south sea tales-第28章

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nigger　from　behind　was　braining　him　with　a　tomahawk。



〃I　can　see　it　now；　the　water…tank；　the　mainmast；　the　gang　hanging　on　to　him；

the　hatchet　descending　on　the　back　of　his　head；　and　all　under　the　blazing

sunlight。　I　was　fascinated　by　that　growing　vision　of　death。　The　tomahawk

seemed　to　take　a　horribly　long　time　to　come　down。　I　saw　it　land；　and　the　man's

legs　give　under　him　as　he　crumpled。　The　niggers　held　him　up　by　sheer　strength

while　he　was　hacked　a　couple　of　times　more。　Then　I　got　two　more　hacks　on　the

head　and　decided　that　I　was　dead。　So　did　the　brute　that　was　hacking　me。　I　was

too　helpless　to　move；　and　I　lay　there　and　watched　them　removing　the　sentry's

head。　I　must　say　they　did　it　slick　enough。　They　were　old　hands　at　the

business。



〃The　rifle　firing　from　the　boats　had　ceased；　and　I　made　no　doubt　that　they

were　finished　off　and　that　the　end　had　come　to　everything。　It　was　only　a

matter　of　moments　when　they　would　return　for　my　head。　They　were　evidently

taking　the　heads　from　the　sailors　aft。　Heads　are　valuable　on　Malaita；

especially　white　heads。　They　have　the　place　of　honor　in　the　canoe　houses　of

the　salt…water　natives。　What　particular　decorative　effect　the　bushmen　get　out

of　them　I　didn't　know；　but　they　prize　them　just　as　much　as　the　salt…water

crowd。



〃I　had　a　dim　notion　of　escaping；　and　I　crawled　on　hands　and　knees　to　the

winch；　where　I　managed　to　drag　myself　to　my　feet。　From　there　I　could　look　aft

and　see　three　heads　on　top　the　cabinthe　heads　of　three　sailors　I　had　given

orders　to　for　months。　The　niggers　saw　me　standing；　and　started　for　me。　I

reached　for　my　revolver；　and　found　they　had　taken　it。　I　can't　say　that　I　was

scared。　I've　been　near　to　death　several　times；　but　it　never　seemed　easier　than

right　then。　I　was　half…stunned；　and　nothing　seemed　to　matter。



〃The　leading　nigger　had　armed　himself　with　a　cleaver　from　the　galley；　and　he

grimaced　like　an　ape　as　he　prepared　to　slice　me　down。　But　the　slice　was　never

made。　He　went　down　on　the　deck　all　of　a　heap；　and　I　saw　the　blood　gush　from

his　mouth。　In　a　dim　way　I　heard　a　rifle　go　off　and　continue　to　go　off。　Nigger

after　nigger　went　down。　'my　senses　began　to　clear；　and　I　noted　that　there　was

never　a　miss。　Every　time　that　the　rifle　went　off　a　nigger　dropped。　I　sat　down

on　deck　beside　the　winch　and　looked　up。　Perched　in　the　crosstrees　was

Saxtorph。　How　he　had　managed　it　I　can't　imagine；　for　he　had　carried　up　with

him　two　Winchesters　and　I　don't　know　how　many　bandoliers　of　ammunition；　and　he

was　now　doing　the　one　only　thing　in　this　world　that　he　was　fitted　to　do。



〃I've　seen　shooting　and　slaughter；　but　I　never　saw　anything　like　that。　I　sat

by　the　winch　and　watched　the　show。　I　was　weak　and　faint；　and　it　seemed　to　be

all　a　dream。　Bang；　bang；　bang；　bang；　went　his　rifle；　and　thud；　thud；　thud；

thud；　went　the　niggers　to　the　deck。　It　was　amazing　to　see　them　go　down。　After

their　first　rush　to　get　me；　when　about　a　dozen　had　dropped；　they　seemed

paralyzed；　but　he　never　left　off　pumping　his　gun。　By　this　time　canoes　and　the

two　boats　arrived　from　shore；　armed　with　Sniders；　and　with　Winchesters　which

they　had　captured　in　the　boats。　The　fusillade　they　let　loose　on　Saxtorph　was

tremendous。　Luckily　for　him　the　niggers　are　only　good　at　close　range。　They　are

not　used　to　putting　the　gun　to　their　shoulders。　They　wait　until　they　are　right

on　top　of　a　man；　and　then　they　shoot　from　the　hip。　When　his　rifle　got　too　hot；

Saxtorph　changed　off。　That　had　been　his　idea　when　he　carried　two　rifles　up

with　him。



〃The　astounding　thing　was　the　rapidity　of　his　fire。　Also；　he　never　made　a

miss。　If　ever　anything　was　inevitable；　that　man　was。　It　was　the　swiftness　of

it　that　made　the　slaughter　so　appalling。　The　niggers　did　not　have　time　to

think。　When　they　did　manage　to　think；　they　went　over　the　side　in　a　rush；

capsizing　the　canoes　of　course。　Saxtorph　never　let　up。　The　water　was　covered

with　them；　and　plump；　plump；　plump；　he　dropped　his　bullets　into　them。　Not　a

single　miss；　and　I　could　hear　distinctly　the　thud　of　every　bullet　as　it　buried

in　human　flesh。



〃The　niggers　spread　out　and　headed　for　the　shore；　swimming。　The　water　was

carpeted　with　bobbing　heads；　and　I　stood　up；　as　in　a　dream；　and　watched　it

allthe　bobbing　heads　and　the　heads　that　ceased　to　bob。　Some　of　the　long

shots　were　magnificent。　Only　one　man　reached　the　beach；　but　as　he　stood　up　to

wade　ashore；　Saxtorph　got　him。　It　was　beautiful。　And　when　a　couple　of　niggers

ran　down　to　drag　him　out　of　the　water；　Saxtorph　got　them；　too。



〃I　thought　everything　was　over　then；　when　I　heard　the　rifle　go　off　again。　A

nigger　had　come　out　of　the　cabin　companion　on　the　run　for　the　rail　and　gone

down　in　the　middle　of　it。　The　cabin　must　have　been　full　of　them。　I　counted

twenty。　They　came　up　one　at　a　time　and　jumped　for　the　rail。　But　they　never　got

there。　It　reminded　me　of　trapshooting。　A　black　body　would　pop　out　of　the

companion；　bang　would　go　Saxtorph's　rifle；　and　down　would　go　the　black　body。

Of　course；　those　below　did　not　know　what　was　happening　on　deck；　so　they

continued　to　pop　out　until　the　last　one　was　finished　off。



〃Saxtorph　waited　a　while　to　make　sure；　and　then　came　down　on　deck。　He　and　I

were　all　that　were　left　of　the　DUCHESS'S　complement；　and　I　was　pretty　well　to

the　bad；　while　he　was　helpless　now　that　the　shooting　was　over。　Under　my

direction　he　washed　out　my　scalp　wounds　and　sewed　them　up。　A　big　drink　of

whiskey　braced　me　to　make　an　effort　to　get　out。　There　was　nothing　else　to　do。

All　the　rest　were　dead。　We　tried　to　get　up　sail；　Saxtorph　hoisting　and　I

holding　the　turn。　He　was　once　more　the　stupid　lubber。　He　couldn't　hoist　worth

a　cent；　and　when　I　fell　in　a　faint；　it　looked　all　up　with　us。



〃When　I　came　to；　Saxtorph　was　sitting　helplessly　on　the　rail；　waiting　to　ask

me　what　he　should　do。　I　told　him　to　overhaul　the　wounded　and　see　if　there　were

any　able　to　crawl。　He　gathered　together　six。　One；　I　remember；　had　a　broken

leg；　but　Saxtorph　said　his　arms　were　all　right。　I　lay　in　the　shade；　brushing

the　flies　off　and　directing　operations；　while　Saxtorph　bossed　his　hospital

gang。　I'll　be　blessed　if　he　didn't　make　those　poor　niggers　heave　at　every　rope

on　the　pin…rails　before　he　found　the　halyards。　One　of　them　let　go　the　rope　in

the　midst　of　the　hoisting　and　slipped　down　to　the　deck　dead；　but　Saxtorph

hammered　the　others　and　made　them　stick　by　the　job。　When　the　fore　and　main

were　up；　I　told　him　to　knock　the　shackle　out　of　the　anchor　chain　and　let　her

go。　I　had　had　myself　helped　aft　to　the　wheel；　where　I　was　going　to　make　a

shift　at　steering。　I　can't　guess　how　he　did　it；　but　instead　of　knocking　the

shackle　out；　down　went　the　second　anchor；　and　there　we　were　doubly　moored。



〃In　the　end　he　managed　to　knock　both　shackles　out　and　raise　the　staysail　and

jib；　and　the　Duchess　filled　away　for　the　entrance。　　Our　decks　were　a

spectacle。　Dead　and　dying　niggers　were　everywhere。　They　were　wedged　away　some

of　them　in　the　most　inconceivable　places。　The　cabin　was　full　of　them　where

they　had　crawled　off　the　deck　and　cashed　in。　I　put　Saxtorph　and　his　graveyard

gang　to　work　heaving　them　overside；　and　over　they　went；　the　living　and　the

dead。　The　sharks　had　fat　pickings　that　day。　　Of　course　our　four　murdered

sailors　went　the　same　way。　Their　heads；　however；　we　put　in　a　sack　with

weights；　so　that　by　no　chance　should　they　drift　on　the　beach　and　fall　into　the

hands　of　the　niggers。



〃Our　five　prisoners　I　decided　to　use　as　crew；　but　they　decided　otherwise。　They

watched　their　opportunity　and　went　over　the　side。　Saxtorph　got　two　in　mid…air

with　his　revolver；　and　would　have　shot　the　other　three　in　the　water　if　I

hadn't　stopped　him。　　I　was　sick　of　the　slaughter；　you　see；　and　besides；　they'd

helped　work　the　schooner　out。　But　it　was　mercy　thrown　away；　for　the　sharks　got

the　three　of　them。



〃I　had　brain　fever　or　something　after　we　got　clear　of　the　land。　　Anyway；　the

DUCHESS　lay　hove　to　for　three　weeks；　when　I　pulled　myself　together　and　we

jogged　on　wit