首页 >出版文学> TYPEE>第43章

第43章

  Kory-Kory,whohadbeenalittleinadvanceofme,attractedbytheexclamationsofthechiefs,turnedroundintimetowitnesstheexpressionofhorroronmycountenance。Henowhurriedtowardsme,pointingatthesametimetothecanoe,andexclaiming,rapidly,“Puarkee!puarkee!“Pig,pig。Ipretendedtoyieldtothedeception,andrepeatedthewordsafterhimseveraltimes,asthoughacquiescinginwhathesaid。Theothersavages,eitherdeceivedbymyconduct,orunwillingtomanifesttheirdispleasureatwhatcouldnotnowberemedied,tooknofurthernoticeoftheoccurrence,andI
  immediatelylefttheTi。
  AllthatnightIlayawake,revolvinginmymindthefearfulsituationinwhichIwasplaced。Thelasthorridrevelationhadnowbeenmade,andthefullsenseofmyconditionrusheduponmymindwithaforceIhadneverbeforeexperienced。
  Where,thoughtI,desponding,istheretheslightestprospectofescape?Theonlypersonwhoseemedtopossesstheabilitytoassistmewasthestranger,Marnoo;butwouldheeverreturntothevalley?
  andifhedid,shouldIbepermittedtoholdanycommunicationwithhim?ItseemedasifIwerecutofffromeverysourceofhope,andthatnothingremainedbutpassivelytoawaitwhateverfatewasinstoreforme。AthousandtimesIendeavouredtoaccountforthemysteriousconductofthenatives。Forwhatconceivablepurposedidtheythusretainmeacaptive?Whatcouldbetheirobjectintreatingmewithsuchapparentkindness,anddiditnotcoversometreacherousscheme?Or,iftheyhadnootherdesignthantoholdmeaprisoner,howshouldIbeabletopassawaymydaysinthisnarrowvalley,deprivedofallintercoursewithcivilizedbeings,andforeverseparatedfromfriendsandhome?
  Oneonlyhoperemainedtome。TheFrenchcouldnotlongdeferavisittothebay,andiftheyshouldpermanentlylocateanyoftheirtroopsinthevalley,thesavagescouldnotforanylengthoftimeconcealmyexistencefromthem。ButwhatreasonhadItosupposethatIshouldbespareduntilsuchaneventoccurred-aneventwhichmightbepostponedbyahundreddifferentcontingencies?
  “MARNOO,Marnoopemi!“Suchwerethewelcomesoundswhichfelluponmyearsometendaysaftertheeventrelatedintheprecedingchapter。Oncemoretheapproachofthestrangerwasheralded,andtheintelligenceoperateduponmelikemagic。AgainIshouldbeabletoconversewithhiminmyownlanguage;andIresolved,atallhazards,toconcertwithhimsomescheme,howeverdesperate,torescuemefromaconditionthathadnowbecomeinsupportable。
  Ashedrewnear,Irememberedwithmanymisgivingstheinauspiciousterminationofourformerinterview;andwhenheenteredthehouse,Iwatchedwithintenseanxietythereceptionhemetwithfromitsinmates。Tomyjoy,hisappearancewashailedwiththeliveliestpleasure;andaccostingmekindly,heseatedhimselfbymyside,andenteredintoconversationwiththenativesaroundhim。Itsoonappeared,however,thatonthisoccasionhehadnotanyintelligenceofimportancetocommunicate。Iinquiredofhimfromwhencehehadlastcome?Hereplied,fromPueearka,hisnativevalley,andthatheintendedtoreturntoitthesameday。
  Atonceitstruckmethat,couldIbutreachthatvalleyunderhisprotection,ImighteasilyfromthencereachNukuhevabywater;and,animatedbytheprospectwhichthisplanheldout,Idiscloseditinafewbriefwordstothestranger,andaskedhimhowitcouldbebestaccomplished。Myheartsankwithinmewhen,inhisbrokenEnglish,heansweredmethatitcouldneverbeeffected。“Kannakanoletyougonowhere,“hesaid,“youtaboo。Whyyounoliketostay?Plentymoee-moeesleep-plentyki-kieat-plentywhiheneeyounggirls。Oh,verygoodplace,Typee!Supposeyounolikethisbay,whyyoucome?YounohearaboutTypee?AllwhitemenafraidTypee,sonowhitemencome。“
  Thesewordsdistressedmebeyondbelief;andwhenIagainrelatedtohimthecircumstancesunderwhichIhaddescendedintothevalley,andsoughttoenlisthissympathiesinmybehalf,byappealingtothebodilymiseryIendured,helistenedtomewithimpatience,andcutmeshortbyexclaiming,passionately,“Menohearyoutalkanymore;byKannakagetmad,killyouandmetoo。No,youseehenowantyoutospeaktomeatall?-yousee-ah!bybyyounomind-yougetwell,hekillyou,eatyou,hangyourheadupthere,likeHapparKannaka。Nowyoulisten-butnotalkanymore。BybyIgo;youseewayIgo。Ah!thensomenightKannakaallmoee-moeesleep-yourunaway-youcomePueearka。IspeakPueearkaKannaka-henoharmyou-ah!thenItakeyoumycanoeNukuheva,andyounorunawayshipnomore。“Withthesewords,enforcedbyavehemenceofgestureIcannotdescribe,Marnoostartedfrommyside,andimmediatelyengagedinconversationwithsomeofthechiefswhohadenteredthehouse。
  ItwouldhavebeenidleformetohaveattemptedresumingtheinterviewsoperemptorilyterminatedbyMarnoo,whowasevidentlylittledisposedtocompromisehisownsafetybyanyrashendeavourstoensuremine。Buttheplanhehadsuggestedstruckmeasonewhichmightpossiblybeaccomplished,andIresolvedtoactuponitasspeedilyaspossible。
  Accordingly,whenhearosetodepart,Iaccompaniedhim,withthenatives,outsideofthehouse,withaviewofcarefullynotingthepathhewouldtakeinleavingthevalley。Justbeforeleapingfromthepi-pi,heclaspedmyhand,and,lookingsignificantlyatme,exclaimed,“Nowyousee-youdowhatItellyou-ah!thenyoudogood;-younodoso-ah!thenyoudie。“Thenextmomenthewavedhisspearinadieutotheislanders,and,followingtheroutethatconductedtoadefileinthemountainslyingoppositetheHapparside,wassoonoutofsight。
  Amodeofescapewasnowpresentedtome;buthowwasItoavailmyselfofit?Iwascontinuallysurroundedbythesavages;Icouldnotstirfromonehousetoanotherwithoutbeingattendedbysomeofthem;
  andevenduringthehoursdevotedtoslumber,theslightestmovementwhichImadeseemedtoattractthenoticeofthosewhosharedthematswithme。Inspiteoftheseobstacles,however,Ideterminedforthwithtomaketheattempt。Todosowithanyprospectofsuccess,itwasnecessarythatIshouldhaveatleasttwohours’startbeforetheislandersshoulddiscovermyabsence;forwithsuchfacilitywasanyalarmspreadthroughthevalley,andsofamiliar,ofcourse,weretheinhabitantswiththeintricaciesofthegroves,thatIcouldnothope,lameandfeebleasIwas,andignorantoftheroute,tosecuremyescapeunlessIhadthisadvantage。ItwasalsobynightalonethatIcouldhopetoaccomplishmyobject,andthenonlybyadoptingtheutmostprecaution。
  TheentrancetoMarheyo’shabitationwasthroughalownarrowopeninginitswicker-workfront。Thispassage,fornoconceivablereasonthatIcoulddevise,wasalwaysclosedafterthehouseholdhadretiredtorest,bydrawingaheavyslideacrossit,composedofadozenormorebitsofwood,ingeniouslyfastenedtogetherbyseizingsofsinnate。Whenanyoftheinmateschosetogooutside,thenoiseoccasionedbytheremovingofthisrudedoorawakenedeverybodyelse;andonmorethanoneoccasionIhadremarkedthattheislanderswerenearlyasirritableasmorecivilizedbeingsundersimilarcircumstances。
  ThedifficultythusplacedinmywayIdeterminedtoobviateinthefollowingmanner。Iwouldgetupboldlyinthecourseofthenight,and,drawingtheslide,issuefromthehouse,andpretendthatmyobjectwasmerelytoprocureadrinkfromthecalabash,whichalwaysstoodwithoutthedwellingonthecornerofthepi-pi。Onre-enteringIwouldpurposelyomitclosingthepassageafterme,andtrustingthattheindolenceofthesavageswouldpreventthemfromrepairingmyneglect,wouldreturntomymat,andwaitingpatientlyuntilallwereagainasleep,Iwouldthenstealforth,andatoncetaketheroutetoPueearka。
  TheverynightwhichfollowedMarnoo’sdeparture,Iproceededtoputthisprojectintoexecution。Aboutmidnight,asIimagined,I
  aroseanddrewtheslide。Thenatives,justasIhadexpected,startedup,whilesomeofthemasked,“Arwarepooawa,Tommo?“whereareyougoing,Tommo?“Wai,“water,Ilaconicallyanswered,graspingthecalabash。Onhearingmyreplytheysankbackagain,andinaminuteortwoIreturnedtomymat,anxiouslyawaitingtheresultoftheexperiment。
  Oneafteranotherthesavages,turningrestlessly,appearedtoresumetheirslumbers,and,rejoicingatthestillnesswhichprevailed,Iwasabouttoriseagainfrommycouch,whenIheardaslightrustling-adarkformwasinterceptedbetweenmeandthedoorway-theslidewasdrawnacrossit,andtheindividual,whoeverhewas,returnedtohismat。Thiswasasadblowtome;butasitmighthavearousedthesuspicionsoftheislanderstohavemadeanotherattemptthatnight,Iwasreluctantlyobligedtodeferituntilthenext。SeveraltimesafterIrepeatedthesamemanoeuvre,butwithaslittlesuccessasbefore。Asmypretenceforwithdrawingfromthehousewastoallaymythirst,Kory-Kory,eithersuspectingsomedesignonmypart,orelsepromptedbyadesiretopleaseme,regularlyeveryeveningplacedacalabashofwaterbymyside。
  EvenundertheseinauspiciouscircumstancesIagainandagainrenewedtheattempt;butwhenIdidso,myvaletalwaysrosewithme,asifdeterminedIshouldnotremovemyselffromhisobservation。Forthepresent,therefore,Iwasobligedtoabandontheattempt;butIendeavouredtoconsolemyselfwiththeidea,thatbythismodeImightyeteffectmyescape。
  ShortlyafterMarnoo’svisitIwasreducedtosuchastate,thatitwaswithextremedifficultyIcouldwalk,evenwiththeassistanceofaspear,andKory-Kory,asformerly,wasobligedtocarrymedailytothestream。
  Forhoursandhours,duringthewarmestpartoftheday,Ilayuponmymat,andwhilethosearoundmewerenearlyalldozingawayincarelessease,Iremainedawake,gloomilyponderingoverthefatewhichitappearednowidleformetoresist。WhenIthoughtofthelovedfriendswhowerethousandsandthousandsofmilesfromthesavageislandinwhichIwasheldacaptive-whenIreflectedthatmydreadfulfatewouldforeverbeconcealedfromthem,andthat,withhopedeferred,theymightcontinuetoawaitmyreturnlongaftermyinanimateformhadblendedwiththedustofthevalley,Icouldnotrepressashudderofanguish。
  Howvividlyisimpresseduponmymindeveryminutefeatureofthescenewhichmetmyviewduringthoselongdaysofsufferingandsorrow。Atmyrequestmymatswerealwaysspreaddirectlyfacingthedoor,oppositewhich,andatalittledistance,wasthehutofboughsthatMarheyowasbuilding。
  WhenevermygentleFayawayandKory-Kory,layingthemselvesdownbesideme,wouldleavemeawhiletouninterruptedrepose,Itookastrangeinterestintheslightestmovementsoftheeccentricoldwarrior。Allalone,duringthestillnessofthetropicalmid-day,hewouldpursuehisquietwork,sittingintheshadeandweavingtogethertheleafletsofhiscocoa-nutbranches,orrollinguponhiskneethetwistedfibresofbarktoformthecordswithwhichhetiedtogetherthethatchingofhistinyhouse。Frequentlysuspendinghisemployment,andnoticingmymelancholyeyefixeduponhim,hewouldraisehishandwithagestureexpressiveofdeepcommiseration,andthen,movingtowardsmeslowly,wouldenterontip-toes,fearfulofdisturbingtheslumberingnatives,and,takingthefanfrommyhand,wouldsitbeforeme,swayingitgentlytoandfro,andgazingearnestlyintomyface。
  Justbeyondthepi-pi,anddisposedinatrianglebeforetheentranceofthehouse,werethreemagnificentbread-fruittrees。AtthismomentIcanrecalltomymindtheirslendershafts,andthegracefulinequalitiesoftheirbark,onwhichmyeyeswereaccustomedtodwell,dayafterday,inthemidstofmysolitarymusings。Itisstrangehowinanimateobjectswilltwinethemselvesintoouraffections,especiallyinthehourofaffliction。Evennow,amidstallthebustleandstiroftheproudandbusycityinwhichI
  amdwelling,theimageofthosethreetreesseemstocomeasvividlybeforemyeyesasiftheywereactuallypresent,andIstillfeelthesoothingquietpleasurewhichIthenhadinwatching,hourafterhour,theirtopmostboughswavinggracefullyinthebreeze。