第19章

类别:其他 作者:Herman Melville字数:4761更新时间:18/12/27 09:00:37
AssoonasIcametomyself,Iperceivedthethreeislandersstandingalittledistanceoff,andapparentlyengagedinsomeviolentaltercationrespectingme。 “Myfirstimpulsewastorunforit;but,inendeavouringtorise,Ifellback,androlleddownalittlegrassyprecipice。Theshockseemedtorallymyfaculties;so,startingtomyfeet,IfleddownthepathIhadjustascended。Ihadnoneedtolookbehindme,for,fromtheyellsIheard,Iknewthatmyenemieswereinfullpursuit。 Urgedonbytheirfearfuloutcries,andheedlessoftheinjuryIhadreceived-thoughthebloodflowingfromthewoundtrickledoverintomyeyesandalmostblindedme-Irusheddownthemountainsidewiththespeedofthewind。InashorttimeIhaddescendednearlyathirdofthedistance,andthesavageshadceasedtheircries,whensuddenlyaterrifichowlburstuponmyear,andatthesamemomentaheavyjavelindartedpastmeasIfled,andstuckquiveringinatreeclosetome。Anotheryellfollowed,andasecondspearandathirdshotthroughtheairwithinafewfeetofmybody,bothofthempiercingthegroundobliquelyinadvanceofme。Thefellowsgavearoarofrageanddisappointment;buttheywereafraid,I suppose,ofcomingdownfartherintotheTypeevalley,andsoabandonedthechase。Isawthemrecovertheirweaponsandturnback; andIcontinuedmydescentasfastasIcould。 “WhatcouldhavecausedthisferociousattackonthepartoftheseHapparsIcouldnotimagine,unlessitwerethattheyhadseenmeascendingthemountainwithMarheyo,andthatthemerefactofcomingfromtheTypeevalleywassufficienttoprovokethem。 “AslongasIwasindangerIscarcelyfeltthewoundIhadreceived;butwhenthechasewasoverIbegantosufferfromit。Ihadlostmyhatintheflight,andthesunscorchedmybarehead。Ifeltfaintandgiddy;but,fearfuloffallingtothegroundbeyondthereachofassistance,IstaggeredonaswellasIcould,andatlastgainedthelevelofthevalley,andthendownIsunk;andIknewnothingmoreuntilIfoundmyselflyinguponthesemats,andyoustoopingovermewiththecalabashofwater。“ SuchwasToby’saccountofthissadaffair。Iafterwardslearnedthatfortunatelyhehadfallenclosetoaspotwherethenativesgoforfuel。Apartyofthemcaughtsightofhimashefell,and,soundingthealarm,hadliftedhimup;andafterineffectuallyendeavouringtorestorehimatthebrook,hadhurriedforwardwithhimtothehouse。 Thisincidentthrewadarkcloudoverourprospects。Itremindedusthatwewerehemmedinbyhostiletribes,whoseterritorieswecouldnothopetopass,onourroutetoNukuheva,withoutencounteringtheeffectsoftheirsavageresentment。Thereappearedtobenoavenueopenedtoourescapebutthesea,whichwashedthelowerextremityofthevale。 OurTypeefriendsavailedthemselvesoftherecentdisasterofTobytoexhortustoadueappreciationoftheblessingsweenjoyedamongthem;contrastingtheirowngenerousreceptionofuswiththeanimosityoftheirneighbours。TheylikewisedweltuponthecannibalpropensitiesoftheHappars,asubjectwhichtheywereperfectlyawarecouldnotfalltoalarmus;whileatthesametimetheyearnestlydisclaimedallparticipationinsohorridacustom。Nordidtheyomittocalluponustoadmirethenaturallovelinessoftheirownabode,andthelavishabundancewithwhichitproducedallmannerofluxuriantfruits;exaltingitinthisparticularaboveanyofthesurroundingvalleys。 Kory-Koryseemedtoexperiencesoheartfeltadesiretoinfuseintoourmindsproperviewsonthesesubjects,that,assistedinhisendeavoursbythelittleknowledgeofthelanguagewehadacquired,heactuallymadeuscomprehendaconsiderablepartofwhathesaid。Tofacilitateourcorrectapprehensionofhismeaning,heatfirstcondensedhisideasintothesmallestpossiblecompass。 “Happarkeekeenonuee,“heexclaimed;“nuee,nuee,kikikannaka!- ah!owlemortarkee!“whichsignifies,“TerriblefellowsthoseHappars!-devouranamazingquantityofmen!-ah,shockingbad!“ Thusfarheexplainedhimselfbyavarietyofgestures,duringtheperformanceofwhichhewoulddartoutofthehouse,andpointabhorrentlytowardstheHapparvalley;runningintousagainwitharapiditythatshowedhewasfearfulwewouldloseonepartofhismeaningbeforehecouldcompletetheother;andcontinuinghisillustrationsbyseizingthefleshypartofmyarminhisteeth,intimating,bytheoperation,thatthepeoplewholivedoverinthatdirectionwouldlikenothingbetterthantotreatmeinthatmanner。 Havingassuredhimselfthatwewerefullyenlightenedonthispoint,heproceededtoanotherbranchofhissubject。“Ah!Typeemortarkee!-nuee,nueemioree-nuee,nueewai-nuee,nueepoee-poee- nuee,nueekokoo-ah!nuee,nueekiki-ah!nuee,nuee,nuee!“Which,liberallyinterpretedasbefore,wouldimply,“Ah,Typee!isn’titafineplacethough!-nodangerofstarvinghere,Itellyou!-plentyofbread-fruit-plentyofwater-plentyofpudding-ah!plentyofeverything,ah!heaps,heaps,heaps,heaps!“Allthiswasaccompaniedbyarunningcommentaryofsignsandgestureswhichitwasimpossiblenottocomprehend。 Ashecontinuedhisharangue,however,Kory-Kory,inemulationofourmorepolishedorators,begantolaunchoutratherdiffuselyintootherbranchesofhissubject,enlargingprobablyuponthemoralreflectionsitsuggested;andproceededinsuchastrainofunintelligibleandstunninggibberish,thatheactuallygavemetheheadachefortherestoftheday。 INthecourseofthefewdaysTobyhadrecoveredfromtheeffectsofhisadventurewiththeHapparwarriors;thewoundonhisheadrapidlyhealingunderthevegetabletreatmentofthegoodTinor。Lessfortunatethanmycompanion,however,Istillcontinuedtolanguishunderacomplaint,theoriginandnatureofwhichwerestillamystery。CutoffasIwasfromallintercoursewiththeworld,andfeelingtheinefficacyofanythingthenativescoulddotorelieveme;knowing,too,thatsolongasIremainedinmypresentconditionitwouldbeimpossibleformetoleavethevalley,whateveropportunitymightpresentitself;andapprehensivethaterelongwemightbeexposedtosomecapriceonthepartoftheislanders,Inowgaveupallhopesofrecovery,andbecameapreytothemostgloomythoughts。Adeepdejectionfelluponme,whichneitherthefriendlyremonstrancesofmycompanion,thedevotedattentionsofKory-Kory,norallthesoothinginfluencesofFayaway,couldremove。 Onemorning,asIlayonthematsinthehouseplungedinmelancholyreverie,andregardlessofeverythingaroundme,Toby,whohadleftmeaboutanhour,returnedinhaste,andwithgreatgleetoldmetocheerupandbeofgoodheart,forhebelieved,fromwhatwasgoingonamongthenatives,thattherewereboatsapproachingthebay。 Thesetidingsoperateduponmelikemagic。Thehourofourdeliverancewasathand,and,startingup,Iwassoonconvincedthatsomethingunusualwasabouttooccur。Theword“botee!botee!“wasvociferatedinalldirections;andshoutswereheardinthedistance,atfirstfeeblyandfaintly,butgrowinglouderandnearerateachsuccessiverepetition,untiltheywerecaughtupbyafellowinacocoa-nuttreeafewyardsoff,who,soundingtheminturn,theywerereiteratedfromaneighbouringgrove,andsodiedawaygraduallyfrompointtopoint,astheintelligencepenetratedintothefarthestrecessesofthevalley。Thiswasthevocaltelegraphoftheislanders;bymeansofwhich,condenseditemsofinformationcouldbecarriedinaveryfewminutesfromtheseatotheirremotesthabitation,adistanceofatleasteightorninemiles。Onthepresentoccasionitwasinactiveoperation,onepieceofinformationfollowinganotherwithinconceivablerapidity。 Thegreatestcommotionnowappearedtoprevail。Ateveryfreshitemofintelligencethenativesbetrayedtheliveliestinterest,andredoubledtheenergywithwhichtheyemployedthemselvesincollectingfruittoselltotheexpectedvisitors。Someweretearingoffthehusksfromcocoa-nuts;some,perchedinthetrees,werethrowingdownbread-fruittotheircompanions,whogatheredthemintoheapsastheyfell;whileotherswereplyingtheirfingersrapidlyinweavingleafenbasketsinwhichtocarrythefruit。 Therewereothermatters,too,goingonatthesametime。Hereyouwouldseeastoutwarriorpolishinghisspearwithabitofoldtappa,oradjustingthefoldsofthegirdleabouthiswaist;andthereyoumightdescryayoungdamseldecoratingherselfwithflowers,asifhavinginhereyesomemaidenlyconquest;while,asinallcasesofhurryandconfusionineverypartoftheworld,anumberofindividualskepthurryingtoandfrowithamazingvigourandperseverance,doingnothingthemselves,andhinderingothers。 Neverbeforehadweseentheislandersinsuchastateofbustleandexcitement;andthescenefurnishedabundantevidenceofthefact- thatitwasonlyatlongintervalsanysucheventsoccur。 WhenIthoughtofthelengthoftimethatmightintervenebeforeasimilarchanceofescapewouldbepresented,IbitterlylamentedthatIhadnotthepowerofavailingmyselfeffectuallyofthepresentopportunity。 Fromallthatwecouldgather,itappearedthatthenativeswerefearfulofarrivingtoolateuponthebeach,unlesstheymadeextraordinaryexertions。SickandlameasIwas,IwouldhavestartedwithTobyatonce,hadnotKory-Korynotonlyrefusedtocarryme,butmanifestedthemostinvinciblerepugnancetoourleavingtheneighbourhoodofthehouse。Therestofthesavageswereequallyopposedtoourwishes,andseemedgrievedandastonishedattheearnestnessofmysolicitations。Iclearlyperceivedthat,whilemyattendantavoidedallappearanceofconstrainingmymovements,hewasneverthelessdeterminedtothwartmywishes。Heseemedtomeonthisparticularoccasion,aswellasoftenafterwards,tobeexecutingtheordersofsomeotherpersonwithregardtome,thoughatthesametimefeelingtowardsmethemostlivelyaffection。 Toby,whohadmadeuphismindtoaccompanytheislandersifpossibleassoonastheywereinreadinesstodepart,andwhoforthatreasonhadrefrainedfromshowingthesameanxietythatIhaddone,nowrepresentedtomethatitwasidleformetoentertainthehopeofreachingthebeachintimetoprofitbyanyopportunitythatmightthenbepresented。 “Doyounotsee,“saidhe,“thesavagesthemselvesarefearfulofbeingtoolate,andIshouldhurryforwardmyselfatonce,didI notthinkthat,ifIshowedtoomucheagerness,Ishoulddestroyallourhopesofreapinganybenefitfromthisfortunateevent。Ifyouwillonlyendeavourtoappeartranquilorunconcerned,youwillquiettheirsuspicions,andIhavenodoubttheywillthenletmegowiththemtothebeach,supposingthatImerelygooutofcuriosity。 ShouldIsucceedingettingdowntotheboats,IwillmakeknowntheconditioninwhichIhaveleftyou,andmeasuresmaythenbetakentosecureourescape。“