CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
THE ESCAPE
NEARLY three weeks had elapsed since the second visit of Marnoo,and it must have been more than four months since I entered thevalley, when one day about noon, and whilst everything was inprofound silence, Mow-Mow, the one-eyed chief, suddenly appearedat the door, and leaning towards me as I lay directly facing him,said in a low tone, 'Toby pemi ena' (Toby has arrived here). Gracious heaven! What a tumult of emotions rushed upon me atthis startling intelligence! Insensible to the pain that hadbefore distracted me, I leaped to my feet, and called wildly toKory-Kory who was reposing by my side. The startled islanderssprang from their mats; the news was quickly communicated tothem; and the next moment I was making my way to the Ti on theback of Kory-Kory; and surrounded by the excited savages.
All that I could comprehend of the particulars which Mow-Mowrehearsed to his audience as we proceeded, was that my long-lostcompanion had arrived in a boat which had just entered the bay. These tidings made me most anxious to be carried at once to thesea, lest some untoward circumstance should prevent our meeting;but to this they would not consent, and continued their coursetowards the royal abode. As we approached it, Mehevi and severalchiefs showed themselves from the piazza, and called upon usloudly to come to them.
As soon as we had approached, I endeavoured to make themunderstand that I was going down to the sea to meet Toby. Tothis the king objected, and motioned Kory-Kory to bring me intothe house. It was in vain to resist; and in a few moments Ifound myself within the Ti, surrounded by a noisy group engagedin discussing the recent intelligence. Toby's name wasfrequently repeated, coupled with violent exclamations ofastonishment. It seemed as if they yet remained in doubt withregard to the fact of his arrival, at at every fresh report thatwas brought from the shore they betrayed the liveliest emotions.
Almost frenzied at being held in this state of suspense, Ipassionately besought Mehevi to permit me to proceed. Whether mycompanion had arrived or not, I felt a presentiment that my ownfate was about to be decided. Again and again I renewed mypetition to Mehevi. He regarded me with a fixed and serious eye,but at length yielding to my importunity, reluctantly granted myrequest.
Accompanied by some fifty of the natives, I now rapidly continuedmy journey; every few moments being transferred from the back ofone to another, and urging my bearer forward all the while withearnest entreaties. As I thus hurried forward, no doubt as tothe truth of the information I had received ever crossed my mind.
I was alive only to the one overwhelming idea, that a chance ofdeliverance was now afforded me, if the jealous opposition of thesavages could be overcome.
Having been prohibited from approaching the sea during the wholeof my stay in the valley, I had always associated with it theidea of escape. Toby too--if indeed he had ever voluntarilydeserted me--must have effected this flight by the sea; and nowthat I was drawing near to it myself, I indulged in hopes which Ihad never felt before. It was evident that a boat had enteredthe bay, and I saw little reason to doubt the truth of the reportthat it had brought my companion. Every time therefore that wegained an elevation, I looked eagerly around, hoping to beholdhim. In the midst of an excited throng, who by their violentgestures and wild cries appeared to be under the influence ofsome excitement as strong as my own, I was now borne along at arapid trot, frequently stooping my head to avoid the brancheswhich crossed the path, and never ceasing to implore those whocarried me to accelerate their already swift pace.
In this manner we had proceeded about four or five miles, when wewere met by a party of some twenty islanders, between whom andthose who accompanied me ensued an animated conference. Impatient of the delay occasioned by this interruption, I wasbeseeching the man who carried me to proceed without hisloitering companions, when Kory-Kory, running to my side,informed me, in three fatal words, that the news had all proved,false--that Toby had not arrived--'Toby owlee pemi'. Heaven onlyknows how, in the state of mind and body I then was, I eversustained the agony which this intelligence caused me; not thatthe news was altogether unexpected; but I had trusted that thefact might not have been made known until we should have arrivedupon the beach. As it was, I at once foresaw the course thesavages would pursue. They had only yielded thus far to myentreaties, that I might give a joyful welcome to my long-lostcomrade; but now that it was known he had not arrived they wouldat once oblige me to turn back.
My anticipations were but too correct. In spite of theresistance I made, they carried me into a house which was nearthe spot, and left me upon the mats. Shortly afterwards severalof those who had accompanied me from the Ti, detaching themselvesfrom the others, proceeded in the direction of the sea. Thosewho remained--among whom were Marheyo, Mow-Mow, Kory-Kory, andTinor--gathered about the dwelling, and appeared to be awaitingtheir return.
This convinced me that strangers--perhaps some of my owncountrymen--had for some cause or other entered the bay. Distracted at the idea of their vicinity, and reckless of thepain which I suffered, I heeded not the assurances of theislanders, that there were no boats at the beach, but starting tomy feet endeavoured to gain the door. Instantly the passage wasblocked up by several men, who commanded me to resume my seat. The fierce looks of the irritated savages admonished me that Icould gain nothing by force, and that it was by entreaty alonethat I could hope to compass my object.
Guided by this consideration, I turned to Mow-Mow, the only chiefpresent whom I had been much in the habit of seeing, andcarefully concealing, my real design, tried to make himcomprehend that I still believed Toby to have arrived on theshore, and besought him to allow me to go forward to welcome him.
To all his repeated assertions, that my companion had not beenseen, I pretended to turn a deaf ear, while I urged mysolicitations with an eloquence of gesture which the one-eyedchief appeared unable to resist. He seemed indeed to regard meas a forward child, to whose wishes he had not the heart tooppose force, and whom he must consequently humour. He spoke afew words to the natives, who at once retreated from the door,and I immediately passed out of the house.
Here I looked earnestly round for Kory-Kory; but that hithertofaithful servitor was nowhere to be seen. Unwilling to lingereven for a single instant when every moment might be soimportant, I motioned to a muscular fellow near me to take meupon his back; to my surprise he angrily refused. I turned toanother, but with a like result. A third attempt was asunsuccessful, and I immediately perceived what had inducedMow-Mow to grant my request, and why the other natives conductedthemselves in so strange a manner. It was evident that the chiefhad only given me liberty to continue my progress towards thesea, because he supposed that I was deprived of the means ofreaching it.
Convinced by this of their determination to retain me a captive,I became desperate; and almost insensible to the pain which Isuffered, I seized a spear which was leaning against theprojecting eaves of the house, and supporting myself with it,resumed the path that swept by the dwelling. To my surprise, Iwas suffered to proceed alone; all the natives remaining in frontof the house, and engaging in earnest conversation, which everymoment became more loud and vehement; and to my unspeakabledelight, I perceived that some difference of opinion had arisenbetween them; that two parties, in short, were formed, andconsequently that in their divided counsels there was some chanceof my deliverance.
Before I had proceeded a hundred yards I was again surrounded bythe savages, who were still in all the heat of argument, andappeared every moment as if they would come to blows. In themidst of this tumult old Marheyo came to my side, and I shallnever forget the benevolent expression of his countenance. Heplaced his arm upon my shoulder, and emphatically pronounced theonly two English words I had taught him 'Home' and 'Mother'. Iat once understood what he meant, and eagerly expressed my thanksto him. Fayaway and Kory-Kory were by his side, both weepingviolently; and it was not until the old man had twice repeatedthe command that his son could bring himself to obey him, andtake me again upon his back. The one-eyed chief opposed hisdoing so, but he was overruled, and, as it seemed to me, by someof his own party.
We proceeded onwards, and never shall I forget the ecstasy I feltwhen I first heard the roar of the surf breaking upon the beach. Before long I saw the flashing billows themselves through theopening between the trees. Oh glorious sight and sound of ocean!with what rapture did I hail you as familiar friends! By thistime the shouts of the crowd upon the beach were distinctlyaudible, and in the blended confusion of sounds I almost fanciedI could distinguish the voices of my own countrymen.
When we reached the open space which lay between the groves andthe sea, the first object that met my view was an Englishwhale-boat, lying with her bow pointed from the shore, and only afew fathoms distant from it. It was manned by five islanders,dressed in shirt tunics of calico. My first impression was thatthey were in the very act of pulling out from the bay; and that,after all my exertions, I had come too late. My soul sunk withinme: but a second glance convinced me that the boat was onlyhanging off to keep out of the surf; and the next moment I heardmy own name shouted out by a voice from the midst of the crowd.
Looking in the direction of the sound, I perceived, to myindescribable joy, the tall figure of Karakoee, an Oahu Kanaka,who had often been aboard the 'Dolly', while she lay in Nukuheva.
He wore the green shooting-jacket with gilt buttons, which hadbeen given to him by an officer of the Reine Blanche--the Frenchflag-ship--and in which I had always seen him dressed. I nowremembered the Kanaka had frequently told me that his person wastabooed in all the valleys of the island, and the sight of him atsuch a moment as this filled my heart with a tumult of delight.
Karakoee stood near the edge of the water with a large roll ofcotton-cloth thrown over one arm, and holding two or three canvasbags of powder, while with the other hand he grasped a musket,which he appeared to be proffering to several of the chiefsaround him. But they turned with disgust from his offers andseemed to be impatient at his presence, with vehement gestureswaving him off to his boat, and commanding him to depart.
The Kanaka, however, still maintained his ground, and I at onceperceived that he was seeking to purchase my freedom. Animatedby the idea, I called upon him loudly to come to me; but hereplied, in broken English, that the islanders had threatened topierce him with their spears, if he stirred a foot towards me. At this time I was still advancing, surrounded by a dense throngof the natives, several of whom had their hands upon me, and morethan one javelin was threateningly pointed at me. Still Iperceived clearly that many of those least friendly towards melooked irresolute land anxious. I was still some thirty yardsfrom Karakoee when my farther progress was prevented by thenatives, who compelled me to sit down upon the ground, while theystill retained their hold upon my arms. The din and tumult nowbecame tenfold, and I perceived that several of the priests wereon the spot, all of whom were evidently urging Mow-Mow and theother chiefs to prevent my departure; and the detestable word'Roo-ne! Roo-ne!' which I had heard repeated a thousand timesduring the day, was now shouted out on every side of me. Still Isaw that the Kanaka continued his exertions in my favour--that hewas boldly debating the matter with the savages, and was strivingto entice them by displaying his cloth and powder, and snappingthe lock of his musket. But all he said or did appeared only toaugment the clamours of those around him, who seemed bent upondriving him into the sea.
When I remembered the extravagant value placed by these peopleupon the articles which were offered to them in exchange for me,and which were so indignantly rejected, I saw a new proof of thesame fixed determination of purpose they had all along manifestedwith regard to me, and in despair, and reckless of consequences,I exerted all my strength, and shaking myself free from the graspof those who held me, I sprang upon my feet and rushed towardsKarakoee.
The rash attempt nearly decided my fate; for, fearful that Imight slip from them, several of the islanders now raised asimultaneous shout, and pressing upon Karakoee, they menaced himwith furious gestures, and actually forced him into the sea. Appalled at their violence, the poor fellow, standing nearly tothe waist in the surf, endeavoured to pacify them; but at lengthfearful that they would do him some fatal violence, he beckonedto his comrades to pull in at once, and take him into the boat.
It was at this agonizing moment, when I thought all hope wasended, that a new contest arose between the two parties who hadaccompanied me to the shore; blows were struck, wounds weregiven, and blood flowed. In the interest excited by the fray,every one had left me except Marheyo, Kory-Kory and poor dearFayaway, who clung to me, sobbing indignantly. I saw that now ornever was the moment. Clasping my hands together, I lookedimploringly at Marheyo, and move towards the now almost desertedbeach. The tears were in the old man's eyes, but neither he norKory-Kory attempted to hold me, and I soon reached the Kanaka,who had anxiously watched my movements; the rowers pulled in asnear as they dared to the edge of the surf; I gave one partingembrace to Fayaway, who seemed speechless with sorrow, and thenext instant I found myself safe in the boat, and Karakoee by myside, who told the rowers at once to give way. Marheyo andKory-Kory, and a great many of the women, followed me into thewater, and I was determined, as the only mark of gratitude Icould show, to give them the articles which had been brought asmy ransom. I handed the musket to Kory-Kory, with a rapidgesture which was equivalent to a 'Deed of Gift'; threw the rollof cotton to old Marheyo, pointing as I did so to poor Fayaway,who had retired from the edge of the water and was sitting downdisconsolate on the shingles; and tumbled the powder-bags out tothe nearest young ladies, all of whom were vastly willing to takethem. This distribution did not occupy ten seconds, and beforeit was over the boat was under full way; the Kanaka all the whileexclaiming loudly against what he considered a useless throwingaway of valuable property.
Although it was dear that my movements had been noticed byseveral of the natives, still they had not suspended the conflictin which they were engaged, and it was not until the boat wasabove fifty yards from the shore that Mow-Mow and some six orseven other warriors rushed into the sea and hurled theirjavelins at us. Some of the weapons passed quite as close to usas was desirable, but no one was wounded, and the men pulled awaygallantly. But although soon out of the reach of the spears, ourprogress was extremely slow; it blew strong upon the shore, andthe tide was against us; and I saw Karakoee, who was steering theboat, give many a look towards a jutting point of the bay roundwhich we had to pass.
For a minute or two after our departure, the savages, who hadformed into different groups, remained perfectly motionless andsilent. All at-once the enraged chief showed by his gesturesthat he had resolved what course he would take. Shouting loudlyto his companions, and pointing with his tomahawk towards theheadland, he set off at full speed in that direction, and wasfollowed by about thirty of the natives, among whom were severalof the priests, all yelling out 'Roo-ne! Roo-ne!' at the verytop of their voices. Their intention was evidently to swim offfrom the headland and intercept us in our course. The wind wasfreshening every minute, and was right in our teeth, and it wasone of those chopping angry seas in which it is so difficult torow. Still the chances seemed in our favour, but when we camewithin a hundred yards of the point, the active savages werealready dashing into the water, and we all feared that withinfive minutes' time we should have a score of the infuriatedwretches around us. If so our doom was sealed, for thesesavages, unlike the feeble swimmer of civilized countries, are,if anything, more formidable antagonists in the water than whenon the land. It was all a trial of strength; our natives pulledtill their oars bent again, and the crowd of swimmers shotthrough the water despite its roughness, with fearful rapidity.
By the time we had reached the headland, the savages were spreadright across our course. Our rowers got out their knives andheld them ready between their teeth, and I seized the boat-hook. We were all aware that if they succeeded in intercepting us theywould practise upon us the manoeuvre which has proved so fatal tomany a boat's crew in these seas. They would grapple the oars,and seizing hold of the gunwhale, capsize the boat, and then weshould be entirely at their mercy.
After a few breathless moments discerned Mow-Mow. The athleticislander, with his tomahawk between his teeth, was dashing thewater before him till it foamed again. He was the nearest to us,and in another instant he would have seized one of the oars. Even at the moment I felt horror at the act I was about tocommit; but it was no time for pity or compunction, and with atrue aim, and exerting all my strength, I dashed the boat-hook athim. It struck him just below the throat, and forced himdownwards. I had no time to repeat the blow, but I saw him riseto the surface in the wake of the boat, and never shall I forgetthe ferocious expression of his countenance.
Only one other of the savages reached the boat. He seized thegunwhale, but the knives of our rowers so mauled his wrists, thathe was forced to quit his hold, and the next minute we were pastthem all, and in safety. The strong excitement which had thusfar kept me up, now left me, and I fell back fainting into thearms of Karakoee.
. . . . . . . .
The circumstances connected with my most unexpected escape may bevery briefly stated. The captain of an Australian vessel, beingin distress for men in these remote seas, had put into Nukuhevain order to recruit his ship's company; but not a single man wasto be obtained; and the barque was about to get under weigh, whenshe was boarded by Karakoee, who informed the disappointedEnglishman that an American sailor was detained by the savages inthe neighbouring bay of Typee; and he offered, if supplied withsuitable articles of traffic, to undertake his release. TheKanaka had gained his intelligence from Marnoo, to whom, afterall, I was indebted for my escape. The proposition was accededto; and Karakoee, taking with him five tabooed natives ofNukuheva, again repaired aboard the barque, which in a few hourssailed to that part of the island, and threw her main-top-sailaback right off the entrance to the Typee bay. The whale-boat,manned by the tabooed crew, pulled towards the head of the inlet,while the ship lay 'off and on' awaiting its return.
The events which ensued have already been detailed, and littlemore remains to be related. On reaching the 'Julia' I was liftedover the side, and my strange appearance and remarkable adventureoccasioned the liveliest interest. Every attention was bestowedupon me that humanity could suggest. But to such a state was Ireduced, that three months elapsed before I recovered my health.
The mystery which hung over the fate of my friend and companionToby has never been cleared up. I still remain ignorant whetherhe succeeded in leaving the valley, or perished at the hands ofthe islanders.
THE STORY OF TOBY
THE morning my comrade left me, as related in the narrative, hewas accompanied by a large party of the natives, some of themcarrying fruit and hogs for the purposes of traffic, as thereport had spread that boats had touched at the bay.
As they proceeded through the settled parts of the valley,numbers joined them from every side, running with animated criesfrom every pathway. So excited were the whole party, that eageras Toby was to gain the beach, it was almost as much as he coulddo to keep up with them. Making the valley ring with theirshouts, they hurried along on a swift trot, those in advancepausing now and then, and flourishing their weapons to urge therest forward.
Presently they came to a place where the paths crossed a bend ofthe main stream of the valley. Here a strange sound came throughthe grove beyond, and the Islanders halted. It was Mow-Mow, theone-eyed chief, who had gone on before; he was striking his heavylance against the hollow bough of a tree.
This was a signal of alarm;--for nothing was now heard but shoutsof 'Happar! Happar!'--the warriors tilting with their spears andbrandishing them in the air, and the women and boys shouting toeach other, and picking up the stones in the bed of the stream. In a moment or two Mow-Mow and two or three other chiefs ran outfrom the grove, and the din increased ten fold.
Now, thought Toby, for a fray; and being unarmed, he besought oneof the young men domiciled with Marheyo for the loan of hisspear. But he was refused; the youth roguishly telling him thatthe weapon was very good for him (the Typee), but that a whiteman could fight much better with his fists.
The merry humour of this young wag seemed to be shared by therest, for in spite of their warlike cries and gestures, everybodywas capering and laughing, as if it was one of the funniestthings in the world to be awaiting the flight of a score or twoof Happar javelins from an ambush in the thickets.
While my comrade was in vain trying to make out the meaning ofall this, a good number of the natives separated themselves fromthe rest and ran off into the grove on one side, the others nowkeeping perfectly still, as if awaiting the result. After alittle while, however, Mow-Mow, who stood in advance, motionedthem to come on stealthily, which they did, scarcely rustling aleaf. Thus they crept along for ten or fifteen minutes, everynow and then pausing to listen.
Toby by no means relished this sort of skulking; if there wasgoing to be a fight, he wanted it to begin at once. But all ingood time,--for just then, as they went prowling into thethickest of the wood, terrific howls burst upon them on allsides, and volleys of darts and stones flew across the path. Notan enemy was to be seen, and what was still more surprising, nota single man dropped, though the pebbles fell among the leaveslike hail.
There was a moment's pause, when the Typees, with wild shrieks,flung themselves into the covert, spear in hand; nor was Tobybehindhand. Coming so near getting his skull broken by thestones, and animated by an old grudge he bore the Happars, he wasamong the first to dash at them. As he broke his way through theunderbush, trying, as he did so, to wrest a spear from a youngchief, the shouts of battle all of a sudden ceased, and the woodwas as still as death. The next moment, the party who had leftthem so mysteriously rushed out from behind every bush and tree,and united with the rest in long and merry peals of laughter.
It was all a sham, and Toby, who was quite out of breath withexcitement, was much incensed at being made a fool of.
It afterwards turned out that the whole affair had been concertedfor his particular benefit, though with what precise view itwould be hard to tell. My comrade was the more enraged at thisboys' play, since it had consumed so much time, every moment ofwhich might be precious. Perhaps, however, it was partlyintended for this very purpose; and he was led to think so,because when the natives started again, he observed that they didnot seem to be in so great a hurry as before. At last, afterthey had gone some distance, Toby, thinking all the while thatthey never would get to the sea, two men came running towardsthem, and a regular halt ensued, followed by a noisy discussion,during which Toby's name was often repeated. All this made himmore and more anxious to learn what was going on at the beach;but it was in vain that he now tried to push forward; the nativesheld him back.
In a few moments the conference ended, and many of them ran downthe path in the direction of the water, the rest surroundingToby, and entreating him to 'Moee', or sit down and rest himself.
As an additional inducement, several calabashes of food, whichhad been brought along, were now placed on the ground, andopened, and pipes also were lighted. Toby bridled his impatiencea while, but at last sprang to his feet and dashed forward again.
He was soon overtaken nevertheless, and again surrounded, butwithout further detention was then permitted to go down to thesea.
They came out upon a bright green space between the groves andthe water, and close under the shadow of the Happar mountain,where a path was seen winding out of sight through a gorge.
No sign of a boat, however, was beheld, nothing but a tumultuouscrowd of men and women, and some one in their midst, earnestlytalking to them. As my comrade advanced, this person cameforward and proved to be no stranger. He was an old grizzledsailor, whom Toby and myself had frequently seen in Nukuheva,where he lived an easy devil-may-care life in the household ofMowanna the king, going by the name of 'Jimmy'. In fact he wasthe royal favourite, and had a good deal to say in his master'scouncils. He wore a Manilla hat and a sort of tappa morninggown, sufficiently loose and negligent to show the verse of asong tattooed upon his chest, and a variety of spirited cuts bynative artists in other parts of his body. He sported a fishingrod in his hand, and carried a sooty old pipe slung about hisneck.
This old rover having retired from active life, had resided inNukuheva some time--could speak the language, and for that reasonwas frequently employed by the French as an interpreter. He wasan arrant old gossip too; for ever coming off in his canoe to theships in the bay, and regaling their crews with choice littlemorsels of court scandal--such, for instance, as a shamefulintrigue of his majesty with a Happar damsel, a public dancer atthe feasts--and otherwise relating some incredible tales aboutthe Marquesas generally. I remember in particular his tellingthe Dolly's crew what proved to be literally a cock-and-bullstory, about two natural prodigies which he said were then on theisland. One was an old monster of a hermit, having a marvellousreputation for sanctity, and reputed a famous sorcerer, who livedaway off in a den among the mountains, where he hid from theworld a great pair of horns that grew out of his temples. Notwithstanding his reputation for piety, this horrid old fellowwas the terror of all the island round, being reported to comeout from his retreat, and go a man-hunting every dark night. Some anonymous Paul Pry, too, coming down the mountain, once gota peep at his den, and found it full of bones. In short, he wasa most unheard-of monster.
The other prodigy Jimmy told us about was the younger son of achief, who, although but just turned of ten, had entered uponholy orders, because his superstitious countrymen thought himespecially intended for the priesthood from the fact of hishaving a comb on his head like a rooster. But this was not all;for still more wonderful to relate, the boy prided himself uponhis strange crest, being actually endowed with a cock's voice,and frequently crowing over his peculiarity.
But to return to Toby. The moment he saw the old rover on thebeach, he ran up to him, the natives following after, and forminga circle round them.
After welcoming him to the shore, Jimmy went on to tell him howthat he knew all about our having run away from the ship, andbeing among the Typees. Indeed, he had been urged by Mowanna tocome over to the valley, and after visiting his friends there, tobring us back with him, his royal master being exceedinglyanxious to share with him the reward which had been held out forour capture. He, however, assured Toby that he had indignantlyspurned the offer.
All this astonished my comrade not a little, as neither of us hadentertained the least idea that any white man ever visited theTypees sociably. But Jimmy told him that such was the casenevertheless, although he seldom came into the bay, and scarcelyever went back from the beach. One of the priests of the valley,in some way or other connected with an old tattooed divine inNukuheva, was a friend of his, and through him he was 'taboo'.
He said, moreover, that he was sometimes employed to come roundto the bay, and engage fruit for ships lying in Nukuheva. Infact, he was now on that very errand, according to his ownaccount, having just come across the mountains by the way ofHappar. By noon of the next day the fruit would be heaped up instacks on the beach, in readiness for the boats which he thenintended to bring into the bay.
Jimmy now asked Toby whether he wished to leave the island--if hedid, there was a ship in want of men lying in the other harbour,and he would be glad to take him over, and see him on board thatvery day.
'No,' said Toby, 'I cannot leave the island unless my comradegoes with me. I left him up the valley because they would notlet him come down. Let us go now and fetch him.'
'But how is he to cross the mountain with us,' replied Jimmy,'even if we get him down to the beach? Better let him stay tilltomorrow, and I will bring him round to Nukuheva in the boats.'
'That will never do,' said Toby, 'but come along with me now, andlet us get him down here at any rate,' and yielding to theimpulse of the moment, he started to hurry back into the valley. But hardly was his back turned, when a dozen hands were laid onhim, and he learned that he could not go a step further.
It was in vain that he fought with them; they would not hear ofhis stirring from the beach. Cut to the heart at this unexpectedrepulse, Toby now conjured the sailor to go after me alone. ButJimmy replied, that in the mood the Typees then were they wouldnot permit him so to do, though at the same time he was notafraid of their offering him any harm.
Little did Toby then think, as he afterwards had good reason tosuspect, that this very Jimmy was a heartless villain, who, byhis arts, had just incited the natives to restrain him as he wasin the act of going after me. Well must the old sailor haveknown, too, that the natives would never consent to our leavingtogether, and he therefore wanted to get Toby off alone, for apurpose which he afterwards made plain. Of all this, however, mycomrade now knew nothing.
He was still struggling with the islanders when Jimmy again cameup to him, and warned him against irritating them, saying that hewas only making matters worse for both of us, and if they becameenraged, there was no telling what might happen. At last he madeToby sit down on a broken canoe by a pile of stones, upon whichwas a ruinous little shrine supported by four upright poles, andin front partly screened by a net. The fishing parties metthere, when they came in from the sea, for their offerings werelaid before an image, upon a smooth black stone within. Thisspot Jimmy said was strictly 'taboo', and no one would molest orcome near him while he stayed by its shadow. The old sailor thenwent off, and began speaking very earnestly to Mow-Mow and someother chiefs, while all the rest formed a circle round the tabooplace, looking intently at Toby, and talking to each otherwithout ceasing.
Now, notwithstanding what Jimmy had just told him, therepresently came up to my comrade an old woman, who seated herselfbeside him on the canoe.
'Typee motarkee?' said she. 'Motarkee nuee,' said Toby.
She then asked him whether he was going to Nukuheva; he noddedyes; and with a plaintive wall and her eyes filling with tearsshe rose and left him.
This old woman, the sailor afterwards said, was the wife of anaged king of a small island valley, communicating by a deep passwith the country of the Typees. The inmates of the two valleyswere related to each other by blood, and were known by the samename. The old woman had gone down into the Typee valley the daybefore, and was now with three chiefs, her sons, on a visit toher kinsmen.
As the old king's wife left him, Jimmy again came up to Toby, andtold him that he had just talked the whole matter over with thenatives, and there was only one course for him to follow. Theywould not allow him to go back into the valley, and harm wouldcertainly come to both him and me, if he remained much longer onthe beach. 'So,' said he, 'you and I had better go to Nukuhevanow overland, and tomorrow I will bring Tommo, as they call him,by water; they have promised to carry him down to the sea for meearly in the morning, so that there will be no delay.'
'No, no,' said Toby desperately, 'I will not leave him that way;we must escape together.'
'Then there is no hope for you,' exclaimed the sailor, 'for if Ileave you here on the beach, as soon as I am gone you will becarried back into the valley, and then neither of you will everlook upon the sea again.' And with many oaths he swore that ifhe would only go to Nukuheva with him that day, he would be sureto have me there the very next morning.
'But how do you know they will bring him down to the beachtomorrow, when they will not do so today?' said Toby. But thesailor had many reasons, all of which were so mixed up with themysterious customs of the islanders, that he was none the wiser. Indeed, their conduct, especially in preventing him fromreturning into the valley, was absolutely unaccountable to him;and added to everything else, was the bitter reflection, that theold sailor, after all, might possibly be deceiving him. And thenagain he had to think of me, left alone with the natives, and byno means well. If he went with Jimmy, he might at least hope toprocure some relief for me. But might not the savages who hadacted so strangely, hurry me off somewhere before his return?Then, even if he remained, perhaps they would not let him go backinto the valley where I was.
Thus perplexed was my poor comrade; he knew not what to do, andhis courageous spirit was of no use to him now. There he was,all by himself, seated upon the broken canoe--the natives groupedaround him at a distance, and eyeing him more and more fixedly.'It is getting late: said Jimmy, who was standing behind therest. 'Nukuheva is far off, and I cannot cross the Happarcountry by night. You see how it is;--if you come along withme,. all will be well; if you do not, depend upon it, neither ofyou will ever escape.'
'There is no help for it,' said Toby, at last, with a heavyheart, 'I will have to trust you,' and he came out from theshadow of the little shrine, and cast a long look up the valley.
'Now keep close to my side,' said the sailor, 'and let us bemoving quickly.' Tinor and Fayaway here appeared; thekindhearted old woman embracing Toby's knees, and giving way to aflood of tears; while Fayaway, hardly less moved, spoke some fewwords of English she had learned, and held up three fingersbefore him--in so many days he would return.
At last Jimmy pulled Toby out of the crowd, and after calling toa young Typee who was standing by with a young pig in his arms,all three started for the mountains.
'I have told them that you are coming back again,' said the oldfellow, laughing, as they began the ascent, 'but they'll have towait a long time.' Toby turned, and saw the natives all inmotion--the girls waving their tappas in adieu, and the men theirspears. As the last figure entered the grove with one armraised, and the three fingers spread, his heart smote him.
As the natives had at last consented to his going, it might havebeen, that some of them, at least, really counted upon his speedyreturn; probably supposing, as indeed he had told them when theywere coming down the valley, that his only object in leaving themwas to procure the medicines I needed. This, Jimmy also musthave told them. And as they had done before, when my comrade, tooblige me, started on his perilous journey to Nukuheva, theylooked upon me, in his absence, as one of two inseparable friendswho was a sure guaranty for the other's return. This is only myown supposition, however, for as to all their strange conduct, itis still a mystery.
'You see what sort of a taboo man I am,' said the sailor, afterfor some time silently following the path which led up themountain. 'Mow-Mow made me a present of this pig here, and theman who carries it will go right through Happar, and down intoNukuheva with us. So long as he stays by me he is safe, and justso it will be with you, and tomorrow with Tommo. Cheer up, then,and rely upon me, you will see him in the morning.'
The ascent of the mountain was not very difficult, owing to itsbeing near to the sea, where the island ridges are comparativelylow; the path, too, was a fine one, so that in a short time allthree were standing on the summit with the two valleys at theirfeet. The white cascade marking the green head of the Typeevalley first caught Toby's eye; Marheyo's house could easily betraced by them.
As Jimmy led the way along the ridge, Toby observed that thevalley of the Happars did not extend near so far inland as thatof the Typees. This accounted for our mistake in entering thelatter valley as we had.
A path leading down from the mountain was soon seen, and,following it, the party were in a short time fairly in the Happarvalley.
'Now,' said Jimmy, as they hurried on, 'we taboo men have wivesin all the bays, and I am going to show you the two I have here.'
So, when they came to the house where he said they lived,--whichwas close by the base of the mountain in a shady nook among thegroves--he went in, and was quite furious at finding itempty--the ladies, had gone out. However, they soon made theirappearance, and to tell the truth, welcomed Jimmy quitecordially, as well as Toby, about whom they were veryinquisitive. Nevertheless, as the report of their arrivalspread, and the Happars began to assemble, it became evident thatthe appearance of a white stranger among them was not by anymeans deemed so wonderful an event as in the neighbouring valley.
The old sailor now bade his wives prepare something to eat, as hemust be in Nukuheva before dark. A meal of fish, bread-fruit,and bananas, was accordingly served up, the party regalingthemselves on the mats, in the midst of a numerous company.
The Happars put many questions to Jimmy about Toby; and Tobyhimself looked sharply at them, anxious to recognize the fellowwho gave him the wound from which he was still suffering. Butthis fiery gentleman, so handy with his spear, had the delicacy,it seemed, to keep out of view. Certainly the sight of him wouldnot have been any added inducement to making a stay in thevalley,--some of the afternoon loungers in Happar having politelyurged Toby to spend a few days with them,--there was a feastcoming on. He, however, declined.
All this while the young Typee stuck to Jimmy like his shadow,and though as lively a dog as any of his tribe, he was now asmeek as a lamb, never opening his mouth except to eat. Althoughsome of the Happars looked queerly at him, others were morecivil, and seemed desirous of taking him abroad and showing himthe valley. But the Typee was not to be cajoled in that way. How many yards he would have to remove from Jimmy before thetaboo would be powerless, it would be hard to tell, but probablyhe himself knew to a fraction.
On the promise of a red cotton handkerchief, and something elsewhich he kept secret, this poor fellow had undertaken a ratherticklish journey, though, as far as Toby could ascertain, it wassomething that had never happened before.
The island-punch--arva--was brought in at the conclusion of therepast, and passed round in a shallow calabash.
Now my comrade, while seated in the Happar house, began to feelmore troubled than ever at leaving me; indeed, so sad did he feelthat he talked about going back to the valley, and wanted Jimmyto escort him as far as the mountains. But the sailor would notlisten to him, and, by way of diverting his thoughts, pressed himto drink of the arva. Knowing its narcotic nature, he refused;but Jimmy said he would have something mixed with it, which wouldconvert it into an innocent beverage that would inspirit them forthe rest of their journey. So at last he was induced to drink ofit, and its effects were just as the sailor had predicted; hisspirits rose at once, and all his gloomy thoughts left him.
The old rover now began to reveal his true character, though hewas hardly suspected at the time. 'If I get you off to a ship,'said he, 'you will surely give a poor fellow something for savingyou.' In short, before they left the house, he made Toby promisethat he would give him five Spanish dollars if he succeeded ingetting any part of his wages advanced from the vessel, aboard ofwhich they were going; Toby, moreover, engaging to reward himstill further, as soon as my deliverance was accomplished.
A little while after this they started again, accompanied by manyof the natives, and going up the valley, took a steep path nearits head, which led to Nukuheva. Here the Happars paused andwatched them as they ascended the mountain, one group ofbandit-looking fellows, shaking their spears and castingthreatening glances at the poor Typee, whose heart as well asheels seemed much the lighter when he came to look down uponthem.
On gaining the heights once more, their way led for a time alongseveral ridges covered with enormous ferns. At last they enteredupon a wooded tract, and here they overtook a party of Nukuhevanatives, well armed, and carrying bundles of long poles. Jimmyseemed to know them all very well, and stopped for a while, andhad a talk about the 'Wee-Wees', as the people of Nukuheva callthe Monsieurs.
The party with the poles were King Mowanna's men, and by hisorders they had been gathering them in the ravines for his alliesthe French.
Leaving these fellows to trudge on with their loads, Toby and hiscompanions now pushed forward again, as the sun was already lowin the west. They came upon the valleys of Nukuheva on one sideof the bay, where the highlands slope off into the sea. Themen-of-war were still lying in the harbour, and as Toby lookeddown upon them, the strange events which had happened sorecently, seemed all a dream.
They soon descended towards the beach, and found themselves inJimmy's house before it was well dark. Here he received anotherwelcome from his Nukuheva wives, and after some refreshments inthe shape of cocoanut milk and poee-poee, they entered a canoe(the Typee of course going along) and paddled off to a whaleshipwhich was anchored near the shore. This was the vessel in wantof men. Our own had sailed some time before. The captainprofessed great pleasure at seeing Toby, but thought from hisexhausted appearance that he must be unfit for duty. However, heagreed to ship him, as well as his comrade, as soon as he shouldarrive. Toby begged hard for an armed boat, in which to go roundto Typee and rescue me, notwithstanding the promises of Jimmy. But this the captain would not hear of, and told him to havepatience, for the sailor would be faithful to his word. When,too, he demanded the five silver dollars for Jimmy, the captainwas unwilling to give them. But Toby insisted upon it, as he nowbegan to think that Jimmy might be a mere mercenary, who would besure to prove faithless if not well paid. Accordingly he notonly gave him the money, but took care to assure him, over andover again, that as soon as he brought me aboard he would receivea still larger sum.
Before sun-rise the next day, Jimmy and the Typee started in twoof the ship's boats, which were manned by tabooed natives. Toby,of course, was all eagerness to go along, but the sailor told himthat if he did, it would spoil all; so, hard as it was, he wasobliged to remain.
Towards evening he was on the watch, and descried the boatsturning the headland and entering the bay. He strained his eyes,and thought he saw me; but I was not there. Descending from themast almost distracted, he grappled Jimmy as he struck the deck,shouting in a voice that startled him, 'Where is Tommo?' The oldfellow faltered, but soon recovering, did all he could to soothehim, assuring him that it had proved to be impossible to get medown to the shore that morning; assigning many plausible reasons,and adding that early on the morrow he was going to visit the bayagain in a French boat, when, if he did not find me on thebeach--as this time he certainly expected to--he would marchright back into the valley, and carry me away at all hazards. He, however, again refused to allow Toby to accompany him. Now,situated as Toby was, his sole dependence for the present wasupon this Jimmy, and therefore he was fain to comfort himself aswell as he could with what the old sailor told him. The nextmorning, however, he had the satisfaction of seeing the Frenchboat start with Jimmy in it. Tonight, then, I will see him,thought Toby; but many a long day passed before he ever saw Tommoagain. Hardly was the boat out of sight, when the captain cameforward and ordered the anchor weighed; he was going to sea.
Vain were all Toby's ravings--they were disregarded; and when hecame to himself, the sails were set, and the ship fast leavingthe land.
. . . 'Oh!' said he to me at our meeting, 'what sleeplessnights were mine. Often I started from my hammock, dreaming youwere before me, and upbraiding me for leaving you on the island.'
. . . . . . .
There is little more to be related. Toby left this vessel at NewZealand, and after some further adventures, arrived home in lessthan two years after leaving the Marquesas. He always thought ofme as dead--and I had every reason to suppose that he too was nomore; but a strange meeting was in store for us, one which madeToby's heart all the lighter.
NOTE.
The author was more than two years in the South Seas, afterescaping from the valley, as recounted in the last chapter. Sometime after returning home the foregoing narrative was published,though it was little thought at the time that this would be themeans of revealing the existance of Toby, who had long been givenup for lost. But so it proved.
The story of his escape supplies a natural sequel to theadventure, and as such it is now added to the volume. It wasrelated to the author by Toby himself, not ten days since.
New York, July, 1846.