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！
〃There's only a canoe passage。 But now that we know where we are；
we can run for Barclay de Tolley。 It is only one hundred and twenty miles
from here； due nor'…nor'west。 With this breeze we can be there by nine
o'clock tomorrow morning。〃
Captain Davenport consulted the chart and debated with himself。
〃If we wreck her here；〃 McCoy added； 〃we'd have to make the run to
Barclay de Tolley in the boats just the same。〃
The captain gave his orders； and once more the Pyrenees swung off for
another run across the inhospitable sea。
And the middle of the next afternoon saw despair and mutiny on her
smoking deck。 The current had accelerated； the wind had slackened； and
the Pyrenees had sagged off to the west。 The lookout sighted Barclay de
Tolley to the eastward； barely visible from the masthead； and vainly and
for hours the PYRENEES tried to beat up to it。 Ever； like a mirage； the
cocoanut trees hovered on the horizon； visible only from the masthead。
From the deck they were hidden by the bulge of the world。
Again Captain Davenport consulted McCoy and the chart。 'makemo
lay seventy…five miles to the southwest。 Its lagoon was thirty miles long；
and its entrance was excellent。 When Captain Davenport gave his orders；
124
… Page 125…
SOUTH SEA TALES
the crew refused duty。 They announced that they had had enough of hell
fire under their feet。 There was the land。 What if the ship could not make it？
They could make it in the boats。 Let her burn； then。 Their lives amounted
to something to them。 They had served faithfully the ship； now they were
going to serve themselves。
They sprang to the boats； brushing the second and third mates out of
the way； and proceeded to swing the boats out and to prepare to lower
away。 Captain Davenport and the first mate； revolvers in hand； were
advancing to the break of the poop； when McCoy； who had climbed on top
of the cabin； began to speak。
He spoke to the sailors； and at the first sound of his dovelike； cooing
voice they paused to hear。 He extended to them his own ineffable serenity
and peace。 His soft voice and simple thoughts flowed out to them in a
magic stream； soothing them against their wills。 Long forgotten things
came back to them； and some remembered lullaby songs of childhood and
the content and rest of the mother's arm at the end of the day。 There was
no more trouble； no more danger； no more irk； in all the world。
Everything was as it should be； and it was only a matter of course that they
should turn their backs upon the land and put to sea once more with hell
fire hot beneath their feet。
McCoy spoke simply； but it was not what he spoke。 It was his
personality that spoke more eloquently than any word he could utter。 It
was an alchemy of soul occultly subtile and profoundly deepa
mysterious emanation of the spirit； seductive； sweetly humble； and terribly
imperious。 It was illumination in the dark crypts of their souls； a
compulsion of purity and gentleness vastly greater than that which resided
in the shining； death…spitting revolvers of the officers。
The men wavered reluctantly where they stood； and those who had
loosed the turns made them fast again。 Then one； and then another； and
then all of them； began to sidle awkwardly away。
McCoy's face was beaming with childlike pleasure as he descended
from the top of the cabin。 Thee was no trouble。 For that matter there had
been no trouble averted。 There never had been any trouble； for there was
no place for such in the blissful world in which he lived。
125
… Page 126…
SOUTH SEA TALES
〃You hypnotized em；〃 Mr。 Konig grinned at him； speaking in a low
voice。
〃Those boys are good；〃 was the answer。 〃Their hearts are good。 They
have had a hard time； and they have worked hard； and they will work hard
to the end。〃
Mr。 Konig had not time to reply。 His voice was ringing out orders； the
sailors were springing to obey； and the PYRENEES was paying slowly off
from the wind until her bow should point in the direction of Makemo。
The wind was very light； and after sundown almost ceased。 It was
insufferably warm； and fore and aft men sought vainly to sleep。 The
deck was too hot to lie upon； and poisonous vapors； oozing through the
seams； crept like evil spirits over the ship； stealing into the nostrils and
windpipes of the unwary and causing fits of sneezing and coughing。 The
stars blinked lazily in the dim vault overhead； and the full moon； rising in
the east； touched with its light the myriads of wisps and threads and
spidery films of smoke that intertwined and writhed and twisted along the
deck； over the rails； and up the masts and shrouds。
〃Tell me；〃 Captain Davenport said； rubbing his smarting eyes； 〃what
happened with that BOUNTY crowd after they reached Pitcairn？ The
account I read said they burnt the Bounty； and that they were not
discovered until many years later。 But what happened in the meantime？
I've always been curious to know。 They were men with their necks in the
rope。 There were some native men； too。 And then there were women。 That
made it look like trouble right from the jump。〃
〃There was trouble；〃 McCoy answered。 〃They were bad men。 They
quarreled about the women right away。 One of the mutineers； Williams；
lost his wife。 All the women were Tahitian women。 His wife fell from the
cliffs when hunting sea birds。 Then he took the wife of one of the native
men away from him。 All the native men were made very angry by this； and
they killed off nearly all the mutineers。 Then the mutineers that escaped
killed off all the native men。 The women helped。 And the natives killed
each other。 Everybody killed everybody。 They were terrible men。
〃Timiti was killed by two other natives while they were combing his
hair in friendship。 The white men had sent them to do it。 Then the white
126
… Page 127…
SOUTH SEA TALES
men killed them。 The wife of Tullaloo killed him in a cave because she
wanted a white man for husband。 They were very wicked。 God had hidden
His face from them。 At the end of two years all the native men were
murdered； and all the white men except four。 They were Young； John
Adams； McCoy； who was my great…grandfather； and Quintal。 He was a
very bad man； too。 Once； just because his wife did not catch enough fish
for him； he bit off her ear。〃
〃They were a bad lot！〃 Mr。 Konig exclaimed。
〃Yes； they were very bad；〃 McCoy agreed and went on serenely
cooing of the blood and lust of his iniquitous ancestry。 〃My great…
grandfather escaped murder in order to die by his own hand。 He made a
still and manufactured alcohol from the roots of the ti…plant。 Quintal was
his chum； and they got drunk together all the time。 At last McCoy got
delirium tremens； tied a rock to his neck； and jumped into the sea。
〃Quintal's wife； the one whose ear he bit off； also got killed by falling
from the cliffs。 Then Quintal went to Young and demanded his wife； and
went to Adams and demanded his wife。 Adams and Young were afraid of
Quintal。 They knew he would kill them。 So they killed him； the two of
them together； with a hatchet。 Then Young died。 And that was about all the
trouble they had。〃
〃I should say so；〃 Captain Davenport snorted。 〃There was nobody left
to kill。〃
〃You see； God had hidden His face；〃 McCoy said。
By morning no more than a faint air was blowing from the eastward；
and； unable to make appreciable southing by it； Captain Davenport hauled
up full…and…by on the port track。 He was afraid of that terrible westerly
current which had cheated him out of so many ports of refuge。 All day the
calm continued； and all night； while the sailors； on a short ration of dried
banana； were grumbling。 Also； they were g