south sea tales-第25章

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〃I　used　to　think　I　was　one；〃　was　the　retort；　〃before　I　got　into　these

Paumotus。〃



At　midday　the　cry　of　〃Breakers　ahead！〃　was　heard　from　the　lookout。　The

Pyrenees　was　kept　off；　and　sail　after　sail　was　loosed　and　sheeted　home。　The

Pyrenees　was　sliding　through　the　water　and　fighting　a　current　that　threatened

to　set　her　down　upon　the　breakers。　Officers　and　men　were　working　like　mad；

cook　and　cabin　boy；　Captain　Davenport　himself；　and　McCoy　all　lending　a　hand。

It　was　a　close　shave。　It　was　a　low　shoal；　a　bleak　and　perilous　place　over

which　the　seas　broke　unceasingly；　where　no　man　could　live；　and　on　which　not

even　sea　birds　could　rest。　The　PYRENEES　was　swept　within　a　hundred　yards　of　it

before　the　wind　carried　her　clear；　and　at　this　moment　the　panting　crew；　its

work　done；　burst　out　in　a　torrent　of　curses　upon　the　head　of　McCoy　of　McCoy

who　had　come　on　board；　and　proposed　the　run　to　Mangareva；　and　lured　them　all

away　from　the　safety　of　Pitcairn　Island　to　certain　destruction　in　this

baffling　and　terrible　stretch　of　sea。　But　McCoy's　tranquil　soul　was

undisturbed。　He　smiled　at　them　with　simple　and　gracious　benevolence；　and；

somehow；　the　exalted　goodness　of　him　seemed　to　penetrate　to　their　dark　and

somber　souls；　shaming　them；　and　from　very　shame　stilling　the　curses　vibrating

in　their　throats。



〃Bad　waters！　Bad　waters！〃　Captain　Davenport　was　murmuring　as　his　ship　forged

clear；　but　he　broke　off　abruptly　to　gaze　at　the　shoal　which　should　have　been

dead　astern；　but　which　was　already　on　the　PYRENEES'　weather…quarter　and

working　up　rapidly　to　windward。



He　sat　down　and　buried　his　face　in　his　hands。　And　the　first　mate　saw；　and

McCoy　saw；　and　the　crew　saw；　what　he　had　seen。　South　of　the　shoal　an　easterly

current　had　set　them　down　upon　it；　north　of　the　shoal　an　equally　swift

westerly　current　had　clutched　the　ship　and　was　sweeping　her　away。



〃I've　heard　of　these　Paumotus　before；〃　the　captain　groaned；　lifting　his

blanched　face　from　his　hands。　〃Captain　Moyendale　told　me　about　them　after

losing　his　ship　on　them。　And　I　laughed　at　him　behind　his　back。　God　forgive　me；

I　laughed　at　him。　What　shoal　is　that？〃　he　broke　off；　to　ask　McCoy。



〃I　don't　know；　Captain。〃



〃Why　don't　you　know？〃



〃Because　I　never　saw　it　before；　and　because　I　have　never　heard　of　it。　I　do

know　that　it　is　not　charted。　These　waters　have　never　been　thoroughly

surveyed。〃



〃Then　you　don't　know　where　we　are？〃



〃No　more　than　you　do；〃　McCoy　said　gently。



At　four　in　the　afternoon　cocoanut　trees　were　sighted；　apparently　growing　out

of　the　water。　A　little　later　the　low　land　of　an　atoll　was　raised　above　the

sea。



〃I　know　where　we　are　now；　Captain。〃　McCoy　lowered　the　glasses　from　his　eyes。

〃That's　Resolution　Island。　We　are　forty　miles　beyond　Hao　Island；　and　the　wind

is　in　our　teeth。〃



〃Get　ready　to　beach　her　then。　Where's　the　entrance？〃



〃There's　only　a　canoe　passage。　But　now　that　we　know　where　we　are；　we　can　run

for　Barclay　de　Tolley。　It　is　only　one　hundred　and　twenty　miles　from　here；　due

nor'…nor'west。　With　this　breeze　we　can　be　there　by　nine　o'clock　tomorrow

morning。〃



Captain　Davenport　consulted　the　chart　and　debated　with　himself。



〃If　we　wreck　her　here；〃　McCoy　added；　〃we'd　have　to　make　the　run　to　Barclay　de

Tolley　in　the　boats　just　the　same。〃



The　captain　gave　his　orders；　and　once　more　the　Pyrenees　swung　off　for　another

run　across　the　inhospitable　sea。



And　the　middle　of　the　next　afternoon　saw　despair　and　mutiny　on　her　smoking

deck。　The　current　had　accelerated；　the　wind　had　slackened；　and　the　Pyrenees

had　sagged　off　to　the　west。　The　lookout　sighted　Barclay　de　Tolley　to　the

eastward；　barely　visible　from　the　masthead；　and　vainly　and　for　hours　the

PYRENEES　tried　to　beat　up　to　it。　Ever；　like　a　mirage；　the　cocoanut　trees

hovered　on　the　horizon；　visible　only　from　the　masthead。　From　the　deck　they

were　hidden　by　the　bulge　of　the　world。



Again　Captain　Davenport　consulted　McCoy　and　the　chart。　'makemo　lay

seventy…five　miles　to　the　southwest。　Its　lagoon　was　thirty　miles　long；　and　its

entrance　was　excellent。　When　Captain　Davenport　gave　his　orders；　the　crew

refused　duty。　They　announced　that　they　had　had　enough　of　hell　fire　under　their

feet。　There　was　the　land。　What　if　the　ship　could　not　make　it？　They　could　make

it　in　the　boats。　Let　her　burn；　then。　Their　lives　amounted　to　something　to

them。　They　had　served　faithfully　the　ship；　now　they　were　going　to　serve

themselves。



They　sprang　to　the　boats；　brushing　the　second　and　third　mates　out　of　the　way；

and　proceeded　to　swing　the　boats　out　and　to　prepare　to　lower　away。　Captain

Davenport　and　the　first　mate；　revolvers　in　hand；　were　advancing　to　the　break

of　the　poop；　when　McCoy；　who　had　climbed　on　top　of　the　cabin；　began　to　speak。



He　spoke　to　the　sailors；　and　at　the　first　sound　of　his　dovelike；　cooing　voice

they　paused　to　hear。　He　extended　to　them　his　own　ineffable　serenity　and　peace。

His　soft　voice　and　simple　thoughts　flowed　out　to　them　in　a　magic　stream；

soothing　them　against　their　wills。　Long　forgotten　things　came　back　to　them；

and　some　remembered　lullaby　songs　of　childhood　and　the　content　and　rest　of　the

mother's　arm　at　the　end　of　the　day。　There　was　no　more　trouble；　no　more　danger；

no　more　irk；　in　all　the　world。　　Everything　was　as　it　should　be；　and　it　was

only　a　matter　of　course　that　they　should　turn　their　backs　upon　the　land　and

put　to　sea　once　more　with　hell　fire　hot　beneath　their　feet。



McCoy　spoke　simply；　but　it　was　not　what　he　spoke。　It　was　his　personality　that

spoke　more　eloquently　than　any　word　he　could　utter。　It　was　an　alchemy　of　soul

occultly　subtile　and　profoundly　deepa　mysterious　emanation　of　the　spirit；

seductive；　sweetly　humble；　and　terribly　imperious。　It　was　illumination　in　the

dark　crypts　of　their　souls；　a　compulsion　of　purity　and　gentleness　vastly

greater　than　that　which　resided　in　the　shining；　death…spitting　revolvers　of

the　officers。



The　men　wavered　reluctantly　where　they　stood；　and　those　who　had　loosed　the

turns　made　them　fast　again。　Then　one；　and　then　another；　and　then　all　of　them；

began　to　sidle　awkwardly　away。



McCoy's　face　was　beaming　with　childlike　pleasure　as　he　descended　from　the　top

of　the　cabin。　Thee　was　no　trouble。　For　that　matter　there　had　been　no　trouble

averted。　There　never　had　been　any　trouble；　for　there　was　no　place　for　such　in

the　blissful　world　in　which　he　lived。



〃You　hypnotized　em；〃　Mr。　Konig　grinned　at　him；　speaking　in　a　low　voice。



〃Those　boys　are　good；〃　was　the　answer。　〃Their　hearts　are　good。　　They　have　had

a　hard　time；　and　they　have　worked　hard；　and　they　will　work　hard　to　the　end。〃



Mr。　Konig　had　not　time　to　reply。　His　voice　was　ringing　out　orders；　the　sailors

were　springing　to　obey；　and　the　PYRENEES　was　paying　slowly　off　from　the　wind

until　her　bow　should　point　in　the　direction　of　Makemo。



The　wind　was　very　light；　and　after　sundown　almost　ceased。　It　was　insufferably

warm；　and　fore　and　aft　men　sought　vainly　to　sleep。　　The　deck　was　too　hot　to

lie　upon；　and　poisonous　vapors；　oozing　through　the　seams；　crept　like　evil

spirits　over　the　ship；　stealing　into　the　nostrils　and　windpipes　of　the　unwary

and　causing　fits　of　sneezing　and　coughing。　The　stars　blinked　lazily　in　the　dim

vault　overhead；　and　the　full　moon；　rising　in　the　east；　touched　with　its　light

the　myriads　of　wisps　and　threads　and　spidery　films　of　smoke　that　intertwined

and　writhed　and　twisted　along　the　deck；　over　the　rails；　and　up　the　masts　and

shrouds。



〃Tell　me；〃　Captain　Davenport　said；　rubbing　his　smarting　eyes；　〃what　happened

with　that　BOUNTY　crowd　after　they　reached　Pitcairn？　The　account　I　read　said

they　burnt　the　Bounty；　and　that　they　were　not　discovered　until　many　years

later。　But　what　happened　in　the　meantime？　I've　always　been　curious　to　know。

They　were　men　with　their　necks　in　the　rope。　There　were　some　native　men；　too。

And　then　there　were　women。　That　made　it　look　like　trouble　right　from　the

jump。〃



〃There　was　trouble；〃　McCoy　answered。　〃They　were　bad　men。　They　quarreled　about

the　women　right　away。　One　of　the　mutineers；　Williams；　lost　his　wife。　All　the

women　were　Tahitian　women。　His　wife　fell　from　the　cliffs　when　hunting　sea

birds。　Then　he　took　the　wife　of　one　of　the　native　men　away　from　him。　All　the

native　men　were　made　very　angry　by　this；　and　they　killed　off　nearly　all　the

mutineers。　Then　the　mutineers　that　escaped　killed　off　all　the　native　men。　The

women　helped。　And　the　natives　killed　each　other。　Everybody　killed　everybody。

They　were　terrible　men。



〃Timiti　was　killed　by　two　other　natives　while　they　were　combing　his　hair　in

friendship。　The　white　men　had　sent　them　to　do　it。　　Then　the　white　men　killed

them。　The　wife　of　Tullaloo　killed　him　in　a　cave　because　she　wanted　a　white　man

for　husband。　They　were　very　wicked。　God　had　hidden　His　face　from　them。　At　the

end　of　two　years　all　the　native　men　were　murdered；　and　all　the　white　men

except　four。　They　were　Young；　John　Adams；　McCoy；　who　was　my　great…grandfather；

and　Quintal。　He　was　a　very　bad　man；　too。　　Once；　just　because　his　wife　did　not

catch　enough　fish　for　him；　he　bit　off　her　ear。〃



〃They　were　a　bad　lot！〃　Mr。　Konig　exclaimed。



〃Yes；　they　were　very　bad；〃　McCoy　agreed　and　went　on　serenely　cooing　of　the

blood　and　lust　of　his　iniquitous　ancestry。　〃My　great…grandfather　escaped

murder　in　order　to　die　by　his　own　hand。　He　made　a　still　and　manufactured

alcohol　from　the　roots　of　the　ti…plant。　Quintal　was　his　chum；　and　they　got

drunk　together　all　the　time。　At　last　McCoy　got　delirium　tremens；　tied　a　rock

to　his　neck；　and　jumped　into　the　sea。



〃Quintal's　wife；　the　one　whose　ear　he　bit　off；　also　got　killed　by　falling　from

the　cliffs。　Then　Quintal　went　to　Young　and　demanded　his　wife；　and　went　to

Adams　and　demanded　his　wife。　Adams　and　Young　were　afraid　of　Quintal。　They　knew

he　would　kill　them。　So　they　killed　him；　the　two　of　them　together；　with　a

hatchet。　Then　Young　died。　And　that　was　about　all　the　trouble　they　had。〃



〃I　should　say　so；〃　Captain　Davenport　snorted。　〃There　was　nobody　left　to　kill。〃



〃You　see；　God　had　hidden　His　face；〃　McCoy　said。



By　morning　no　more　than　a　faint　air　was　blowing　from　the　eastward；　and；　unable

to　make　appreciable　southing　by　it；　Captain　Davenport　hauled　up　full…and…by　on

the　port　track。　He　was　afraid　of　that　terrible　westerly　current　which　had

cheated　him　out　of　so　many　ports　of　refuge。　All　day　the　calm　continued；　and

all　night；　while　the　sailors；　on　a　short　ration　of　dried　banana；　were

grumbling。　Also；　they　were　growing　weak　and　complaining　of　stomach　pains

caused　by　the　straight　banana　diet。　All　day　the　current　swept　the　PYRENEES　to

the　westward；　while　there　was　no　wind　to　bear　her　south。　In　the　middle　of　the

first　dogwatch；　cocoanut　trees　were　sighted　due　south；　their　tufted　heads

rising　above　the　water　and　marking　the　low…lying　atoll　beneath。



〃That　is　Taenga　Island；〃　McCoy　said。　〃We　need　a　breeze　tonight；　or　else　we'll

miss　Makemo。〃



〃