登陆注册
5260300000018

第18章 THE BONES OF KAHEKILI(9)

All the chiefs were crying out in horror. The coffin, head-end up, had not sunk. It bobbed up and down in the sea astern of us. And the canoe, without way on it, bow-on to sea and wind, was drifted down by sea and wind upon the coffin. And the glass of it was to us, so that we could see the face and head of Kahekili through the glass; and he grinned at us through the glass and seemed alive already in the other world and angry with us, and, with other-world power, about to wreak his anger upon us. Up and down he bobbed, and the canoe drifted closer upon him.

"'Kill him!' 'Bleed him!' 'Thrust to the heart of him!' These things the chiefs were crying out to Eoppo in their fear. 'Over with the taro tops!' 'Let the alii have the half of a fish!'

"Eoppo, priest though he was, was likewise afraid, and his reason weakened before the sight of Kahekili in his haole coffin that would not sink. He seized me by the hair, drew me to my feet, and lifted the knife to plunge to my heart. And there was no resistance in me. I knew again only that I was very thirsty, and before my swimming eyes, in mid-air and close up, dangled the sanded tongue of the harpooner.

"But before the knife could fall and drive in, the thing happened that saved me. Akai, half-brother to Governor Boki, as you will remember, was steersman of the canoe, and, therefore, in the stern, was nearest to the coffin and its dead that would not sink. He was wild with fear, and he thrust out with the point of his paddle to fend off the coffined alii that seemed bent to come on board. The point of the paddle struck the glass. The glass broke--"

"And the coffin immediately sank," Hardman Pool broke in; "the air that floated it escaping through the broken glass."

"The coffin immediately sank, being builded by the ship's carpenter like a boat," Kumuhana confirmed. "And I, who was a moepuu, became a man once more. And I lived, though I died a thousand deaths from thirst before we gained back to the beach at Waikiki.

"And so, O Kanaka Oolea, the bones of Kahekili do not lie in the Royal Mausoleum. They are at the bottom of Molokai Channel, if not, long since, they have become floating dust of slime, or, builded into the bodies of the coral creatures dead and gone, are builded into the coral reef itself. Of men I am the one living who saw the bones of Kahekili sink into the Molokai Channel."

In the pause that followed, wherein Hardman Pool was deep sunk in meditation, Kumuhana licked his dry lips many times. At the last he broke silence:

"The twelve dollars, Kanaka Oolea, for the jackass and the second-hand saddle and bridle?"

"The twelve dollars would be thine," Pool responded, passing to the ancient one six dollars and a half, "save that I have in my stable junk the very bridle and saddle for you which I shall give you.

These six dollars and a half will buy you the perfectly suitable jackass of the pake" (Chinese) "at Kokako who told me only yesterday that such was the price."

They sat on, Pool meditating, conning over and over to himself the Maori death-chant he had heard, and especially the line, "So dusk of eve came on," finding in it an intense satisfaction of beauty;

Kumuhana licking his lips and tokening that he waited for something more. At last he broke silence.

"I have talked long, O Kanaka Oolea. There is not the enduring moistness in my mouth that was when I was young. It seems that afresh upon me is the thirst that was mine when tormented by the visioned tongue of the harpooner. The gin and milk is very good, O

Kanaka Oolea, for a tongue that is like the harpooner's."

A shadow of a smile flickered across Pool's face. He clapped his hands, and the little maid came running.

"Bring one glass of gin and milk for old Kumuhana," commanded Hardman Pool.

WAIKIKI, HONOLULU

June 28, 1916.

同类推荐
  • 太上三十六尊经

    太上三十六尊经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太极拳理论大全

    太极拳理论大全

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 元始天尊说药王救八十一难真经

    元始天尊说药王救八十一难真经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Billy and the Big Stick

    Billy and the Big Stick

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 张文祥刺马案

    张文祥刺马案

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 白头吟

    白头吟

    东汉初年,传闻新野郡城郊仙人居住的百花山里,美貌狡猾的盖世“女仙”玲珑出落凡尘;新野郡里远近闻名,博览群书的风流少年郎邓禹骄阳似火。一次“赠鞋”的巧合,牵绊出一段旷世奇缘。昔日合欢花下气如芝兰的翩翩玉公子,大隐于世,却终逃不开“情”劫。
  • 半江赵先生文集

    半江赵先生文集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 似水流年

    似水流年

    有时候我也会想,这一切究竟是为了什么。等到终于要离开这一切的时候,我才发觉,对他的爱早已深入骨髓。如果我们不曾互相伤害,该多好……-------------------如果时光真的可以倒流,请让我遇到你,静止在跨越三百年的凝眸。如果可以相守,我愿陪你走到生命的尽头。只是这似水流年,从不肯为谁而停留……谁来告诉我,该怎样面对这时光的洪流?——则为你如花美眷,似水流年,是答儿闲寻遍,在幽闺自怜。原来姹紫嫣红开遍,似这般都付与断井颓垣。良辰美景奈何天,便赏心乐事谁家院?朝飞暮卷,云霞翠轩,雨丝风片,烟波画船。锦屏人忒看的这韶光贱!【第二部《清韵:似水流年》←非穿越、《似水流年》姐妹篇《如花美眷》筹划中,敬请期待~】
  • 黑街男友:帝景十四煞

    黑街男友:帝景十四煞

    花若QQ:702161707,加Q,聊文.十四个故事会全部写完,不加VIP,请多支持.老四--叶觉响,帝景集团的军师,有一颗极其聪明的脑袋,却被一个糊涂的小警察给打败!老十二--南非耀,电脑天才,设计各种程序和机关,却被另一个比他更厉害的女生杀掉了他在魔兽世界里的大神.老九--热情的演说家,能说会道,亦是帝景集团的财神爷(管财务的),却被一个刚毕业的酷酷职场女生所吸引.老七--以追踪调查见长的陆雁回偏偏在绑架一个小丫头的事上阴沟里翻了船,此后,那个被他误绑的丫头和他开始了一场漫长的大斗争.老二--不喜欢束缚的自由人,自诩为浪子的老二,终于下定决心要娶酷酷的大律师了,于是他天天听到大律师说"在24小时内你将收到我的律师函--"老十--赛车冠军,情陷个漂亮善良的女孩.花若自认为他是写的最好的故事.老十三---野蛮女孩总是欺负老实的老十三,轻松文.
  • 盛世医妃

    盛世医妃

    一朝穿越,成为被谁都可以欺凌的庶女三小姐?呵!不知死活!她乃二十一世纪特种兵神医凤凰!敢欺负她?那就等着跪地喊“爸爸”吧!
  • 30岁前要学会的33堂礼仪课

    30岁前要学会的33堂礼仪课

    礼仪小至影响一个人的形象和声誉,大至决定一个人的前程和命运,礼仪上的一点小小的疏忽,都会为你带来危害和麻烦,使你的形象一落千丈,事业功败垂成。30岁是一个人成长中的标志性阶段,如果你30岁前还没有掌握相关的礼仪知识和准则,30岁后你在人生的各种场合将会举步维艰。本书总结出了最重要的33堂礼仪课,解说了仪表礼仪、社交礼仪、谈话礼仪、应酬礼仪、用餐礼仪、生活礼仪、商务礼仪、职场礼仪等生活中必须要接触的所有礼仪规范,让你在趣味而活泼的礼仪课堂中,领略礼仪的魅力,学习礼仪的知识,在潜移默化中塑造自己的优雅形象,提高自己的礼仪技能,在30岁后的人生中用礼仪走遍天下,赢得一切!
  • 忠仆案

    忠仆案

    华生曾经雪藏了一些发生在1897年的案件,如:《格兰其庄园》、《红圈会》、《魔鬼之足》,有些案子直到后期才发表,如《跳舞的人》、《失踪的中卫》等。其实还有很多发生在这一年度的案件尚未公开,《忠仆案》是其中有准确记载的案件之一。不久前这份手稿很幸运地在厨师长奥古斯特?迪迭的家里找到了,厨师侦探迪迭是艾米?玛亚斯重现的一名神探。现以此手稿为基础,重新编辑成文,奉献给读者。在歇洛克,福尔摩斯退养到苏塞克斯镇以后,我们依旧经常聚会。
  • 甜宠101式:恶魔在身边

    甜宠101式:恶魔在身边

    新文已发《宠婚撩人:小娇妻,有点甜》,男主超宠女主的文文~求个收藏求票票~(砂糖文!甜宠!)一朝重生,席柚从退伍特种兵变成了女高中生。花痴,智商低,学渣,是女高中生被贴上的标签。席柚低哂,没关系,她会用实力告诉这群人什么叫女神高不可攀,智商碾压弱鸡,学渣逆袭学霸。重要的是,她会一点一点教会他们怎么做人!最后,席柚成功教会了其他人怎么做人,而陆霁,也成功教会了席柚怎么造人。
  • 网游之拐个大神当夫君

    网游之拐个大神当夫君

    余霏霏是个游戏白痴,而偏偏这样的小白却喜欢在各种游戏里游荡。一款风景唯美,人物美型的网游就此入了她的法眼。新服开启,新手扎堆上路。其中一个任务,便是要求加满十位好友即可完成。而这个任务,开启了她在这游戏里酸甜苦辣的篇章。属于我们的,花样年华。
  • 一样的智慧不一样的人生

    一样的智慧不一样的人生

    我们的生命需要感悟来充盈,才会变得滋润和充满生机,而这些智慧的养料就来自于我们所经历的每件事情,或读过的每个故事之中。