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！
facetious Mr。 Bunster。 Mauki continued his patient wait； secure in the
knowledge that sooner or later his time would come。 And he knew just what he
was going to do； down to the smallest detail； when the time did come。
One morning Bunster got up in a mood for knocking seven bells out of the
universe。 He began on Mauki； and wound up on Mauki； in the interval knocking
down his wife and hammering all the boat boys。 At breakfast he called the
coffee slops and threw the scalding contents of the cup into Mauki's face。 By
ten o'clock Bunster was shivering with ague； and half an hour later he was
burning with fever。 It was no ordinary attack。 It quickly became pernicious；
and developed into black…water fever。 The days passed； and he grew weaker and
weaker； never leaving his bed。 Mauki waited and watched； the while his skin
grew intact once more。 He ordered the boys to beach the cutter； scrub her
bottom； and give her a general overhauling。 They thought the order emanated
from Bunster； and they obeyed。 But Bunster at the time was lying unconscious
and giving no orders。 This was Mauki's chance； but still he waited。
When the worst was past； and Bunster lay convalescent and conscious； but weak
as a baby； Mauki packed his few trinkets； including the china cup handle； into
his trade box。 Then he went over to the village and interviewed the king and
his two prime ministers。
〃This fella Bunster； him good fella you like too much？〃 he asked。
They explained in one voice that they liked the trader not at all。 The
ministers poured forth a recital of all the indignities and wrongs that had
been heaped upon them。 The king broke down and wept。 Mauki interrupted rudely。
〃You savve meme big fella marster my country。 You no like m this fella white
marster。 Me no like m。 Plenty good you put hundred cocoanut； two hundred
cocoanut； three hundred cocoanut along cutter。 Him finish； you go sleep m good
fella。 Altogether kanaka sleep m good fella。 Bime by big fella noise along
house； you no savve hear m that fella noise。 You altogether sleep strong fella
too much。〃
In like manner Mauki interviewed the boat boys。 Then he ordered Bunster's wife
to return to her family house。 Had she refused； he would have been in a
quandary； for his tambo would not have permitted him to lay hands on her。
The house deserted； he entered the sleeping room； where the trader lay in a
doze。 Mauki first removed the revolvers； then placed the ray fish mitten on
his hand。 Bunster's first warning was a stroke of the mitten that removed the
skin the full length of his nose。
〃Good fella； eh？〃 Mauki grinned； between two strokes； one of which swept the
forehead bare and the other of which cleaned off one side of his face。 〃Laugh；
damn you； laugh。〃
Mauki did his work throughly； and the kanakas； hiding in their houses； heard
the 〃big fella noise〃 that Bunster made and continued to make for an hour or
more。
When Mauki was done； he carried the boat compass and all the rifles and
ammunition down to the cutter； which he proceeded to ballast with cases of
tobacco。 It was while engaged in this that a hideous； skinless thing came out
of the house and ran screaming down the beach till it fell in the sand and
mowed and gibbered under the scorching sun。 Mauki looked toward it and
hesitated。 Then he went over and removed the head； which he wrapped in a mat
and stowed in the stern locker of the cutter。
So soundly did the kanakas sleep through that long hot day that they did not
see the cutter run out through the passage and head south； close…hauled on the
southeast trade。 Nor was the cutter ever sighted on that long tack to the
shores of Ysabel； and during the tedious head…beat from there to Malaita。 He
landed at Port Adams with a wealth of rifles and tobacco such as no one man
had ever possessed before。 But he did not stop there。 He had taken a white
man's head； and only the bush could shelter him。 So back he went to the bush
villages； where he shot old Fanfoa and half a dozen of the chief men； and made
himself the chief over all the villages。 When his father died； Mauki's brother
ruled in Port Adams； and joined together； salt…water men and bushmen； the
resulting combination was the strongest of the ten score fighting tribes of
Malaita。
More than his fear of the British government was Mauki's fear of the
all…powerful Moongleam Soap Company； and one day a message came up to him in
the bush； reminding him that he owed the Company eight and one…half years of
labor。 He sent back a favorable answer； and then appeared the inevitable white
man； the captain of the schooner； the only white man during Mauki's reign； who
ventured the bush and came out alive。 This man not only came out； but he
brought with him seven hundred and fifty dollars in gold sovereignsthe money
price of eight years and a half of labor plus the cost price of certain rifles
and cases of tobacco。
Mauki no longer weighs one hundred and ten pounds。 His stomach is three times
its former girth； and he has four wives。 He has many other thingsrifles and
revolvers； the handle of a china cup； and an excellent collection of bushmen's
heads。 But more precious than the entire collection is another head； perfectly
dried and cured； with sandy hair and a yellowish beard； which is kept wrapped
in the finest of fibre lava…lavas。 When Mauki goes to war with villages beyond
his realm； he invariably gets out this head； and alone in his grass palace；
contemplates it long and solemnly。 At such times the hush of death falls on
the village； and not even a pickaninny dares make a noise。 The head is
esteemed the most powerful devil…devil on Malaita； and to the possession of it
is ascribed all of Mauki's greatness。
〃YAH！ YAH！ YAH！〃
He was a whiskey…guzzling Scotchman； and he downed his whiskey neat； beginning
with his first tot punctually at six in the morning； and thereafter repeating
it at regular intervals throughout the day till bedtime； which was usually
midnight。 He slept but five hours out of the twenty…four； and for the
remaining nineteen hours he was quietly and decently drunk。 During the eight
weeks I spent with him on Oolong Atoll； I never saw him draw a sober breath。
In fact； his sleep was so short that he never had time to sober up。 It was the
most beautiful and orderly perennial drunk I have ever observed。
McAllister was his name。 He was an old man； and very shaky on his pins。 His
hand trembled as with a palsy； especially noticeable when he poured his
whiskey； though I never knew him to spill a drop。 He had been twenty…eight
years in Melanesia； ranging from German New Guinea to the German Solomons； and
so thoroughly had he become identified with that portion of the world； that he
habitually spoke in that bastard lingo called 〃bech…de…mer。〃 Thus； in
conversation with me； SUN HE COME UP meant sunrise； KAI…KAI HE STOP meant that
dinner was served； and BELLY BELONG ME WALK ABOUT meant that he was sick at