by Louis Becke
THE VISION OF MILLI THE SLAVE
One day a message came over from Tetoro, King of Pare, in Tahiti, tohis vassal Mahua, chief of Tetuaroa,{*} saying, 'Get thee ready a greatfeast, for in ten days I send thee my daughter Laea to be wife to thyson Narue.
* Tetuaroa is an island about forty miles from Tahiti. It was in those days (1808) part of the hereditary possessions of the chief of Pare.
For Narue, the son of the chief of Tetuaroa, had long been smitten withthe beauty of Laea, and desired to make her his wife. Only once hadhe seen her; but since then he had sent over many canoes laden withpresents, such as hogs and turtle, and great bunches of plantains, andfine tappa cloth for her acceptance.
But Tetoro, her father, was a greedy man, and cried for more; and Mahua,so that his son might gain his heart's desire, became hard and cruel tothe people of Tetuaroa.
Day after day he sent his servants to every village on the islanddemanding from them all such things as would please the eye of Tetoro;so that by-and-by there was but little left in their plantations, andstill less in their houses.
And so, with sullen faces and low murmurs of anger, the people yieldedup their treasures of mats and tappa cloth, and such other things thatthe servants of the chief discovered in their dwellings, and watchedthem carried away to appease the avarice of Tetoro the King.
One night, when they were gathered together in their houses, and thetorches of _tui tui_ (candle-nut kernels) were lighted, they talkedamong themselves, not loudly but in whispers, for no one knew but thatone of the chiefs body-men might perhaps be listening outside, and thatto them meant swift death from the anger of Mahua.
'Why has this misfortune come upon us?' they said to one another. 'Whyshould Narue, who is an _aito_{*} set his heart upon the daughter ofTetoro when there are women of as good blood as her close to his hand?Surely, when she comes here to live, then will there be hard times inthe land, and we shall be eaten up with hunger.'
* A man distinguished in warfare.
'Ay,' said a girl named Milli, 'it is hard that we should give our allto a strange woman.'
She spoke very loudly, and without fear, and the rest of the peoplelooked wonderingly at her, for she was but a poor slave, and, as such,should not have raised her voice when men were present. So they angrilybade her be silent. Who was she that dared to speak of such things? Ifshe died of hunger, they said, what did it matter? She was but a girland a slave, and girls' lives were worth nothing until they bore malechildren.
And then Milli the Slave sprang up, her eyes blazing with anger, andheaped scorn upon them for cowards.
'See,' she said, and her voice shook with passion; 'see me, Milli theSlave, standing before ye all, and listen to my words, so that yourhearts may grow strong, even as strong as mine has grown. Listen while Itell thee of a dream that came to me in the night.
'In my dream this land of ours became as it was fifteen moons ago, andas it may never be again. I saw the groves of plantains, with theirloads of fruit, shine red and yellow, like the setting of the sun, andthe ground was forced open because of the great size of the yams andtaro and arrowroot that grew beneath; and I heard the heavy fall of theripe coconuts on the grass, and the crooning notes of the pigeons thatfed upon the red _mati_ berries were as the low booming of the surf onthe reef when it sounds far distant.'
For a little while she ceased, and the people muttered.
'Ay, it was so, fifteen moons ago.'
And then Milli, sinking upon one knee, and spreading out her armstowards them, spoke again, but in a low, soft voice,--
'And I saw the white beach of Teavamoa black with turtle that couldscarce crawl seaward because of their fatness; and saw the canoes,filled to the gunwales with white, shining fish, come paddling in fromthe lagoon; and then came the night. And in the night I heard the soundof the _vivo_{*} and the beat of the drum, and the songs and laughterand the shouts of the people as they made merry and sang and danced,and ate and drank, till the red sun burst out from the sea, and they laydown to sleep.
* Nasal flute.
'And then, behold there came into my dream, a small black cloud. Itgathered together at Pare, and rose from the ground, and was borneacross the sea to Tetuaroa.{*} As it came nearer, darker and darkergrew the shadows over this land, till at last it was wrapped up in theblackness of night. And then out of the belly of the cloud there spranga woman arrayed as a bride, and behind her there followed men with facesstrange to me, whose stamping footsteps shook the island to its roots inthe deep sea. Then came a mystic voice to me, which said,--
"Follow and see."
* Tetoro's canoe, in which he sent his daughter to Tetuaroa, was painted black by an English sailor who, living under his protection, afterwards married his daughter.
'So I followed and saw'--she sprang to her feet, and her voice rangsharp and fierce--'I saw the strange woman and those with her passswiftly over the land like as the shadows of birds fall upon the groundwhen the sun is high and their flight is low and quick. And as theypassed, the plantains and taro and arrowroot were torn up and strippedand left to perish; and there was nought left of the swarms of turtleand fish but their bones; for the black cloud and the swift shadowsthat ran before it had eaten out the heart of the land, and not even onecoco-nut was left.
'And then I heard a great crying and weeping of many voices, and I sawmen and women lying down in their houses with their bones sticking outof their skins; and wild pigs, perishing with hunger, sprang in uponthem and tore their bellies open with their tusks, and devoured them,and fought with each other among the bones and blood of those they ate.'
A groan of terror burst from the listening people, and the slave girl,with her lips parted and her white teeth set, looked with gleaming,angry eyes slowly round the group.
'Again I heard the cries and the groans and the weeping; and I saw thee,Foani, take thy suckling child from thy withered breast, and give it tothy husband, so that it might be slain to feed thy other children. Andthen thou, too, Tiria, and thou, Hini, and many other women, did I seeslay thy children and their children, and cook and eat them, even as thewild pigs had eaten those men and women that lay dying on their mats.And this, O people! is all of the dream that came to me; for then agreat sweat ran down over my body, and a heavy pain came upon my heart,so that I awoke.'
She trembled and sank down again among the women, in the midst of whomshe had been sitting, and then growling, angry murmurs ran round theassemblage, and the names of Narue and the king's daughter passed fromlip to lip.
* * * * *
Well as they liked their chief's son--for he was distinguished alikefor his bravery and generosity--they yet saw that his marriage with Laeawould mean a continued existence of misery to them all, or at least solong as the young man's passion for his wife lasted.
Past experience had taught them many a bitter lesson, for ever sincetheir island had been conquered, they had been subjected to the paymentof the most exacting tribute.
Fertile as was Tetuaroa, the continued demands made upon its peoplefor food by the royal family of Tahiti had frequently reduced them to acondition bordering upon starvation.
But these requests had, of late years, been so much modified, that theisland, under the rule of Mahua, had become renowned for its wealth offood and the prosperous condition of its inhabitants.
It was, therefore, with no pleasant feelings that the people viewedthe approaching marriage of the son of their chief to the child of thegrasping Tetoro, a man who would certainly see no abatement made inthe extortions he had succeeded in inducing his vassal Mahua to againinaugurate.
* * * * *
At midnight, long after the women were asleep, the principal men of theisland met together and talked of the dream described by the slave girl.So firmly were they convinced that she had been chosen by the gods asa means of warning them of their impending rate if the marriage tookplace, that they firmly
resolved to frustrate it, even if it cost everyone of them his life.
But, so that neither Mahua nor his son should suspect their intentions,they set about to prepare for the great feast ordered by Tetoro; and forthe next week or so the whole population was busily engaged in bringingtogether their various presents of food and goods, and conveying themto the chief's house, where, on the arrival of the fleet of canoes thatwould bring the king's daughter from Pare, they would be presented toher in person by the priests and minor chiefs.
* * * * *
On the afternoon of the tenth day, some men whom Mahua had set to watchfor Tetoro's fleet saw the great mat sails of five war canoes sweepingacross the long line of palms that fringed the southern beach? Thenthere was great commotion, and many _pu_{*} were sounded from one endof the island to the other, bidding the people to assemble at thelanding-place and welcome the bride of the chiefs son.
* The conch shell.
Now, it so happened that Narue, when the cry arose that the canoes werecoming, was sitting alone in a little bush-house near the south pointof the island. He had come there with two or three of his young menattendants, so that he might be dressed and adorned to meet Tetoro'sdaughter. As soon as they had completed their task he had sent themaway, for he intended to remain in the bush-house till his father sentfor him; for such was the custom of the land.
Very gay and handsome he looked, when presently he stood up and lookedout over the lagoon to where the canoes were entering the passage. Roundhis waist was a girdle of bright yellow strips of plantain leaves,mixed with the scarlet leaves of the _ti_ plant; a band of pearl-shellornaments encircled his forehead, and his long, black hair, perfumedwith scented oil, was twisted up in a high spiral knob, and ornamentedwith scarlet hibiscus flowers. Across one broad shoulder there hung asmall, snowy-white poncho or cape, made of fine tappa cloth, and roundhis wrists and ankles were circlets of pearl shell, enclosed in anetting of black coir cinnet. On each leg there was tattooed, in brightblue, a coco-nut tree, its roots spreading out at the heel and runningin wavy lines along the instep to the toes, its elastic stalk shootingupwards till its waving plumes spread gracefully out on the broad,muscular calf.
Yet, although he was so finely arrayed, Narue was troubled in his mind;for not once did those who had dressed him speak of Laea, and this theyoung man thought was strange, for he would have been pleased to hearthem talk to him of her beauty. In silence had they attended to hisneeds, and this hurt him, for they were all dear friends. So at last,when they rose to leave him, he had said,--
'Why is it that none of ye speak either to me, or to one another? Am I acorpse that is dressed for the funeral rites?'
Then one of them, named Taneo, his foster-brother, answered, and benthis head as he spoke,--
'Oh, Narue, son of Mahua, and mine own brother, hast thou not heard ofthe dream of Milli?'
At the name of Milli, the hot blood leapt into the face of the chief'sson; but he answered quickly,--
'Nay, naught have I heard, and how can the dream of a slave girl concernme on such a day as this?'
'Oh, Narue!' replied Taneo, ''tis more than a dream; for the god Oro hathspoken to her, and shown her things that concern thee and all of thyfather's people.' And with that the young men arose and left him withoutfurther speech.
Little did Narue know that scarce a stone's throw away from where hestood, Milli, with love in her eyes, was watching him from behind aclump of plantain trees. She, too, was arrayed as if for a dance ora marriage, and behind her were a number of women, who were crouchedtogether and spoke only in whispers.
As they stood, the sounds of the drums and flutes and conches came fromthe village, and then Narue went forth from the little house, and walkedtowards it through the palm grove.
* * * * *
As he stepped proudly along the shaded path he heard his name called ina low voice, and Milli the Slave stood before him with downcast eyes,and barred his path.
Now, Narue, bold as he was, feared to meet this girl, and so for somemoments no words came to him, and Milli, looking quickly up, saw that hehad placed his right hand over his eyes. Then she spoke,--
'See, Narue, I do but come to thee to speak some little words; so turnthy face to me once more; for from this day thou shalt never again seeMilli the Slave.'
But Narue, still keeping his hand to his eyes, turned aside, and leaninghis forehead against the trunk of a palm-tree, kept silence awhile. Thenhe said, in a low voice,--
'Oh, Milli, be not too hard! This woman Laea hath bewitched me--andthen--thou art but a slave.'
'Aye,' answered the girl, softly, 'I am but a slave, and this Laea isvery beautiful and the daughter of a great chief. So for that do I cometo say farewell, and to ask thee to drink with me this bowl of orangejuice. 'Tis all I have to offer, for I am poor and have no wedding giftto give thee; and yet with this mean offering do I for ever give theethe hot love of my heart--ay, and my life also, if thou should'st needit.'
And so, to please the girl whom he had once loved, he received fromher hand the drink of orange juice, which she took from a basket shecarried, and yet as he drank he looked away, for he feared to see hereyes looking into his.
Only one word did he say as he turned away, and that was 'Farewell,' andMilli answered 'Farewell, Narue;' but when he had gone some distance shefollowed him and sobbed softly to herself.
And soon, as Narue walked, his body swayed to and fro and his feet struckthe roots of the trees that grew out through the soil along the path.Then Milli, running swiftly up, caught him as he fell, and laid his headupon her knees. His eyes were closed and his skin dead to her touch.
Presently the bushes near by parted, and two women came out, and liftingNarue between them, they carried the young man to a shady place and laidhim down.
And then Milli wept as she bent her face over that of the man she loved,but the two older women bade her cease.
Once more the girl looked at Narue, and then, stepping out into the path,ran swiftly towards the village.
* * * * *
The five canoes were now sailing quickly over the smooth lagoon, withthe streamers from their mat sails floating in the wind, and on thestages that ran from their sides to the outriggers were grouped partiesof singers and dancers, with painted bodies and faces dyed scarlet withthe juice of the _mati_ berry, who sang and danced, and shouted, andmade a brave show for the people who awaited their coming on the shore.
On the great stage of the first canoe, which was painted black, wasseated Laea, surrounded by her women attendants, who joined in the wildsinging whenever the name of their mistress formed the singers' theme.
Then suddenly, as each steersman let fall from his hand his greatsteering paddle, which was secured by a rope to the side, the canoesran up into the wind, the huge mat sails were lowered, the stone anchorsdropped overboard, and the music and dancing ceased.
And then a strange thing happened, and Laea, who was of a proud andhaughty disposition, as became her lineage, grew pale with anger; forsuddenly the great crowd of people which had assembled on the beachseemed to sway to and fro, and then separate and form into two bodies;and she saw that the women and children had gathered apart from the menand stood in a compact mass on the brow of the beach, and the men, instrange, ominous quiet, spear and club in hand, had ranged, without asound, in battle array before her escort.
There was silence awhile, and then Taneo, the foster brother of Narue,clothed in his armour of cinnet fibre, and grasping a short stabbingspear in his hand, stepped out of the ranks.
'Get thee back again to Tahiti, O men of Pare,' he said quietly,striking his spear into the sand. 'This marriage is not to our minds.'
Then Laea, as she looked at the amazed and angered faces of her peopleas they heard Taneo's insulting words, dashed aside her attendants, andleaping from the canoe into the shallow water, walked to the shore, andstood face to face with him.
'Who art thou, fellow, to stand before the daughter of Tetoro the King,with a spear in thy rude hand, and thy mouth filled with saucy words?'
'I am Taneo, the foster brother of the man thou seekest to marry. Andbecause that a warning hath come to us against this marriage do I standhere, spear in hand.'
Laea laughed scornfully.
'_I_ seek thy brother in marriage? Thou fool! Would I, the daughter ofmy father, _seek_ any man for husband? Hath not this Narue pestered me sowith his presents and his love-offerings that, for very weariness, andto please my father, I turned my face from the Englishman who buildethships for him, and said "Aye" to this Narue--who is but a littleman{*}--when he besought me to be wife to him. Ah! the Englishman, whois both a clever and strong man, is more to my liking.'
* Meaning in rank.
'Get thee back, then, to thy Englishman, and leave to me my lover,'cried a woman's voice, and Milli the Slave, thrusting aside the armedmen who sought to stay her, sprang out upon the sand, and clenching herhands tightly, gazed fiercely at the king's daughter.
'_Thy_ lover!' and Laea looked contemptuously at the small, slenderfigure of the slave girl, and then her cheek darkened with rage as sheturned to her followers. 'See how this dog of a Narue hath insulted me!Have I come all this way to be fooled for the sake of such a miserablecreature as this?' and she pointed scornfully to Milli and then spat onthe ground. 'Where is this fellow? Let him come near to me so that I maytell him to his face that I have ever despised him as one beneath me.Where is he, I ask thee, girl?' And she seized the slave girl by herwrist.
The savage fury of her voice, her blazing eyes, and noble, commandingpresence, excited alike both her own people and the clustering throngof armed men that stood watching on the beach, for these latter, by somecommon impulse moved nearer, and at the same time every man in the fivecanoes sprang out, and, dashing through the water, ranged themselvesbeside their mistress.
'Back!' cried Taneo, warningly; 'back, ye men of Pare, back, ere it betoo late, and thou, Laea, harm not the girl, for see, O foolish woman!we here are as ten to one, and 'twill be a bloody day for thee and thypeople if but a spear be raised.'
And then, facing round, he cried, 'And back, O men of Tetuaroa. Why drawye so near? Must blood run because of the vain and bitter words of asilly woman?'
Then, with an angry gesture, Laea released her hold of the slave girl'sslender wrist, and she, too, held up a warning hand to her warriors.
'True, Taneo,' she said mockingly; 'thy people are as ten to one ofmine, as thou sayest, and for this alone dost thou dare insult me. Oh,thou coward, Taneo!'
A swift gleam of anger shone in Taneo's eyes, and his hand graspedhis spear tightly. Then he looked steadily at the king's daughter, andanswered.
'Nay, no coward am I, Laea. And see, if but a little blood will appeasethee, take this spear and slay me. It is better for one to die thanmany.' Stretching out his hand, he gave her his spear.
She waved it back sneeringly.
'Thy words are brave, Taneo; but only because that behind them lieth nodanger. Only a coward could talk as--'
He sprang back.
'Ho, men of Pare! Listen! So that but one or two men may die, and manylive, let this quarrel lie between me and any one of ye that will battlewith me here, spear to spear, on this beach. Is it not better so thanthat Tetoro the King should weep for so many of his people?'
A tall, grey-headed old warrior leapt out from the ranks of those thatstood behind Laea.
'Thou and I, Taneo, shall fight till one of us be slain.'
Suddenly Milli the Slave sprang between them with outstretched arms.
'Peace, peace! Drop thou thy spear, Taneo, and thou thine, old man.There is no need for blood but mine--for Narue is dead.'
Then, kneeling on the sand she said, 'Draw near to me and listen.'
Quickly the opposing parties formed a circle around her; before herstood the haughty and angry Laea; behind her, and standing side by side,Taneo and the grey-haired Tahitian warrior.
'I am Milli, the bond-woman of Mahua, the father of Narue. And Narue lovedme; but because of thee, O Laea, he turned from me, and my heart becamecold. For who would give food to my child when it was born--the child ofa slave whose lover was a chief and who had cast her off? And then therecame a vision to me in the night, and I saw the things of which I havetold ye, O men of Tetuaroa. And I knew that the black cloud of my visionwas sent to warn the people of this land against the marriage, and thehunger and the bitter days of poverty that would come of it. And so,because thou art a great woman, O Laea, and I but a poor slave, did Imeet Narue but a little while since and give him to drink; and when hedrank of that which I gave him he died, for it was poisoned.'
A low murmur, half anger, half pity, broke from the assembled people.
'Thou fool!' said Laea, pityingly; and then she turned to Taneo.
'And so thy brother hath died by the hand of a slave? Let us part inpeace. Farewell!'
And then, as the men of Pare returned in silence to their canoes, Taneoand his people closed in upon the kneeling figure of the slave girl, whobent her head as a man stepped before her with a club.
* * * * *
When the five canoes had sailed away a little distance from the beach,Laea saw the men of Tetuaroa open out their ranks, and, looking in themidst, she saw, lying face downwards on the sand, the body of Milli theSlave.
