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！
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。〃
32
… Page 33…
SOUTH SEA TALES
〃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。
33
… Page 34…
SOUTH SEA TALES
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…
34
… Page 35…
SOUTH SEA TALES
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
35
… Page 36…
SOUTH SEA TALES
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