south sea tales-第5章

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woman；　alone　in　the　sea　and　weak　from　starvation　and　hardship；　and　yet　she；　in

the　face　of　this　sea　tiger；　must　anticipate　his　dash　by　herself　dashing　at

him。　She　swam　on；　waiting　her　chance。　At　last　he　passed　languidly　by；　barely

eight　feet　away。　She　rushed　at　him　suddenly；　feigning　that　she　was　attacking

him。　He　gave　a　wild　flirt　of　his　tail　as　he　fled　away；　and　his　sandpaper　hide；

striking　her；　took　off　her　skin　from　elbow　to　shoulder。　He　swam　rapidly；　in　a

widening　circle；　and　at　last　disappeared。



In　the　hole　in　the　sand；　covered　over　by　fragments　of　metal　roofing；　Mapuhi

and　Tefara　lay　disputing。



〃If　you　had　done　as　I　said；〃　charged　Tefara；　for　the　thousandth　time；　〃and

hidden　the　pearl　and　told　no　one；　you　would　have　it　now。〃



〃But　Huru…Huru　was　with　me　when　I　opened　the　shellhave　I　not　told　you　so

times　and　times　and　times　without　end？〃



〃And　now　we　shall　have　no　house。　Raoul　told　me　today　that　if　you　had　not　sold

the　pearl　to　Toriki〃



〃I　did　not　sell　it。　Toriki　robbed　me。〃



〃that　if　you　had　not　sold　the　pearl；　he　would　give　you　five　thousand　French

dollars；　which　is　ten　thousand　Chili。〃



〃He　has　been　talking　to　his　mother；〃　Mapuhi　explained。　〃She　has　an　eye　for　a

pearl。〃



〃And　now　the　pearl　is　lost；〃　Tefara　complained。



〃It　paid　my　debt　with　Toriki。　That　is　twelve　hundred　I　have　made；　anyway。〃



〃Toriki　is　dead；〃　she　cried。　〃They　have　heard　no　word　of　his　schooner。　She　was

lost　along　with　the　Aorai　and　the　Hira。　Will　Toriki　pay　you　the　three　hundred

credit　he　promised？　No；　because　Toriki　is　dead。　And　had　you　found　no　pearl；

would　you　today　owe　Toriki　the　twelve　hundred？　No；　because　Toriki　is　dead；　and

you　cannot　pay　dead　men。〃



〃But　Levy　did　not　pay　Toriki；〃　Mapuhi　said。　〃He　gave　him　a　piece　of　paper　that

was　good　for　the　money　in　Papeete；　and　now　Levy　is　dead　and　cannot　pay；　and

Toriki　is　dead　and　the　paper　lost　with　him；　and　the　pearl　is　lost　with　Levy。

You　are　right；　Tefara。　I　have　lost　the　pearl；　and　got　nothing　for　it。　Now　let

us　sleep。〃



He　held　up　his　hand　suddenly　and　listened。　From　without　came　a　noise；　as　of

one　who　breathed　heavily　and　with　pain。　A　hand　fumbled　against　the　mat　that

served　for　a　door。



〃Who　is　there？〃　Mapuhi　cried。



〃Nauri；〃　came　the　answer。　〃Can　you　tell　me　where　is　my　son；　Mapuhi？〃



Tefara　screamed　and　gripped　her　husband's　arm。



〃A　ghost！　she　chattered。　〃A　ghost！〃



Mapuhi's　face　was　a　ghastly　yellow。　He　clung　weakly　to　his　wife。



〃Good　woman；〃　he　said　in　faltering　tones；　striving　to　disguise　his　vice；　〃I

know　your　son　well。　He　is　living　on　the　east　side　of　the　lagoon。〃



From　without　came　the　sound　of　a　sigh。　Mapuhi　began　to　feel　elated。　He　had

fooled　the　ghost。



〃But　where　do　you　come　from；　old　woman？〃　he　asked。



〃From　the　sea；〃　was　the　dejected　answer。



〃I　knew　it！　I　knew　it！〃　screamed　Tefara；　rocking　to　and　fro。



〃Since　when　has　Tefara　bedded　in　a　strange　house？〃　came　Nauri's　voice　through

the　matting。



Mapuhi　looked　fear　and　reproach　at　his　wife。　It　was　her　voice　that　had

betrayed　them。



〃And　since　when　has　Mapuhi；　my　son；　denied　his　old　mother？〃　the　voice　went　on。



〃No；　no；　I　have　notMapuhi　has　not　denied　you；〃　he　cried。　〃I　am　not　Mapuhi。

He　is　on　the　east　end　of　the　lagoon；　I　tell　you。〃



Ngakura　sat　up　in　bed　and　began　to　cry。　The　matting　started　to　shake。



〃What　are　you　doing？〃　Mapuhi　demanded。



〃I　am　coming　in；〃　said　the　voice　of　Nauri。



One　end　of　the　matting　lifted。　Tefara　tried　to　dive　under　the　blankets；　but

Mapuhi　held　on　to　her。　He　had　to　hold　on　to　something。　Together；　struggling

with　each　other；　with　shivering　bodies　and　chattering　teeth；　they　gazed　with

protruding　eyes　at　the　lifting　mat。　They　saw　Nauri；　dripping　with　sea　water；

without　her　ahu；　creep　in。　They　rolled　over　backward　from　her　and　fought　for

Ngakura's　blanket　with　which　to　cover　their　heads。



〃You　might　give　your　old　mother　a　drink　of　water；〃　the　ghost　said　plaintively。



〃Give　her　a　drink　of　water；〃　Tefara　commanded　in　a　shaking　voice。



〃Give　her　a　drink　of　water；〃　Mapuhi　passed　on　the　command　to　Ngakura。



And　together　they　kicked　out　Ngakura　from　under　the　blanket。　A　minute　later；

peeping；　Mapuhi　saw　the　ghost　drinking。　When　it　reached　out　a　shaking　hand　and

laid　it　on　his；　he　felt　the　weight　of　it　and　was　convinced　that　it　was　no

ghost。　Then　he　emerged；　dragging　Tefara　after　him；　and　in　a　few　minutes　all

were　listening　to　Nauri's　tale。　And　when　she　told　of　Levy；　and　dropped　the

pearl　into　Tefara's　hand；　even　she　was　reconciled　to　the　reality　of　her

mother…in…law。



〃In　the　morning；〃　said　Tefara；　〃you　will　sell　the　pearl　to　Raoul　for　five

thousand　French。〃



〃The　house？〃　objected　Nauri。



〃He　will　build　the　house；〃　Tefara　answered。　〃He　ways　it　will　cost　four

thousand　French。　Also　will　he　give　one　thousand　French　in　credit；　which　is　two

thousand　Chili。〃



〃And　it　will　be　six　fathoms　long？〃　Nauri　queried。



〃Ay；〃　answered　Mapuhi；　〃six　fathoms。〃



〃And　in　the　middle　room　will　be　the　octagon…drop…clock？〃



〃Ay；　and　the　round　table　as　well。〃



〃Then　give　me　something　to　eat；　for　I　am　hungry；〃　said　Nauri；　complacently。

〃And　after　that　we　will　sleep；　for　I　am　weary。　　And　tomorrow　we　will　have　more

talk　about　the　house　before　we　sell　the　pearl。　It　will　be　better　if　we　take

the　thousand　French　in　cash。　Money　is　ever　better　than　credit　in　buying　goods

from　the　traders。〃







THE　WHALE　TOOTH



It　was　in　the　early　days　in　Fiji；　when　John　Starhurst　arose　in　the　mission

house　at　Rewa　Village　and　announced　his　intention　of　carrying　the　gospel

throughout　all　Viti　Levu。　Now　Viti　Levu　means　the　〃Great　Land；〃　it　being　the

largest　island　in　a　group　composed　of　many　large　islands；　to　say　nothing　of

hundreds　of　small　ones。　Here　and　there　on　the　coasts；　living　by　most

precarious　tenure；　was　a　sprinkling　of　missionaries；　traders；　b坈he…de…mer

fishers；　and　whaleship　deserters。　The　smoke　of　the　hot　ovens　arose　under　their

windows；　and　the　bodies　of　the　slain　were　dragged　by　their　doors　on　the　way　to

the　feasting。



The　Lotu；　or　the　Worship；　was　progressing　slowly；　and；　often；　in　crablike

fashion。　Chiefs；　who　announced　themselves　Christians　and　were　welcomed　into

the　body　of　the　chapel；　had　a　distressing　habit　of　backsliding　in　order　to

partake　of　the　flesh　of　some　favorite　enemy。　Eat　or　be　eaten　had　been　the　law

of　the　land；　and　eat　or　be　eaten　promised　to　remain　the　law　of　the　land　for　a

long　time　to　come。　There　were　chiefs；　such　as　Tanoa；　Tuiveikoso；　and

Tuikilakila；　who　had　literally　eaten　hundreds　of　their　fellow　men。　But　among

these　gluttons　Ra　Undreundre　ranked　highest。　Ra　Undreundre　lived　at　Takiraki。

He　kept　a　register　of　his　gustatory　exploits。　A　row　of　stones　outside　his

house　marked　the　bodies　he　had　eaten。　This　row　was　two　hundred　and　thirty

paces　long；　and　the　stones　in　it　numbered　eight　hundred　and　seventy…two。　Each

stone　represented　a　body。　The　row　of　stones　might　have　been　longer；　had　not　Ra

Undreundre　unfortunately　received　a　spear　in　the　small　of　his　back　in　a　bush

skirmish　on　Somo　Somo　and　been　served　up　on　the　table　of　Naungavuli；　whose

mediocre　string　of　stones　numbered　only　forty…eight。



The　hard…worked；　fever…stricken　missionaries　stuck　doggedly　to　their　task；　at

times　despairing；　and　looking　forward　for　some　special　manifestation；　some

outburst　of　Pentecostal　fire　that　would　bring　a　glorious　harvest　of　souls。　But

cannibal　Fiji　had　remained　obdurate。　The　frizzle…headed　man…eaters　were　loath

to　leave　their　fleshpots　so　long　as　the　harvest　of　human　carcases　was

plentiful。　Sometimes；　when　the　harvest　was　too　plentiful；　they　imposed　on　the

missionaries　by　letting　the　word　slip　out　that　on　such　a　day　there　would　be　a

killing　and　a　barbecue。　　Promptly　the　missionaries　would　buy　the　lives　of　the

victims　with　stick　tobacco；　fathoms　of　calico；　and　quarts　of　trade　beads。　

Natheless　the　chiefs　drove　a　handsome　trade　in　thus　disposing　of　their　surplus

live　meat。　Also；　they　could　always　go　out　and　catch　more。



It　was　at　this　juncture　that　John　Starhurst　proclaimed　that　he　would　carry　the

Gospel　from　coast　to　coast　of　the　Great　Land；　and　that　he　would　begin　by

penetrating　the　mountain　fastnesses　of　the　headwaters　of　the　Rewa　River。　His

words　were　received　with　consternation。



The　native　teachers　wept　softly。　His　two　fellow　missionaries　strove　to

dissuade　him。　The　King　of　Rewa　warned　him　that　the　mountain　dwellers　would

surely　kai…kai　himkai…kai　meaning　〃to　eat〃and　that　he；　the　King　of　Rewa；

having　become　Lotu；　would　be　put　to　the　necessity　of　going　to　war　with　the

mountain　dwellers。　　That　he　could　not　conquer　them　he　was　perfectly　aware。

That　they　might　come　down　the　river　and　sack　Rewa　Village　he　was　likewise

perfectly　aware。　But　what　was　he　to　do？　If　John　Starhurst　persisted　in　going

out　and　being　eaten；　there　would　be　a　war　that　would　cost　hundreds　of　lives。



Later　in　the　day　a　deputation　of　Rewa　chiefs　waited　upon　John　Starhurst。　He

heard　them　patiently；　and　argued　patiently　with　them；　though　he　abated　not　a

whit　from　his　purpose。　To　his　fellow　missionaries　he　explained　that　he　was　not

bent　upon　martyrdom；　that　the　call　had　come　for　him　to　carry　the　Gospel　into

Viti　Levu；　and　that　he　was　merely　obeying　the　Lord's　wish。



To　the　traders　who　came　and　objected　most　strenuously　of　all；　he　said：　〃Your

objections　are　valueless。　They　consist　merely　of　the　damage　that　may　be　done

your　businesses。　You　are　interested　in　making　money；　but　I　am　interested　in

saving　souls。　The　heathen　of　this　dark　land　must　be　saved。〃



John　Starhurst　was　not　a　fanatic。　He　would　have　been　the　first　man　to　deny　the

imputation。　He　was　eminently　sane　and　practical。



He　was　sure　that　his　mission　would　result　in　good；　and　he　had　private　visions

of　igniting　the　Pentecostal　spark　in　the　souls　of　the　mountaineers　and　of

inaugurating　a　revival　that　would　sweep　down　out　of　the　mountains　and　across

the　length　and　breadth　of　the　Great　Land　from　sea　to　sea　and　to　the　isles　in

the　midst　of　the　sea。　There　were　no　wild　lights　in　his　mild　gray　eyes；　but

only　calm　resolution　and　an　unfaltering　trust　in　the　Higher　Power　that　was

guiding　him。



One　man　only　he　found　who　approved　of　his　project；　and　that　was　Ra　Vatu；　who

secretly　encouraged　him　and　offered　to　lend　him　guides　to　the　first　foothills。

John　Starhurst；　in　turn；　was　greatly　pleased　by　Ra　Vatu's　conduct。　From　an

incorrigible　heathen；　with　a　heart　as　black　as　his　practices；　Ra　Vatu　was

beginning　to　emanate　light。　He　even　spoke　of　becoming　Lotu。　　True；　three　years

before　he　had　expressed　a　similar　intention；　and　would　have　entered　the　church

had　not　John　Starhurst　entered　objection　to　his　bringing　his　four　wives　along

with　him。　Ra　Vatu　had　had　economic　and　ethical　objections　to　monogamy。

Besides；　the　missionary's　hair…splitting　objection　had　offended　him；　and；　to

prove　that　he　was　a　free　agent　and　a　man　o