south sea tales-第21部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃Don't　say　it；　don't　say　it；〃　McTavish　cried　in　a　tense　voice。



〃Yes；　I　ate　it；　plenty　of　it；　a　whole　plateful！〃　Bertie　cried　explosively；

like　a　diver　suddenly　regaining　breath。



The　awful　silence　continued　half　a　minute　longer；　and　he　read　his　fate　in

their　eyes。



〃Maybe　it　wasn't　poison　after　all；〃　said　Harriwell；　dismally。



〃Call　in　the　cook；〃　said　Brown。



In　came　the　cook；　a　grinning　black　boy；　nose…spiked　and　ear…plugged。



〃Here；　you；　Wi…wi；　what　name　that？〃　Harriwell　bellowed；　pointing　accusingly　at

the　omelet。



Wi…wi　was　very　naturally　frightened　and　embarrassed。



〃Him　good　fella　kai…kai；〃　he　murmured　apologetically。



〃Make　him　eat　it；〃　suggested　McTavish。　〃That's　a　proper　test。〃



Harriwell　filled　a　spoon　with　the　stuff　and　jumped　for　the　cook；　who　fled　in

panic。



〃That　settles　it；〃　was　Brown's　solemn　pronouncement。　〃He　won't　eat　it。〃



〃Mr。　Brown；　will　you　please　go　and　put　the　irons　on　him？〃　　Harriwell　turned

cheerfully　to　Bertie。　〃It's　all　right；　old　man；　the　Commissioner　will　deal

with　him；　and　if　you　die；　depend　upon　it；　he　will　be　hanged。〃



〃Don't　think　the　government'll　do　it；〃　objected　McTavish。



〃But　gentlemen；　gentlemen；〃　Bertie　cried。　〃In　the　meantime　think　of　me。〃



Harriwell　shrugged　his　shoulders　pityingly。



〃Sorry；　old　man；　but　it's　a　native　poison；　and　there　are　no　known　antidotes

for　native　poisons。　Try　and　compose　yourself　and　if〃



Two　sharp　reports　of　a　rifle　from　without；　interrupted　the　discourse；　and

Brown；　entering；　reloaded　his　rifle　and　sat　down　to　table。



〃The　cook's　dead；〃　he　said。　〃Fever。　A　rather　sudden　attack。〃



〃I　was　just　telling　Mr。　Arkwright　that　there　are　no　antidotes　for　native

poisons〃



〃Except　gin；〃　said　Brown。



Harriwell　called　himself　an　absent…minded　idiot　and　rushed　for　the　gin　bottle。



〃Neat；　man；　neat；〃　he　warned　Bertie；　who　gulped　down　a　tumbler　two…thirds　full

of　the　raw　spirits；　and　coughed　and　choked　from　the　angry　bite　of　it　till　the

tears　ran　down　his　cheeks。



Harriwell　took　his　pulse　and　temperature；　made　a　show　of　looking　out　for　him；

and　doubted　that　the　omelet　had　been　poisoned。　　Brown　and　McTavish　also

doubted；　but　Bertie　discerned　an　insincere　ring　in　their　voices。　His　appetite

had　left　him；　and　he　took　his　own　pulse　stealthily　under　the　table。　There　was

no　question　but　what　it　was　increasing；　but　he　failed　to　ascribe　it　to　the　gin

he　had　taken。　'mcTavish；　rifle　in　hand；　went　out　on　the　veranda　to

reconnoiter。



〃They're　massing　up　at　the　cook…house；〃　was　his　report。　〃And　they've　no　end　of

Sniders。　'my　idea　is　to　sneak　around　on　the　other　side　and　take　them　in　flank。

Strike　the　first　blow；　you　know。　Will　you　come　along；　Brown？〃



Harriwell　ate　on　steadily；　while　Bertie　discovered　that　his　pulse　had　leaped

up　five　beats。　Nevertheless；　he　could　not　help　jumping　when　the　rifles　began

to　go　off。　Above　the　scattering　of　Sniders　could　be　heard　the　pumping　of

Brown's　and　McTavish's　Winchestersall　against　a　background　of　demoniacal

screeching　and　yelling。



〃They've　got　them　on　the　run；〃　Harriwell　remarked；　as　voices　and　gunshots

faded　away　in　the　distance。



Scarcely　were　Brown　and　McTavish　back　at　the　table　when　the　latter

reconnoitered。



〃They've　got　dynamite；〃　he　said。



〃Then　let's　charge　them　with　dynamite；〃　Harriwell　proposed。



Thrusting　half　a　dozen　sticks　each　into　their　pockets　and　equipping　themselves

with　lighted　cigars；　they　started　for　the　door。　And　just　then　it　happened。

They　blamed　McTavish　for　it　afterward；　and　he　admitted　that　the　charge　had

been　a　trifle　excessive。　But　at　any　rate　it　went　off　under　the　house；　which

lifted　up　cornerwise　and　settled　back　on　its　foundations。　Half　the　china　on

the　table　was　shattered；　while　the　eight…day　clock　stopped。　Yelling　for

vengeance；　the　three　men　rushed　out　into　the　night；　and　the　bombardment　began。



When　they　returned；　there　was　no　Bertie。　He　had　dragged　himself　away　to　the

office；　barricaded　himself　in；　and　sunk　upon　the　floor　in　a　gin…soaked

nightmare；　wherein　he　died　a　thousand　deaths　while　the　valorous　fight　went　on

around　him。　In　the　morning；　sick　and　headachey　from　the　gin；　he　crawled　out　to

find　the　sun　still　in　the　sky　and　God　presumable　in　heaven；　for　his　hosts　were

alive　and　uninjured。



Harriwell　pressed　him　to　stay　on　longer；　but　Bertie　insisted　on　sailing

immediately　on　the　Arla　for　Tulagi；　where；　until　the　following　steamer　day；　he

stuck　close　by　the　Commissioner's　house。　There　were　lady　tourists　on　the

outgoing　steamer；　and　Bertie　was　again　a　hero；　while　Captain　Malu；　as　usual；

passed　unnoticed。　But　Captain　Malu　sent　back　from　Sydney　two　cases　of　the　best

Scotch　whiskey　on　the　market；　for　he　was　not　able　to　make　up　his　mind　as　to

whether　it　was　Captain　Hansen　or　Mr　Harriwell　who　had　given　Bertie　Arkwright

the　more　gorgeous　insight　into　life　in　the　Solomons。







THE　INEVITABLE　WHITE　MAN



〃The　black　will　never　understand　the　white；　nor　the　white　the　black；　as　long

as　black　is　black　and　white　is　white。〃



So　said　Captain　Woodward。　We　sat　in　the　parlor　of　Charley　Roberts'　pub　in

Apia；　drinking　long　Abu　Hameds　compounded　and　shared　with　us　by　the　aforesaid

Charley　Roberts；　who　claimed　the　recipe　direct　from　Stevens；　famous　for　having

invented　the　Abu　Hamed　at　a　time　when　he　was　spurred　on　by　Nile　thirstthe

Stevens　who　was　responsible　for　〃With　Kitchener　to　Kartoun；〃　and　who　passed

out　at　the　siege　of　Ladysmith。



Captain　Woodward；　short　and　squat；　elderly；　burned　by　forty　years　of　tropic

sun；　and　with　the　most　beautiful　liquid　brown　eyes　I　ever　saw　in　a　man；　spoke

from　a　vast　experience。　The　crisscross　of　scars　on　his　bald　pate　bespoke　a

tomahawk　intimacy　with　the　black；　and　of　equal　intimacy　was　the　advertisement；

front　and　rear；　on　the　right　side　of　his　neck；　where　an　arrow　had　at　one　time

entered　and　been　pulled　clean　through。　As　he　explained；　he　had　been　in　a　hurry

on　that　occasionthe　arrow　impeded　his　runningand　he　felt　that　he　could　not

take　the　time　to　break　off　the　head　and　pull　out　the　shaft　the　way　it　had　come

in。　At　the　present　moment　he　was　commander　of　the　SAVAII；　the　big　steamer　that

recruited　labor　from　the　westward　for　the　German　plantations　on　Samoa。



〃Half　the　trouble　is　the　stupidity　of　the　whites；〃　said　Roberts；　pausing　to

take　a　swig　from　his　glass　and　to　curse　the　Samoan　bar…boy　in　affectionate

terms。　〃If　the　white　man　would　lay　himself　out　a　bit　to　understand　the

workings　of　the　black　man's　mind；　most　of　the　messes　would　be　avoided。〃



〃I've　seen　a　few　who　claimed　they　understood　niggers；〃　Captain　Woodward

retorted；　〃and　I　always　took　notice　that　they　were　the　first　to　be　kai…kai'd

（eaten）。　Look　at　the　missionaries　in　New　Guinea　and　the　New　Hebridesthe

martyr　isle　of　Erromanga　and　all　the　rest。　Look　at　the　Austrian　expedition

that　was　cut　to　pieces　in　the　Solomons；　in　the　bush　of　Guadalcanar。　And　look

at　the　traders　themselves；　with　a　score　of　years'　experience；　making　their

brag　that　no　nigger　would　ever　get　them；　and　whose　heads　to　this　day　are

ornamenting　the　rafters　of　the　canoe　houses。　There　was　old　Johnny

Simonstwenty…six　years　on　the　raw　edges　of　Melanesia；　swore　he　knew　the

niggers　like　a　book　and　that　they'd　never　do　for　him；　and　he　passed　out　at

Marovo　Lagoon；　New　Georgia；　had　his　head　sawed　off　by　a　black　Mary　（woman）　and

an　old　nigger　with　only　one　leg；　having　left　the　other　leg　in　the　mouth　of　a

shark　while　diving　for　dynamited　fish。　There　was　Billy　Watts；　horrible

reputation　as　a　nigger　killer；　a　man　to　scare　the　devil。　I　remember　lying　at

Cape　Little；　New　Ireland　you　know；　when　the　niggers　stole　half　a　case　of

trade…tobaccocost　him　about　three　dollars　and　a　half。　In　retaliation　he

turned　out；　shot　six　niggers；　smashed　up　their　war　canoes　and　burned　two

villages。　And　it　was　at　Cape　Little；　four　years　afterward；　that　he　was　jumped

along　with　fifty　Buku　boys　he　had　with　him　fishing　b坈he…de…mer。　In　five

minutes　they　were　all　dead；　with　the　exception　of　three　boys　who　got　away　in　a

canoe。　Don't　talk　to　me　about　understanding　the　nigger。　The　white　man's

mission　is　to　farm　the　world；　and　it's　a　big　enough　job　cut　out　for　him。　What

time　has　he　got　left　to　understand　niggers　anyway？〃



〃Just　so；〃　said　Roberts。　〃And　somehow　it　doesn't　seem　necessary；　after　all；　to

understand　the　niggers。　In　direct　proportion　to　the　white　man's　stupidity　is

his　success　in　farming　the　world〃



〃And　putting　the　fear　of　God　into　the　nigger's　heart；〃　Captain　Woodward

blurted　out。　〃Perhaps　you're　right；　Roberts。　Perhaps　it's　his　stupidity　that

makes　him　succeed；　and　surely　one　phase　of　his　stupidity　is　his　inability　to

understand　the　niggers。　But　there's　one　thing　sure；　the　white　has　to　run　the

niggers　whether　he　understands　them　or　not。　It's　inevitable。　It's　fate。〃



〃And　of　course　the　white　man　is　inevitableit's　the　niggers'　fate；〃　Roberts

broke　in。　〃Tell　the　white　man　there's　pearl　shell　in　some　lagoon　infested　by

ten…thousand　howling　cannibals；　and　he'll　head　there　all　by　his　lonely；　with

half　a　dozen　kanaka　divers　and　a　tin　alarm　clock　for　chronometer；　all　packed

like　sardines　on　a　commodious；　five…ton　ketch。　Whisper　that　there's　a　gold

strike　at　the　North　Pole；　and　that　same　inevitable　white…skinned　creature　will

set　out　at　once；　armed　with　pick　and　shovel；　a　side　of　bacon；　and　the　latest

patent　rockerand　what's　more；　he'll　get　there。　Tip　it　off　to　him　that

there's　diamonds　on　the　red…hot　ramparts　of　hell；　and　Mr。　White　Man　will　storm

the　ramparts　and　set　old　Satan　himself　to　pick…and…shovel　work。　　That's　what

comes　of　being　stupid　and　inevitable。〃



〃But　I　wonder　what　the　black　man　must　think　of　thethe　inevitableness；〃　I

said。



Captain　Woodward　broke　into　quiet　laughter。　His　eyes　had　a　reminiscent　gleam。



〃I'm　just　wondering　what　the　niggers　of　Malu　thought　and　still　must　be

thinking　of　the　one　inevitable　white　man　we　had　on　board　when　we　visited　them