Red Rooney: The Last of the Crew

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

  A STRANGE MEETING STRANGELY INTERRUPTED.

  The meeting which had been thus strangely invaded was no ordinary prayeror missionary meeting. It had been assembled by Egede for the expresspurpose of affording some unbelievers among the Eskimos an opportunityof stating their difficulties and objections in regard to the newreligion.

  Interesting though its proceedings were, as showing the similarity ofthe workings of the civilised and savage minds, we cannot afford spaceto enter much into detail, yet some account of the matter seemsnecessary in order to show what it was that induced the robber chief todelay, though not to alter, his fell purpose.

  After prayer offered by the missionary, that the Holy Spirit mightdescend on and bless the discussion, a hymn was sung. It had beentranslated into Eskimo, and taught to his converts by Egede. Then themissionary made a brief but complete statement of the leading facts ofthe good news of salvation to sinful man in Jesus Christ,--this, notonly to clear the way for what was to come, but for the purpose ofteaching the newcomers, so as to render them somewhat intelligentlisteners.

  Then an old grey-haired man arose.

  "I do not object to the new religion," he said, "but I am puzzled. Youtell me that God is everywhere and knows everything; why, then, did henot go to our first mother, Eve, and warn her of her danger when theEvil One tempted her in the form of a serpent?"

  "My friend, the question you ask cannot be fully answered," said Egede."I can explain, however, that our first parents were put into the worldto be tried or tested in that way. To have warned Eve would haverendered the test useless. Enough for us to know that she was told whatto do. Her duty was to obey. But let me ask _you_ a question: is notsin--is not murder--hateful?"

  Grimlek imagined that Egede looked him straight in the face as he askedthe question, and felt uneasy, but was by no means softened.

  "Yes," answered the old man; "murder--sin--is hateful."

  "Yet it certainly exists," continued Egede; "you cannot help believingthat?"

  "Yes, I must admit that."

  "Then why did God permit sin?"

  Of course the old man could not reply, and the missionary pointed outthat some things were incomprehensible, and that that was one of them.

  "But," he continued, "that is no reason why we should not talk of thingsthat _are_ comprehensible. Let us turn to these."

  At this point a middle-aged man with a burly frame and resoluteexpression started up, and said in an excited yet somewhat recklessmanner--

  "I don't believe a word that you say. Everything exists as it was fromthe beginning until now, and will continue the same to the end."

  "Who told you that?" asked Egede, in a prompt yet quiet manner.

  The man was silenced. He resumed his seat without answering.

  "You have talked of the `end,' my friend," continued the missionary, inthe same quiet tone. "When is the end? and what will come after it? Iwait for enlightenment."

  Still the man remained dumb. He had evidently exhausted himself in onegrand explosion, and was unable for more. There was a disposition toquiet laughter on the part of the audience, but the missionary checkedthis by pointing to another man in the crowd and remarking--

  "I think, friend, that you have something to say."

  Thus invited, the man spoke at once, and with unexpected vigour. He wasa stupid-looking, heavy-faced man, but when roused, as he then was, hisface lighted up amazingly.

  "We do not understand you," he said sternly. "Show us the God youdescribe; then we will believe in Him and obey Him. You make Him toohigh and incomprehensible. How can we know Him? Will He troubleHimself about the like of us? Some of us have prayed to Him when wewere faint and hungry, but we got no answer. What you say of Him cannotbe true, or, if you know Him better than we do, why don't you pray forus and procure for us plenty of food, good health, and a dry house?That is all we want. As for our souls, they are healthy enough already.You are of a different race from us. People in your country may havediseased souls. Very likely they have. From the specimens we have seenof them we are quite ready to believe that. For them a doctor of soulsmay be necessary. Your heaven and your spiritual joys may be goodenough for you, but they would be very dull for us. We must have seals,and fishes, and birds. Our souls can no more live without these thanour bodies. You say we shall not find any of these in your heaven; wellthen, we do not want to go there; we will leave it to you and to theworthless part of our own countrymen, but as for us, we prefer to go toTorngarsuk, where we shall find more than we require of all things, andenjoy them without trouble."

  [See Note.]

  With an energetic "humph!" or some such exclamation, this self-satisfiedphilosopher sat down, and many of his countrymen expressed theirsympathy with his views by a decided "Huk!" but others remained silentand puzzled.

  And well they might, for in these few sentences the Eskimo had opened upa number of the problems on which man, both civilised and savage, hasbeen exercising his brain unsuccessfully from the days of Adam and Eveuntil now. No wonder that poor Hans Egede paused thoughtfully--and nodoubt prayerfully--for a few minutes ere he ventured a reply. He wasabout to open his lips, when, to his astonishment, a tall strong man whohad been sitting near the outside circle of the audience close to therobber chief Grimlek started to his feet, and, in a tone that had in itmore of a demand than a request, asked permission to speak.

  It was our friend Angut.

  Before listening to his remarks, however, it behoves us to account forhis sudden appearance.

  Having been led, as we have said, far out of their way by the detourthey were compelled to take, Red Rooney and his friends did not reachthe camp till some time after the meeting above described had begun. Asit was growing dusk at the time, they easily approached without beingobserved--all the more that during the whole time of the meeting men andwomen kept coming and going, according as they felt more or lessinterested in the proceedings.

  Great was the surprise of the three friends on arriving to find the bandof robbers sitting peacefully among the audience; but still greaterwould have been their surprise had they known the murderous purposethese had in view. Rooney, however, having had knowledge of men in manysavage lands, half guessed the true state of matters, and, touching histwo friends on the shoulders, beckoned to them to withdraw.

  "Things look peaceful," he whispered when beyond the circle, "but thereis no peace in the hearts of cold-blooded murderers. What they havedone they will do again. `Quick' is the word. Let us gather a dozenstrong young men."

  They had no difficulty in doing this. From among the youths who wereindifferent to the proceedings at the meeting they soon gathered twelveof the strongest.

  "Now, lads," said Rooney, after having briefly told them of the recentmassacre, "fifteen of these murderers are seated in that meeting. Youcannot fail to know them from our own people, for they are allstrangers. Let each one here creep into the meeting with a short spear,choose his man, sit down beside him, and be ready when the signal isgiven by Angut or me. But do not kill. You are young and strong.Throw each man on his back, but do not kill unless he seems likely toget the better of you. Hold them down, and wait for orders."

  No more was said. Rooney felt that delay might be fatal. With thepromptitude of men accustomed to be led, the youths crept into thecircle of listeners, and seated themselves as desired. Rooney and Okiokselected their men, like the rest. Angut chanced to place himselfbeside Grimlek.

  The chief cast a quick, suspicious glance on him as he sat down, but asAngut immediately became intent on the discussion that was going on, andas the robber himself had become interested in spite of himself, thesuspicion was allayed as quickly as roused.

  These quiet proceedings took place just before the heavy-faced Eskimobegan the speech which we have detailed. Notwithstanding the serious--it might be bloody--work which was presently to engage all his physicalenergies, the spirit of Angut was deeply stirred
by the string ofobjections which the man had flung out so easily. Most of the pointstouched on had often engaged his thoughtful mind, and he felt--as manyreasoning men have felt before and since--how easy it is for a fool tostate a string of objections in a few minutes, which it might take alearned man several hours fully to answer and refute.

  Oppressed, and, as it were, boiling over, with this feeling, Angut, aswe have said, started to his feet, to the no small alarm of the guiltyman at his side. But the chief's fears were dissipated when Angutspoke.

  "Foolish fellow!" he said, turning with a blazing gaze to theheavy-faced man. "You talk like a child of what you do not understand.You ask to see God, else you won't believe. You believe in your life,don't you? Yet you have never seen it. You stab a bear, and let itslife out. You know when the life is there. You have let it out. Youknow when it is gone. But you have not _seen_ it. Then why do youbelieve in it? You do not see a sound, yet you believe in it. Do notlift your stupid face; I know what you would say: you _hear_ the sound,therefore it exists. A deaf man does not hear the sound. Does ittherefore not exist? That which produces the sound is there, though thedeaf man neither sees nor hears, nor feels nor tastes, nor smells it.My friend, the man of God, says he thinks the cause of sound is motionin the air passing from particle to particle, till the last particlenext my ear is moved, and then--I hear. Is there, then, no motion inthe air to cause sound because the deaf man does not hear?

  "O stupid-face! You say that God does not answer prayer, because youhave asked and have not received. What would you think of your littleboy if he should say, `I asked a dead poisonous fish from my father theother day, and he did not give it to me; therefore my father _never_gives me what I want.' Would that be true? Every morning you awakehungry, and you _wish_ for food; then you get up, and you find it. Isnot your wish a silent prayer? And is it not answered every day? Whosends the seals, and fishes, and birds, even when we do _not_ ask withour lips? Did these animals make themselves? Stupid-face! you say yoursoul is healthy. Sometimes you are angry, sometimes discontented,sometimes jealous, sometimes greedy. Is an angry, discontented,jealous, greedy soul healthy? You know it is not. It is diseased, andthe disease of the soul is _sin_. This disease takes the bad forms Ihave mentioned, and many other bad forms--one of which is _murder_."

  Angut emphasised the last word and paused, but did not look at therobber beside him, for he knew that the arrow would reach its mark.Then he resumed--

  "The Kablunet has brought to us the better knowledge of God. He tellsus that God's great purpose from the beginning of time has been to cureour soul-disease. We deserve punishment for our sins: God sent His Sonand Equal, Jesus Christ, to bear our sins. We need deliverance from thepower of sin: God sent His Equal--the Spirit of Jesus--to cure us. Ibelieve it. I have felt that Great Spirit in my breast long before Isaw the Kablunets, and have asked the Great Spirit to send more light.He has answered my prayer. I _have_ more light, and am satisfied."

  Again Angut paused, while the Eskimos gazed at him in breathlessinterest, and a strange thrill--almost of expectation--passed throughthe assembly, while he continued in a low and solemn tone--

  "Jesus," he said, "saves _from_ all sin. But,"--he turned his eyes herefull on Grimlek--"He does not save _in_ sin. Murder--foul and wickedmurder--has been done!"

  Grimlek grew pale, but did not otherwise betray himself. Reference tomurder was no uncommon thing among his countrymen. He did not yet feelsure that Angut referred to the deed which he had so recentlyperpetrated.

  "This day," continued Angut, "I saw a band of Kablunet sailors--"

  He got no further than that, for Grimlek attempted to spring up. Theheavy hand of Angut, however, crushed him back instantly, and aspear-point touched his throat.

  "Down with the villains!" shouted Rooney, laying the grasp of a vice onthe neck of the man next to him, and hurling him to the ground.

  In the twinkling of an eye the fifteen robbers were lying flat on theirbacks, with fingers grasping their throats, knees compressing theirstomachs, and spear-points at their hearts; but no blood was shed. Oneor two of the fiercest, indeed, struggled at first, but without avail--for the intended victim of each robber was handy and ready to lendassistance at the capture, as if in righteous retribution.

  It was of course a startling incident to those who were not in thesecret. Every man sprang up and drew his knife, not knowing where a foemight appear, but Rooney's strong voice quieted them.

  "We're all safe enough, Mr Egede," he cried, as he bound Grimlek'shands behind him with a cord. The Eskimos quickly performed the sameoffice for their respective prisoners, and then, setting them up in arow, proceeded to talk over the massacre, and to discuss in theirpresence the best method of getting rid of the murderers.

  "I propose," said Okiok, whose naturally kind heart had been deeplystirred by the cowardly massacre which he had witnessed, "I propose thatwe should drown them."

  "No; drowning is far too good. Let us spear them," said Kajo, who hadbecome sober by that time.

  "That would not hurt them," cried a fierce Eskimo, smiting his knee withhis clenched fist. "We must cut off their ears and noses, poke outtheir eyes, and then roast them alive--"

  "Hush! hush!" cried Egede, stepping forward; "we must do nothing of thekind. We must not act like devils. Have we not been talking of themercy of the Great Spirit? Let us be just, but let us temper justicewith mercy. Angut has not yet spoken; let us hear what he willpropose."

  Considering the energy with which he had denounced the murders, and thevigour with which he had captured Grimlek, Angut's proposal was somewhatsurprising.

  "Kablunet," he said, turning to the missionary, "have you not told methat in your Book of God it is written that men should do to other menwhat they wish other men to do to them?"

  "Truly, that is so," answered Egede.

  "If I were very wicked," continued Angut, "and had done many evil deeds,I should like to be forgiven and set free; therefore, let us forgivethese men, and set them free."

  We know not with what feelings the robbers listened to the inhumanproposals that were at first made as to their fate, but certain it isthat after Angut had spoken there was a visible improvement in theexpression of their faces.

  Considerable astonishment and dissatisfaction were expressed by themajority of the Eskimos. Even Egede, much though he delighted in thespirit which dictated it, could not quite see his way to so simple anddirect an application of the golden rule in the case of men who had sorecently been caught red-handed in a cold-blooded murder. While he wasstill hesitating as to his reply to this humane proposal, an eventoccurred which rendered all their discussion unnecessary.

  We have said that fifteen robbers had been captured; but there weresixteen who had entered the camp and joined the meeting. One of thesehad, without particular motive, seated himself on the outskirt of thecircle under the shadow of a bush, which shadow had grown darker as thetwilight deepened. Thus it came to pass that he had been overlooked,and, when the melee took place, he quietly retreated into thebrush-wood. He was a brave man, however, although a robber, and scornedto forsake his comrades in their distress. While the discussion abovedescribed was going on, he crept stealthily towards the place where thecaptives had been ranged.

  This he did the more easily that they sat on the summit of a bank ormound which sloped behind them into the bushes. Thus he was able topass in a serpentine fashion behind them all without being seen, and, ashe did so, to cut the bonds of each. Their knives had been removed,else, being desperate villains, they might now have attacked theircaptors. As it was, when the cords of all had been cut, they rose upwith a mingled yell of laughter and triumph and dashed into the bushes.

  The hunters were not slow to follow, with brandished knives and spears,but their chief called them back with a Stentorian roar, for well heknew that his men might as well try to follow up a troop of squirrels aspursue a band of reckless men in the rapidly increasing darkne
ss, andthat there was nearly as much likelihood of their stabbing each other bymistake in the dark, as of killing or catching their foes.

  When the hunters had again re-assembled in front of their chief man'shouse, they found new cause of anxiety which effectually put to flighttheir annoyance at having been outwitted by the robbers.

  This was the fact that, although night was coming on, the oomiak withthe women had not returned.

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  Note. This is no fanciful speech. It is the substance of an actualspeech made by a Greenlander to the Moravian brethren in 1737.