when the world shook-第20节

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〃You　see　that　flat　rock；　Friend；　with　the　hole　beyond；　which　is

the　mouth　of　a　cave　that　appeared　only　in　the　great　storm　that

brought　you　to　our　land？　They　are　used　to　convey　offerings　which

are　laid　upon　the　rock。　Beyond　it　no　man　may　go；　and　since　the

beginning　no　man　has　ever　gone。〃



〃Offerings　to　whom？〃



〃To　the　Oromatuas；　the　spirits　of　the　great　dead　who　live

there。〃



〃Oromatuas？　Oro！　It　is　always　something　to　do　with　Oro。　Who　and

what　is　Oro？〃



〃Oro　is　a　god；　Friend；　though　it　is　true　that　the　priests　say

that　above　him　there　is　a　greater　god　called　Degai；　the　Creator；

the　Fate　who　made　all　things　and　directs　all　things。〃



〃Very　well；　but　why　do　you　suppose　that　Oro；　the　servant　of

Degai；　lives　in　that　mountain？　I　thought　that　he　lived　in　a　grove

yonder　where　your　priests；　as　I　am　told；　have　an　image　of　him。〃



〃I　do　not　know；　Friend…from…the…Sea；　but　so　it　has　been　held

from　the　beginning。　The　image　in　the　grove　is　only　visited　by　his

spirit　from　time　to　time。　Now；　I　pray　you；　come　back　and　before

the　priests　discover　that　you　have　been　here；　and　forget　that

there　are　any　canoes　upon　this　lake。〃



So；　thinking　it　wisest；　I　turned　the　matter　with　a　laugh　and

walked　away　with　him　to　the　village。　On　our　road　I　tried　to

extract　some　more　information　but　without　success。　He　did　not

know　who　built　the　ruin　upon　the　mountain；　or　who　destroyed　it。

He　did　not　know　how　the　terraces　came　there。　All　he　knew　was　that

during　the　convulsion　of　Nature　which　resulted　in　the　tidal　wave

that　had　thrown　our　ship　upon　the　island；　the　mountain　had　been

seen　to　quiver　like　a　tree　in　the　wind　as　though　within　it　great

forces　were　at　work。　Then　it　was　observed　to　have　risen　a　good

many　more　feet　above　the　surface　of　the　lake；　as　might　be　noted

by　the　water　mark　upon　the　shore；　and　then　also　the　mouth　of　the

cave　had　appeared。　The　priests　said　that　all　this　was　because　the

Oromatuas　who　dwelt　there　were　stirring；　which　portended　great

things。　Indeed　great　things　had　happenedfor　had　we　not　arrived

in　their　land？



I　thanked　him　for　what　he　had　told　me；　and；　as　there　was

nothing　more　to　be　learned；　dropped　the　subject　which　was　never

mentioned　between　us　again；　at　least　not　for　a　long　while。　But　in

my　heart　I　determined　that　I　would　reach　that　mountain　even

though　to　do　so　I　must　risk　my　life。　Something　seemed　to　call　me

to　the　place；　it　was　as　though　I　were　being　drawn　by　a　magnet。



As　it　happened；　before　so　very　long　I　did　go　to　the　mountain；

not　of　my　own　will　but　because　I　was　obliged。　It　came　about　thus。

One　night　I　asked　Bastin　how　he　was　getting　on　with　his

missionary　work。　He　replied：　Very　well　indeed；　but　there　was　one

great　obstacle　in　his　path；　the　idol　in　the　Grove。　Were　it　not

for　this　accursed　image　he　believed　that　the　whole　island　would

become　Christian。　I　asked　him　to　be　more　plain。　He　explained　that

all　his　work　was　thwarted　by　this　idol；　since　his　converts

declared　that　they　did　not　dare　to　be　baptised　while　it　sat　there

in　the　Grove。　If　they　did；　the　spirit　that　was　in　it　would

bewitch　them　and　perhaps　steal　out　at　night　and　murder　them。



〃The　spirit　being　our　friends　the　sorcerers；〃　I　suggested。



〃That's　it；　Arbuthnot。　Do　you　know；　I　believe　those　devilish

men　sometimes　offer　human　sacrifices　to　this　satanic　fetish；　when

there　is　a　drought　or　anything　of　that　sort。〃



〃I　can　quite　believe　it；〃　I　answered；　〃but　as　they　will

scarcely　remove　their　god　and　with　it　their　own　livelihood　and

authority；　I　am　afraid　that　as　we　don't　want　to　be　sacrificed；

there　is　nothing　to　be　done。〃



At　this　moment　I　was　called　away。　As　I　went　I　heard　Bastin

muttering　something　about　martyrs；　but　paid　no　attention。　Little

did　I　guess　what　was　going　on　in　his　pious　but　obstinate　mind。　In

effect　it　was　thisthat　if　no　one　else　would　remove　that　idol　he

was　quite　ready　to　do　it　himself。



However；　he　was　very　cunning　over　that　business；　almost

Jesuitical　indeed。　Not　one　word　did　he　breathe　of　his　dark　plans

to　me；　and　still　less　to　Bickley。　He　just　went　on　with　his

teaching；　lamenting　from　time　to　time　the　stumbling…block　of　the

idol　and　expressing　wonder　as　to　how　it　might　be　circumvented　by

a　change　in　the　hearts　of　the　islanders；　or　otherwise。　Sad　as　it

is　to　record；　in　fact；　dear　old　Bastin　went　as　near　to　telling　a

fib　in　connection　with　this　matter　as　I　suppose　he　had　ever　done

in　his　life。　It　happened　thus。　One　day　Bickley's　sharp　eye　caught

sight　of　Bastin　walking　about　with　what　looked　like　a　bottle　of

whisky　in　his　pocket。



〃Hallo；　old　fellow；〃　he　said；　〃has　the　self…denying　ordinance

broken　down？　I　didn't　know　that　you　took　pegs　on　the　sly；〃　and　he

pointed　to　the　bottle。



〃If　you　are　insinuating；　Bickley；　that　I　absorb　spirits

surreptitiously；　you　are　more　mistaken　than　usual；　which　is

saying　a　good　deal。　This　bottle　contains；　not　Scotch　whisky　but

paraffin；　although　I　admit　that　its　label　may　have　misled　you；

unintentionally；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned。〃



〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　the　paraffin？〃　asked　Bickley。



Bastin　coloured　through　his　tan　and　replied　awkwardly：



〃Paraffin　is　very　good　to　keep　away　mosquitoes　if　one　can　stand

the　smell　of　it　upon　one's　skin。　Not　that　I　have　brought　it　here

with　that　sole　object。　The　truth　is　that　I　am　anxious　to

experiment　with　a　lamp　of　my　own　design　madeumof　native

wood；〃　and　he　departed　in　a　hurry。



〃When　next　old　Bastin　wants　to　tell　a　lie；〃　commented　Bickley；

〃he　should　make　up　his　mind　as　to　what　it　is　to　be；　and　stick　to

it。　I　wonder　what　he　is　after　with　that　paraffin？　Not　going　to

dose　any　of　my　patients　with　it；　I　hope。　He　was　arguing　the　other

day　that　it　is　a　great　remedy　taken　internally；　being　quite

unaware　that　the　lamp　variety　is　not　used　for　that　purpose。〃



〃Perhaps　he　means　to　swallow　some　himself；　just　to　show　that　he

is　right；〃　I　suggested。



〃The　stomach…pump　is　at　hand；〃　said　Bickley；　and　the　matter

dropped。



Next　morning　I　got　up　before　it　was　light。　Having　some

elementary　knowledge　of　the　main　facts　of　astronomy；　which

remained　with　me　from　boyhood　when　I　had　attended　lectures　on　the

subject；　which　I　had　tried　to　refresh　by　help　of　an　encyclopedia

I　had　brought　from　the　ship；　I　wished　to　attempt　to　obtain　an

idea　of　our　position　by　help　of　the　stars。　In　this　endeavour；　I

may　say；　I　failed　absolutely；　as　I　did　not　know　how　to　take　a

stellar　or　any　other　observation。



On　my　way　out　of　our　native　house　I　observed；　by　the　lantern　I

carried；　that　the　compartment　of　it　occupied　by　Bastin　was　empty；

and　wondered　whither　he　had　gone　at　that　hour。　On　arriving　at　my

observation…post；　a　rocky　eminence　on　open　ground；　where；　with

Tommy　at　my　side；　I　took　my　seat　with　a　telescope；　I　was

astonished　to　see　or　rather　to　hear　a　great　number　of　the　natives

walking　past　the　base　of　the　mound　towards　the　bush。　Then　I

remembered　that　some　one；　Marama；　I　think；　had　informed　me　that

there　was　to　be　a　great　sacrifice　to　Oro　at　dawn　on　that　day。

After　this　I　thought　no　more　of　the　matter　but　occupied　myself　in

a　futile　study　of　the　heavenly　bodies。　At　length　the　dawn　broke

and　put　a　period　to　my　labours。



Glancing　round　me　before　I　descended　from　the　little　hill；　I

saw　a　flame　of　light　appear　suddenly　about　half　a　mile　or　more

away　among　those　trees　which　I　knew　concealed　the　image　of　Oro。

On　this　personally　I　had　never　had　the　curiosity　to　look；　as　I

knew　that　it　was　only　a　hideous　idol　stuck　over　with　feathers　and

other　bedizenments。　The　flame　shot　suddenly　straight　into　the

still　air　and　was　followed　a　few　seconds　later　by　the　sound　of　a

dull　explosion；　after　which　it　went　out。　Also　it　was　followed　by

something　elsea　scream　of　rage　from　an　infuriated　mob。



At　the　foot　of　the　hill　I　stopped　to　wonder　what　these　sounds

might　mean。　Then　of　a　sudden　appeared　Bickley；　who　had　been

attending　some　urgent　case；　and　asked　me　who　was　exploding

gunpowder。　I　told　him　that　I　had　no　idea。



〃Then　I　have；〃　he　answered。　〃It　is　that　ass　Bastin　up　to　some

game。　Now　I　guess　why　he　wanted　that　paraffin。　Listen　to　the　row。

What　are　they　after？〃



〃Sacrificing　Bastin；　perhaps；〃　I　replied；　half　in　jest。　〃Have

you　your　revolver？〃



He　nodded。　We　always　wore　our　pistols　if　we　went　out　during　the

dark　hours。



〃Then　perhaps　we　had　better　go　to　see。〃



We　started；　and　had　not　covered　a　hundred　yards　before　a　girl；

whom　I　recognised　as　one　of　Bastin's　converts；　came　flying

towards　us　and　screaming　out；　〃Help！　Help！　They　kill　the　Bellower

with　fire！　They　cook　him　like　a　pig！〃



〃Just　what　I　expected；〃　said　Bickley。



Then　we　ran　hard；　as　evidently　there　was　no　time　to　lose。　While

we　went　I　extracted　from　the　terrified　girl；　whom　we　forced　to

show　us　the　way；　that　as　the　sacrifice　was　about　to　be　offered

Bastin　had　appeared；　and；　〃making　fire；〃　applied　it　to　the　god

Oro；　who　instantly　burst　into　flame。