CHAPTER XXXII.
An unexpected discovery, and a bold, reckless defiance, with itsconsequences--Plans of escape, and heroic resolves.
When we returned to the shore, and related to our friend what had passed,he was greatly distressed, and groaned in spirit; but we had not sat longin conversation, when we were interrupted by the arrival of Tararo on thebeach, accompanied by a number of followers bearing baskets of vegetablesand fruits on their heads.
We advanced to meet him, and he expressed, through our interpreter, muchpleasure in seeing us.
"And what is it that my friends wish to say to me?" he inquired.
The teacher explained that we came to beg that Avatea might be spared.
"Tell him," said Jack, "that I consider that I have a right to ask thisof him, having not only saved the girl's life, but the lives of his ownpeople also; and say that I wish her to be allowed to follow her ownwishes, and join the Christians."
While this was being translated, the chiefs brow lowered, and we couldsee plainly that our request met with no favourable reception. Hereplied with considerable energy, and at some length.
"What says he?" inquired Jack.
"I regret to say that he will not listen to the proposal. He says he haspledged his word to his friend that the girl shall be sent to him, and adeputy is even now on this island awaiting the fulfilment of the pledge."
Jack bit his lip in suppressed anger. "Tell Tararo," he exclaimed withflashing eye, "that if he does not grant my demand, it will be worse forhim. Say I have a big gun on board my schooner that will blow hisvillage into the sea, if he does not give up the girl."
"Nay, my friend," said the teacher, gently, "I will not tell him that; wemust overcome evil with good.'"
"What does my friend say?" inquired the chief, who seemed nettled byJack's looks of defiance.
"He is displeased," replied the teacher.
Tararo turned away with a smile of contempt, and walked towards the menwho carried the baskets of vegetables, and who had now emptied the wholeon the beach in an enormous pile.
"What are they doing there?" I inquired.
"I think that they are laying out a gift which they intend to present tosome one," said the teacher.
At this moment a couple of men appeared leading a young girl betweenthem; and, going towards the heap of fruits and vegetables, placed her onthe top of it. We started with surprise and fear, for in the youngfemale before us we recognised the Samoan girl, Avatea!
We stood rooted to the earth with surprise and thick coming fears.
"Oh! my dear young friend," whispered the teacher, in a voice of deepemotion, while he seized Jack by the arm, "she is to be made a sacrificeeven now!"
"Is she?" cried Jack, with a vehement shout, spurning the teacher aside,and dashing over two natives who stood in his way, while he rushedtowards the heap, sprang up its side, and seized Avatea by the arm. Inanother moment he dragged her down, placed her back to a large tree, and,wrenching a war-club from the hand of a native who seemed powerless andpetrified with surprise, whirled it above his head, and yelled, ratherthan shouted, while his face blazed with fury, "Come on, the whole nationof you, an ye like it, and do your worst!"
It seemed as though the challenge had been literally accepted; for everysavage on the ground ran precipitately at Jack with club and spear, and,doubtless, would speedily have poured out his brave blood on the sod, hadnot the teacher rushed in between them, and, raising his voice to itsutmost, cried.--
"Stay your hands, warriors! It is not your part to judge in this matter.It is for Tararo, the chief, to say whether or not the young man shalllive or die."
The natives were arrested; and I know not whether it was the gratifyingacknowledgment of his superiority thus made by the teacher, or somelingering feeling of gratitude for Jack's former aid in time of need,that influenced Tararo, but he stepped forward, and, waving his hand,said to his people,--"Desist. The young man's life is mine." Then,turning to Jack, he said, "You have forfeited your liberty and life tome. Submit yourself, for we are more numerous than the sand upon theshore. You are but one; why should you die?"
"Villain!" exclaimed Jack, passionately, "I may die, but, assuredly, Ishall not perish alone. I will not submit until you promise that thisgirl shall not be injured."
"You are very bold," replied the chief, haughtily, "but very foolish. YetI will say that Avatea shall not be sent away, at least for three days."
"You had better accept these terms," whispered the teacher, entreatingly."If you persist in this mad defiance, you will be slain, and Avatea willbe lost. Three days are worth having."
Jack hesitated a moment, then lowered his club, and, throwing it moodilyto the ground, crossed his arms on his breast, and hung down his head insilence.
Tararo seemed pleased by his submission, and told the teacher to say thathe did not forget his former services, and, therefore, would leave himfree as to his person, but that the schooner would be detained till hehad further considered the matter.
While the teacher translated this, he approached as near to where Avateawas standing as possible, without creating suspicion, and whispered toher a few words in the native language. Avatea, who, during the whole ofthe foregoing scene, had stood leaning against the tree perfectlypassive, and seemingly quite uninterested in all that was going on,replied by a single rapid glance of her dark eye, which was instantlycast down again on the ground at her feet.
Tararo now advanced, and taking the girl by the hand, led herunresistingly away, while Jack, Peterkin, and I returned with the teacheron board the schooner.
On reaching the deck, we went down to the cabin, where Jack threwhimself, in a state of great dejection, on a couch; but the teacherseated himself by his side, and, laying his hand upon his shoulder,said,--
"Do not give way to anger, my young friend. God has given us three days,and we must use the means that are in our power to free this poor girlfrom slavery. We must not sit in idle disappointment, we must act"--
"Act!" cried Jack, raising himself, and tossing back his hair wildly; "itis mockery to balk of acting when one is bound hand and foot. How can Iact? I cannot fight a whole nation of savages single-handed. Yes," hesaid, with a bitter smile, "I can fight them, but I cannot conquer them,or save Avatea."
"Patience, my friend; your spirit is not a good one just now. You cannotexpect that blessing which alone can insure success, unless you are moresubmissive. I will tell you my plans if you will listen."
"Listen!" cried Jack, eagerly, "of course I will, my good fellow; I didnot know you had any plans. Out with them. I only hope you will show mehow I can get the girl on board of this schooner, and I'd up anchor andaway in no time. But proceed with your plans."
The teacher smiled sadly: "Ah! my friend, if one fathom of your anchorchain were to rattle, as you drew it in, a thousand warriors would bestanding on your deck. No, no, that could not be done. Even now, yourship would be taken from you were it not that Tararo has some feeling ofgratitude toward you. But I know Tararo well. He is a man of falsehood,as all the unconverted savages are. The chief to whom he has promisedthis girl is very powerful, and Tararo _must_ fulfil his promise. He hastold you that he would do nothing to the girl for three days; but that isbecause the party who are to take her away will not be ready to start forthree days. Still, as he might have made you a prisoner during thosethree days, I say that God has given them to us."
"Well, but what do you propose to do?" said Jack, impatiently.
"My plan involves much danger, but I see no other, and I think you havecourage to brave it. It is this: There is an island about fifty miles tothe south of this, the natives of which are Christians, and have been sofor two years or more, and the principal chief is Avatea's lover. Oncethere, Avatea would be safe. Now, I suggest that you should abandon yourschooner. Do you think that you can make so great a sacrifice?"
"Friend," replied Jack, "when I make up my mind to go through with athing of im
portance, I can make any sacrifice."
The teacher smiled. "Well, then, the savages could not conceive itpossible that, for the sake of a girl, you would voluntarily lose yourfine vessel; therefore as long as she lies here they think they have youall safe: so I suggest that we get a quantity of stores conveyed to asequestered part of the shore, provide a small canoe, put Avatea onboard, and you three would paddle to the Christian island."
"Bravo!" cried Peterkin, springing up and seizing the teacher's hand."Missionary, you're a regular brick. I didn't think you had so much inyou."
"As for me," continued the teacher, "I will remain on board till theydiscover that you are gone. Then they will ask me where you are gone to,and I will refuse to tell."
"And what'll be the result of that?" inquired Jack.
"I know not. Perhaps they will kill me; but," he added, looking at Jackwith a peculiar smile, "I too am not afraid to die in a good cause!"
"But how are we to get hold of Avatea?" inquired Jack.
"I have arranged with her to meet us at a particular spot, to which Iwill guide you to-night. We shall then arrange about it. She willeasily manage to elude her keepers, who are not very strict in watchingher, thinking it impossible that she could escape from the island.Indeed, I am sure that such an idea will never enter their heads. But,as I have said, you run great danger. Fifty miles in a small canoe, onthe open sea, is a great voyage to make. You may miss the island, too,in which case there is no other in that direction for a hundred miles ormore; and if you lose your way and fall among other heathens, you knowthe law of Feejee--a cast-away who gains the shore is doomed to die. Youmust count the cost, my young friend."
"I have counted it," replied Jack. "If Avatea consents to run the risk,most certainly I will; and so will my comrades also. Besides," addedJack, looking seriously into the teacher's face, "your Bible,--_our_Bible, tells of ONE who delivers those who call on Him in the time oftrouble; who holds the winds in his fists and the waters in the hollow ofhis hand."
We now set about active preparations for the intended voyage; collectedtogether such things as we should require, and laid out on the deckprovisions sufficient to maintain us for several weeks, purposing to loadthe canoe with as much as she could hold consistently with speed andsafety. These we covered with a tarpaulin, intending to convey them tothe canoe only a few hours before starting. When night spread her sablecurtain over the scene, we prepared to land; but, first, kneeling alongwith the natives and the teacher, the latter implored a blessing on ourenterprise. Then we rowed quietly to the shore and followed our sableguide, who led us by a long detour, in order to avoid the village, to theplace of rendezvous. We had not stood more than five minutes under thegloomy shade of the thick foliage when a dark figure glided noiselesslyup to us.
"Ah! here you are," said Jack, as Avatea approached. "Now, then, tellher what we've come about, and don't waste time."
"I understan' leetl English," said Avatea, in a low voice.
"Why, where did you pick up English?" exclaimed Jack, in amazement; "youwere dumb as a stone when I saw you last."
"She has learned all she knows of it from me," said the teacher, "sinceshe came to the island."
We now gave Avatea a full explanation of our plans, entering into all thedetails, and concealing none of the danger, so that she might be fullyaware of the risk she ran. As we had anticipated, she was too glad ofthe opportunity thus afforded her to escape from her persecutors to thinkof the danger or risk.
"Then you're willing to go with us, are you?" said Jack.
"Yis, I am willing to go."
"And you're not afraid to trust yourself out on the deep sea so far?"
"No, I not 'fraid to go. Safe with Christian."
After some further consultation, the teacher suggested that it was timeto return, so we bade Avatea good night, and having appointed to meet atthe cliff where the canoe lay, on the following night, just after dark,we hastened away--we to row on board the schooner with muffledoars--Avatea to glide back to her prison-hut among the Mango savages.
The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean Page 32
