AstonishedasIwasatthisexhibition,Icouldnotavoidsmilingatitsgrotesqueappearance,andtheassociationsitnaturallycalledup。Mehevi,itseemed,wasbentonreplenishingoldMarheyo’slarder,fearful,perhaps,thatwithoutthisprecautionhisguestsmightnotfareaswellastheycoulddesire。
AssoonasIdescendedfromthepi-pi,theprocessionformedanew,enclosingusinitscentre;whereIremainedpartofthetime,carriedbyKory-Kory,andoccasionallyrelievinghimfromhisburdenbylimpingalongwithaspear。Whenwemovedoffinthisorder,thenativesstruckupamusicalrecitative,which,withvariousalternations,theycontinueduntilwearrivedattheplaceofourdestination。
Asweproceededonourway,bandsofyounggirls,dartingfromthesurroundinggroves,hunguponourskirts,andaccompanieduswithshoutsofmerrimentanddelight,whichalmostdrownedthedeepnotesoftherecitative。OnapproachingoldMarheyo’sdomicile,itsinmatesrushedouttoreceiveus;andwhilethegiftsofMeheviwerebeingdisposedof,thesuperannuatedwarriordidthehonoursofhismansionwithallthewarmthofhospitalityevincedbyanEnglishsquire,whenheregaleshisfriendsatsomefineoldpatrimonialmansion。
AMIDSTthesenovelscenesaweekpassedawayalmostimperceptibly。
Thenatives,actuatedbysomemysteriousimpulse,dayafterdayredoubledtheirattentionstous。Theirmannertowardsuswasunaccountable。Surely,thoughtI,theywouldnotactthusiftheymeantusanyharm。Butwhythisexcessofdeferentialkindness,orwhatequivalentcantheyimagineuscapableofrenderingthemforit?
Wewerefairlypuzzled。But,despitetheapprehensionsIcouldnotdispel,thehorriblecharacterimputedtotheseTypeesappearedtobewhollyundeserved。
“Why,theyarecannibals!“saidToby,ononeoccasionwhenI
eulogizedthetribe。“Granted,“Ireplied,“butamorehumane,gentlemanly,andamiablesetofepicuresdonotprobablyexistinthePacific。“
But,notwithstandingthekindtreatmentwereceived,Iwastoofamiliarwiththefickledispositionofsavagesnottofeelanxioustowithdrawfromthevalley,andputmyselfbeyondthereachofthatfearfuldeathwhich,underallthesesmilingappearances,mightyetmenaceus。Butheretherewasanobstacleinthewayofdoingso。ItwasidleformetothinkofmovingfromtheplaceuntilIshouldhaverecoveredfromtheseverelamenessthatafflictedme;indeedmymaladybeganseriouslytoalarmme;for,despitetheherbalremediesofthenatives,itcontinuedtogrowworseandworse。Theirmildapplications,thoughtheysoothedthepain,didnotremovethedisorder,andIfeltconvincedthat,withoutbetteraid,Imightanticipatelongandacutesuffering。
Buthowwasthisaidtobeprocured?FromthesurgeonsoftheFrenchfleet,whichprobablystilllayinthebayofNukuheva,itmighteasilyhavebeenobtained,couldIhavemademycaseknowntothem。Buthowcouldthatbeeffected?
Atlast,intheexigencytowhichIwasreduced,IproposedtoTobythatheshouldendeavourtogoroundtoNukuheva,andifhecouldnotsucceedinreturningtothevalleybywaterinoneoftheboatsofthesquadron,andtakingmeoff,hemightatleastprocuremesomepropermedicines,andeffecthisreturnoverland。
Mycompanionlistenedtomeinsilence,andatfirstdidnotappeartorelishtheidea。Thetruthwas,hefeltimpatienttoescapefromtheplace,andwishedtoavailhimselfofourpresenthighfavourwiththenativestomakegoodourretreat,beforeweshouldexperiencesomesuddenalterationintheirbehaviour。Ashecouldnotthinkofleavingmeinmyhelplesscondition,heimploredmetobeofgoodcheer;assuredmethatIshouldsoonbebetter,andenabledinafewdaystoreturnwithhimtoNukuheva。
Addedtothis,hecouldnotbeartheideaofagainreturningtothisdangerousplace;andasfortheexpectationofpersuadingtheFrenchmentodetachaboat’screwforthepurposeofrescuingmefromtheTypees,helookeduponitasidle;and,withargumentsthatI
couldnotanswer,urgedtheimprobabilityoftheirprovokingthehostilitiesoftheclanbyanysuchmeasure;especiallyas,forthepurposeofquietingitsapprehensions,theyhadasyetrefrainedfrommakinganyvisittothebay。“Andevenshouldtheyconsent,“saidToby,“theywouldonlyproduceacommotioninthevalley,inwhichwemightbothbesacrificedbytheseferociousislanders。“Thiswasunanswerable;butstillIclungtothebeliefthathemightsucceedinaccomplishingtheotherpartofmyplan;andatlastIovercamehisscruples,andheagreedtomaketheattempt。
Assoonaswesucceededinmakingthenativesunderstandourintention,theybrokeoutintothemostvehementoppositiontothemeasure,and,forawhile,Ialmostdespairedofobtainingtheirconsent。Atthebarethoughtofoneofusleavingthem,theymanifestedthemostlivelyconcern。ThegriefandconsternationofKory-Kory,inparticular,wasunbounded;hethrewhimselfintoaperfectparoxysmofgestures,whichwereintendedtoconveytous,notonlyhisabhorrenceofNukuhevaanditsuncivilizedinhabitants,butalsohisastonishmentthat,afterbecomingacquaintedwiththeenlightenedTypees,weshouldevincetheleastdesiretowithdraw,evenforatime,fromtheiragreeablesociety。
However,Ioverborehisobjectionsbyappealingtomylameness;
fromwhichIassuredthenativesIshouldspeedilyrecover,TobywerepermittedtoobtainthesuppliesIrecover,ifTobywerepermittedtoobtainthesuppliesneeded。
Itwasagreedthatonthefollowingmorningmycompanionshoulddepart,accompaniedbysomeoneortwoofthehousehold,whoshouldpointouttohimaneasyroute,bywhichthebaymightbereachedbeforesunset。
Atearlydawnofthenextday,ourhabitationwasastir。Oneoftheyoungmenmountedintoanadjoiningcocoa-nuttree,andthrewdownanumberofyoungfruit,whicholdMarheyoquicklystrippedofthegreenhusks,andstrungtogetheruponashortpole。ThesewereintendedtorefreshTobyonhisroute。
Thepreparationsbeingcompleted,withnolittleemotionIbademycompanionadieu。Hepromisedtoreturninthreedaysatfarthest;and,biddingmekeepupmyspiritsintheinterval,turnedroundthecornerofthepi-pi,and,undertheguidanceofthevenerableMarheyo,wassoonoutofsight。Hisdepartureoppressedmewithmelancholy,and,re-enteringthedwelling,Ithrewmyselfalmostindespairuponthemattingofthefloor。
Intwohours’timetheoldwarriorreturned,andgavemetounderstand,thatafteraccompanyingmycompanionalittledistance,andshowinghimtheroute,hehadlefthimjourneyingonhisway。
Itwasaboutnoonofthissameday,aseasonwhichthesepeoplearewonttopassinsleep,thatIlayinthehouse,surroundedbyitsslumberinginmates,andpainfullyaffectedbythestrangesilencewhichprevailed。AllatonceIthoughtIheardafaintshout,asifproceedingfromsomepersonsinthedepthofthegrovewhichextendedinfrontofourhabitation。
Thesoundsgrewlouderandnearer,andgraduallythewholevalleyrangwithwildoutcries。Thesleepersaroundmestartedtotheirfeetinalarm,andhurriedoutsidetodiscoverthecauseofthecommotion。Kory-Kory,whohadbeenthefirsttospringup,soonreturnedalmostbreathless,andnearlyfranticwiththeexcitementunderwhichheseemedtobelabouring。AllthatIcouldunderstandfromhimwas,thatsomeaccidenthadhappenedtoToby。Apprehensiveofsomedreadfulcalamity,Irushedoutofthehouse,andcaughtsightofatumultuouscrowd,who,withshrieksandlamentations,werejustemergingfromthegrove,bearingintheirarmssomeobject,thesightofwhichproducedallthistransportofsorrow。Astheydrewnear,themenredoubledtheircries,whilethegirls,tossingtheirbarearmsintheair,exclaimedplaintively,“Awha!awha!Tobymuckeemoee!“-Alas!alas!Tobyiskilled!
Inamomentthecrowdopened,anddisclosedtheapparentlylifelessbodyofmycompanionbornebetweentwomen,theheadhangingheavilyagainstthebreastoftheforemost。Thewholeface,neck,andbosomwerecoveredwithblood,whichstilltrickledslowlyfromawoundbehindthetemple。Inthemidstofthegreatestuproarandconfusion,thebodywascarriedintothehouseandlaidonamat。Wavingthenativesofftogiveroomandair,IbenteagerlyoverToby,and,layingmyhanduponthebreast,ascertainedthattheheartstillbeat。Overjoyedatthis,Iseizedacalabashofwater,anddasheditscontentsuponhisface,then,wipingawaytheblood,anxiouslyexaminedthewound。Itwasaboutthreeincheslong,and,onremovingtheclottedhairfromaboutit,showedtheskulllaidcompletelybare。ImmediatelywithmyknifeIcutawaytheheavylocks,andbathedthepartrepeatedlyinwater。
InafewmomentsTobyrevived,andopeninghiseyesforasecond,closedthemagain,withoutspeaking。Kory-Kory,whohadbeenkneelingbesideme,nowchafedhislimbsgentlywiththepalmsofhishands,whileayounggirlathisheadkeptfanninghim,andI
stillcontinuedtomoistenhislipsandbrow。Soonmypoorcomradeshowedsignsofanimation,andIsucceededinmakinghimswallowfromacocoa-nutshellafewmouthfulsofwater。
OldTinornowappeared,holdinginherhandsomesimplesshehadgathered,thejuiceofwhichshebysignsbesoughtmetosqueezeintothewound。Havingdoneso,IthoughtitbesttoleaveTobyundisturbeduntilheshouldhavehadtimetorallyhisfaculties。
Severaltimesheopenedhislips,but,fearfulforhissafety,I
enjoinedsilence。Inthecourseoftwoorthreehours,however,hesatup,andwassufficientlyrecoveredtotellmewhathadoccurred。
“AfterleavingthehousewithMarheyo,“saidToby,“westruckacrossthevalley,andascendedtheoppositeheights。Justbeyondthem,myguideinformedme,laythevalleyofHappar,whilealongtheirsummits,andskirtingtheheadofthevale,wasmyroutetoNukuheva。Aftermountingalittlewayuptheelevationmyguidepaused,andgavemetounderstandthathecouldnotaccompanymeanyfarther,andbyvarioussignsintimatedthathewasafraidtoapproachanynearertheterritoriesoftheenemiesofhistribe。He,however,pointedoutmypath,whichnowlayclearlybeforeme,and,biddingmefarewell,hastilydescendedthemountain。
“QuiteelatedatbeingsoneartheHappars,Ipusheduptheacclivity,andsoongaineditssummit。Ittapereduptoasharpridge,fromwhenceIbeheldboththehostilevalleys。HereIsatdownandrestedforamoment,refreshingmyselfwithmycocoa-nuts。Iwassoonagainpursuingmywayalongtheheight,whensuddenlyIsawthreeoftheislanders,whomusthavejustcomeoutofHapparvalley,standinginthepathaheadofme。Theywereeacharmedwithaheavyspear,andone,fromhisappearance,betooktobeachief。Theysungoutsomething,Icouldnotunderstandwhat,andbeckonedmetocomeon。
“WithouttheleasthesitationIadvancedtowardsthem,andhadapproachedwithinaboutayardoftheforemost,when,pointingangrilyintotheTypeevalley,andutteringsomesavageexclamation,hewheeledroundhisweaponlikelightning,andstruckmeinamomenttotheground。Theblowinflictedthiswound,andtookawaymysenses。