south sea tales-第4章

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but　she　was　uninjured。　She　was　merely　sleeping。　Hers　also　had　been　the　one

chance　in　ten。



Of　the　twelve　hundred　alive　the　night　before　but　three　hundred　remained。　The

mormon　missionary　and　a　gendarme　made　the　census。　　The　lagoon　was　cluttered

with　corpses。　Not　a　house　nor　a　hut　was　standing。　In　the　whole　atoll　not　two

stones　remained　one　upon　another。　One　in　fifty　of　the　cocoanut　palms　still

stood；　and　they　were　wrecks；　while　on　not　one　of　them　remained　a　single　nut。



There　was　no　fresh　water。　The　shallow　wells　that　caught　the　surface　seepage　of

the　rain　were　filled　with　salt。　Out　of　the　lagoon　a　few　soaked　bags　of　flour

were　recovered。　The　survivors　cut　the　hearts　out　of　the　fallen　cocoanut　trees

and　ate　them。　　Here　and　there　they　crawled　into　tiny　hutches；　made　by

hollowing　out　the　sand　and　covering　over　with　fragments　of　metal　roofing。　　The

missionary　made　a　crude　still；　but　he　could　not　distill　water　for　three

hundred　persons。　By　the　end　of　the　second　day；　Raoul；　taking　a　bath　in　the

lagoon；　discovered　that　his　thirst　was　somewhat　relieved。　He　cried　out　the

news；　and　thereupon　three　hundred　men；　women；　and　children　could　have　been

seen；　standing　up　to　their　necks　in　the　lagoon　and　trying　to　drink　water　in

through　their　skins。　Their　dead　floated　about　them；　or　were　stepped　upon　where

they　still　lay　upon　the　bottom。　On　the　third　day　the　people　buried　their　dead

and　sat　down　to　wait　for　the　rescue　steamers。



In　the　meantime；　Nauri；　torn　from　her　family　by　the　hurricane；　had　been　swept

away　on　an　adventure　of　her　own。　Clinging　to　a　rough　plank　that　wounded　and

bruised　her　and　that　filled　her　body　with　splinters；　she　was　thrown　clear　over

the　atoll　and　carried　away　to　sea。　Here；　under　the　amazing　buffets　of

mountains　of　water；　she　lost　her　plank。　She　was　an　old　woman　nearly　sixty；　but

she　was　Paumotan…born；　and　she　had　never　been　out　of　sight　of　the　sea　in　her

life。　Swimming　in　the　darkness；　strangling；　suffocating；　fighting　for　air；　she

was　struck　a　heavy　blow　on　the　shoulder　by　a　cocoanut。　On　the　instant　her　plan

was　formed；　and　she　seized　the　nut。　In　the　next　hour　she　captured　seven　more。　

Tied　together；　they　formed　a　life…buoy　that　preserved　her　life　while　at　the

same　time　it　threatened　to　pound　her　to　a　jelly。　　She　was　a　fat　woman；　and　she

bruised　easily；　but　she　had　had　experience　of　hurricanes；　and　while　she　prayed

to　her　shark　god　for　protection　from　sharks；　she　waited　for　the　wind　to　break。　

But　at　three　o'clock　she　was　in　such　a　stupor　that　she　did　not　know。　Nor　did

she　know　at　six　o'clock　when　the　dead　calm　settled　down。　She　was　shocked　into

consciousness　when　she　was　thrown　upon　the　sand。　She　dug　in　with　raw　and

bleeding　hands　and　feet　and　clawed　against　the　backwash　until　she　was　beyond

the　reach　of　the　waves。



She　knew　where　she　was。　This　land　could　be　no　other　than　the　tiny　islet　of

Takokota。　It　had　no　lagoon。　No　one　lived　upon　it。



Hikueru　was　fifteen　miles　away。　She　could　not　see　Hikueru；　but　she　knew　that

it　lay　to　the　south。　The　days　went　by；　and　she　lived　on　the　cocoanuts　that　had

kept　her　afloat。　They　supplied　her　with　drinking　water　and　with　food。　But　she

did　not　drink　all　she　wanted；　nor　eat　all　she　wanted。　Rescue　was

problematical。　　She　saw　the　smoke　of　the　rescue　steamers　on　the　horizon；　but

what　steamer　could　be　expected　to　come　to　lonely；　uninhabited　Takokota？



From　the　first　she　was　tormented　by　corpses。　The　sea　persisted　in　flinging

them　upon　her　bit　of　sand；　and　she　persisted；　until　her　strength　failed；　in

thrusting　them　back　into　the　sea　where　the　sharks　tore　at　them　and　devoured

them。　When　her　strength　failed；　the　bodies　festooned　her　beach　with　ghastly

horror；　and　she　withdrew　from　them　as　far　as　she　could；　which　was　not　far。



By　the　tenth　day　her　last　cocoanut　was　gone；　and　she　was　shrivelling　from

thirst。　She　dragged　herself　along　the　sand；　looking　for　cocoanuts。　It　was

strange　that　so　many　bodies　floated　up；　and　no　nuts。　Surely；　there　were　more

cocoanuts　afloat　than　dead　men！　She　gave　up　at　last；　and　lay　exhausted。　The

end　had　come。　Nothing　remained　but　to　wait　for　death。



Coming　out　of　a　stupor；　she　became　slowly　aware　that　she　was　gazing　at　a　patch

of　sandy…red　hair　on　the　head　of　a　corpse。　The　sea　flung　the　body　toward　her；

then　drew　it　back。　It　turned　over；　and　she　saw　that　it　had　no　face。　Yet　there

was　something　familiar　about　that　patch　of　sandy…red　hair。　An　hour　passed。　She

did　not　exert　herself　to　make　the　identification。　She　was　waiting　to　die；　and

it　mattered　little　to　her　what　man　that　thing　of　horror　once　might　have　been。



But　at　the　end　of　the　hour　she　sat　up　slowly　and　stared　at　the　corpse。　An

unusually　large　wave　had　thrown　it　beyond　the　reach　of　the　lesser　waves。　Yes；

she　was　right；　that　patch　of　red　hair　could　belong　to　but　one　man　in　the

Paumotus。　It　was　Levy；　the　German　Jew；　the　man　who　had　bought　the　pearl　and

carried　it　away　on　the　Hira。　Well；　one　thing　was　evident：　The　Hira　had　been

lost。　The　pearl　buyer's　god　of　fishermen　and　thieves　had　gone　back　on　him。



She　crawled　down　to　the　dead　man。　His　shirt　had　been　torn　away；　and　she　could

see　the　leather　money　belt　about　his　waist。　She　held　her　breath　and　tugged　at

the　buckles。　They　gave　easier　than　she　had　expected；　and　she　crawled　hurriedly

away　across　the　sand；　dragging　the　belt　after　her。　Pocket　after　pocket　she

unbuckled　in　the　belt　and　found　empty。　Where　could　he　have　put　it？　In　the　last

pocket　of　all　she　found　it；　the　first　and　only　pearl　he　had　bought　on　the

voyage。　She　crawled　a　few　feet　farther；　to　escape　the　pestilence　of　the　belt；

and　examined　the　pearl。　It　was　the　one　Mapuhi　had　found　and　been　robbed　of　by

Toriki。　She　weighed　it　in　her　hand　and　rolled　it　back　and　forth　caressingly。

But　in　it　she　saw　no　intrinsic　beauty。　What　she　did　see　was　the　house　Mapuhi

and　Tefara　and　she　had　builded　so　carefully　in　their　minds。　Each　time　she

looked　at　the　pearl　she　saw　the　house　in　all　its　details；　including　the

octagon…drop…clock　on　the　wall。　　That　was　something　to　live　for。



She　tore　a　strip　from　her　ahu　and　tied　the　pearl　securely　about　her　neck。　Then

she　went　on　along　the　beach；　panting　and　groaning；　but　resolutely　seeking　for

cocoanuts。　Quickly　she　found　one；　and；　as　she　glanced　around；　a　second。　She

broke　one；　drinking　its　water；　which　was　mildewy；　and　eating　the　last　particle

of　the　meat。　A　little　later　she　found　a　shattered　dugout。　Its　outrigger　was

gone；　but　she　was　hopeful；　and；　before　the　day　was　out；　she　found　the

outrigger。　Every　find　was　an　augury。　The　pearl　was　a　talisman。　Late　in　the

afternoon　she　saw　a　wooden　box　floating　low　in　the　water。　When　she　dragged　it

out　on　the　beach　its　contents　rattled；　and　inside　she　found　ten　tins　of

salmon。　She　opened　one　by　hammering　it　on　the　canoe。　When　a　leak　was　started；

she　drained　the　tin。　After　that　she　spent　several　hours　in　extracting　the

salmon；　hammering　and　squeezing　it　out　a　morsel　at　a　time。



Eight　days　longer　she　waited　for　rescue。　In　the　meantime　she　fastened　the

outrigger　back　on　the　canoe；　using　for　lashings　all　the　cocoanut　fibre　she

could　find；　and　also　what　remained　of　her　ahu。　The　canoe　was　badly　cracked；

and　she　could　not　make　it　water…tight；　but　a　calabash　made　from　a　cocoanut　she

stored　on　board　for　a　bailer。　She　was　hard　put　for　a　paddle。　With　a　piece　of

tin　she　sawed　off　all　her　hair　close　to　the　scalp。　Out　of　the　hair　she　braided

a　cord；　and　by　means　of　the　cord　she　lashed　a　three…foot　piece　of　broom　handle

to　a　board　from　the　salmon　case。



She　gnawed　wedges　with　her　teeth　and　with　them　wedged　the　lashing。



On　the　eighteenth　day；　at　midnight；　she　launched　the　canoe　through　the　surf

and　started　back　for　Hikueru。　She　was　an　old　woman。　Hardship　had　stripped　her

fat　from　her　till　scarcely　more　than　bones　and　skin　and　a　few　stringy　muscles

remained。　The　canoe　was　large　and　should　have　been　paddled　by　three　strong

men。



But　she　did　it　alone；　with　a　make…shift　paddle。　Also；　the　canoe　leaked　badly；

and　one…third　of　her　time　was　devoted　to　bailing。　　By　clear　daylight　she

looked　vainly　for　Hikueru。　Astern；　Takokota　had　sunk　beneath　the　sea　rim。　The

sun　blazed　down　on　her　nakedness；　compelling　her　body　to　surrender　its

moisture。　　Two　tins　of　salmon　were　left；　and　in　the　course　of　the　day　she

battered　holes　in　them　and　drained　the　liquid。　She　had　no　time　to　waste　in

extracting　the　meat。　A　current　was　setting　to　the　westward；　she　made　westing

whether　she　made　southing　or　not。



In　the　eary　afternoon；　standing　upright　in　the　canoe；　she　sighted　Hikueru　Its

wealth　of　cocoanut　palms　was　gone。　Only　here　and　there；　at　wide　intervals；

could　she　see　the　ragged　remnants　of　trees。　The　sight　cheered　her。　She　was

nearer　than　she　had　thought。　The　current　was　setting　her　to　the　westward。　She

bore　up　against　it　and　paddled　on。　The　wedges　in　the　paddle　lashing　worked

loose；　and　she　lost　much　time；　at　frequent　intervals；　in　driving　them　tight。

Then　there　was　the　bailing。　One　hour　in　three　she　had　to　cease　paddling　in

order　to　bail。　And　all　the　time　she　driftd　to　the　westward。



By　sunset　Hikueru　bore　southeast　from　her；　three　miles　away。　　There　was　a　full

moon；　and　by　eight　o'clock　the　land　was　due　east　and　two　miles　away。　She

struggled　on　for　another　hour；　but　the　land　was　as　far　away　as　ever。　She　was

in　the　main　grip　of　the　current；　the　canoe　was　too　large；　the　paddle　was　too

inadequate；　and　too　much　of　her　time　and　strength　was　wasted　in　bailing。　

Besides；　she　was　very　weak　and　growing　weaker。　Despite　her　efforts；　the　canoe

was　drifting　off　to　the　westward。



She　breathed　a　prayer　to　her　shark　god；　slipped　over　the　side；　and　began　to

swim。　She　was　actually　refreshed　by　the　water；　and　quickly　left　the　canoe

astern。　At　the　end　of　an　hour　the　land　was　perceptibly　nearer。　Then　came　her

fright。　Right　before　her　eyes；　not　twenty　feet　away；　a　large　fin　cut　the

water。　She　swam　steadily　toward　it；　and　slowly　it　glided　away；　curving　off

toward　the　right　and　circling　around　her。　She　kept　her　eyes　on　the　fin　and

swam　on。　When　the　fin　disappeared；　she　lay　face　downward　in　the　water　and

watched。　When　the　fin　reappeared　she　resumed　her　swimming。　The　monster　was

lazyshe　could　see　that。　Without　doubt　he　had　been　well　fed　since　the

hurricane。　Had　he　been　very　hungry；　she　knew　he　would　not　have　hesitated　from

making　a　dash　for　her。　He　was　fifteen　feet　long；　and　one　bite；　she　knew；　could

cut　her　in　half。



But　she　did　not　have　any　time　to　waste　on　him。　Whether　she　swam　or　not；　the

current　drew　away　from　the　land　just　the　same。　A　half　hour　went　by；　and　the

shark　began　to　grow　bolder。　Seeing　no　harm　in　her　he　drew　closer；　in　narrowing

circles；　cocking　his　eyes　at　her　impudently　as　he　slid　past。　Sooner　or　later；

she　knew　well　enough；　he　would　get　up　sufficient　courage　to　dash　at　her。　　She

resolved　to　play　first。　It　was　a　desperate　act　she　meditated。　She　was　an　old

woman；　alone　in　the　sea　and　weak　from　starvation　and　hardship；　a