第44章

类别:其他 作者:Herman Melville字数:4603更新时间:18/12/27 09:00:37
NEARLYthreeweekshadelapsedsincethesecondvisitofMarnoo,anditmusthavebeenmorethanfourmonthssinceIenteredthevalley,whenoneday,aboutnoon,andwhilsteverythingwasinprofoundsilence,Mow-Mow,theone-eyedchief,suddenlyappearedatthedoor,andleaningforwardstowardsmeasIlaydirectlyfacinghim,said,inalowtone,“Tobypemiena,“(Tobyhasarrivedhere。) Graciousheaven!Whatatumultofemotionsrusheduponmeatthisstartlingintelligence!Insensibletothepainthathadbeforedistractedme,Ileapedtomyfeet,andcalledwildlytoKory-Kory,whowasreposingbymyside。Thestartledislanderssprangfromtheirmats;thenewswasquicklycommunicatedtothem;andthenextmomentIwasmakingmywaytotheTionthebackofKory-Kory,andsurroundedbytheexcitedsavages。 AllthatIcouldcomprehendoftheparticularswhichMow-Mowrehearsedtohisauditorsasweproceeded,wasthatmylong-lostcompanionhadarrivedinaboatwhichhadjustenteredthebay。 Thesetidingsmadememostanxioustobecarriedatoncetothesea,lestsomeuntowardcircumstanceshouldpreventourmeeting;buttothistheywouldnotconsent,andcontinuedtheircoursetowardstheroyalabode。Asweapproachedit,Meheviandseveralchiefsshowedthemselvesfromthepiazza,andcalleduponusloudlytocometothem。 Assoonaswehadapproached,IendeavouredtomakethemunderstandthatIwasgoingdowntotheseatomeetToby。Tothisthekingobjected,andmotionedKory-Korytobringmeintothehouse。Itwasinvaintoresist;andinafewmomentsIfoundmyselfwithintheTi,surroundedbyanoisygroupengagedindiscussingtherecentintelligence。Toby’snamewasfrequentlyrepeated,coupledwithviolentexclamationsofastonishment。Itseemedasiftheyyetremainedindoubtwithregardtothefactofhisarrival,andateveryfreshreportthatwasbroughtfromtheshoretheybetrayedtheliveliestemotions。 Almostfrenziedatbeingheldinthisstateofsuspense,I passionatelybesoughtMehevitopermitmetoproceed。Whethermycompanionhadarrivedornot,Ifeltapresentimentthatmyownfatewasabouttobedecided。AgainandagainIrenewedmypetitiontoMehevi。Heregardedmewithafixedandseriouseye,butatlength,yieldingtomyimportunity,reluctantlygrantedmyrequest。 Accompaniedbysomefiftyofthenatives,Inowrapidlycontinuedmyjourney,everyfewmomentsbeingtransferredfromthebackofonetoanother,andurgingmybearerforwardallthewhilewithearnestentreaties。AsIthushurriedforward,nodoubtastothetruthoftheinformationIhadreceivedevercrossedmymind。Iwasaliveonlytotheoneoverwhelmingidea,thatachanceofdeliverancewasnowaffordedme,ifthejealousoppositionofthesavagescouldbeovercome。 Havingbeenprohibitedfromapproachingtheseaduringthewholeofmystayinthevalley,Ihadalwaysassociatedwithittheideaofescape。Toby,too-ifindeedhehadevervoluntarilydesertedme- musthaveeffectedhisflightbythesea;andnowthatIwasdrawingneartoitmyself,IindulgedinhopeswhichIhadneverfeltbefore。Itwasevidentthataboathadenteredthebay,andIsawlittlereasontodoubtthetruthofthereportthatithadbroughtmycompanion。Everytime,therefore,thatwegainedanelevation,I lookedeagerlyaround,hopingtobeholdhim。 Inthemidstofanexcitedthrong,whobytheirviolentgesturesandwildcriesappearedtobeundertheinfluenceofsomeexcitementasstrongasmyown,Iwasnowbornealongatarapidtrot,frequentlystoopingmyheadtoavoidthebrancheswhichcrossedthepath,andneverceasingtoimplorethosewhocarriedmetoacceleratetheiralreadyswiftpace。 Inthismannerwehadproceededaboutfourorfivemiles,whenweweremetbyapartyofsometwentyislanders,betweenwhomandthosewhoaccompaniedmeensuedananimatedconference。Impatientofthedelayoccasionedbythisinterruption,Iwasbeseechingthemanwhocarriedmetoproceedwithouthisloiteringcompanions,whenKory-Kory,runningtomyside,informedme,inthreefatalwords,thatthenewshadallprovedfalse-thatTobyhadnotarrived-“Tobyowleepermi。“Heavenonlyknowshow,thestateofmindandbodythenwas,Ieversustainedtheagonywhichthisintelligencecausedme;notthatthenewswasaltogetherunexpected,butIhadtrustedthatthefactmightnothavebeenmadeknownuntilweshouldhavearriveduponthebeach。Asitwas,Iatonceforesawthecoursethesavageswouldpursue。Theyhadonlyyieldedthusfartomyentreaties,thatImightgiveajoyfulwelcometomylong-lostcomrade;butnowthatitwasknownhehadnotarrived,theywouldatonceobligemetoturnback。 Myanticipationswerebuttoocorrect。InspiteoftheresistanceImade,theycarriedmeintoahousewhichwasnearthespot,andleftmeuponthemats。Shortlyafterwards,severalofthosewhohadaccompaniedmefromtheTi,detachingthemselvesfromtheothers,proceededinthedirectionofthesea。Thosewhoremained- amongwhomwereMarheyo,Mow-Mow,Kory-Kory,andTinor-gatheredaboutthedwelling,andappearedtobeawaitingtheirreturn。 Thisconvincedmethatstrangers-perhapssomeofmyowncountrymen-hadforsomecauseorotherenteredthebay。Distractedattheideaoftheirvicinity,andrecklessofthepainwhichIsuffered,Iheedednottheassuranceoftheislandersthattherewerenoboatsatthebeach,but,startingtomyfeet,endeavouredtogainthedoor。Instantlythepassagewasblockedupbyseveralmen,whocommandedmetoresumemyseat。ThefiercelooksoftheirritatedsavagesadmonishedmethatIcouldgainnothingbyforce,andthatitwasbyentreatyalonethatIcouldhopetocompassmyobject。 Guidedbythisconsideration,IturnedtoMow-Mow,theonlychiefpresent,whomIhadbeenmuchinthehabitofseeing,and,carefullyconcealingmyrealdesign,triedtomakehimcomprehendthatIstillbelievedTobytohavearrivedontheshore,andbesoughthimtoallowmetogoforwardtowelcomehim。Toallhisrepeatedassertionsthatmycompanionhadnotbeenseen,Ipretendedtoturnadeafear:whileIurgedmysolicitationswithaneloquenceofgesturewhichtheone-eyedchiefappearedunabletoresist。Heseemed,indeed,toregardmeasafrowardchild,towhosewisheshehadnotthehearttoopposeforce,andwhomhemustconsequentlyhumour。Hespokeafewwordstothenatives,whoatonceretreatedfromthedoor,andIimmediatelypassedoutofthehouse。 HereIlookedearnestlyroundforKory-Kory;butthathithertofaithfulservitorwasnowheretobeseen。Unwillingtolingerevenforasingleinstantwheneverymomentmightbesoimportant,Imotionedtoamuscularfellownearmetotakemeuponhisback:tomysurpriseheangrilyrefused。Iturnedtoanother,butwithalikeresult。Athirdattemptwasasunsuccessful,andIimmediatelyperceivedwhathadinducedMow-Mowtograntmyrequest,andwhytheothernativesconductedthemselvesinsostrangeamanner。Itwasevidentthatthechiefhadonlygivenmelibertytocontinuemyprogresstowardsthesea,becausehesupposedthatIwasdeprivedofthemeansofreachingit。 Convincedbythisoftheirdeterminationtoretainmeacaptive,I becamedesperate;andalmostinsensibletothepainwhichI suffered,Iseizedaspearwhichwasleaningagainsttheprojectingeavesofthehouse,and,supportingmyselfwithit,resumedthepaththatsweptbythedwelling。Tomysurprise,Iwassufferedtoproceedalone,allthenativesremaininginfrontofthehouse,andengaginginearnestconversation,whicheverymomentbecamemoreloudandvehement;and,tomyunspeakabledelight,Iperceivedthatsomedifferenceofopinionhadarisenbetweenthem;thattwoparties,inshort,wereformed,andconsequentlythat,intheirdividedcounsels,therewassomechanceofmydeliverance。 BeforeIhadproceededahundredyardsIwasagainsurroundedbythesavages,whowerestillinalltheheatofargument,andappearedeverymomentasiftheywouldcometoblows。InthemidstofthistumultoldMarheyocametomyside,andIshallneverforgetthebenevolentexpressionofhiscountenance。Heplacedhisarmuponmyshoulder,andemphaticallypronouncedoneexpressiveEnglishwordI hadtaughthim-“Home。“Iatonceunderstoodwhathemeant,andeagerlyexpressedmythankstohim。FayawayandKory-Korywerebyhisside,bothweepingviolently;anditwasnotuntiltheoldmanhadtwicerepeatedthecommandthathissoncouldbringhimselftoobeyhim,andtakemeagainuponhisback。Theone-eyedchiefopposedhisdoingso,buthewasoverruled,and,asitseemedtome,bysomeofhisownparty。 Weproceededonwards,andnevershallIforgettheecstasyI feltwhenIfirstheardtheroarofthesurfbreakinguponthebeach。Beforelong,Isawtheflashingbillowsthemselvesthroughtheopeningbetweenthetrees。Oh!glorioussightandsoundofocean!withwhatrapturedidIhallyouasfamiliarfriends。Bythistimetheshoutsofthecrowduponthebeachweredistinctlyaudible,andintheblendedconfusionofsoundsIalmostfanciedIcoulddistinguishthevoicesofmyowncountrymen。 Whenwereachedtheopenspacewhichlaybetweenthegrovesandthesea,thefirstobjectthatmetmyviewwasanEnglishwhale-boat,lyingwithherbowpointedfromtheshore,andonlyafewfathomsdistantfromit。Itwasmannedbyfiveislanders,dressedinshorttunicsofcalico。Myfirstimpressionwas,thattheywereintheveryactofpullingoutfromthebay;andthat,afterallmyexertions,Ihadcometoolate。Mysoulsankwithinme:butasecondglanceconvincedmethattheboatwasonlyhangingofftokeepoutofthesurf;andthenextmomentIheardmyownnameshoutedoutbyavoicefromthemidstofthecrowd。 Lookinginthedirectionofthesound,Iperceived,tomyindescribablejoy,thetallfigureofKarakoee,anOahuKannaka,whohadoftenbeenaboardtheDollywhileshelayinNukuheva。Heworethegreenshooting-jacket,withgiltbuttons,whichhadbeengiventohimbyanofficeroftheReineBlanche-theFrenchflag-ship-andinwhichIhadalwaysseenhimdressed。InowrememberedtheKannakahadfrequentlytoldmethathispersonwastabooedinallthevalleysoftheisland,andthesightofhimatsuchamomentasthisfilledmyheartwithatumultofdelight。 Karakoeestoodneartheedgeofthewaterwithalargerollofcotton-cloththrownoveronearm,andholdingtwoorthreecanvasbagsofpowder,whilewiththeotherhandhegraspedamusket,whichheappearedtobeprofferingtoseveralofthechiefsaroundhim。Buttheyturnedwithdisgustfromhisoffers,andseemedtobeimpatientathispresence,withvehementgestureswavinghimofftohisboat,andcommandinghimtodepart。