couldnotbutfeelaparticularandmostunqualifiedrepugnancetotheaforesaidTypees。EvenbeforevisitingtheMarquesas,Ihadheardfrommenwhohadtouchedatthegrouponformervoyagessomerevoltingstoriesinconnexionwiththesesavages;andfreshinmyremembrancewastheadventureofthemasteroftheKatherine,whoonlyafewmonthsprevious,imprudentlyventuringintothisbayinanarmedboatforthepurposeofbarter,wasseizedbythenatives,carriedbackalittledistanceintotheirvalley,andwasonlysavedfromacrueldeathbytheinterventionofayounggirl,whofacilitatedhisescapebynightalongthebeachtoNukuheva。
Ihadheard,too,ofanEnglishvesselthatmanyyearsago,afterawearycruise,soughttoenterthebayofNukuheva,andarrivingwithintwoorthreemilesoftheland,wasmetbyalargecanoefilledwithnatives,whoofferedtoleadthewaytotheplaceoftheirdestination。Thecaptain,unacquaintedwiththelocalitiesoftheisland,joyfullyaccededtotheproposition-thecanoepaddledonandtheshipfollowed。Shewassoonconductedtoabeautifulinlet,anddroppedheranchorinitswatersbeneaththeshadowsoftheloftyshore。ThatsamenighttheperfidiousTypees,whohadthusinveigledherintotheirfatalbay,flockedaboardthedoomedvesselbyhundreds,andatagivensignalmurderedeverysoulonboard。
HAVINGfullyresolvedtoleavethevesselclandestinely,andhavingacquiredalltheknowledgeconcerningthebaythatIcouldobtainunderthecircumstancesinwhichIwasplaced,Inowdeliberatelyturnedoverinmymindeveryplanofescapethatsuggesteditself,beingdeterminedtoactwithallpossibleprudenceinanattemptwherefailurewouldbeattendedwithsomanydisagreeableconsequences。Theideaofbeingtakenandbroughtbackignominiouslytotheshipwassoinexpressiblyrepulsivetome,thatI
wasdeterminedbynohastyandimprudentmeasurestorendersuchaneventprobable。
Iknewthatourworthycaptain,whofeltsuchapaternalsolicitudeforthewelfareofhiscrew,wouldnotwillinglyconsentthatoneofhisbesthandsshouldencountertheperilsofasojournamongthenativesofabarbarousisland;andIwascertainthatintheeventofmydisappearance,hisfatherlyanxietywouldprompthimtooffer,bywayofareward,yarduponyardofgailyprintedcalicoformyapprehension。Hemightevenhaveappreciatedmyservicesatthevalueofamusket,inwhichcaseIfeltperfectlycertainthatthewholepopulationofthebaywouldbeimmediatelyuponmytrack,incitedbytheprospectofsomagnificentabounty。
Havingascertainedthefactbeforealludedto,thattheislanders,frommotivesofprecaution,dwelttogetherinthedepthsofthevalleys,andavoidedwanderingaboutthemoreelevatedportionsoftheshore,unlessboundonsomeexpeditionofwarorplunder,I
concludedthatifIcouldeffectunperceivedapassagetothemountains,Imighteasilyremainamongthem,supportingmyselfbysuchfruitsascameinmywayuntilthesailingoftheship,aneventofwhichIcouldnotfalltobeimmediatelyapprized,asfrommyloftypositionIshouldcommandaviewoftheentireharbour。
Theideapleasedmegreatly。Itseemedtocombineagreatdealofpracticabilitywithnoinconsiderableenjoymentinaquietway;forhowdelightfulitwouldbetolookdownuponthedetestedoldvesselfromtheheightofsomethousandfeet,andcontrasttheverdantsceneryaboutmewiththerecollectionofhernarrowdecksandgloomyforecastle!Why?itwasreallyrefreshingeventothinkofit;andsoIstraightwayfelltopicturingmyselfseatedbeneathacocoa-nuttreeonthebrowofthemountain,withaclusterofplantainswithineasyreach,criticizinghernauticalevolutionsasshewasworkingherwayoutoftheharbour。
Tobesuretherewasoneratherunpleasantdrawbacktotheseagreeableanticipations-thepossibilityoffallinginwithaforagingpartyofthesesamebloody-mindedTypees,whoseappetites,edgedperhapsbytheairofsoelevatedaregion,mightpromptthemtodevourone。This,Imustconfess,wasamostdisagreeableviewofthematter。
Justtothinkofapartyoftheseunnaturalgourmandstakingitintotheirheadstomakeaconvivialmealofapoordevil,whowouldhavenomeansofescapeordefence:however,therewasnohelpforit。
Iwaswillingtoencountersomerisksinordertoaccomplishmyobject,andcountedmuchuponmyabilitytoeludetheseprowlingcannibalsamongstthemanycovertswhichthemountainsafforded。
Besides,thechancesweretentooneinmyfavourthattheywouldnoneofthemquittheirownfastnesses。
Ihaddeterminednottocommunicatemydesignofwithdrawingfromthevesseltoanyofmyshipmates,andleastofalltosolicitanyonetoaccompanymeinmyflight。Butitsohappenedonenight,thatbeingupondeck,revolvingIoverinmymindvariousplansofescape,Iperceivedoneoftheship’scompanyleaningoverthebulwarks,apparentlyplungedinaprofoundreverie。Hewasayoungfellowaboutmyownage,forwhomIhadallalongentertainedagreatregard;andToby,suchwasthenamebywhichhewentamongus,forhisrealnamehewouldnevertellus,waseverywayworthyofit。Hewasactive,ready,andobliging,ofdauntlesscourage,andsingularlyopenandfearlessintheexpressionofhisfeelings。I
hadonmorethanoneoccasiongothimoutofscrapesintowhichthishadledhim;andIknownotwhetheritwasfromthiscause,oracertaincongenialityofsentimentbetweenus,thathehadalwaysshownapartialityformysociety。Wehadbattledoutmanyalongwatchtogether,beguilingthewearyhourswithchat,song,andstory,mingledwithagoodmanyimprecationsupontheharddestinyitseemedourcommonfortunetoencounter。
Toby,likemyself,hadevidentlymovedinadifferentsphereoflife,andhisconversationattimesbetrayedthis,althoughhewasanxioustoconcealit。Hewasoneofthatclassofroversyousometimesmeetatsea,whoneverrevealtheirorigin,neveralludetohome,andgoramblingovertheworldasifpursuedbysomemysteriousfatetheycannotpossiblyelude。
TherewasmuchevenintheappearanceofTobycalculatedtodrawmetowardshim,forwhilethegreaterpartofthecrewwereascoarseinpersonasinmind,Tobywasendowedwitharemarkablyprepossessingexterior。Arrayedinhisbluefrockandducktrousers,hewasassmartalookingsailoraseversteppeduponadeck;hewassingularlysmallandslightlymade,withgreatflexibilityoflimb。
Hisnaturallydarkcomplexionhadbeendeepenedbyexposuretothetropicalsun,andamassofjettylocksclusteredabouthistemples,andthrewadarkershadeintohislargeblackeyes。Hewasastrange,waywardbeing,moody,fitful,andmelancholy-attimesalmostmorose。Hehadaquickandfierytempertoo,which,whenthoroughlyroused,transportedhimintoastateborderingondelirium。
Itisstrangethepowerthatamindofdeeppassionhasoverfeeblernatures。Ihaveseenabrawnyfellow,withnolackofordinarycourage,fairlyquailbeforethisslenderstripling,wheninoneofhisfuriousfits。Buttheseparoxysmsseldomoccurred,andinthemmybig-heartedshipmateventedthebilewhichmorecalm-temperedindividualsgetridofbyacontinualpettishnessattrivialannoyances。
NooneeversawTobylaugh-Imeanintheheartyabandonmentofbroad-mouthedmirth。Hedidsmilesometimes,itistrue;andtherewasagooddealofdry,sarcastichumourabouthim,whichtoldthemorefromtheimperturbablegravityofhistoneandmanner。
LatterlyIhadobservedthatToby’smelancholyhadgreatlyincreased,andIhadfrequentlyseenhimsinceourarrivalattheislandgazingwistfullyupontheshore,whentheremainderofthecrewwouldberiotingbelow。Iwasawarethatheentertainedacordialdetestationoftheship,andbelievedthatshouldafairchanceofescapepresentitself,hewouldembraceitwillingly。Buttheattemptwassoperilousintheplacewherewethenlay,thatI
supposedmyselftheonlyindividualonboardtheshipwhowassufficientlyrecklesstothinkofit。Inthis,however,Iwasmistaken。
WhenIperceivedTobyleaning,asIhavementioned,againstthebulwarksandburiedinthought,itstruckmeatoncethatthesubjectofhismeditationsmightbethesameasmyown。Andifitbeso,thoughtI,ishenottheveryoneofallmyshipmateswhomIwouldchooseforthepartnerofmyadventure?andwhyshouldInothavesomecomradewithmetodivideitsdangersandalleviateitshardships?
PerhapsImightbeobligedtolieconcealedamongthemountainsforweeks。Insuchaneventwhatasolacewouldacompanionbe!
Thesethoughtspassedrapidlythroughmymind,andIwonderedwhyIhadnotbeforeconsideredthematterinthislight。Butitwasnottoolate。AtapupontheshoulderservedtorouseTobyfromhisreverie;Ifoundhimripefortheenterprise,andaveryfewwordssufficedforamutualunderstandingbetweenus。Inanhour’stimewehadarrangedallthepreliminaries,anddecideduponourplanofaction。Wethenratifiedourengagementwithanaffectionateweddingofpalms,andtoeludesuspicionrepairedeachtohishammock,tospendthelastnightonboardtheDolly。
Thenextdaythestarboardwatch,towhichwebothbelonged,wastobesentashoreonliberty;and,availingourselvesofthisopportunity,wedetermined,assoonafterlandingaspossible,toseparateourselvesfromtherestofthemenwithoutexcitingtheirsuspicions,andstrikebackatonceforthemountains。Seenfromtheship,thesummitsappearedinaccessible,buthereandthereslopingspursextendedfromthemalmostintothesea,buttressingtheloftyelevationswithwhichtheywereconnected,andformingthoseradiatingvalleysIhavebeforedescribed。Oneoftheseridges,whichappearedmorepracticablethantherest,wedeterminedtoclimb,convincedthatitwouldconductustotheheightsbeyond。Accordingly,wecarefullyobserveditsbearingsandlocalityfromtheship,sothatwhenashoreweshouldrunnochanceofmissingit。
Inallthistheleadingobjectwehadinviewwastosecludeourselvesfromsightuntilthedepartureofthevessel;thentotakeourchanceastothereceptiontheNukuhevanativesmightgiveus;andafterremainingupontheislandaslongaswefoundourstayagreeable,toleaveitthefirstfavourableopportunitythatoffered。