the　day　he　signed　on　the　DUCHESS。　Where　he　learned　to

shoot；　the　stars　alone　can　tell。　He　was　a　Yankeethat　much　we　knew　from　the

twang　in　his　speech。　And　that　was　all　we　ever　did　know。



〃And　now　we　begin　to　get　to　the　point。　We　had　bad　luck　in　the　New　Hebrides；

only　fourteen　boys　for　five　weeks；　and　we　ran　up　before　the　southeast　for　the

Solomons。　'malaita；　then　as　now；　was　good　recruiting　ground；　and　we　ran　into

Malu；　on　the　northwestern　corner。　There's　a　shore　reef　and　an　outer　reef；　and

a　mighty　nervous　anchorage；　but　we　made　it　all　right　and　fired　off　our

dynamite　as　a　signal　to　the　niggers　to　come　down　and　be　recruited。　In　three

days　we　got　not　a　boy。　The　niggers　came　off　to　us　in　their　canoes　by　hundreds；

but　they　only　laughed　when　we　showed　them　beads　and　calico　and　hatchets　and

talked　of　the　delights　of　plantation　work　in　Samoa。



〃On　the　fourth　day　there　came　a　change。　Fifty…odd　boys　signed　on　and　were

billeted　in　the　main…hold；　with　the　freedom　of　the　deck；　of　course。　And　of

course；　looking　back；　this　wholesale　signing　on　was　suspicious；　but　at　the

time　we　thought　some　powerful　chief　had　removed　the　ban　against　recruiting。

The　morning　of　the　fifth　day　our　two　boats　went　ashore　as　usualone　to　cover

the　other；　you　know；　in　case　of　trouble。　And；　as　usual；　the　fifty　niggers　on

board　were　on　deck；　loafing；　talking；　smoking；　and　sleeping。　　Saxtorph　and

myself；　along　with　four　other　sailors；　were　all　that　were　left　on　board。　The

two　boats　were　manned　with　Gilbert　Islanders。　In　the　one　were　the　captain；　the

supercargo；　and　the　recruiter。　In　the　other；　which　was　the　covering　boat　and

which　lay　off　shore　a　hundred　yards；　was　the　second　mate。　Both　boats　were

well…armed；　though　trouble　was　little　expected。



〃Four　of　the　sailors；　including　Saxtorph；　were　scraping　the　poop　rail。　The

fifth　sailor；　rifle　in　hand；　was　standing　guard　by　the　water…tank　just　for'ard

of　the　mainmast。　I　was　for'ard；　putting　in　the　finishing　licks　on　a　new　jaw

for　the　fore…gaff。　I　was　just　reaching　for　my　pipe　where　I　had　laid　it　down；

when　I　heard　a　shot　from　shore。　I　straightened　up　to　look。　Something　struck　me

on　the　back　of　the　head；　partially　stunning　me　and　knocking　me　to　the　deck。

'my　first　thought　was　that　something　had　carried　away　aloft；　but　even　as　I

went　down；　and　before　I　struck　the　deck；　I　heard　the　devil's　own　tattoo　of

rifles　from　the　boats；　and　twisting　sidewise；　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　sailor

who　was　standing　guard。　Two　big　niggers　were　holding　his　arms；　and　a　third

nigger　from　behind　was　braining　him　with　a　tomahawk。



〃I　can　see　it　now；　the　water…tank；　the　mainmast；　the　gang　hanging　on　to　him；

the　hatchet　descending　on　the　back　of　his　head；　and　all　under　the　blazing

sunlight。　I　was　fascinated　by　that　growing　vision　of　death。　The　tomahawk

seemed　to　take　a　horribly　long　time　to　come　down。　I　saw　it　land；　and　the　man's

legs　give　under　him　as　he　crumpled。　The　niggers　held　him　up　by　sheer　strength

while　he　was　hacked　a　couple　of　times　more。　Then　I　got　two　more　hacks　on　the

head　and　decided　that　I　was　dead。　So　did　the　brute　that　was　hacking　me。　I　was

too　helpless　to　move；　and　I　lay　there　and　watched　them　removing　the　sentry's

head。　I　must　say　they　did　it　slick　enough。　They　were　old　hands　at　the

business。



〃The　rifle　firing　from　the　boats　had　ceased；　and　I　made　no　doubt　that　they

were　finished　off　and　that　the　end　had　come　to　everything。　It　was　only　a

matter　of　moments　when　they　would　return　for　my　head。　They　were　evidently

taking　the　heads　from　the　sailors　aft。　Heads　are　valuable　on　Malaita；

especially　white　heads。　They　have　the　place　of　honor　in　the　canoe　houses　of

the　salt…water　natives。　What　particular　decorative　effect　the　bushmen　get　out

of　them　I　didn't　know；　but　they　prize　them　just　as　much　as　the　salt…water

crowd。



〃I　had　a　dim　notion　of　escaping；　and　I　crawled　on　hands　and　knees　to　the

winch；　where　I　managed　to　drag　myself　to　my　feet。　From　there　I　could　look　aft

and　see　three　heads　on　top　the　cabinthe　heads　of　three　sailors　I　had　given

orders　to　for　months。　The　niggers　saw　me　standing；　and　started　for　me。　I

reached　for　my　revolver；　and　found　they　had　taken　it。　I　can't　say　that　I　was

scared。　I've　been　near　to　death　several　times；　but　it　never　seemed　easier　than

right　then。　I　was　half…stunned；　and　nothing　seemed　to　matter。



〃The　leading　nigger　had　armed　himself　with　a　cleaver　from　the　galley；　and　he

grimaced　like　an　ape　as　he　prepared　to　slice　me　down。　But　the　slice　was　never

made。　He　went　down　on　the　deck　all　of　a　heap；　and　I　saw　the　blood　gush　from

his　mouth。　In　a　dim　way　I　heard　a　rifle　go　off　and　continue　to　go　off。　Nigger

after　nigger　went　down。　'my　senses　began　to　clear；　and　I　noted　that　there　was

never　a　miss。　Every　time　that　the　rifle　went　off　a　nigger　dropped。　I　sat　down

on　deck　beside　the　winch　and　looked　up。　Perched　in　the　crosstrees　was

Saxtorph。　How　he　had　managed　it　I　can't　imagine；　for　he　had　carried　up　with

him　two　Winchesters　and　I　don't　know　how　many　bandoliers　of　ammunition；　and　he

was　now　doing　the　one　only　thing　in　this　world　that　he　was　fitted　to　do。



〃I've　seen　shooting　and　slaughter；　but　I　never　saw　anything　like　that。　I　sat

by　the　winch　and　watched　the　show。　I　was　weak　and　faint；　and　it　seemed　to　be

all　a　dream。　Bang；　bang；　bang；　bang；　went　his　rifle；　and　thud；　thud；　thud；

thud；　went　the　niggers　to　the　deck。　It　was　amazing　to　see　them　go　down。　After

their　first　rush　to　get　me；　when　about　a　dozen　had　dropped；　they　seemed

paralyzed；　but　he　never　left　off　pumping　his　gun。　By　this　time　canoes　and　the

two　boats　arrived　from　shore；　armed　with　Sniders；　and　with　Winchesters　which

they　had　captured　in　the　boats。　The　fusillade　they　let　loose　on　Saxtorph　was

tremendous。　Luckily　for　him　the　niggers　are　only　good　at　close　range。　They　are

not　used　to　putting　the　gun　to　their　shoulders。　They　wait　until　they　are　right

on　top　of　a　man；　and　then　they　shoot　from　the　hip。　When　his　rifle　got　too　hot；

Saxtorph　changed　off。　That　had　been　his　idea　when　he　carried　two　rifles　up

with　him。



〃The　astounding　thing　was　the　rapidity　of　his　fire。　Also；　he　never　made　a

miss。　If　ever　anything　was　inevitable；　that　man　was。　It　was　the　swiftness　of

it　that　made　the　slaughter　so　appalling。　The　niggers　did　not　have　time　to

think。　When　they　did　manage　to　think；　they　went　over　the　side　in　a　rush；

capsizing　the　canoes　of　course。　Saxtorph　never　let　up。　The　water　was　covered

with　them；　and　plump；　plump；　plump；　he　dropped　his　bullets　into　them。　Not　a

single　miss；　and　I　could　hear　distinctly　the　thud　of　every　bullet　as　it　buried

in　human　fles