south sea tales-第14部分

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kill　white　man。　That　one　fella　sick　dog　trader　he　plenty　brother　stop　along

him；　white　men　like　'm　you　fight　like　hell。　We　no　fright　that　damn　trader。

Some　time　he　made　kanaka　plenty　cross　along　him　and　kanaka　want　'm　kill　m；

kanaka　he　think　devil…devil　and　kanaka　he　hear　that　fella　mate　sing　out；　Yah！

Yah！　Yah！'　and　kanaka　no　kill　m。〃



Oti　baited　his　hook　with　a　piece　of　squid；　which　he　tore　with　his　teeth　from

the　live　and　squirming　monster；　and　hook　and　bait　sank　in　white　flames　to　the

bottom。



〃Shark　walk　about　he　finish；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　we　catch　'm　plenty　fella

fish。〃



His　line　jerked　savagely。　He　pulled　it　in　rapidly；　hand　under　hand；　and　landed

a　big　gasping　rock　cod　in　the　bottom　of　the　canoe。



〃Sun　he　come　up；　I　make　'm　that　dam　fella　trader　one　present　big　fella　fish；〃

said　Oti。





THE　HEATHEN



I　met　him　first　in　a　hurricane；　and　though　we　had　gone　through　the　hurricane

on　the　same　schooner；　it　was　not　until　the　schooner　had　gone　to　pieces　under

us　that　I　first　laid　eyes　on　him。　Without　doubt　I　had　seen　him　with　the　rest

of　the　kanaka　crew　on　board；　but　I　had　not　consciously　been　aware　of　his

existence；　for　the　Petite　Jeanne　was　rather　overcrowded。　In　addition　to　her

eight　or　ten　kanaka　seamen；　her　white　captain；　mate；　and　supercargo；　and　her

six　cabin　passengers；　she　sailed　from　Rangiroa　with　something　like　eighty…five

deck　passengers　Paumotans　and　Tahitians；　men；　women；　and　children　each　with

a　trade　box；　to　say　nothing　of　sleeping　mats；　blankets；　and　clothes　bundles。



The　pearling　season　in　the　Paumotus　was　over；　and　all　hands　were　returning　to

Tahiti。　The　six　of　us　cabin　passengers　were　pearl　buyers。　Two　were　Americans；

one　was　Ah　Choon　（the　whitest　Chinese　I　have　ever　known）；　one　was　a　German；

one　was　a　Polish　Jew；　and　I　completed　the　half　dozen。



It　had　been　a　prosperous　season。　Not　one　of　us　had　cause　for　complaint；　nor

one　of　the　eighty…five　deck　passengers　either。　　All　had　done　well；　and　all

were　looking　forward　to　a　rest…off　and　a　good　time　in　Papeete。



Of　course；　the　Petite　Jeanne　was　overloaded。　She　was　only　seventy　tons；　and

she　had　no　right　to　carry　a　tithe　of　the　mob　she　had　on　board。　Beneath　her

hatches　she　was　crammed　and　jammed　with　pearl　shell　and　copra。　Even　the　trade

room　was　packed　full　with　shell。　It　was　a　miracle　that　the　sailors　could　work

her。　　There　was　no　moving　about　the　decks。　They　simply　climbed　back　and　forth

along　the　rails。



In　the　night　time　they　walked　upon　the　sleepers；　who　carpeted　the　deck；　I'll

swear；　two　deep。　Oh！　And　there　were　pigs　and　chickens　on　deck；　and　sacks　of

yams；　while　every　conceivable　place　was　festooned　with　strings　of　drinking

cocoanuts　and　bunches　of　bananas。　On　both　sides；　between　the　fore　and　main

shrouds；　guys　had　been　stretched；　just　low　enough　for　the　foreboom　to　swing

clear；　and　from　each　of　these　guys　at　least　fifty　bunches　of　bananas　were

suspended。



It　promised　to　be　a　messy　passage；　even　if　we　did　make　it　in　the　two　or　three

days　that　would　have　been　required　if　the　southeast　trades　had　been　blowing

fresh。　But　they　weren't　blowing　fresh。　　After　the　first　five　hours　the　trade

died　away　in　a　dozen　or　so　gasping　fans。　The　calm　continued　all　that　night　and

the　next　dayone　of　those　glaring；　glassy；　calms；　when　the　very　thought　of

opening　one's　eyes　to　look　at　it　is　sufficient　to　cause　a　headache。



The　second　day　a　man　diedan　Easter　Islander；　one　of　the　best　divers　that

season　in　the　lagoon。　Smallpoxthat　is　what　it　was；　though　how　smallpox　could

come　on　board；　when　there　had　been　no　known　cases　ashore　when　we　left

Rangiroa；　is　beyond　me。　There　it　was；　thoughsmallpox；　a　man　dead；　and　three

others　down　on　their　backs。



There　was　nothing　to　be　done。　We　could　not　segregate　the　sick；　nor　could　we

care　for　them。　We　were　packed　like　sardines。　There　was　nothing　to　do　but　rot

and　diethat　is；　there　was　nothing　to　do　after　the　night　that　followed　the

first　death。　On　that　night；　the　mate；　the　supercargo；　the　Polish　Jew；　and　four

native　divers　sneaked　away　in　the　large　whale　boat。　They　were　never　heard　of

again。　In　the　morning　the　captain　promptly　scuttled　the　remaining　boats；　and

there　we　were。



That　day　there　were　two　deaths；　the　following　day　three；　then　it　jumped　to

eight。　It　was　curious　to　see　how　we　took　it。　The　natives；　for　instance；　fell

into　a　condition　of　dumb；　stolid　fear。　The　captainOudouse；　his　name　was；　a

Frenchmanbecame　very　nervous　and　voluble。　He　actually　got　the　twitches。　He

was　a　large　fleshy　man；　weighing　at　least　two　hundred　pounds；　and　he　quickly

became　a　faithful　representation　of　a　quivering　jelly…mountain　of　fat。



The　German；　the　two　Americans；　and　myself　bought　up　all　the　Scotch　whiskey；

and　proceeded　to　stay　drunk。　The　theory　was　beautifulnamely；　if　we　kept

ourselves　soaked　in　alcohol；　every　smallpox　germ　that　came　into　contact　with

us　would　immediately　be　scorched　to　a　cinder。　And　the　theory　worked；　though　I

must　confess　that　neither　Captain　Oudouse　nor　Ah　Choon　were　attacked　by　the

disease　either。　The　Frenchman　did　not　drink　at　all；　while　Ah　Choon　restricted

himself　to　one　drink　daily。



It　was　a　pretty　time。　The　sun；　going　into　northern　declination；　was　straight

overhead。　There　was　no　wind；　except　for　frequent　squalls；　which　blew　fiercely

for　from　five　minutes　to　half　an　hour；　and　wound　up　by　deluging　us　with　rain。

After　each　squall；　the　awful　sun　would　come　out；　drawing　clouds　of　steam　from

the　soaked　decks。



The　steam　was　not　nice。　It　was　the　vapor　of　death；　freighted　with　millions　and

millions　of　germs。　We　always　took　another　drink　when　we　saw　it　going　up　from

the　dead　and　dying；　and　usually　we　took　two　or　three　more　drinks；　mixing　them

exceptionally　stiff。　　Also；　we　made　it　a　rule　to　take　an　additional　several

each　time　they　hove　the　dead　over　to　the　sharks　that　swarmed　about　us。



We　had　a　week　of　it；　and　then　the　whiskey　gave　out。　It　is　just　as　well；　or　I

shouldn't　be　alive　now。　It　took　a　sober　man　to　pull　through　what　followed；　as

you　will　agree　when　I　mention　the　little　fact　that　only　two　men　did　pull

through。　The　other　man　was　the　heathenat　least；　that　was　what　I　heard

Captain　Oudouse　call　him　at　the　moment　I　first　became　aware　of　the　heathen's

existence。　But　to　come　back。



It　was　at　the　end　of　the　week；　with　the　whiskey　gone；　and　the　pearl　buyers

sober；　that　I　happened　to　glance　at　the　barometer　that　hung　in　the　cabin

companionway。　Its　normal　register　in　the　Paumotus　was　29。90；　and　it　was　quite

customary　to　see　it　vacillate　between　29。85　and　30。00；　or　even　30。05；　but　to

see　it　as　I　saw　it；　down　to　29。62；　was　sufficient　to　sober　the　most　drunken

pearl　buyer　that　ever　incinerated　smallpox　microbes　in　Scotch　whiskey。



I　called　Captain　Oudouse's　attention　to　it；　only　to　be　informed　that　he　had

watched　it　going　down　for　several　hours。　There　was　little　to　do；　but　that

little　he　did　very　well；　considering　the　circumstances。　He　took　off　the　light

sails；　shortened　right　down　to　storm　canvas；　spread　life　lines；　and　waited　for

the　wind。　His　mistake　lay　in　what　he　did　after　the　wind　came。　He　hove　to　on

the　port　tack；　which　was　the　right　thing　to　do　south　of　the　Equator；　ifand

there　was　the　rubIF　one　were　NOT　in　the　direct　path　of　the　hurricane。



We　were　in　the　direct　path。　I　could　see　that　by　the　steady　increase　of　the

wind　and　the　equally　steady　fall　of　the　barometer。　I　wanted　him　to　turn　and

run　with　the　wind　on　the　port　quarter　until　the　barometer　ceased　falling；　and

then　to　heave　to。　We　argued　till　he　was　reduced　to　hysteria；　but　budge　he

would　not。　The　worst　of　it　was　that　I　could　not　get　the　rest　of　the　pearl

buyers　to　back　me　up。　Who　was　I；　anyway；　to　know　more　about　the　sea　and　its

ways　than　a　properly　qualified　captain？　was　what　was　in　their　minds；　I　knew。



Of　course；　the　sea　rose　with　the　wind　frightfully；　and　I　shall　never　forget

the　first　three　seas　the　Petite　Jeanne　shipped。　She　had　fallen　off；　as　vessels

do　at　times　when　hove　to；　and　the　first　sea　made　a　clean　breach。　The　life

lines　were　only　for　the　strong　and　well；　and　little　good　were　they　even　for

them　when　the　women　and　children；　the　bananas　and　cocoanuts；　the　pigs　and

trade　boxes；　the　sick　and　the　dying；　were　swept　along　in　a　solid；　screeching；

groaning　mass。



The　second　sea　filled　the　Petite　Jeanne'S　decks　flush　with　the　rails；　and；　as

her　stern　sank　down　and　her　bow　tossed　skyward；　all　the　miserable　dunnage　of

life　and　luggage　poured　aft。　It　was　a　human　torrent。　They　came　head　first；

feet　first；　sidewise；　rolling　over　and　over；　twisting；　squirming；　writhing；

and　crumpling　up。　Now　and　again　one　caught　a　grip　on　a　stanchion　or　a　rope；

but　the　weight　of　the　bodies　behind　tore　such　grips　loose。



One　man　I　noticed　fetch　up；　head　on　and　square　on；　with　the　starboard　bitt。

His　head　cracked　like　an　egg。　I　saw　what　was　coming；　sprang　on　top　of　the

cabin；　and　from　there　into　the　mainsail　itself。　Ah　Choon　and　one　of　the

Americans　tried　to　follow　me；　but　I　was　one　jump　ahead　of　them。　The　American

was　swept　away　and　over　the　stern　like　a　piece　of　chaff。　Ah　Choon　caught　a

spoke　of　the　wheel；　and　swung　in　behind　it。　But　a　strapping　Raratonga　vahine

（woman）she　must　have　weighed　two　hundred　and　fiftybrought　up　against　him；

and　got　an　arm　around　his　neck。　He　clutched　the　kanaka　steersman　with　his

other　hand；　and　just　at　that　moment　the　schooner　flung　down　to　starboard。



The　rush　of　bodies　and　sea　that　was　coming　along　the　port　runway　between　the

cabin　and　the　rail　turned　abruptly　and　poured　to　starboard。　Away　they

wentvahine；　Ah　Choon；　and　steersman；　and　I　swear　I　saw　Ah　Choon　grin　at　me

with　philosophic　resignation　as　he　cleared　the　rail　and　went　under。



The　third　seathe　biggest　of　the　threedid　not　do　so　much　damage。　By　the

time　it　arrived　nearly　everybody　was　in　the　rigging。　On　deck　perhaps　a　dozen

gasping；　half…drowned；　and　half…stunned　wretches　were　rolling　about　or

attempting　to　crawl　into　safety。　They　wen