by Louis Becke
CHAPTER XV
All that she said to me that night as we returned over the stilly watersof the lagoon to our companions, I cannot now remember; I only knowthat as she sat facing me, and I paddled slowly and dreamily along, Ipromised her, dully and mechanically, to tell Lucia that night that Iloved her.
"And she and thee will be happy, very happy, Simi. Her heart went outto thee from the very first. And children will come to thee, and I shallsee them grow--the boys strong and brave as thou art, and the girls fairand sweet as Lucia--and yet shalt thou have thy heart's desire, and bespoken of as a man who did a great deed... a great voyage... and allthat hath been done by the three men of whom thou hast so often thoughtwill be but as little compared with this voyage of thine. And she soloves thee, Simi; ah, she so loves thee."
The soft murmur of her voice enthralled, took such possession of mementally and physically, that I know not what I answered except that Isaid again and again, "Ay, I love her, I love her, and I shall tell herof my love, and that she, and she alone, is my heart's desire."
How long we were in getting back to the island I cannot tell, but Ido remember that it was quite dark, and both Niabon and myself werepaddling vigorously when we heard Tepi's load hail of welcome, and acanoe shot up on the beach, and Lucia came towards me with outstretchedhands.
"Jim, oh Jim! I thought you were never coming back," she said.
I folded her in my arms and kissed her. "Lucia, dear, dear Lucia! Willyou be my wife? For I love you," and then, scarcely knowing what Iwas doing, I strained her almost savagely to my bosom, and kissed herupturned face again and again.
"Jim, dear, dear Jim," and her soft arms were around my neck, "and Ilove you too! I have loved you almost from the day you first came toTaritai, and Niabon has told me that one day you would tell me that youloved me... that some day you would speak... Jim dearest, bend down; youare so tall, and I am so little; ah, Jim, I am so little, but my heart,dear, is so big with love for you, that I feel that I could take _you_in my arms, and kiss you as you now kiss me. Jim, dear, I never, neverknew what love meant till now."
A bright burst of flame illumined the beach, and Niabon with a torch inher hand was standing at the water's edge.
"The night is fair and good, and the wind is from the east. Let us away,dear friends."
Her voice seemed to reach me as if from far, far away, though her darkface with the deep luminous eyes were so near, and, as she spoke, theboat, with Tepi and Tematau standing erect and waiting, grounded gentlyon the strand.
"Yes, yes, we shall sail to-night," I cried exultantly, as I againpressed Lucia to my heart, and showered passionate kisses upon her lips,"we shall sail, Lucia my dearest; on, and on, and on, to the north-west,my beloved, till we come to our journey's end, and you and I shall neverpart again, no never, never, my dearest."
"Ay, never, never shall ye two part again," cried Niabon, casting downher torch; "man with the strong and daring hand, and woman with the fondand tender heart. Thy lives are forever linked together. Quick, give methy hand, Lucia, my dove, my own, my own!" She sprang towards us, andtook Lucia's hand in hers, and almost tore off her wedding ring, andthen flung it far out into the lagoon.
"Sink, sink, thou ring of misery--thou golden circle which should havemeant love and trust and happiness, but brought naught but hate andtreachery and poison to her who wore it. Sink, accursed thing."
"Oh, Jim, Jim!" and Lucia turned her streaming eyes to mine, "it was mywedding ring, and when _he_ gave it to me, I think he loved me, wickedand cruel as he was afterwards. Oh, Niabon, Niabon!" In a momentNiabon's arms were around her. "My sweet, my sweet! thou art to me morethan life," she whispered, "I love thee so, Lucia. I love thee so thatI would die for thee! Heed not the ring, for now thou hast beside theea good man--true, brave, and strong--one whose love will forever shieldthee. Come, my dearest, come with me to the boat."
They went down the beach together, with arms around each other's waists,and their footsteps guided by the still-burning torch lying on the sand.I followed, and in another minute I had the tiller in my hand, and toldTepi to push off, as Tematau ran up the jib.
"How now for the passage?" I cried, as I slipped my arm around Lucia'swaist, and her lips met mine, "how now for the passage, Tepi? Canst see?Canst see, Tematau?"
Niabon placed her hand on mine.
"Have no fear, Simi. The wind is fair and the passage through the reefis wide, and the ship on the right hand is a good guide. See, her mastsstand out clear against the sky. And give me the tiller, for thou andLucia are tired. So sleep--sleep till the dawn, and Tematau and Tepiand I shall keep watch through the night. How shall I steer?"
"North-west, north-west," I muttered, as Lucia laid her cheek to mine,"north-west, but call me if the wind hauls to the northward."
She bent oyer Lucia and touched her face softly.
"Sleep, dear one, sleep till dawn," she said in a whisper, and then witha smile she turned to me.
"Simi, thou too art tired, and must sleep even as Lucia sleepeth now.See, her eyes are closed. How sweet and fair she is as she sleepeth! Ah,how sweet! So, let me touch thy face." She pressed her soft hand on mybrow, and then, with Lucia's head pillowed on my breast, I slept.
CHAPTER XVI
For seventeen days we made good progress to the north-west, though wemet with such very heavy weather when between Minto Breakers Beef, andthe island of Oraluk, that I had to run back to the latter place forshelter, and all but missed it. Although so small, it is very fertile,and the natives were very hospitable, Niabon and Lucia being given aroom in the chief's house, and I and my two men were given a house toourselves, where we were very comfortable during our stay of four days,though unable to get about on account of the pouring rain, which hardlyceased for an hour. The chief's house was quite near to that in which wewere quartered, so I spent a good deal of my time there, for althoughI cannot say that I was really in love with my future wife, her gentleendearments, and the happiness that shone in her dark eyes when I waswith her gave me a certain restfulness, and I was well content.
We had long since decided as to our future. After our marriage shewas to stay with her sister, or with my friends, the Otano's, on Guam,whilst I made my way to my friend at Amboyna, and got him to provide mewith such an amount of trade goods that when I returned to Guam I shouldbe in a position to at once begin trading operations either in theMarianas, with Guam for my headquarters, or else choose some suitableplace in the Caroline Archipelago. The boat, I had no doubt, I couldsell at San Luis d'Apra, or San Ignacio, and this I intended to do ifa fair price was offered me. Then I would take passage in one of theSpanish trading schooners to Manila, and from there I could easily getto Amboyna; and all going well, it was more than likely that my friendwould lend or sell me on easy terms, one of his own small tradingvessels, for he had half a dozen or more employed throughout theMoluccas, and on the coast of the Phillipine Islands.
On the second day after our arrival on Oraluk, the rain cleared offfor an hour, and I went over to the chief's house, and found Luciaconversing in Spanish with some native women who could speak itbrokenly, for years before there had been a Jesuit mission on theisland, but it had been abandoned, and the two priests, after a stay offive years, had gone back to Manila. Niabon was not in the house--shehad gone into the forest with some of the young girls, Lucia said, asshe bade me come in and sit down.
"She is a strange girl, Lucia. She seems to love to be in the forest, orwalking on the cliffs or mountain tops. I wish I knew the true story ofher life."
Lucia shook her head. "She will not tell it, Jim, and I am sure shedoes not like to be questioned even by me. But yet she _has_ told me alittle, and there can be no harm in my telling you--I am sure she wouldnot mind."
"No, why should she mind?"
"She told me that her very first memories of her childhood go back towhen she was a child of six at Manhiki. She lived alone with her motherin a little hut quite apart from the other people. Even then she saysshe knew t
hat her mother was a 'witch-woman' and was greatly fearedby the natives, who yet came to her for charms and medicines. Who hermother was she does not know--but she is quite certain that she was afull-blooded Polynesian, though not a native of Manhiki. Her father shehad never seen, nor had her mother ever made even the faintest allusionto him, and Niabon herself had never dared question her on the subject.She told me, however, that she imagined he was a white man."
"I am almost sure he was," I said; "she certainly is not a full-bloodednative."
"I am sure of it too. But she does not like to be thought anything but apure native. Why, I cannot tell, and have never asked her her reasons."
"Is her mother still living?"
"I do not know and do not like to ask her. She told me that she, hermother, and Tematau had left Manhiki and wandered through the islands ofthe South Pacific for many years. Tematau she says is a blood relation.He only took service as head boatman with Krause so as to be nearher, for from the very first day she saw me, she determined to live atTaritai. And we have always been the closest friends."
"I know she loves you very dearly," I said, as I rose to return to myhouse, for just then we saw Niabon herself coming through the villageaccompanied by a number of young women.
We left Oraluk with a slashing breeze, which we held for eight days, theboat doing splendid work, and on the morning of the tenth day we sightedGuam, forty miles away, and looming blue against the sky line.
"Three thousand miles," I cried exultingly, "three thousand miles,Lucia--in fact, nearer three thousand two hundred."
Her dark eyes filled with tears as she pressed my hand and looked at thehome of her childhood, and even Niabon showed some trace of excitementas she bent her glance upon the great mound of land.
I opened our one remaining bottle of wine which had been reservedfor this auspicious day, and we shared it between us, whilst Tepi andTematau were each given a stiff glass of grog.
"Blow, good breeze, blow," I cried, "blow steady and strong."
"Blow, good wind, blow steady and true," echoed my two men, as I easedoff the main sheet, and the boat went faster through the water, and madea seething wake.
As we were so well to windward of the island, I determined to head forCape Ritidian, its north-west point, as from there I could easily pickup Port Taro-fofo, where, so Lucia assured me, we should find a pilotto take us down the coast to Port San Luis. Not having a chart of theisland made it necessary for me to be cautious, but Lucia was quite surethat from Cape Ritidian we should have no trouble in running down thecoast to Tarafofo--a port with which she was quite familiar, for she hadbeen there on many occasions with her father. The anchorage was good,and there was a small town at the head of the harbour, where suppliescould be obtained.
"That will do us nicely, then," I said; "we may as well spell there fora few days and get well rested. Oh, won't it be glorious to feel solidearth under foot once more after the last ten weary days!" "Oh Jim, thevery thought of stepping on shore again makes my veins thrill. Oh, thegreat lovely green mountain forest, and the calls of the birds and thesweet sound of falling water--it is heaven to think of being there, insuch a beautiful country after so many, many days upon the sea! Ah, youwill love Guam, Jim! You cannot help it--it is the fairest, sweetestland in all the world, I think."
Her enthusiasm infected me to some degree, and bending forward to her, Iwhispered,--
"Is there a church at Tarafofo, Lucia?"
A vivid blush dyed her sweet face from neck to brow.
"Yes," she answered, so softly that I could scarce hear her, "there hasalways been a church there for a hundred years. It was once plunderedand burned by pirates, so one of the priests told me when I was achild."
The breeze held good with us, and at four in the afternoon we ran inunder Cape Ritidian and brought to half a cable away from the shore,which presented an aspect of the loveliest verdured hills and valleysimaginable, fringed with a curving snow-white beach, along which werescattered a few native houses, surrounded by plantations of bananas andpapaw trees.
Presently a boat came off manned by natives dressed in very brightcolours. They all spoke Spanish and at once offered to pilot us down toTarafofo Harbour, which, they said, we could enter at any time, day ornight; we accepted their services, and they came aboard, veered theirboat astern, and by nightfall we came to an anchor in a small, but safeand exceedingly beautiful harbour.
Here more of the country people came on board, late as it was, andpressed us to sleep on shore, telling us that there were some verycomfortable houses in the village, which was situated two miles upthe Tarafofo river. Then one of the visitors recognised Lucia, and nowinvitations poured in upon us from all sides, and finally Lucia andNiabon, accompanied by Tematau, went ashore with them, leaving Tepi andmyself on board.
"Good-night, Jim dear," said Lucia, as she was about to get into theshore boat, "you will come on shore early, won't you? I don't like yourstaying behind, but you and Tepi will perhaps get a good night's restnow that three of us will be out of the way. I should never go to sleepif I stayed on board to-night. I am so excited."
I stooped and kissed her little upturned face, and in another moment shewas in the boat, which at once pushed off into the darkness and made forshore.
"Good-night, again," both she and Niabon cried, and Tematau also calledout _Tiakapo_!
"Good-night, good-night," I shouted, swaying our boat lantern infarewell. "_Tiakapo, Tematau_. May you all sleep well."
They made some merry laughing response, in which they were joined bytheir hosts, and then Tepi and I were alone.
We put on the cabin hatches, spread out our sleeping mats and madeourselves comfortable for the night, and after half an hour's smoke, wefell asleep too tired to talk.
*****
A little after midnight the cool breeze suddenly died away, and bothTepi and myself awoke almost at the same moment.
"The air hath grown hot, and is hard to breathe, master," said the bigman "I fear a storm is near."
It had indeed become very hot and stifling, but on looking at thebarometer, I saw there was no change, and so felt no concern, for wewere in an excellent position, no matter how hard, and from where itmight blow. In half an hour or so, a few heavy splashes of rain fell,then a sudden shower, which necessitated us lifting off the hatch andgoing into the cabin, and it was then that Tepi complained to me of asevere headache, from which I was also beginning to suffer.
I had just struck a match to take another look at the glass, whensuddenly the boat began to tremble violently, and then gave such asudden jerk at her cable that I fell forward on my face.
"_Mafuie! Mafuie!_" ("Earthquake! earthquake!") cried Tepi interror-stricken tones, as he clutched the coamings and looked seaward."Oh, Simi, look, look! The sea, the sea! We perish!"
May God spare me from ever seeing such another sight! A black toweringwall of water was rushing towards the boat, and ere I could frame mylips to utter an appeal for mercy to the Almighty it was upon us, andlifting us up on the summit of its awful crest, hurled us shoreward todestruction. Then I remembered no more.
Lifting us up on the summit of its awful crest 212]
*****
Two weeks later I awoke to life and misery in a wide, low-ceiled room.Tepi, with his arm in a sling, was bending over me, and sitting besidemy bed were two padres.
"Where am I, good fathers?" I asked.
"In San Ignacio, my son," replied the elder of the two. "God has sparedyou and this Indian sailor of yours to render thanks to Him and the HolyVirgin for His mercy."
"And where are my friends--the two girls and Tematau? Tell me, Tepi!Tell me," I said, with a dull terror at my heart. "Why do you shake andhide your face?" Then I turned to the priests.
"For God's sake, tell me, gentlemen," and I clutched the hand of the onenearest to me.
"In Paradise, my son. They and three hundred other poor souls renderedup their lives to God thirteen days ago. Scarcely a score of people inTarafofo escaped
."
The shock was too much for me, and I fell back again.
*****
As soon as I was strong enough for the journey I visited the scene, andwas shown, on the spot where once the church had stood, a bare, grimmound. Underneath it lay all that was mortal of Lucia, Niabon, Tematau,and three hundred others, who had in one swift moment been sent toeternity that dreadful night. Some of the few survivors, who, under thedirection of a priest, and the Governor of San Ignacio, were erecting atall wooden cross at the foot of the great grave, led me to the site ofthe house in which my dear companions had met their deaths. Nine otherpeople were in the house when it fell and buried the sleepers, and theagony must have been short for them all.
The tidal wave which accompanied the earthquake had hurled the boat andTepi and myself for many hundreds of yards inland. I was picked up inthe boat herself, stunned and severely injured. Tepi was carried intoa rice field, and although his arm was broken, he at once set outin search of me, and the faithful fellow had come with me when I wascarried in a bullock cart to San Ignacio, where the doctor and priestshad brought me round after two weeks' dangerous illness.
Before leaving Guam I spent two months with my friend Jose Otano,who tried hard to make me stay with him. At his house poor Lucia'sheart-broken sister came to see me very often, and I bade her farewellwith genuine sorrow.
Then one day Tepi and I turned our faces once more to the islands of thesouth--and so the story of my strange adventure is told.