when the world shook-第19章

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on　platters　and　in　baskets。　These　people；　all　talking　excitedly

and　laughing　after　their　fashion；　stopped　at　a　distance；　so　we

took　no　notice　of　them。　Presently　Marama；　clad　in　his　feather

cloak；　and　again　accompanied　by　priests　or　medicine…men；　appeared

walking　down　the　path　on　the　cliff　face；　and；　standing　below；

made　salutations　and　entered　into　a　conversation　with　us　of　which

I　give　the　substancethat　is；　so　far　as　we　could　understand　it。



He　reproached　us　for　not　having　come　to　him　as　he　expected　we

would　do。　We　replied　that　we　preferred　to　remain　where　we　were

until　we　were　sure　of　our　greeting　and　asked　him　what　was　the

position。　He　explained　that　only　once　before；　in　the　time　of　his

grandfather；　had　any　people　reached　their　shores；　also　during　a

great　storm　as　we　had　done。　They　were　dark…skinned　men　like

themselves；　three　of　them；　but　whence　they　came　was　never　known；

since　they　were　at　once　seized　and　sacrificed　to　the　god　Oro；

which　was　the　right　thing　to　do　in　such　a　case。



We　asked　whether　he　would　consider　it　right　to　sacrifice　us。　He

replied：



Certainly；　unless　we　were　too　strong；　being　gods　ourselves；　or

unless　an　arrangement　could　be　concluded。　We　askedwhat

arrangement？　He　replied　that　we　must　make　them　gifts；　also　that

we　must　do　what　we　had　promised　and　cure　himthe　chiefof　the

disease　which　had　tormented　him　for　years。　In　that　event

everything　would　be　at　our　disposal　and　we；　with　all　our

belongings；　should　become　taboo；　holy；　not　to　be　touched。　None

would　attempt　to　harm　us；　nothing　should　be　stolen　under　penalty

of　death。



We　asked　him　to　come　up　on　the　deck　with　only　one　companion

that　his　sickness　might　be　ascertained；　and　after　much　hesitation

he　consented　to　do　so。　Bickley　made　an　examination　of　the　growth

and　announced　that　he　believed　it　could　be　removed　with　perfect

safety　as　the　attachment　to　the　neck　was　very　slight；　but　of

course　there　was　always　a　risk。　This　was　explained　to　him　with

difficulty；　and　much　talk　followed　between　him　and　his　followers

who　gathered　on　the　beach　beneath　the　ship。　They　seemed　adverse

to　the　experiment；　till　Mamma　grew　furious　with　them　and　at　last

burst　into　tears　saying　that　he　could　no　longer　drag　this

terrible　burden　about　with　him；　and　he　touched　the　growth。　He

would　rather　die。　Then　they　gave　way。



I　will　tell　the　rest　as　shortly　as　I　can。



A　hideous　wooden　idol　was　brought　on　board；　wrapped　in　leaves

and　feathers；　and　upon　it　the　chief　and　his　head　people　swore

safety　to　us　whether　he　lived　or　died；　making　us　the　guests　of

their　land。　There　were；　however；　two　provisos　made；　or　as　such　we

understood　them。　These　seemed　to　be　that　we　should　offer　no

insult　or　injury　to　their　god；　and　secondly；　that　we　should　not

set　foot　on　the　island　in　the　lake。　It　was　not　till　afterwards

that　it　occurred　to　me　that　this　must　refer　to　the　mountain　top

which　appeared　in　the　inland　sheet　of　water。　To　those

stipulations　we　made　no　answer。　Indeed；　the　Orofenans　did　all　the

talking。　Finally；　they　ratified　their　oaths　by　a　man　who；　I

suppose；　was　a　head　priest；　cutting　his　arm　and　rubbing　the　blood

from　it　on　the　lips　of　the　idol；　also　upon　those　of　the　chief。　I

should　add　that　Bastin　had　retired　as　soon　as　he　saw　that　false

god　appear；　of　which　I　was　glad；　since　I　felt　sure　that　he　would

make　a　scene。



The　operation　took　place　that　afternoon　and　on　the　ship；　for

when　once　Marama　had　made　up　his　mind　to　trust　us　he　did　so　very

thoroughly。　It　was　performed　on　deck　in　the　presence　of　an　awed

multitude　who　watched　from　the　shore；　and　when　they　saw　Bickley

appear　in　a　clean　nightshirt　and　wash　his　hands；　uttered　a　groan

of　wonder。　Evidently　they　considered　it　a　magical　and　religious

ceremony；　indeed　ever　afterwards　they　called　Bickley　the　Great

Priest；　or　sometimes　the　Great　Healer　in　later　days。　This　was　a

grievance　to　Bastin　who　considered　that　he　had　been　robbed　of　his

proper　title；　especially　when　he　learned　that　among　themselves　he

was　only　known　as　〃the　Bellower；〃　because　of　the　loud　voice　in

which　he　addressed　them。　Nor　did　Bickley　particularly　appreciate

the　compliment。



With　my　help　he　administered　the　chloroform；　which　was　done

under　shelter　of　a　sail　for　fear　lest　the　people　should　think

that　we　were　smothering　their　chief。　Then　the　operation　went　on

to　a　satisfactory　conclusion。　I　omit　the　details；　but　an　electric

battery　and　a　red…hot　wire　came　into　play。



〃There；〃　said　Bickley　triumphantly　when　he　had　finished　tying

the　vessels　and　made　everything　neat　and　tidy　with　bandages；　〃I

was　afraid　he　might　bleed　to　death；　but　I　don't　think　there　is

any　fear　of　that　now；　for　I　have　made　a　real　job　of　it。〃　Then

advancing　with　the　horrid　tumour　in　his　hands　he　showed　it　in

triumph　to　the　crowd　beneath；　who　groaned　again　and　threw

themselves　on　to　their　faces。　Doubtless　now　it　is　the　most　sacred

relic　of　Orofena。



When　Marama　came　out　of　the　anesthetic；　Bickley　gave　him

something　which　sent　him　to　sleep　for　twelve　hours；　during　all

which　time　his　people　waited　beneath。　This　was　our　dangerous

period；　for　our　difficulty　was　to　persuade　them　that　he　was　not

dead；　although　Bickley　had　assured　them　that　he　would　sleep　for　a

time　while　the　magic　worked。　Still；　I　was　very　glad　when　he　woke

up　on　the　following　morning；　and　two　or　three　of　his　leading　men

could　see　that　he　was　alive。　The　rest　was　lengthy　but　simple；

consisting　merely　in　keeping　him　quiet　and　on　a　suitable　diet

until　there　was　no　fear　of　the　wound　opening。　We　achieved　it

somehow　with　the　help　of　an　intelligent　native　woman　who；　I

suppose；　was　one　of　his　wives；　and　five　days　later　were　enabled

to　present　him　healed；　though　rather　tottery；　to　his　affectionate

subjects。



It　was　a　great　scene；　which　may　be　imagined。　They　bore　him　away

in　a　litter　with　the　native　woman　to　watch　him　and　another　to

carry　the　relic　preserved　in　a　basket；　and　us　they　acclaimed　as

gods。　Thenceforward　we　had　nothing　to　fear　in　Orofenaexcept

Bastin；　though　this　we　did　not　know　at　the　time。



All　this　while　we　had　been　living　on　our　ship　and　growing　very

bored　there；　although　we　employed　the　empty　hours　in　conversation

with　selected　natives；　thereby　improving　our　knowledge　of　the

language。　Bickley　had　the　best　of　it；　since　already　patients

began　to　arrive　which　occupied　him。　One　of　the　first　was　that　man

whom　Tommy　had　bitten。　He　was　carried　to　us　in　an　almost　comatose

state；　suffering　apparently　from　the　symptoms　of　snake　poisoning。



Afterward　it　turned　out　that　he　conceived　Tommy　to　be　a　divine

but　most　venomous　lizard　that　could　make　a　very　horrible　noise；

and　began　to　suffer　as　one　might　do　from　the　bite　of　such　a

creature。　Nothing　that　Bickley　could　do　was　enough　to　save　him

and　ultimately　he　died　in　convulsions；　a　circumstance　that

enormously　enhanced　Tommy's　reputation。　To　tell　the　truth；　we

took　advantage　of　it　to　explain　that　Tommy　was　in　fact　a

supernatural　animal；　a　sort　of　tame　demon　which　only　harmed

people　who　had　malevolent　intentions　towards　those　he　served　or

who　tried　to　steal　any　of　their　possessions　or　to　intrude　upon

them　at　inconvenient　hours；　especially　in　the　dark。　So　terrible

was　he；　indeed；　that　even　the　skill　of　the　Great　Priest；　i。e。；

Bickley；　could　not　avail　to　save　any　whom　once　he　had　bitten　in

his　rage。　Even　to　be　barked　at　by　him　was　dangerous　and　conveyed

a　curse　that　might　last　for　generations。



All　this　we　set　out　when　Bastin　was　not　there。　He　had　wandered

off；　as　he　said；　to　look　for　shells；　but　as　we　knew；　to　practise

religious　orations　in　the　Polynesian　tongue　with　the　waves　for

audience；　as　Demosthenes　is　said　to　have　done　to　perfect　himself

as　a　political　orator。　Personally　I　admit　that　I　relied　more　on

the　terrors　of　Tommy　to　safeguard　us　from　theft　and　other

troubles　than　I　did　upon　those　of　the　native　taboo　and　the

priestly　oaths。



The　end　of　it　all　was　that　we　left　our　ship；　having　padlocked

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