south sea tales-第7章

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those　who　clamored　for　his　death。



〃I　am　John　Starhurst；〃　he　went　on　calmly。　〃I　have　labored　in　Fiji　for　three

years；　and　I　have　done　it　for　no　profit。　I　am　here　among　you　for　good。　Why

should　any　man　kill　me？　To　kill　me　will　not　profit　any　man。〃



The　Buli　stole　a　look　at　the　whale　tooth。　He　was　well　paid　for　the　deed。



The　missionary　was　surrounded　by　a　mass　of　naked　savages；　all　struggling　to

get　at　him。　The　death　song；　which　is　the　song　of　the　oven；　was　raised；　and　his

expostulations　could　no　longer　be　heard。　But　so　cunningly　did　he　twine　and

wreathe　his　body　about　his　captor's　that　the　death　blow　could　not　be　struck。

Erirola　smiled；　and　the　Buli　grew　angry。



〃Away　with　you！〃　he　cried。　〃A　nice　story　to　go　back　to　the　coasta　dozen　of

you　and　one　missionary；　without　weapons；　weak　as　a　woman；　overcoming　all　of

you。〃



〃Wait；　O　Buli；〃　John　Starhurst　called　out　from　the　thick　of　the　scuffle；　〃and

I　will　overcome　even　you。　For　my　weapons　are　Truth　and　Right；　and　no　man　can

withstand　them。〃



〃Come　to　me；　then；〃　the　Buli　answered；　〃for　my　weapon　is　only　a　poor　miserable

club；　and；　as　you　say；　it　cannot　withstand　you。〃



The　group　separated　from　him；　and　John　Starhurst　stood　alone；　facing　the　Buli；

who　was　leaning　on　an　enormous；　knotted　warclub。



〃Come　to　me；　missionary　man；　and　overcome　me；〃　the　Buli　challenged。



〃Even　so　will　I　come　to　you　and　overcome　you；〃　John　Starhurst　made　answer；

first　wiping　his　spectacles　and　settling　them　properly；　then　beginning　his

advance。



The　Buli　raised　the　club　and　waited。



〃In　the　first　place；　my　death　will　profit　you　nothing；〃　began　the　argument。



〃I　leave　the　answer　to　my　club；〃　was　the　Buli's　reply。



And　to　every　point　he　made　the　same　reply；　at　the　same　time　watching　the

missionary　closely　in　order　to　forestall　that　cunning　run…in　under　the　lifted

club。　Then；　and　for　the　first　time；　John　Starhurst　knew　that　his　death　was　at

hand。　He　made　no　attempt　to　run　in。　Bareheaded；　he　stood　in　the　sun　and　prayed

aloudthe　mysterious　figure　of　the　inevitable　white　man；　who；　with　Bible；

bullet；　or　rum　bottle；　has　confronted　the　amazed　savage　in　his　every

stronghold。　Even　so　stood　John　Starhurst　in　the　rock　fortress　of　the　Buli　of

Gatoka。



〃Forgive　them；　for　they　know　not　what　they　do；〃　he　prayed。　〃O　Lord！　Have　mercy

upon　Fiji。　Have　compasssion　for　Fiji。　O　Jehovah；　hear　us　for　His　sake；　Thy

Son；　whom　Thou　didst　give　that　through　Him　all　men　might　also　become　Thy

children。　From　Thee　we　came；　and　our　mind　is　that　to　Thee　we　may　return。　The

land　is　dark；　O　Lord；　the　land　is　dark。　But　Thou　art　mighty　to　save。　　Reach

out　Thy　hand；　O　Lord；　and　save　Fiji；　poor　cannibal　Fiji。〃



The　Buli　grew　impatient。



〃Now　will　I　answer　thee；〃　he　muttered；　at　the　same　time　swinging　his　club　with

both　hands。



Narau；　hiding　among　the　women　and　the　mats；　heard　the　impact　of　the　blow　and

shuddered。　Then　the　death　song　arose；　and　he　knew　his　beloved　missionary's

body　was　being　dragged　to　the　oven　as　he　heard　the　words：



〃Drag　me　gently。　Drag　me　gently。〃



〃For　I　am　the　champion　of　my　land。〃



〃Give　thanks！　Give　thanks！　Give　thanks！〃



Next；　a　single　voice　arose　out　of　the　din；　asking：



〃Where　is　the　brave　man？〃



A　hundred　voices　bellowed　the　answer：



〃Gone　to　be　dragged　into　the　oven　and　cooked。〃



〃Where　is　the　coward？〃　the　single　voice　demanded。



〃Gone　to　report！〃　the　hundred　voices　bellowed　back。　〃Gone　to　report！　Gone　to

report！〃



Narau　groaned　in　anguish　of　spirit。　The　words　of　the　old　song　were　true。　He

was　the　coward；　and　nothing　remained　to　him　but　to　go　and　report。







MAUKI



He　weighed　one　hundred　and　ten　pounds。　His　hair　was　kinky　and　negroid；　and　he

was　black。　He　was　peculiarly　black。　He　was　neither　blue…black　nor

purple…black；　but　plum…black。　His　name　was　Mauki；　and　he　was　the　son　of　a

chief。　He　had　three　tambos。　　Tambo　is　Melanesian　for　taboo；　and　is　first

cousin　to　that　Polynesian　word。　Mauki's　three　tambos　were　as　follows：　First；

he　must　never　shake　hands　with　a　woman；　nor　have　a　woman's　hand　touch　him　or

any　of　his　personal　belongings；　secondly；　he　must　never　eat　clams　nor　any　food

from　a　fire　in　which　clams　had　been　cooked；　thirdly；　he　must　never　touch　a

crocodile；　nor　travel　in　a　canoe　that　carried　any　part　of　a　crocodile　even　if

as　large　as　a　tooth。



Of　a　different　black　were　his　teeeth；　which　were　deep　black；　or；　perhaps

better；　LAMP…black。　They　had　been　made　so　in　a　single　night；　by　his　mother；

who　had　compressed　about　them　a　powdered　mineral　which　was　dug　from　the

landslide　back　of　Port　Adams。　　Port　Adams　is　a　salt…water　village　on　Malaita；

and　Malaita　is　the　most　savage　island　in　the　Solomonsso　savage　that　no

traders　or　planters　have　yet　gained　a　foothold　on　it；　while；　from　the　time　of

the　earliest　b坈he…de…mer　fishers　and　sandalwood　traders　down　to　the　latest

labor　recruiters　equipped　with　automatic　rifles　and　gasolene　engines；　scores

of　white　adventurers　have　been　passed　out　by　tomahawks　and　soft…nosed　Snider

bullets。　So　Malaita　remains　today；　in　the　twentieth　century；　the　stamping

ground　of　the　labor　recruiters；　who　farm　its　coasts　for　laborers　who　engage

and　contract　themselves　to　toil　on　the　plantations　of　the　neighboring　and　more

civilized　islands　for　a　wage　of　thirty　dollars　a　year。　The　natives　of　those

neighboring　and　more　civilized　islands　have　themselves　become　too　civilized　to

work　on　plantations。



Mauki's　ears　were　pierced；　not　in　one　place；　nor　two　places；　but　in　a　couple

of　dozen　places。　In　one　of　the　smaller　holes　he　carried　a　clay　pipe。　The

larger　holes　were　too　large　for　such　use。　The　bowl　of　the　pipe　would　have

fallen　through。　In　fact；　in　the　largest　hole　in　each　ear　he　habitually　wore

round　wooden　plugs　that　were　an　even　four　inches　in　diameter。　Roughly

speaking；　the　circumference　of　said　holes　was　twelve　and　one…half　inches。

Mauki　was　catholic　in　his　tastes。　In　the　various　smaller　holes　he　carried　such

things　as　empty　rifle　cartridges；　horseshoe　nails；　copper　screws；　pieces　of

string；　braids　of　sennit；　strips　of　green　leaf；　and；　in　the　cool　of　the　day；

scarlet　hibiscus　flowers。　From　which　it　will　be　seen　that　pockets　were　not

necessary　to　his　well…being。　Besides；　pockets　were　impossible；　for　his　only

wearing　apparel　consisted　of　a　piece　of　calico　several　inches　wide。　A　pocket

knife　he　wore　in　his　hair；　the　blade　snapped　down　on　a　kinky　lock。　His　most

prized　possession　was　the　handle　of　a　china　cup；　which　he　suspended　from　a

ring　of　turtle…shell；　which；　in　turn；　was　passed　through　the

partition…cartilage　of　his　nose。



But　in　spite　of　embellishments；　Mauki　had　a　nice　face。　It　was　really　a　pretty

face；　viewed　by　any　standard；　and　for　a　Melanesian　it　was　a　remarkably

good…looking　face。　Its　one　fault　was　its　lack　of　strength。　It　was　softly

effeminate；　almost　girlish。　The　features　were　small；　regular；　and　delicate。

The　chin　was　weak；　and　the　mouth　was　weak。　There　was　no　strength　nor　character

in　the　jaws；　forehead；　and　nose。　In　the　eyes　only　could　be　caught　any　hint　of

the　unknown　quantities　that　were　so　large　a　part　of　his　make…up　and　that　other

persons　could　not　understand。　These　unknown　quantities　were　pluck；

pertinacity；　fearlessness；　imagination；　and　cunning；　and　when　they　found

expression　in　some　consistent　and　striking　action；　those　about　him　were

astounded。



Mauki's　father　was　chief　over　the　village　at　Port　Adams；　and　thus；　by　birth　a

salt…water　man；　Mauki　was　half　amphibian。　He　knew　the　way　of　the　fishes　and

oysters；　and　the　reef　was　an　open　book　to　him。　Canoes；　also；　he　knew。　He

learned　to　swim　when　he　was　a　year　old。　At　seven　years　he　could　hold　his

breath　a　full　minute　and　swim　straight　down　to　bottom　through　thirty　feet　of

water。　And　at　seven　years　he　was　stolen　by　the　bushmen；　who　cannot　even　swim

and　who　are　afraid　of　salt　water。　Thereafter　Mauki　saw　the　sea　only　from　a

distance；　through　rifts　in　the　jungle　and　from　open　spaces　on　the　high

mountain　sides。　He　became　the　slave　of　old　Fanfoa；　head　chief　over　a　score　of

scattered　bush…villages　on　the　range…lips　of　Malaita；　the　smoke　of　which；　on

calm　mornings；　is　about　the　only　evidence　the　seafaring　white　men　have　of　the

teeming　interior　population。　For　the　whites　do　not　penetrate　Malaita。　They

tried　it　once；　in　the　days　when　the　search　was　on　for　gold；　but　they　always

left　their　heads　behind　to　grin　from　the　smoky　rafters　of　the　bushmen's　huts。



When　Mauki　was　a　young　man　of　seventeen；　Fanfoa　got　out　of　tobacco。　He　got

dreadfully　out　of　tobacco。　It　was　hard　times　in　all　his　villages。　He　had　been

guilty　of　a　mistake。　Suo　was　a　harbor　so　small　that　a　large　schooner　could　not

swing　at　anchor　in　it。　It　was　surrounded　by　mangroves　that　overhung　the　deep

water。　It　was　a　trap；　and　into　the　trap　sailed　two　white　men　in　a　small　ketch。

They　were　after　recruits；　and　they　possessed　much　tobacco　and　trade　goods；　to

say　nothing　of　three　rifles　and　plenty　of　ammunition。　Now　there　were　no

salt…water　men　living　at　Suo；　and　it　was　there　that　the　bushmen　could　come

down　to　the　sea。　The　ketch　did　a　splendid　traffic。　It　signed　on　twenty

recruits　the　first　day。　Even　old　Fanfoa　signed　on。　And　that　same　day　the　score

of　new　recruits　chopped　off　the　two　white　men's　head；　killed　the　boat's　crew；

and　burned　the　ketch。　　Thereafter；　and　for　three　months；　there　was　tobacco　and

trade　goods　in　plenty　and　to　spare　in　all　the　bush　villages。　Then　came　the

man…of…war　that　threw　shells　for　miles　into　the　hills；　frightening　the　people

out　of　their　villages　and　into　the　deeper　bush。　Next　the　man…of…war　sent

landing　parties　ashore。　The　villages　were　all　burned；　along　with　the　tobacco

and　trade　stuff。



The　cocoanuts　and　bananas　were　chopped　down；　the　taro　gardens　uprooted；　and

the　pigs　and　chickens　killed。



It　taught　Fanfoa　a　lesson；　but　in　the　meantime　he　was　out　of　tobacco。　Also；

his　young　men　were　too　frightened　to　sign　on　with　the　recruiting　vessels。　That

was　why　Fanfoa　ordered　his　slave；　Mauki；　to　be　carried　down　and　signed　on　for

half　a　case　of　tobacco　advance；　along　with　knives；　axes；　calico；　and　beads；

which　he　would　pay　for　with　his　toil　on　the　plantations。　Mauki　was　sorely

frightened　when　they　brought　him　on　board　the　schooner。　He　was　a　lamb　led　to

the　slaughter。　White　men　were　ferocious　creatures。　They　had　to　be；　or　else

they　would　not　make　a　practice　of　venturing　along　the　Malaita　coast　and　into

all　harbors；　two　on　a　schooner；　when　each　schooner　carried　from　fifteen　to

twenty　blacks　as　boat's　crew；　and　often　as　high　as　sixty　or　seventy　black

recruits。　In　addition　to　this；　there　was　always　the　danger　of　the　shore

population；　the　sudden　attack　and　the　cutting　off　of　the　schooner　and　all

hands。　Truly；　white　men　must　be　terrible。　Besides；　they　were　possessed　of　such

devil…devilsrifles　that　shot　very　rapidly　many　times；　things　of　iron　and

brass　that　made　the　schooners　go　when　there　was　no　wind；　and　boxes　that　talk