FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   >>  
th an old tattooed divine in Nukuheva, was a friend of his, and through him he was 'taboo'. He said, moreover, that he was sometimes employed to come round to the bay, and engage fruit for ships lying in Nukuheva. In fact, he was now on that very errand, according to his own account, having just come across the mountains by the way of Happar. By noon of the next day the fruit would be heaped up in stacks on the beach, in readiness for the boats which he then intended to bring into the bay. Jimmy now asked Toby whether he wished to leave the island--if he did, 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 that very day. 'No,' said Toby, 'I cannot leave the island unless my comrade goes with me. I left him up the valley because they would not let 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 till tomorrow, and I will bring him round to Nukuheva in the boats.' 'That will never do,' said Toby, 'but come along with me now, and let us get him down here at any rate,' and yielding to the impulse of the moment, he started to hurry back into the valley. But hardly was his back turned, when a dozen hands were laid on him, and he learned that he could not go a step further. It was in vain that he fought with them; they would not hear of his stirring from the beach. Cut to the heart at this unexpected repulse, Toby now conjured the sailor to go after me alone. But Jimmy replied, that in the mood the Typees then were they would not permit him so to do, though at the same time he was not afraid of their offering him any harm. Little did Toby then think, as he afterwards had good reason to suspect, that this very Jimmy was a heartless villain, who, by his arts, had just incited the natives to restrain him as he was in the act of going after me. Well must the old sailor have known, too, that the natives would never consent to our leaving together, and he therefore wanted to get Toby off alone, for a purpose which he afterwards made plain. Of all this, however, my comrade now knew nothing. He was still struggling with the islanders when Jimmy again came up to him, and warned him against irritating them, saying that he was only making matters worse for both of us, and if they became enraged, there was no telling what might happen.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   >>  



Top keywords:

Nukuheva

 
valley
 
natives
 

island

 

replied

 

sailor

 

comrade

 

making

 
afraid
 

offering


Little

 

enraged

 

matters

 

permit

 

unexpected

 

happen

 

stirring

 

repulse

 

conjured

 

Typees


reason
 

telling

 
purpose
 

wanted

 

leaving

 

struggling

 

consent

 

incited

 

restrain

 

heartless


villain

 

islanders

 

warned

 
irritating
 

suspect

 

started

 

harbour

 
wished
 

employed

 

mountains


account

 

errand

 

Happar

 

engage

 

readiness

 

intended

 

stacks

 

heaped

 

moment

 

impulse