south sea tales- 第16部分

and　sunburn。



In　the　end；　Otoo　saved　my　life；　for　I　came　to　lying　on　the　beach　twenty　feet

from　the　water；　sheltered　from　the　sun　by　a　couple　of　cocoanut　leaves。　No　one

but　Otoo　could　have　dragged　me　there　and　stuck　up　the　leaves　for　shade。　He　was

lying　beside　me。　I　went　off　again；　and　the　next　time　I　came　round；　it　was　cool

and　starry　night；　and　Otoo　was　pressing　a　drinking　cocoanut　to　my　lips。



We　were　the　sole　survivors　of　the　Petite　Jeanne。　Captain　Oudouse　must　have

succumbed　to　exhaustion；　for　several　days　later　his　hatch　cover　drifted　ashore

without　him。　Otoo　and　I　lived　with　the　natives　of　the　atoll　for　a　week；　when

we　were　rescued　by　the　French　cruiser　and　taken　to　Tahiti。　In　the　meantime；

however；　we　had　performed　the　ceremony　of　exchanging　names。　In　the　South　Seas

such　a　ceremony　binds　two　men　closer　together　than　blood　brothership。　The

initiative　had　been　mine；　and　Otoo　was　rapturously　delighted　when　I　suggested

it。



〃It　is　well；〃　he　said；　in　Tahitian。　〃For　we　have　been　mates　together　for　two

days　on　the　lips　of　Death。〃



〃But　death　stuttered；〃　I　smiled。



〃It　was　a　brave　deed　you　did；　master；〃　he　replied；　〃and　Death　was　not　vile

enough　to　speak。〃



〃Why　do　you　'master'　me？〃　I　demanded；　with　a　show　of　hurt　feelings。　〃We　have

exchanged　names。　To　you　I　am　Otoo。　To　me　you　are　Charley。　And　between　you　and

me；　forever　and　forever；　you　shall　be　Charley；　and　I　shall　be　Otoo。　It　is　the

way　of　the　custom。　And　when　we　die；　if　it　does　happen　that　we　live　again

somewhere　beyond　the　stars　and　the　sky；　still　shall　you　be　Charley　to　me；　and

I　Otoo　to　you。〃



〃Yes；　master；〃　he　answered；　his　eyes　luminous　and　soft　with　joy。



〃There　you　go！〃　I　cried　indignantly。



〃What　does　it　matter　what　my　lips　utter？〃　he　argued。　〃They　are　only　my　lips。

But　I　shall　think　Otoo　always。　Whenever　I　think　of　myself；　I　shall　think　of

you。　Whenever　men　call　me　by　name；　I　shall　think　of　you。　And　beyond　the　sky

and　beyond　the　stars；　always　and　forever；　you　shall　be　Otoo　to　me。　Is　it　well；

master？〃



I　hid　my　smile；　and　answered　that　it　was　well。



We　parted　at　Papeete。　I　remained　ashore　to　recuperate；　and　he　went　on　in　a

cutter　to　his　own　island；　Bora　Bora。　Six　weeks　later　he　was　back。　I　was

surprised；　for　he　had　told　me　of　his　wife；　and　said　that　he　was　returning　to

her；　and　would　give　over　sailing　on　far　voyages。



〃Where　do　you　go；　master？〃　he　asked；　after　our　first　greetings。



I　shrugged　my　shoulders。　It　was　a　hard　question。



〃All　the　world；〃　was　my　answer〃all　the　world；　all　the　sea；　and　all　the

islands　that　are　in　the　sea。〃



〃I　will　go　with　you；〃　he　said　simply。　〃My　wife　is　dead。〃



I　never　had　a　brother；　but　from　what　I　have　seen　of　other　men's　brothers；　I

doubt　if　any　man　ever　had　a　brother　that　was　to　him　what　Otoo　was　to　me。　He

was　brother　and　father　and　mother　as　well。　And　this　I　know：　I　lived　a

straighter　and　better　man　because　of　Otoo。　I　cared　little　for　other　men；　but　I

had　to　live　straight　in　Otoo's　eyes。　Because　of　him　I　dared　not　tarnish

myself。　He　made　me　his　ideal；　compounding　me；　I　fear；　chiefly　out　of　his　own

love　and　worship　and　there　were　times　when　I　stood　close　to　the　steep　pitch　of

hell；　and　would　have　taken　the　plunge　had　not　the　thought　of　Otoo　restrained

me。　His　pride　in　me　entered　into　me；　until　it　became　one　of　the　major　rules　in

my　personal　code　to　do　nothing　that　would　diminish　that　pride　of　his。



Naturally；　I　did　not　learn　right　away　what　his　feelings　were　toward　me。　He

never　criticized；　never　censured；　and　slowly　the　exalted　place　I　held　in　his

eyes　dawned　upon　me；　and　slowly　I　grew　to　comprehend　the　hurt　I　could　inflict

upon　him　by　being　anything　less　than　my　best。



For　seventeen　years　we　were　together；　for　seventeen　years　he　was　at　my

shoulder；　watching　while　I　slept；　nursing　me　through　fever　and　woundsay；　and

receiving　wounds　in　fighting　for　me。　He　signed　on　the　same　ships　with　me；　and

together　we　ranged　the　Pacific　from　Hawaii　to　Sydney　Head；　and　from　Torres

Straits　to　the　Galapagos。　We　blackbirded　from　the　New　Hebrides　and　the　Line

Islands　over　to　the　westward　clear　through　the　Louisades；　New　Britain；　New

Ireland；　and　New　Hanover。　We　were　wrecked　three　timesin　the　Gilberts；　in　the

Santa　Cruz　group；　and　in　the　Fijis。　And　we　traded　and　salved　wherever　a　dollar

promised　in　the　way　of　pearl　and　pearl　shell；　copra；　beche…de…mer；　hawkbill

turtle　shell；　and　stranded　wrecks。



It　began　in　Papeete；　immediately　after　his　announcement　that　he　was　going　with

me　over　all　the　sea；　and　the　islands　in　the　midst　thereof。　There　was　a　club　in

those　days　in　Papeete；　where　the　pearlers；　traders；　captains；　and　riffraff　of

South　Sea　adventurers　forgathered。　The　play　ran　high；　and　the　drink　ran　high；

and　I　am　very　much　afraid　that　I　kept　later　hours　than　were　becoming　or

proper。　No　matter　what　the　hour　was　when　I　left　the　club；　there　was　Otoo

waiting　to　see　me　safely　home。



At　first　I　smiled；　next　I　chided　him。　Then　I　told　him　flatly　that　I　stood　in

need　of　no　wet…nursing。　After　that　I　did　not　see　him　when　I　came　out　of　the

club。　Quite　by　accident；　a　week　or　so　later；　I　discovered　that　he　still　saw　me

home；　lurking　across　the　street　among　the　shadows　of　the　mango　trees。　What

could　I　do？　I　know　what　I　did　do。



Insensibly　I　began　to　keep　better　hours。　On　wet　and　stormy　nights；　in　the

thick　of　the　folly　and　the　fun；　the　thought　would　persist　in　coming　to　me　of

Otoo　keeping　his　dreary　vigil　under　the　dripping　mangoes。　Truly；　he　made　a

better　man　of　me。　Yet　he　was　not　strait…laced。　And　he　knew　nothing　of　common

Christian　morality。　All　the　people　on　Bora　Bora　were　Christians；　but　he　was　a

heathen；　the　only　unbeliever　on　the　island；　a　gross　materialist；　who　believed

that　when　he　died　he　was　dead。　He　believed　merely　in　fair　play　and　square

dealing。　Petty　meanness；　in　his　code；　was　almost　as　serious　as　wanton

homicide；　and　I　do　believe　that　he　respected　a　murderer　more　than　a　man　given

to　small　practices。



Concerning　me；　personally；　he　objected　to　my　doing　anything　that　was　hurtful

to　me。　Gambling　was　all　right。　He　was　an　ardent　gambler　himself。　But　late

hours；　he　explained；　were　bad　for　one's　health。　He　had　seen　men　who　did　not

take　care　of　themselves　die　of　fever。　He　was　no　teetotaler；　and　welcomed　a

stiff　nip　any　time　when　it　was　wet　work　in　the　boats。　On　the　other　hand；　he

believed　in　liquor　in　moderation。　He　had　seen　many　men　killed　or　disgraced　by

square…face　or　Scotch。



Otoo　had　my　welfare　always　at　heart。　He　thought　ahead　for　me；　weighed　my

plans；　and　took　a　greater　interest　in　them　than　I　did　myself。　At　first；　when　I

was　unaware　of　this　interest　of　his　in　my　affairs；　he　had　to　divine　my

intentions；　as；　for　instance；　at　Papeete；　when　I　contemplated　going　partners

with　a　knavish　fellow…countryman　on　a　guano　venture。　I　did　not　know　he　was　a

knave。　Nor　did　any　white　man　in　Papeete。　Neither　did　Otoo　know；　but　he　saw　how

thick　we　were　getting；　and　found　out　for　me；　and　without　my　asking　him。　Native

sailors　from　the　ends　of　the　seas　knock　about　on　the　beach　in　Tahiti；　and

Otoo；　suspicious　merely；　went　among　them　till　he　had　gathered　sufficient　data

to　justify　his　suspicions。　Oh；　it　was　a　nice　history；　that　of　Randolph　Waters。

I　couldn't　believe　it　when　Otoo　first　narrated　it；　but　when　I　sheeted　it　home

to　Waters　he　gave　in　without　a　murmur；　and　got　away　on　the　first　steamer　to

Aukland。



At　first；　I　am　free　to　confess；　I　couldn't　help　resenting　Otoo's　poking　his

nose　into　my　business。　But　I　knew　that　he　was　wholly　unselfish；　and　soon　I　had

to　acknowledge　his　wisdom　and　discretion。　He　had　his　eyes　open　always　to　my

main　chance；　and　he　was　both　keen…sighted　and　far…sighted。　In　time　he　became

my　counselor；　until　he　knew　more　of　my　business　than　I　did　myself。　　He　really

had　my　interest　at　heart　more　than　I　did。　'mine　was　the　magnificent

carelessness　of　youth；　for　I　preferred　romance　to　dollars；　and　adventure　to　a

comfortable　billet　with　all　night　in。　So　it　was　well　that　I　had　some　one　to

look　out　for　me。　I　know　that　if　it　had　not　been　for　Otoo；　I　should　not　be　here

today。



Of　numerous　instances；　let　me　give　one。　I　had　had　some　experience　in

blackbirding　before　I　went　pearling　in　the　Paumotus。　Otoo　and　I　were　on　the

beach　in　Samoawe　really　were　on　the　beach　and　hard　agroundwhen　my　chance

came　to　go　as　recruiter　on　a　blackbird　brig。　Otoo　signed　on　before　the　mast；

and　for　the　next　half…dozen　years；　in　as　many　ships；　we　knocked　about　the

wildest　portions　of　Melanesia。　Otoo　saw　to　it　that　he　always　pulled　stroke…oar

in　my　boat。　Our　custom　in　recruiting　labor　was　to　land　the　recruiter　on　the

beach。　The　covering　boat　always　lay　on　its　oars　several　hundred　feet　off

shore；　while　the　recruiter's　boat；　also　lying　on　its　oars；　kept　afloat　on　the

edge　of　the　beach。　When　I　landed　with　my　trade　goods；　leaving　my　steering

sweep　apeak；　Otoo　left　his　stroke　position　and　came　into　the　stern　sheets；

where　a　Winchester　lay　ready　to　hand　under　a　flap　of　canvas。　The　boat's　crew

was　also　armed；　the　Sniders　concealed　under　canvas　flaps　that　ran　the　length

of　the　gunwales。



While　I　was　busy　arguing　and　persuading　the　woolly…headed　cannibals　to　come

and　labor　on　the　Queensland　plantations　Otoo　kept　watch。　And　often　and　often

his　low　voice　warned　me　of　suspicious　actions　and　impending　treachery。

Sometimes　it　was　the　quick　shot　from　his　rifle；　knocking　a　nigger　over；　that

was　the　first　warning　I　received。　And　in　my　rush　to　the　boat　his　hand　was

always　there　to　jerk　me　flying　aboard。　Once；　I　remember；　on　SANTA　ANNA；　the

boat　grounded　just　as　the　trouble　began。　The　covering　boat　was　dashing　to　our

assistance；　but　the　several　score　of　savages　would　have　wiped　us　out　before　it

arrived。　Otoo　took　a　flying　leap　ashore；　dug　both　hands　into　the　trade　goods；

and　scattered　tobacco；　beads；　tomahawks；　knives；　and　calicoes　in　all

directions。



This　was　too　much　for　the　woolly…heads。　While　they　scrambled　for　the

tre