The Coral Island - Robert Michael Ballantyne (little readers txt) 📗
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procession was brought up by a shouting crowd of women and
children, with whom we mingled and followed to the temple.
Here we arrived in a few minutes. The temple was a tall circular
building, open at one side. Around it were strewn heaps of human
bones and skulls. At a table inside sat the priest, an elderly
man, with a long gray beard. He was seated on a stool, and before
him lay several knives, made of wood, bone, and splinters of
bamboo, with which he performed his office of dissecting dead
bodies. Farther in lay a variety of articles that had been
dedicated to the god, and among them were many spears and clubs. I
observed among the latter some with human teeth sticking in them,
where the victims had been clubbed in their mouths.
Before this temple the bodies, which were painted with vermilion
and soot, were arranged in a sitting posture; and a man, called a
“dan-vosa” (orator), advanced, and, laying his hands on their
heads, began to chide them, apparently, in a low bantering tone.
What he said we knew not, but, as he went on, he waxed warm, and at
last shouted to them at the top of his lungs, and finally finished
by kicking the bodies over and running away, amid the shouts and
laughter of the people, who now rushed forward. Seizing the bodies
by a leg, or an arm, or by the hair of the head, they dragged them
over stumps and stones and through sloughs, until they were
exhausted. The bodies were then brought back to the temple and
dissected by the priest, after which they were taken out to be
baked.
Close to the temple a large fire was kindled, in which stones were
heated red hot. When ready these were spread out on the ground,
and a thick coating of leaves strewn over them to slack the heat.
On this “lovo,” or oven, the bodies were then placed, covered over,
and left to bake.
The crowd now ran, with terrible yells, towards a neighbouring hill
or mound, on which we observed the framework of a house lying
ready to be erected. Sick with horror, yet fascinated by
curiosity, we staggered after them mechanically, scarce knowing
where we were going or what we did, and feeling a sort of
impression that all we saw was a dreadful dream.
Arrived at the place, we saw the multitude crowding round a certain
spot. We pressed forward and obtained a sight of what they were
doing. A large wooden beam or post lay on the ground, beside the
other parts of the framework of the house, and close to the end of
it was a hole about seven feet deep and upwards of two feet wide.
While we looked, the man whom we had before observed with his hands
pinioned, was carried into the circle. His hands were now free,
but his legs were tightly strapped together. The post of the house
was then placed in the hole, and the man put in beside it. His
head was a good way below the surface of the hole, and his arms
were clasped round the post. Earth was now thrown in until all was
covered over and stamped down; and this, we were afterwards told,
was a CEREMONY usually performed at the dedication of a new temple,
or the erection of a chief’s house
“Come, come,” cried Jack, on beholding this horrible tragedy, “we
have seen enough, enough, far more than enough! Let us go.”
Jack’s face looked ghastly pale and haggard as we hurried back to
rejoin the teacher, and I have no doubt that he felt terrible
anxiety when he considered the number and ferocity of the savages,
and the weakness of the few arms which were ready indeed to essay,
but impotent to effect, Avatea’s deliverance from these ruthless
men.
CHAPTER XXXII.
An unexpected discovery, and a bold, reckless defiance, with its
consequences - Plans of escape, and heroic resolves.
WHEN we returned to the shore, and related to our friend what had
passed, he was greatly distressed, and groaned in spirit; but we
had not sat long in conversation, when we were interrupted by the
arrival of Tararo on the beach, accompanied by a number of
followers bearing baskets of vegetables and fruits on their heads.
We advanced to meet him, and he expressed, through our interpreter,
much pleasure in seeing us.
“And what is it that my friends wish to say to me?” he inquired.
The teacher explained that we came to beg that Avatea might be
spared.
“Tell him,” said Jack, “that I consider that I have a right to ask
this of him, having not only saved the girl’s life, but the lives
of his own people also; and say that I wish her to be allowed to
follow her own wishes, and join the Christians.”
While this was being translated, the chiefs brow lowered, and we
could see plainly that our request met with no favourable
reception. He replied with considerable energy, and at some
length.
“What says he?” inquired Jack.
“I regret to say that he will not listen to the proposal. He says
he has pledged his word to his friend that the girl shall be sent
to him, and a deputy is even now on this island awaiting the
fulfilment of the pledge.”
Jack bit his lip in suppressed anger. “Tell Tararo,” he exclaimed
with flashing eye, “that if he does not grant my demand, it will be
worse for him. Say I have a big gun on board my schooner that will
blow his village into the sea, if he does not give up the girl.”
“Nay, my friend,” said the teacher, gently, “I will not tell him
that; we must overcome evil with good.’”
“What does my friend say?” inquired the chief, who seemed nettled
by Jack’s looks of defiance.
“He is displeased,” replied the teacher.
Tararo turned away with a smile of contempt, and walked towards the
men who carried the baskets of vegetables, and who had now emptied
the whole on the beach in an enormous pile.
“What are they doing there?” I inquired.
“I think that they are laying out a gift which they intend to
present to some one,” said the teacher.
At this moment a couple of men appeared leading a young girl
between them; and, going towards the heap of fruits and vegetables,
placed her on the top of it. We started with surprise and fear,
for in the young female before us we recognised the Samoan girl,
Avatea!
We stood rooted to the earth with surprise and thick coming fears.
“Oh! my dear young friend,” whispered the teacher, in a voice of
deep emotion, while he seized Jack by the arm, “she is to be made a
sacrifice even now!”
“Is she?” cried Jack, with a vehement shout, spurning the teacher
aside, and dashing over two natives who stood in his way, while he
rushed towards the heap, sprang up its side, and seized Avatea by
the arm. In another moment he dragged her down, placed her back to
a large tree, and, wrenching a war-club from the hand of a native
who seemed powerless and petrified with surprise, whirled it above
his head, and yelled, rather than shouted, while his face blazed
with fury, “Come on, the whole nation of you, an ye like it, and do
your worst!”
It seemed as though the challenge had been literally accepted; for
every savage on the ground ran precipitately at Jack with club and
spear, and, doubtless, would speedily have poured out his brave
blood on the sod, had not the teacher rushed in between them, and,
raising his voice to its utmost, cried. -
“Stay your hands, warriors! It is not your part to judge in this
matter. It is for Tararo, the chief, to say whether or not the
young man shall live or die.”
The natives were arrested; and I know not whether it was the
gratifying acknowledgment of his superiority thus made by the
teacher, or some lingering feeling of gratitude for Jack’s former
aid in time of need, that influenced Tararo, but he stepped
forward, and, waving his hand, said to his people, - “Desist. The
young man’s life is mine.” Then, turning to Jack, he said, “You
have forfeited your liberty and life to me. Submit yourself, for
we are more numerous than the sand upon the shore. You are but
one; why should you die?”
“Villain!” exclaimed Jack, passionately, “I may die, but,
assuredly, I shall not perish alone. I will not submit until you
promise that this girl shall not be injured.”
“You are very bold,” replied the chief, haughtily, “but very
foolish. Yet I will say that Avatea shall not be sent away, at
least for three days.”
“You had better accept these terms,” whispered the teacher,
entreatingly. “If you persist in this mad defiance, you will be
slain, and Avatea will be lost. Three days are worth having.”
Jack hesitated a moment, then lowered his club, and, throwing it
moodily to the ground, crossed his arms on his breast, and hung
down his head in silence.
Tararo seemed pleased by his submission, and told the teacher to
say that he did not forget his former services, and, therefore,
would leave him free as to his person, but that the schooner would
be detained till he had further considered the matter.
While the teacher translated this, he approached as near to where
Avatea was standing as possible, without creating suspicion, and
whispered to her a few words in the native language. Avatea, who,
during the whole of the foregoing scene, had stood leaning against
the tree perfectly passive, and seemingly quite uninterested in all
that was going on, replied by a single rapid glance of her dark
eye, which was instantly cast down again on the ground at her feet.
Tararo now advanced, and taking the girl by the hand, led her
unresistingly away, while Jack, Peterkin, and I returned with the
teacher on board the schooner.
On reaching the deck, we went down to the cabin, where Jack threw
himself, in a state of great dejection, on a couch; but the teacher
seated himself by his side, and, laying his hand upon his shoulder,
said, -
“Do not give way to anger, my young friend. God has given us three
days, and we must use the means that are in our power to free this
poor girl from slavery. We must not sit in idle disappointment, we
must act” -
“Act!” cried Jack, raising himself, and tossing back his hair
wildly; “it is mockery to balk of acting when one is bound hand and
foot. How can I act? I cannot fight a whole nation of savages
single-handed. Yes,” he said, with a bitter smile, “I can fight
them, but I cannot conquer them, or save Avatea.”
“Patience, my friend; your spirit is not a good one just now. You
cannot expect that blessing which alone can insure success, unless
you are more submissive. I will tell you my plans if you will
listen.”
“Listen!” cried Jack, eagerly, “of course I will, my good fellow; I
did not know you had any plans. Out with them. I only hope you
will show me how I can get the girl on board of this schooner, and
I’d up anchor and away in no time. But proceed with your plans.”
The teacher smiled sadly: “Ah! my friend, if one fathom of your
anchor chain were to rattle, as you drew it in, a thousand
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