phyllis of philistia-第20章

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〃It　is　impossible　to　think　of　the　charges　as　true；〃　said　Phyllis　stoutly。

〃For　example？〃　said　he。

〃Well；　the　article　said　that　you　had　made　slaves　of　some　of　the　natives　of　New　Guinea；　purchasing　them　by　a　promise　to　help　a　native　chief　against　his　enemies。〃

〃There　wasn't　much　harm　in　that：　I　did　it；〃　said　he。

〃And　then　it　went　on　to　say　that　you　kept　your　promise；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃What！　They　accused　me　of　keeping　my　promise？〃　said　he。　〃Well；　I'm　afraid　I　can't　deny　that　charge　either。〃

〃Did　you　really　slaughter　the　natives？〃　cried　Phyllis。

The　interest　which　she　felt　appeared　in　her　eyes。

〃I　did　my　best　for　the　savages　who　had　purchased　my　services；〃　he　replied。　〃The　campaign　was　not　a　protracted　one。　Two　days　after　the　outbreak　of　hostilities　brought　things　to　a　climax。　We　fought　our　decisive　battlethe　Sedan　of　King　Mubamayo。　You　see；　I　had　a　trustworthy　Winchester。　I　believe　that　about　seventy　of　the　enemy　bit　the　dust。〃

〃Only　seventy？　That　was　unworthy　of　you；　Mr。　Courtland；〃　cried　Ella。　〃Nothing　short　of　thousands　counts　as　a　civilized　battle。　Seventy！　Oh；　I'm　afraid　you　don't　do　yourself　justice。〃

〃Of　course　a　battle　is　a　battle；〃　said　Phyllis　stoutly。　〃If　you　hadn't　killed　them　they　would　have　killed　you。　You　were　in　the　right；　I'm　sure。〃

〃I'm　not　so　sure　of　that；〃　said　he；　shaking　his　head。　〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　the　elements　of　the　crisis　of　Headman　Glowabyola　were　somewhat　involved。　The　original　dispute　was　difficult　for　a　foreigner　to　understandit　was；　in　fact；　the　Schleswig…Holstein　question　of　Kafalonga。〃

〃You　settled　it；　anyway；〃　suggested　Ella。　〃You　were　the　Bismarck　of　what's…its…name？〃

〃I　doubled　the　parts　of　Bismarck　and　Von　Moltke；〃　said　he。

〃And　that's　why　they　worshiped　you　as　their　god？　I　don't　wonder　at　the　heathen　in　his　blindness　doing　that。　Any　man　who　was　the　same　as　Bismarck　and　Von　Moltke　would　certainly　shoulder　a　deity　out　of　his　way；〃　laughed　Ella。

〃It　so　happened；　however；　that　my　deification　was　due　neither　to　my　recognition　as　a　diplomatist　nor　as　a　military　strategist；〃　said　the　explorer。　〃No；　they　wanted　something　beyond　the　mere　fighting　man　to　worship；　and　my　knowledge　of　that　fact　combined　with　their　paeans　of　victoryto　the　/obbligato/　of　a　solid　iron…wood　drum　beaten　with　the　thigh　bones　of　the　conqueredto　keep　me　awake　at　night。　But　one　morning　the　headman　came　upon　me　when　I　was　about　to　boil　my　kettle　to　make　myself　a　cup　of　tea。　I　had　a　small　lamp　that　burned　spirits；　and　he　stood　by　while　I　filled　it　up　from　the　bottle　that　I　carried　with　me。　He　took　it　for　granted　that　the　spirit　was　water；　and　he　was　greatly　impressed　when　he　saw　it　flare　up　as　I　applied　a　lighted　match　to　it。　He　asked　me　if　I　possessed　the　power　to　set　water　in　a　blaze；　and　I　assured　him　that　that　was　something　for　which　I　had　long　been　celebrated；　adding　that　when　I　had　had　my　breakfast　I　meant　to　while　away　an　hour　or　two　by　setting　fire　to　the　ocean　itself。　He　implored　of　me　to　reconsider　my　decision；　and　when　I　had　poured　a　little　spirit　into　the　hollow　of　my　hand　and　lighted　it　in　the　presence　of　his　most　eminent　scientists；　they　said　that　they　also　desired　to　associate　themselves　with　the　headman's　petition。　I　was；　however；　inexorable；　I　walked　down　to　the　beach　and　had　just　struck　a　match　on　the　brink　of　the　ocean　when　the　whole　tribe　prostrated　themselves　around　me；　promising　to　continue　worshiping　me　if　I　would　only　stay　my　hand。　Well；　what　could　I　do？　I　weakly　yielded　and　spared　the　multitudinous　sea　from　being　the　medium　of　what　would　in　all　likelihood　have　been　the　greatest　conflagration　on　record。　From　that　moment；　I'm　happy　to　say；　they　worshiped　me　as　their　supreme　deity；　and　I'm　bound　to　say　that　I　behaved　as　such；　I　was　certainly　the　most　superior　class　of　god　they　had　ever　had；　and　they　gave　me　a　testimonial　to　this　effect　in　case　I　might　ever　be　looking　out　for　a　new　situation。〃

〃That　was　how　you　managed　to　get　such　a　collection　of　birds；　including　my　meteor…bird；〃　said　Ella。　〃But　Phyllis　of　Philistia　is　shocked　at　the　bare　recital　of　such　a　tale　of　idolatry。　Are　you　not；　Phyllis？〃

〃I　think　I　am　a　little　shocked；〃　said　Phyllis。　She　did　not　say　that　her　first　thought　just　then　was　that　the　feather　fan　was　not；　after　all；　the　price　of　blood：　it　was　something　much　worse。　〃It　was　an　encouragement　of　idolatry；　was　it　not；　Mr。　Courtland？〃

〃Scarcely；〃　said　he。　〃On　the　contrary；　it　was　an　honest　attempt　to　lead　them　from　their　idols　to　something　higher　and　better。〃

〃You　are　something　higher　and　better；〃　suggested　Ella。

〃Quite　so；　I　am　a　little　lower　than　the　angels；　but　a　good　deal　higher　than　the　awful　image　which　they　worshiped　before　I　turned　up；〃　said　he。　〃The　whole　tribe　admitted　in　the　most　honorable　manner　that　I　was　by　far　the　best　god　they　had　ever　had；　they　had　not　an　unlucky　day　so　long　as　they　worshiped　me；　and　I　retained　my　Winchester　and　a　full　supply　of　cartridges。〃

〃The　testimony　was　flattering；〃　said　Ella。　〃But　still　Phyllis　is　shocked。〃

〃I　am；〃　said　Phyllis。　〃I　believe　in　God。　Mr。　Courtland　believes　in　a　Principle。〃

〃Anyhow；　I　led　some　thousands　of　savages　from　idolatry　and　cannibalism　to　something　higher；　and　that's　a　better　record　than　most　gods　of　my　acquaintance　can　show。　Everything　must　be　done　gradually　to　be　done　permanently。　Nothing　could　be　more　absurd　than　the　/modus　operandi/　of　your　missionary。　Most　of　them　have　got　rid　of　their　Christianity　to　make　way　for　their　theology。　They　endeavor　to　inculcate　upon　the　natives　the　most　subtle　points　of　their　theological　system；　immediately　after　they　have　preached　against　the　wickedness　of　economy　in　the　matter　of　clothing。〃

〃A　large　missionary　work　might　be　done　among　husbands　at　home；〃　said　Ella。　〃But　what　about　the　dynamite；　that　is　the　charge　which　still　hands　over　youa　charge　of　dynamite？〃

〃That　was　my　worst　hour；〃　said　Courtland。　〃I　had　gone　up　the　Fly　River　in　my　steam　launch　to　a　point　never　previously　reached　by　a　European。　I　was　fortunate　enough　to　get　some　specimens　that　had　never　been　seen　before；　and　I　was　returning　to　the　coast。　My　engineer　and　I　were　captured　when　ashore　one　night　getting　fuel　for　our　furnace。　They　took　us　into　the　forest　a　long　way；　binding　our　hands　with　the　fiber　of　one　of　the　creepers；　and　I　had　no　trouble　whatever　gathering　that　it　was　their　intention　to　make　a　feast　of　usa　sort　of　high　tea；　it　was　to　be；　for　they　began　brewing　the　herbs　which　I　knew　they　used　only　when　they　were　cannibalizing。　We　were　courteously　permitted　to　watch　these　preparations；　for　it　was　rightly　assumed　that　they　would　be　in　some　degree　interesting　to　us。　We　were；　indeed；　greatly　interested　in　all　we　saw；　but　much　more　so　when；　toward　evening；　a　number　of　the　natives　arrived　on　the　scene　carrying　with　them　some　of　the　stores　which　they　had　found　aboard　the　steam　launch。　They　broke　open　with　a　stone　hatchet　some　tins　of　preserved　meat；　and　seemed　to　enjoy　the　contents　greatly。　The　biscuits　they　didn't　care　for　much；　and　the　cakes　of　soap　which　they　began　to　eat　could　not　honestly　be　said　to　be　an　entire　success　as　comestibles。　But　while　we　watched　them　at　these　/hors　d'oeuvres/　to　the　banquet　at　which　we　were　expected　to　take　a　prominent　part；　a　straggler　came　up　with　some　reserve　supplies；　I　saw　them；　tins　of　dynamitewe　carried　dynamite　for　blowing　up　the　snags　that　obstructed　the　narrower　reaches　of　the　river。　We　watched　the　thieves　crowd　around　the　bearer　of　the　tins；　and　we　saw　that　the　general　impression　that　prevailed　in　regard　to　them　was　that　they　had　come　upon　some　of　the　most　highly　concentrated　beef　they　had　ever　had　in　their　hands。　When　they　laid　the　tins　among　the　hot　ashes　of　their　fires　and　began　to　break　them　open　with　their　stone　hatchets；　my　engineer　thought　with　me　that　all　the　interest　there　would　be　in　the　subsequent　proceedings　could　not　possibly　compensate　us　for　the　waste　of　precious　time　which　would　be　entailed　by　our　remaining。　We　bolted　in　spite　of　our　fettered　hands；　but　before　we　had　got　more　than　a　couple　of　hundred　yards　from　the　camp；　there　took　place　the　severest　earthquake；　coincidental　with　a　thunderstorm　and　the　salute　of　a　battery　of　a　thousand　heavy　guns。　We　were　whirled　into　the　air　like　feathers　in　a　breeze；　but　ma