“So,“saidhe,“youandIhadbettergotoNukuhevanowoverland,andto-morrowIwillbringTommo,astheycallhim,bywater;theyhavepromisedtocarryhimdowntotheseaformeearlyinthemorning,sothattherewillbenodelay。“
“No,no,“saidTobydesperately,“Iwillnotleavehimthatway;
wemustescapetogether。“
“Thereisnohopeforyou,“exclaimedthesailor,“forifI
leaveyouhereonthebeach,assoonasIamgoneyouwillbecarriedbackintothevalley,andthenneitherofyouwilleverlookupontheseaagain。“AndwithmanyoathshesworethatifhewouldonlygotoNukuhevawithhimthatday,hewouldbesuretohavemetheretheverynextmorning。
“Buthowdoyouknowtheywillbringhimdowntothebeachto-morrow,whentheywillnotdosoto-day?“saidToby。Butthesailorhadmanyreasons,allofwhichweresomixedupwiththemysteriouscustomsoftheislanders,thathewasnonethewiser。Indeed,theirconduct,especiallyinpreventinghimfromreturningintothevalley,wasabsolutelyunaccountabletohim;andaddedtoeverythingelsewasthebitterreflection,thattheoldsailor,afterall,mightpossiblybedeceivinghim。Andthenagainhehadtothinkofme,leftalonewiththenatives,andbynomeanswell。IfhewentwithJimmy,hemightatleasthopetoprocuresomereliefforme。Butmightnotthesavageswhohadactedsostrangely,hurrymeoffsomewherebeforehisreturn?Then,evenheremained,perhapstheywouldnotlethimgobackintothevalleywhereIwas。
Thusperplexedwasmypoorcomrade;heknewnotwhattodo,andhiscourageousspiritwasofnousetohimnow。Therehewas,allbyhimself,seateduponthebrokencanoe-thenativesgroupedaroundhimatadistance,andeyeinghimmoreandmorefixedly。
“Itisgettinglate,“saidJimmy,whowasstandingbehindtherest。“Nukuhevaisfaroff,andIcannotcrosstheHapparcountrybynight。Youseehowitis:-ifyoucomealongwithme,allwillbewell;ifyoudonot,dependuponitneitherofyouwilleverescape。“
“Thereisnohelpforit,“saidToby,atlast,withaheavyheart,“Iwillhavetotrustyou“;andhecameoutfromtheshadowofthelittleshrine,andcastalonglookupthevalley。
“Nowkeepclosetomyside,“saidthesailor,“andletusbemovingquickly。“TinorandFayawayhereappeared;thekind-heartedoldwomanembracingToby’sknees,givingwaytoafloodoftears;whileFayaway,hardlylessmoved,spokesomefewwordsofEnglishshehadlearned,andheldupthreefingersbeforehim-insomanydayshewouldreturn。
AtlastJimmypulledTobyoutofthecrowd,andaftercallingtoayoungTypeewhowasstandingbywithayoungpiginhisarms,allthreestartedforthemountains。
“Ihavetoldthemthatyouarecomingbackagain,“saidtheoldfellow,laughing,astheybegantheascent,“butthey’llhavetowaitalongtime。“Tobyturned,andsawthenativesallinmotion-thegirlswavingtheirtappasinadieu,andthementheirspears。Asthelastfigureenteredthegrovewithonearmraised,andthethreefingersspread,hisheartsmotehim。
Asthenativeshadatlastconsentedtohisgoing,itmighthavebeen,thatsomeofthem,atleast,reallycounteduponhisspeedyreturn;probablysupposing,asindeedhehadtoldthemwhentheywerecomingdownthevalley,thathisonlyobjectinleavingthemwastoprocurethemedicinesIneeded。This,Jimmyalsomusthavetoldthem。Andastheyhaddonebefore,whenmycomrade,toobligeme,startedonhisperilousjourneytoNukuheva,theylookeduponme,inhisabsence,asoneoftwoinseparablefriendswhowasasureguaranteefortheother’sreturn。Thisisonlymyownsupposition,however,forastoalltheirstrangeconduct,itisstillamystery。
“YouseewhatsortofataboomanIam,“saidthesailor,afterforsometimesilentlyfollowingthepathwhichledupthemountain。
“Mow-Mowmademeapresentofthispighere,andthemanwhocarriesitwillgorightthroughHappar,anddownintoNukuhevawithus。Solongashestaysbymeheissafe,andjustsoitwillbewithyou,andto-morrowwithTommo。Cheerup,then,andrelyuponme,youwillseehiminthemorning。“
Theascentofthemountainwasnotverydifficult,owingtoitsbeingneartothesea,wheretheislandridgesarecomparativelylow;thepath,too,wasafineone,sothatinashorttimeallthreewerestandingonthesummitwiththetwovalleysattheirfeet。ThewhitecascadesmarkingthegreenheadoftheTypeevalleyfirstcaughtToby’seye;Marheyo’shousecouldeasilybetracedbythem。
AsJimmyledthewayalongtheridge,TobyobservedthatthevalleyoftheHapparsdidnotextendnearsofarinlandasthatoftheTypees。Thisaccountedforourmistakeinenteringthelattervalleyaswehad。
Apathleadingdownfromthemountainwassoonseen,andfollowingit,thepartywereinashorttimefairlyintheHapparvalley。
“Now,“saidJimmy,astheyhurriedon,“wetaboomenhavewivesinallthebays,andIamgoingtoshowyouthetwoIhavehere。“
So,whentheycametothehousewherehesaidtheylived-whichwasclosebythebaseofthemountain,inashadynookamongthegroves,-hewentin,andwasquitefuriousatfindingitempty-theladieshadgoneout。However,theysoonmadetheirappearance,and,totellthetruth,welcomedJimmyquitecordially,aswellasToby,aboutwhomtheywereveryinquisitive。Nevertheless,asthereportoftheirarrivalspread,andtheHapparsbegantoassemble,itbecameevidentthattheappearanceofawhitestrangeramongthemwasnotbyanymeansdeemedsowonderfulaneventasintheneighbouringvalley。
Theoldsailornowbadehiswivespreparesomethingtoeat,ashemustbeinNukuhevabeforedark。Amealoffish,bread-fruit,andbananas,wasaccordinglyservedup,thepartyregalingthemselvesonthemats,inthemidstofanumerouscompany。
TheHapparsputmanyquestionstoJimmyaboutToby;andTobyhimselflookedsharplyatthem,anxioustorecognisethefellowwhogavehimthewoundfromwhichhewasstillsuffering。Butthisfierygentleman,sohandywithhisspear,hadthedelicacy,itseemed,tokeepoutofview。Certainlythesightofhimwouldnothavebeenanyaddedinducementtomakingastayinthevalley,-someoftheafternoonloungersinHapparhavingpolitelyurgedTobytospendafewdayswiththem,-therewasafeastcomingon。He,however,declined。
AllthiswhiletheyoungTypeestucktoJimmylikehisshadow,andthoughaslivelyadogasanyofhistribe,hewasnowasmeekasalamb,neveropeninghismouthexcepttoeat。AlthoughsomeoftheHapparslookedqueerlyathim,othersweremorecivil,andseemeddesirousoftakinghimabroadandshowinghimthevalley。ButtheTypeewasnottobecajoledinthatway。HowmanyyardshewouldhavetoremovefromJimmybeforethetaboowouldbepowerless,itwouldbehardtotell,butprobablyhehimselfknewtoafraction。
Onthepromiseofaredcottonhandkerchief,andsomethingelsewhichhekeptsecret,thispoorfellowhadundertakenaratherticklishjourney,though,asfarasTobycouldascertain,itwassomethingthathadneverhappenedbefore。
Theisland-punch-arva-wasbroughtinattheconclusionoftherepast,andpassedroundinashallowcalabash。
Nowmycomrade,whileseatedintheHapparhouse,begantofeelmoretroubledthaneveratleavingme:indeed,sosaddidhefeelthathetalkedaboutgoingbacktothevalley,andwantedJimmytoescorthimasfarasthemountains。Butthesailorwouldnotlistentohim,and,bywayofdivertinghisthoughts,pressedhimtodrinkofthearva。Knowingitsnarcoticnature,herefused;butJimmysaidhewouldhavesomethingmixedwithit,whichwouldconvertitintoaninnocentbeveragethatwouldinspiritthemfortherestoftheirjourney。Soatlasthewasinducedtodrinkofit,anditseffectswerejustasthesailorhadpredicted;hisspiritsroseatonce,andallhisgloomythoughtslefthim。
Theoldrovernowbegantorevealhistruecharacter,thoughhewashardlysuspectedatthetime。“IfIgetyouofftoaship,“saidhe,“youwillsurelygiveapoorfellowsomethingforsavingyou。“
Inshort,beforetheyleftthehouse,hemadeTobypromisethathewouldgivehimfiveSpanishdollarsifhesucceededingettinganypartofhiswagesadvancedfromthevessel,aboardofwhichtheyweregoing;Toby,moreover,engagingtorewardhimstillfurther,assoonasmydeliverancewasaccomplished。
Alittlewhileafterthistheystartedagain,accompaniedbymanyofthenatives,andgoingupthevalley,tookasteeppathnearitshead,whichledtoNukuheva。HeretheHapparspaused,andwatchedthemastheyascendedthemountain,onegroupofbandit-lookingfellowsshakingtheirspearsandcastingthreateningglancesatthepoorTypee,whoseheartaswellasheelsseemedmuchthelighterwhenhecametolookdownuponthem。
Ongainingtheheightsoncemore,theirwayledforatimealongseveralridgescoveredwithenormousferns。Atlasttheyentereduponawoodedtract,andheretheyovertookapartyofNukuhevanatives,wellarmed,andcarryingbundlesoflongpoles。Jimmyseemedtoknowthemallverywell,andstoppedforawhile,andhadatalkaboutthe“Wee-Wees“asthepeopleofNukuhevacalltheMonsieurs。
ThepartywiththepoleswereKingMowanna’smen,andbyhisorderstheyhadbeengatheringthemintheravinesforhisallies,theFrench。
Leavingthesefellowstotrudgeonwiththeirloads,Tobyandhiscompanionsnowpushedforwardagain,asthesunwasalreadylowinthewest。TheycameuponthevalleysofNukuhevaononesideofthebay,wherethehighlandsslopeoffintothesea。Themen-of-warwerestilllyingintheharbour,andasTobylookeddownuponthem,thestrangeeventswhichhadhappenedsorecentlyseemedalladream。
Theysoondescendedtowardsthebeach,andfoundthemselvesinJimmy’shousebeforeitwaswelldark。HerehereceivedanotherwelcomefromhisNukuhevawives,andaftersomerefreshmentsintheshapeofcocoa-nutmilkandpoee-poee,theyenteredacanoetheTypee,ofcourse,goingalongandpaddledofftoawhale-shipwhichwasanchoredneartheshore。Thiswasthevesselinwantofmen。Ourownhadsailedsometimebefore。ThecaptainprofessedgreatpleasureatseeingToby,butthoughtfromhisexhaustedappearancethathemustbeunfitforduty。However,heagreedtoshiphim,aswellashiscomradeassoonasheshouldarrive。
Tobybeggedhardforanarmedboat,inwhichtogoroundtoTypeeandrescueme,notwithstandingthepromisesofJimmy。Butthisthecaptainwouldnothearof,andtoldhimtohavepatience,forthesailorwouldbefaithfultohisword。When,too,hedemandedthefivesilverdollarsforJimmy,thecaptainwasunwillingtogivethem。
ButTobyinsisteduponit,ashenowbegantothinkthatJimmymightbeameremercenary,whowouldbesuretoprovefaithlessifnotwellpaid。Accordinglyhenotonlygavehimthemoney,buttookcaretoassurehim,overandoveragain,thatassoonashebroughtmeaboardhewouldreceiveastilllargersum。