when the world shook-第23章

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paraffin；　although　I　admit　that　its　label　may　have　misled　you；

unintentionally；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned。〃



〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　the　paraffin？〃　asked　Bickley。



Bastin　coloured　through　his　tan　and　replied　awkwardly：



〃Paraffin　is　very　good　to　keep　away　mosquitoes　if　one　can　stand

the　smell　of　it　upon　one's　skin。　Not　that　I　have　brought　it　here

with　that　sole　object。　The　truth　is　that　I　am　anxious　to

experiment　with　a　lamp　of　my　own　design　madeumof　native

wood；〃　and　he　departed　in　a　hurry。



〃When　next　old　Bastin　wants　to　tell　a　lie；〃　commented　Bickley；

〃he　should　make　up　his　mind　as　to　what　it　is　to　be；　and　stick　to

it。　I　wonder　what　he　is　after　with　that　paraffin？　Not　going　to

dose　any　of　my　patients　with　it；　I　hope。　He　was　arguing　the　other

day　that　it　is　a　great　remedy　taken　internally；　being　quite

unaware　that　the　lamp　variety　is　not　used　for　that　purpose。〃



〃Perhaps　he　means　to　swallow　some　himself；　just　to　show　that　he

is　right；〃　I　suggested。



〃The　stomach…pump　is　at　hand；〃　said　Bickley；　and　the　matter

dropped。



Next　morning　I　got　up　before　it　was　light。　Having　some

elementary　knowledge　of　the　main　facts　of　astronomy；　which

remained　with　me　from　boyhood　when　I　had　attended　lectures　on　the

subject；　which　I　had　tried　to　refresh　by　help　of　an　encyclopedia

I　had　brought　from　the　ship；　I　wished　to　attempt　to　obtain　an

idea　of　our　position　by　help　of　the　stars。　In　this　endeavour；　I

may　say；　I　failed　absolutely；　as　I　did　not　know　how　to　take　a

stellar　or　any　other　observation。



On　my　way　out　of　our　native　house　I　observed；　by　the　lantern　I

carried；　that　the　compartment　of　it　occupied　by　Bastin　was　empty；

and　wondered　whither　he　had　gone　at　that　hour。　On　arriving　at　my

observation…post；　a　rocky　eminence　on　open　ground；　where；　with

Tommy　at　my　side；　I　took　my　seat　with　a　telescope；　I　was

astonished　to　see　or　rather　to　hear　a　great　number　of　the　natives

walking　past　the　base　of　the　mound　towards　the　bush。　Then　I

remembered　that　some　one；　Marama；　I　think；　had　informed　me　that

there　was　to　be　a　great　sacrifice　to　Oro　at　dawn　on　that　day。

After　this　I　thought　no　more　of　the　matter　but　occupied　myself　in

a　futile　study　of　the　heavenly　bodies。　At　length　the　dawn　broke

and　put　a　period　to　my　labours。



Glancing　round　me　before　I　descended　from　the　little　hill；　I

saw　a　flame　of　light　appear　suddenly　about　half　a　mile　or　more

away　among　those　trees　which　I　knew　concealed　the　image　of　Oro。

On　this　personally　I　had　never　had　the　curiosity　to　look；　as　I

knew　that　it　was　only　a　hideous　idol　stuck　over　with　feathers　and

other　bedizenments。　The　flame　shot　suddenly　straight　into　the

still　air　and　was　followed　a　few　seconds　later　by　the　sound　of　a

dull　explosion；　after　which　it　went　out。　Also　it　was　followed　by

something　elsea　scream　of　rage　from　an　infuriated　mob。



At　the　foot　of　the　hill　I　stopped　to　wonder　what　these　sounds

might　mean。　Then　of　a　sudden　appeared　Bickley；　who　had　been

attending　some　urgent　case；　and　asked　me　who　was　exploding

gunpowder。　I　told　him　that　I　had　no　idea。



〃Then　I　have；〃　he　answered。　〃It　is　that　ass　Bastin　up　to　some

game。　Now　I　guess　why　he　wanted　that　paraffin。　Listen　to　the　row。

What　are　they　after？〃



〃Sacrificing　Bastin；　perhaps；〃　I　replied；　half　in　jest。　〃Have

you　your　revolver？〃



He　nodded。　We　always　wore　our　pistols　if　we　went　out　during　the

dark　hours。



〃Then　perhaps　we　had　better　go　to　see。〃



We　started；　and　had　not　covered　a　hundred　yards　before　a　girl；

whom　I　recognised　as　one　of　Bastin's　converts；　came　flying

towards　us　and　screaming　out；　〃Help！　Help！　They　kill　the　Bellower

with　fire！　They　cook　him　like　a　pig！〃



〃Just　what　I　expected；〃　said　Bickley。



Then　we　ran　hard；　as　evidently　there　was　no　time　to　lose。　While

we　went　I　extracted　from　the　terrified　girl；　whom　we　forced　to

show　us　the　way；　that　as　the　sacrifice　was　about　to　be　offered

Bastin　had　appeared；　and；　〃making　fire；〃　applied　it　to　the　god

Oro；　who　instantly　burst　into　flame。　Then　he　ran　back；　calling

out　that　the　devil　was　dead。　As　he　did　so　there　was　a　loud

explosion　and　Oro　flew　into　pieces。　His　burning　head　went　a　long

way　into　the　air　and；　falling　on　to　one　of　the　priests；　killed

him。　Thereon　the　other　priests　and　the　people　seized　the　Bellower

and　made　him　fast。　Now　they　were　engaged　in　heating　an　oven　in

which　to　put　him　to　cook。　When　it　was　ready　they　would　eat　him　in

honour　of　Oro。



〃And　serve　him　right　too！〃　gasped　Bickley；　who；　being　stout；

was　not　a　good　runner。　〃Why　can't　he　leave　other　people's　gods

alone　instead　of　blowing　them　up　with　gunpowder？〃



〃Don't　know；〃　I　answered。　〃Hope　we　shall　get　there　in　time！〃



〃To　be　cooked　and　eaten　with　Bastin！〃　wheezed　Bickley；　after

which　his　breath　gave　out。



As　it　chanced　we　did；　for　these　stone　ovens　take　a　long　time　to

heat。　There　by　the　edge　of　his　fiery　grave　with　his　hands　and

legs　bound　in　palm…fibre　shackles；　stood　Bastin；　quite　unmoved；

smiling　indeed；　in　a　sort　of　seraphic　way　which　irritated　us　both

extremely。　Round　him　danced　the　infuriated　priests　of　Oro；　and

round　them；　shrieking　and　howling　with　rage；　was　most　of　the

population　of　Orofena。　We　rushed　up　so　suddenly　that　none　tried

to　stop　us；　and　took　our　stand　on　either　side　of　him；　producing

our　pistols　as　we　did　so。



〃Thank　you　for　coming；〃　said　Bastin　in　the　silence　which

followed；　〃though　I　don't　think　it　is　the　least　use。　I　cannot

recall　that　any　of　the　early　martyrs　were　ever　roasted　and　eaten；

though；　of　course；　throwing　them　into　boiling　oil　or　water　was

fairly　common。　I　take　it　that　the　rite　is　sacrificial　and　even　in

a　low　sense；　sacramental；　not　merely　one　of　common　cannibalism。〃



I　stared　at　him；　and　Bickley　gasped　out：



〃If　you　are　to　be　eaten；　what　does　it　matter　why　you　are

eaten？〃



〃Oh！〃　replied　Bastin；　〃there　is　all　the　difference　in　the

world；　though　it　is　one　that　I　cannot　expect　you　to　appreciate。

And　now　please　be　quiet　as　I　wish　to　say　my　prayers。　I　imagine

that　those　stones　will　be　hot　enough　to　do　their　office　within

twenty　minutes　or　so；　which　is　not　very　long。〃



At　that　moment　Marama　appeared；　evidently　in　a　state　of　great

perturbation。　With　him　were　some　of　the　priests　or　sorcerers　who

were　dancing　about　as　I　imagine　the　priests　of　Baal　must　have

done；　and　filled　with　fury。　They　rolled　their　eyes；　they　stuck

out　their　tongues；　they　uttered　weird　cries　and　shook　their

wooden　knives　at　the　placid　Bastin。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　I　asked　sternly　of　the　chief。



〃This；　Friend…from…the…Sea。　The　Bellower　there；　when　the

sacrifice　was　about　to　be　offered　to　Oro　at　the　dawn；　rushed

forward；　and　having　thrust　something　between　the　legs　of　the

image　of　the　god；　poured　yellow　water　over　it；　and　with　fire

caused　it　to　burst　into　fierce　flame。　Then　he　ran　away　and　mocked

the　god　who　presently；　with　a　loud　report；　flew　into　pieces　and

killed　that　man。　Therefore　the　Bellower　must　be　sacrificed。〃



〃What　to？〃　I　asked。　〃The　image　has　gone　and　the　piece　of　it

that　ascended　fell　not　upon　the　Bellower；　as　would　have　happened

if　the　god　had　been　angry　with　him；　but　on　one　of　its　own

priests；　whom　it　killed。　Therefore；　having　been　sacrificed　by　the

god　itself；　he　it　is　that　should　be　eaten；　not　the　Bellower；　who

merely　did　what　his　Spirit　bade　him。〃



This　ingenious　argument　seemed　to　produce　some　effect　upon

Marama；　but　to　the　priests　it　did　not　at　all　appeal。



〃Eat　them　all！〃　these　cried。　〃They　are　the　enemies　of　Oro　and

have　worked　sacrilege！〃



Moreover；　to　judge　from　their　demeanour；　the　bulk　of　the　people

seemed　to　agree　with　them。　Things　began　to　look　very　ugly。　The

priests　rushed　forward；　threatening　us　with　their　wooden　weapons；

and　one　of　them　even　aimed　a　blow　at　Bickley；　which　only　missed

him　by　an　inch　or　two。



〃Look　here；　my　friend；〃　called　the　doctor　whose　temper　was

rising；　〃you　name　me　the　Great　Priest　or　Great　Heal