CHAPTER IX.
AN OLD ENEMY.
Phil and I were not the only ones who felt disturbed in mind by theknowledge that within a few hours we should be waging war against thenatives.
Many an old shellback shook his head ominously on hearing of the messagesent by Captain Porter, and more than one predicted that the "luck ofthe _Essex_" would desert her immediately we began to "fool 'round onshore, sticking our noses into other people's business."
It was not for a couple of lads like Phil and me to criticise themovements of our commander, and yet we did venture to do so when certainthere was no one within earshot to repeat our words where trouble mightbe brewed for us.
Thus far we had succeeded in carrying on the work of refitting, with nointerruption whatsoever,--unless you might reckon it a disturbinginfluence to have a crowd of Typees on a hill-top two or three milesaway shaking their clubs at us,--and, so far as any one could say, wemight be able to continue at the task until it was finished.
At all events, so Phil argued, it would be wiser if we kept at work aslong as possible, and knocked off to fight only when it was absolutelynecessary to do so in order to save our lives or protect our property.
It was not reasonable to suppose that our sailormen would be able tomake much of a fist at fighting amid the thickets and on the cliffsagainst those who had been accustomed all their lives to such work, eventhough ours might be superior weapons; and should we gain the victory,the cost might be greater than we could afford.
When a commander lacks a sufficient number of men to handle all thevessels of his fleet, it surely seems like taking a great risk to runthe chance of having that number made less by the spears of an enemy, tovanquish whom can be no very great honor.
Thus Phil and I argued; but there was another phase of this war whichstruck us more keenly, although we did not talk about it very much.Suppose any of us should be taken prisoners! There appeared to be noquestion but that the natives were cannibals, and the idea of beingcooked and eaten was something so horrible that we did not venture toso much as speak of it. The possible fact remained in our minds moreclearly, perhaps, because we did not put the thoughts into words.
It did not afford any great relief to know that Master Hackett had verymuch the same mental trouble. After we three had done our share inbringing on shore a 6-pounder to be used in the battle on the mountain,and were lying in the grove taking a short rest, the old man saidmusingly, as if speaking to himself:--
"I don't reckon him as serves for the roast at one of these 'ere feastsknows very much about what's goin' on, seein's how he's dead an' baked;but it has always struck me that I'd rather have a grave in the ground,than inside one of these 'ere niggers."
"Do you suppose they eat all who are killed in battle?" Phil asked, hisvoice trembling perceptibly.
"It would come to that in the end, lad; though if the fight was a bigone, I reckon some of them as were dead would have to be salted down."
"I wish we were to get under way to-morrow, instead of going out throughthat tangle of trees and vines to prove that Captain Porter is nocoward," Phil said with a sigh.
"So do I, lad. I reckon we could refit our ships without doin' verymuch fightin', an' what little trouble might be necessary could becarried on here in the open, where we sailormen would have a fair show."
More than this Master Hackett did not say at the time, but from it Iunderstood that he had come to look upon a battle with the Typees assomething which might well be postponed until we had a larger crew.
I must say a word in favor of our commander's decision, otherwise it maybe thought that he sent his men into danger without due cause.
In order to gain the assistance of those natives living near about thebay, he had been forced to promise the Happars that he would give theTypees a lesson such as they deserved; and now was come the time whenthat should be done, otherwise we might count on having trouble withthose who had stood our friends.
While Master Hackett and we lads were taking our ease in the grove, aparty of natives numbering two or three hundred carried the 6-pounder tothe summit of the nearest mountain, and from that moment until theexpedition was really begun the Happar warriors continued to come infrom their homes ready for battle until there were not less, so mycousin, Lieutenant McKnight, declared, than two thousand men stationedon or near the hill where was the gun, all in something approachingmilitary order.
These soldiers were most imposing in appearance, even though they wereheathen. The ordinary costume, now they were attired for battle, wasmuch like this, and I have taken the description from a writer who,having lived two years among them, can well be considered as anauthority:--
"The splendid, long, drooping tail-feathers of the tropical bird,thickly interspersed with the gaudy plumage of the cock, were disposedin an immense upright semicircle upon his head, their lower extremitiesbeing fixed in a crescent of guinea-beads which spanned the forehead.Around his neck were several enormous necklaces of boar's tusks,polished like ivory, and disposed in such a manner that the longest #andlargest were upon his capacious chest.
"Thrust forward through the large apertures in his ears were two smalland finely shaped sperm-whale teeth, presenting their cavities in front,stuffed with freshly plucked leaves, and curiously wrought at the otherend into strange little images and devices. The loins of the warriorwere girt about with heavy folds of dark-colored tappa, hanging beforeand behind in clusters of braided tassels, while anklets and braceletsof curling human hair completed his unique costume. In his right handhe grasped a beautifully carved paddle spear, nearly fifteen feet inlength, made of the bright koa wood, one end sharply pointed, and theother flattened like an oar blade.
"Hanging obliquely from his girdle by a loop of sinnate, was a richlydecorated pipe; the slender stem was colored with a red pigment, andround it, as well as the idol-bowl, fluttered little streamers ofthinnest tappa. But that which was most-remarkable in the appearance ofthe splendid islander was the elaborate tattooing displayed on everynoble limb. All imaginable lines and curves and figures were delineatedover his whole body, and in their grotesque variety and infiniteprofusion I could only compare them to the crowded groupings of quaintpatterns we sometimes see in costly pieces of lacework."
Now fancy that two thousand of these fierce-looking fellows were hangingaround, while you knew that just over the mountain were seven or eightthousand more, and you will have some idea of how Phil and I felt whenwe knew that our little company of white people were to make, or helpmake war, understanding full well that the dead and those takenprisoners would serve as food for the living victors.
It was by no means a cheering prospect, view it from whateverstandpoint you choose.
However, all troubles are greatest when looked at from a distance, andthis was no exception to the rule.
On the morning of the second day, when Phil and I had worked ourselvesinto a regular perspiration of fear, the Happar army, with the exceptionof those on the mountain guarding the 6-pounder, were drawn up near thebeach awaiting the coming of our men before proceeding to smoke out theTypees.
I listened in fear and trembling to hear the order for all hands to fallinto line, and my surprise was as great as my relief, which is puttingit very strong, when I learned that Captain Porter did not count onrisking many of his men in an encounter.
Forty sailors and marines had already been told off, and LieutenantDownes was placed in command, after which Mr. Maury was ordered to letthe Happar leaders know that our force was ready.
Master Hackett was not among the number chosen, and although he hadprotested that we had no right to take part in this war, he appeareddecidedly disgruntled because of being left behind.
"I see they've taken the younger sailors," he said to Phil and me as wewatched the small body of white men, completely encircled by thefierce-looking savages, march off toward the mountain. "If the captainthinks that a crowd of boys will do the work of men, then I allow he'smakin' the mistake of his life."
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"After all that's been said against the war, you ought to be wellsatisfied that you're not called upon to take part," I said in surprise,whereat the old man turned upon me as if in anger.
"It makes no difference what I think, when a part of the crew are calledout on an expedition like this. It's my right to go with 'em, an'perhaps Captain Porter will come to the conclusion, before this day isended, that he's made a mistake in puttin' all his dependence on youngfellows who haven't had experience enough to steady them!"
Neither Phil nor I were disposed to quarrel with that which enabled usto remain in a position of at least partial security, while the otherpoor fellows were perspiring and fuming as they made their way throughthe jungle on a six-mile tramp.
It would be no slight task to scale the mountains when the heat, evenwhile one remained on the seashore, was most intense; and we could wellfancy what the temperature must be amid the thicket.
Ten minutes after the rear-guard of the army had passed by ourlounging-place, the entire force was hidden from view by the foliage,and we saw nothing more of them until two hours later, when the foremostof the gaudily bedecked warriors appeared on the naked mountain-sideabove the line of trees.
At such a distance they looked like ants, rather than human beings; andfinding it impossible to distinguish our men from the savages, we ceasedto strain our eyes, accounting it too much of an exertion while the heatwas so great.
Mr. Maury had told us that the Typees had a strong fort on the summit ofthe second mountain, and it was probable the engagement, if one ensued,would be at such a distance from the shore that we could have no view ofit whatsoever; therefore we set about our duties of waiting upon thecooks, well content with such menial offices as we thought of ourshipmates in the forest.
Master Hackett found enough on board the _Essex_ to occupy his timeprofitably, and half an hour after the army set forth, all hands of uson the shore of the bay were working as quietly as if there was nopossibility a battle would be fought which might affect us most keenly.
Until dinner had been cooked and eaten we two lads found littleopportunity for conversation with one another; but after the meal hadcome to an end, and those detailed for work upon the ships were at theirtasks once more, our hour of idleness was come.
We were at liberty to do as we pleased until it was time to preparesupper, and Phil said, when I started for our old lounging-place, thegrove:--
"With all the afternoon before us, why shouldn't we have a look atwhat's going on over yonder?" and he pointed toward the mountain summit.
"Do you mean that we, being clear of such danger because of our duties,shall voluntarily take part in a fight?" I asked in surprise.
"I'm not counting on having anything to do with one, save as spectator,"he replied with a laugh. "Mr. Maury has said that the Typee fort is onthe second summit, therefore our people have far to go before beginningtheir work. Now, it wouldn't be such a very hard task for us to climb tothe top of this first mountain and there have a full view of all that'sbeing done. A battle between savages must be something fine, and thereare few lads who ever had such an opportunity as is ours if we choose totake advantage of it."
There was much of truth in what he said. The idea had not come into myhead before, that I might, from some secure spot, see all that was beingdone, but now that it had been suggested I was decidedly in favor of theplan.
True, it would cost us severe labor to climb the mountain-side; but thedescent would be easy, and surely we could well afford to spend some ofour strength in order to witness such a sight as might at this moment bepresented.
"I'm with you," was my reply as I rose quickly to my feet. "Shall wetell Master Hackett what we propose doing?"
"There's no real need of it, and it would cost us a good half hour'stime to go out to the _Essex_ and back. By hurrying up a bit now, we canbe down here again before he has knocked off work."
"Come on!" I cried gleefully, and we ran forward, following thefootsteps of the war party until we were come to some huge bouldersabout two miles from the shore, directly over which the trail seemed tolead.
"We can afford to go around such a barrier as that," I said lazily, aswe came to a halt. "The savages, accustomed to such climbing, and inhaste to get into position, most likely took the shortest cut."
Phil was of my opinion, and thus each of us proved himself to be asimple, for we should have realized that the Happars would take the bestcourse, and if a pile of boulders might be avoided by a slight detour,they would not hesitate about making it.
We went on our own course, however, and after climbing for half an hourover the mossy slope which seemed slippery as glass, found the barrierstill on the port side, with no indication of coming to an end.
"It can't make much difference to us," Phil said cheerily. "We're notbound for the Typee fort; but only ask for a place where we can see whatis being done on the next mountain."
During fully half an hour more we climbed, and then, without warning,found ourselves in the midst of tall yellow weeds growing together asthickly as they could stand, and as tough and stubborn as so much iron.
I tried to force them apart with my hands; but such an attempt wasuseless, and, half crouching, I brought my shoulder to bear against theyellow stalks, when I found it possible, by the exercise of all mystrength, to move forward slowly.
We toiled on for thirty minutes more, expecting each instant to come tothe end of the growth, and then Phil threw himself down exhausted.
The reeds closed in upon us as we advanced, and thus we were completelyshut out from any breath of air which might be stirring. The heat wasmore intense than I had ever experienced, and it seemed almostimpossible that I could continue the ascent ten minutes longer.
"We'd best put back, and try our luck over the boulders!" Phil said,panting so heavily that it was only with difficulty he could speakintelligently.
"We've fought our way through this stuff for an hour, and it will takeus as long to go back," I said petulantly. "It stands to reason that wemust come to an end of such work very soon, and we'd better push on, ifonly to find an easier way of descent."
Phil made no decided objection to this proposition, and after a shorttime of rest I led the way once more, straining my eyes in vain for sometoken that we were near the end of this most fatiguing journey.
On, on we pressed, I wishing most devoutly that I had never fallen inwith Phil's scheme, and then, suddenly, the ironlike weeds became lessdense. It was possible to make my way with far less exertion, and Ishouted the joyful information to Phil, who I knew needed something tocheer him on.
"We're getting out where it will be possible to take our choice ofpaths!" I cried; "and if you're of the same opinion, we won't travelmany miles farther for the sake of seeing a battle between the savages,but make our way back to the shore."
I had no more than thus spoken when there was a rustling of the stiffstalks just in front of me, and looking up quickly I saw the muzzle of amusket within three or four inches of my face.
While standing like a statue gazing at the metal tube, so much surprisedthat it was impossible to speak, a voice cried harshly:--
"Throw down your weapon, or I'll put a bullet through you."
"We haven't any weapons!" I cried; and a great simple I was for havinggiven such information.
Then there came into my mind the thought that he who had shouted must beone of our men, because it was not probable there were any on the islandbesides them who spoke English, and I cried gleefully to Phil:--
"Come on, lad, we've run upon our sailors!"
Phil increased his pace as much as possible, and was just at my heelswhen I stepped out to find myself confronted by none other than the ladwho, I had good reason for believing, was in prison atValparaiso--Oliver Benson.
He stood there grinning, with musket at his shoulder, ready to fire atthe first show of enmity from either of us.
Phil was quite as much astonished as I had been, when finally he cameinto view; but
it was possible for him to speak, and he cried:--
"Where did you come from?"
"The last port I left was Valparaiso, where you and your friends spentso much time lodging me in jail. I'm stopping on this island just nowwith the natives who count on wiping your folks out of sight thisafternoon, and I had an idea that you two young scoundrels might bepicked up in the rear of the sailors, for I knew full well you wouldn'tbe found in front."
We stood gazing at him in speechless astonishment, and he, grinning asusual, seemed to enjoy our display of cowardice.
"Come up here one at a time and turn your pockets inside out."
"What's this for?" I asked; but at the same moment taking good care toobey promptly.
"I want to make certain you haven't any weapons."
"We're willing to give you our word as to that," Phil said promptly.
"I'd rather have better proof," the Britisher replied sharply; and in avery few seconds we convinced him of our defenceless condition.
While we were thus being overhauled, I asked myself bitterly how itchanced that we had been such idiots as to leave camp without so much asa knife between us; but could find no satisfactory answer to thequestion.
When he was convinced that we were really without weapons, Benson laidthe musket carefully down at his feet and drew a huge clasp-knife, whichhe opened.
"Stand around here!" he commanded sharply, and, as a matter of course,we did as we were bidden.
Then the fellow drew from his pocket a small coil of ratline-stuff withwhich he proceeded to tie my left arm to Phil's right one in such amanner that we could not get at the knots with our free hands.
Now we were entirely in his power and he proceeded to get suchsatisfaction as was possible out of the capture.
"Look at me!" he said sharply. "Did you count that there wouldn't be aday of reckoning when you left me in jail?"
"We never thought anything about it," I replied, my anger causing me toappear bold. "You deserved punishment, and should be behind the barsthis very moment."
"You evidently know very little about Chilian jails," he went oncomplacently. "Money will buy the freedom of any prisoner who is notaccused of murder, and even such an one has been known to escape if hecould show gold enough to convince the keepers. As soon as yourmiserable ships were out of the harbor, I quietly walked away one finenight, for I'd made enough selling Yankees to have a veryrespectable-sized hoard where no one could get at it but myself."
"But how did you chance to be on this island?" Phil asked, curiosityovercoming his fear.
"I took passage on a craft bound to the Galapagos on a trading voyage.We met heavy weather, and were cast away here. Four came ashore; butthree have been roasted, and I'm living on the fat of the land, havingshown the king of the Typees that I can be of more service to him alivethan dead."
"Then you knew we were in Nukuheva Bay?" I stammered, so much surprisedthat I could not speak in proper fashion.
"Of course I did, and more than once I've crept near enough the shore tosee you lads. I made up my mind that you would soon be where I couldwork off old scores, and began operations by advising the king to sendthat message to Captain Porter, knowing he'd come out. I believed youtwo sneaks would be with the war-party; but on finding you had hungback, like cowards, was on my way to learn where you were."
Having made such explanation Benson, who had been seated while we stoodlike culprits before him, leaned back in a more comfortable fashion,surveying us gloatingly.
"Well, what do you propose doing with us now that the plan has worked toyour satisfaction?"
"I count on waiting here till your crew and the Happars have beenthoroughly whipped, when I'll take you into the valley and see Typeesroast you in proper fashion. I know how it's done, for I saw the threewho came on shore with me slaughtered and cooked in fine style. My onlytrouble is, they'll cut your throats as if you were pigs, and that's tooeasy a death for those who did what they could to keep me in jail."
I had no doubt whatsoever but that the wretch would do exactly as he hadsaid, and it is not surprising that I literally grew sick with terror.
Involuntarily I glanced at Phil. His face was pallid, and beadlikedrops of perspiration stood on his forehead, telling of the fear in hisheart.
It was reasonable to suppose that Benson was well acquainted with thepaths from one mountain to the other, and could readily keep out of theway of the Happar army, whether it should be successful or beaten. Thereappeared to be no ray of hope for us; but I did my poor best to preventthe murderous Britisher from understanding what was in my heart.
Phil showed himself braver than was I, for instead of being forced tospend his time trying to keep himself from showing cowardice, he couldafford to indulge in anger, and he cried, bold as if we were the mastersinstead of Benson:--
"It's a bad practice to crow very loudly before you've worked your will.We have more friends on this island than you may claim; and if it sochances that you can turn us over to the cannibals, they will make yousuffer."
"If the situation was different, my bantam, I'd admit that what you saymight turn out true; but your people haven't any idea that Oliver Bensonis anywhere except in the jail at Valparaiso, and will set it all downto the account of the Typees. I shouldn't cry very much if a few hundredof them were killed to pay for having eaten you."
After that we fell silent for a time, Benson eying us greedily, as ifhe had it in mind to learn what human flesh tasted like, and Phil and Itrying in vain to devise some relief from our troubles.
There was no way out, as I speedily came to believe. This vindictivefellow could easily keep us hidden from the returning Happars, and thatthe Typees would welcome more captives we knew full well.
When perhaps fifteen minutes had passed and Benson gave no sign ofleaving this hiding-place in the stiff weeds, Phil asked curtly:--
"How much longer do you count on staying here? There'll be no chance ofseeing us roasted, unless you try a hand at the cooking, while we arehidden in this place."
"You shall have a chance to travel in due time, so don't grow impatient.I reckon on staying here until the battle is over, and then there won'tbe any risk, so far as I am concerned, in going across the valley."
Even as he spoke I fancied it was possible to hear faintly the report ofmuskets; but it might have been that my imagination played me a trick,because I was eager to hear such sounds close at hand.
We remained standing in front of Benson, while he lolled on the groundat his ease, until it seemed impossible to remain on my feet anothersecond longer. The work of climbing up the mountain had brought usalmost to the verge of exhaustion, which was forgotten for the timebeing in our fears, but now made itself felt more keenly than before.
Save for that of which I have already spoken, not a sound had been heardto give token that there were other human beings on the island, and Ibegan to believe that neither Happars nor Typees were within many milesof us.
"Look here, Benson," I finally said, speaking as though he was in mypower rather than I in his, "if you keep us standing here much longerit'll be a case of carrying us bodily to the roasting-place, for we'vehad more of a tramp this day than is really good for our bones."
"If you so much as move a finger, I'll shoot you like curs."
"Shoot and have done with it!" Phil cried boldly, scuffling his feet andwaving his arm to provoke the fellow. "I allow that it's within yourpower to carry us where we'll be roasted and eaten, therefore thegreatest favor you can do is to shoot now without further parley."
Having said this Phil threw himself on the ground, dragging me withhim, and I could have kissed the lad for displaying so much spirit whileI was acting the more cowardly part.
Benson did not shoot, and for two very good reasons: first, he wanted tocarry us in as prisoners that he might gain credit for having capturedtwo white fellows; and secondly, because he dared not discharge hismusket, lest by so doing he bring down upon him a party of Happars, or,perhaps, some of our own men.
I believe that I would have welcomed death if it came in the guise of amusket ball, so positive did I feel that we should be delivered to theTypees within a certain length of time, when I had good cause forknowing what our fate would be; and I would have done anything within mypower to provoke him into killing us quickly, even though I was usuallyso cowardly when death seemed near at hand.
Strange, and almost extravagant, as it may seem, Phil's eyes were closedin slumber within a very few minutes after he was stretched at fulllength upon the ground. The dear lad was so nearly exhausted after hislong climb and the subsequent struggle with the stiff yellow weeds, thatbodily fatigue caused him to forget the danger.
I, who was probably less weary, could not have lost myself in theunconsciousness of slumber even though my bed had been the mostrest-inviting ever made. Death was standing very near to me at thattime, and I believed the supreme moment must come before many hours hadpassed, for it was not probable we would be aided by those of our crewwho had gone to fight the battles of the friendly Happars.
Then, after many moments, came a gleam of light into my mind. Benson'seyes were beginning to grow narrow; I saw his head droop on his bosom,and he roused up with a start, thus showing that slumber would begrateful to him. Then it was that a great hope looked in at my heart.
If he should be overcome by slumber, it was not impossible that Phil andI might be able to creep up on him so far as to gain possession of themusket; and once that weapon was in our hands, we would give the villaina most pressing invitation to go with us to where he could have a secondinterview with Captain Porter.
I watched him as a cat watches a mouse, literally holding my breath insuspense, and ready to take any chance, however desperate, when theopportunity should come.