_A Royal Feast. The Fan-Bearer’s Significant Conduct. A Gloomy Forecast.
Had Any Before Us Escaped? The King’s Promise. Prisoned in Paradise._
THE interpreter made a genuflection to the throne, and beckoned to
Captain Mason and me. I thought that Mr. Vancouver ought to be included,
but the skipper ignored my inquiring glance, and stepped forward. After
bowing, we stood waiting.
The king gave us a shrewd look. Then his eyes blazed, and he ripped
out something to the interpreter. I discovered the cause. My faithful
Christopher had brought up his prodigious strength for a possible
emergency, and it was clear that the king was offended by the grotesque
figure.
The interpreter hesitated, for he knew Christopher’s speech-value, and
the king snapped out another command. I knew it was an order that
some shame be put upon Christopher. At that my muscles hardened, and I
stepped protectingly before him. The fan over the king’s head abruptly
stopped. The leader raised his hand, and a dozen of his men advanced.
Dimly aware that Captain Mason was employing some pacific measures, I
was more concerned by Annabel’s surprising act. Her eyes shining and her
cheeks aglow, she briskly came up, laid her hand on Christopher’s arm,
and sweetly said:
“Come and stay back here with us.”
His pathetic look went questioningly from her to me, and he held
his ground. I glanced round to see what next the king would do. With
astonishment or wonder the fan-bearer was staring at Annabel, who made
a striking picture; then she whispered into the royal ear. In a milder
voice he said something to the interpreter, who by a gesture to us
indicated that the king was satisfied. At a word from me, Christopher
came and stood beside me.
His ostensible purpose proved to be merely a formal welcome, an
ascertainment of our origin, purpose, and disaster, and an invitation to
a feast.
As the others of the colony were in too dull a state to give attention,
the king confined to us three a shrewd scrutiny. But Captain Mason and
I, feeling that the welcome was only a sheathed sword, held blank faces,
and did not even pass a glance of understanding; and Christopher could
be depended on under all circumstances to give no betraying sign.
The one thing to do was to show a grateful acquiescence. The time
for planning would come when our people were capable of thought and
action,--if we should be spared that long.
It was indeed a feast. The smoke which Christopher had seen rose from
a barbecue, at which fresh meat and fowls and fish had been deliciously
cooked. The completeness of the preparations indicated that they must
have been begun immediately after our landing. Fragrant boughs were
spread on the ground near the barbecue trench, and on them we seated
ourselves. Plantain leaves made excellent platters. Roasted yams, bread
made of ground seed or grain, and fruits of many kinds, were served in
abundance.
The effect was magical; the down-hearted took cheer, and laughter
ran through the trees. Much of the transformation was wrought by the
solicitous attentions of the servers; but more cheering was the gracious
friendliness of the king, who, besides personally directing the service,
mingled with us in a democratic way, yet with no sacrifice of dignity.
Most fascinating to me was the fan-bearer. Whereas the warriors stood
in awe of his Majesty, she treated him with almost a flippant disregard.
She went among the colonists, keenly anxious that all should be pleased,
her face breaking into bewitching smiles, her mischievous eyes dancing,
her musical laugh rippling. The distinction in her manner as she had
stood behind the throne was augmented in the modest abandon of her rôle
of hostess. The alertness of her glance, the joyous spirits that bubbled
out of her light pose and movement, her sprite-like airiness, her
obvious efforts to restrain an instinct to play, to tease, to get into
mischief, a running over of kindness and happiness,--these and more
elusive qualities set her apart from the men and made them look dull and
sordid.
[Illustration: 0029]
Her greatest interest was in Annabel, the only highly cultured woman
in our party, since the colony was composed of workers in practical
industries. The two girls had no language in common, and appeared
sharply different in temperament and training; yet there was visible
between them a bond of feminine sympathy such as no man can understand.
It was curious that the savage one was not abashed before her highly
civilized sister. In the gentle eagerness with which she served Annabel,
frankly studied her, and courted her notice, was something that looked
pathetically like the yearning of a starved soul for what Annabel
had--the enjoyment of a birthright. Annabel appeared to see that
longing, and she stretched forth a friendly hand into the fan-bearer’s
darkness.
Captain Mason, Christopher, and I formed a group. Despite the grief and
anxiety on the sailor’s face, he betrayed his share of the sunshine that
the girl bestowed on all. She came to us often, and there was a touch
of shyness not visible when she flitted among the others. Virtually
ignoring me, she gave some attention to the captain, and was
particularly solicitous toward Christopher. She stuffed him, and laughed
at him. Christopher enjoyed it, gazed up into her sparkling eyes, and
strained his ribs with the food that she coaxingly urged upon him.
On one of her visits I smilingly handed her a little pocket toilet-case
which I carried. She took it gingerly, examined it curiously, and with
childish interest inspected its contents. Her surprise at discovering
the mirror was not so great as I had expected, and did not look quite
sincere. She held it up, made a grimace at her reflection, thrust out
at it a tongue as sweet and pink as a baby’s, tossed the kit back at me,
and went dancing off in a swirl of laughter.
Presently she demurely returned on a pretense of looking after
Christopher’s wants, and of a sudden, brilliantly smiling, held out her
hand for the trinket. I gave it to her. Her eyes fell when I looked up
closely into them, and in agitation she thrust the case into her bosom.
I discovered that Annabel was curiously observing her.
Captain Mason gazed thoughtfully after her as she left, and remarked:
“That girl is going to be mixed up with our fate.”
“What do you make of her?”
“An eaglet hatched by buzzards.”
Christopher’s evident regard for her was dazzled wonder.
“You like her, Christopher?” I asked.
He was serious at all times, and much of his gravity was sadness. He
nodded impressively.
“Yes, sir.”
“She has fed you well.”
“Yes, sir.” He spread his immense hands over his stomach.
“I’ll ask her to bring you some more,” I said.
His face showed alarm. “Don’t, sir! I’d shorely bust.”
“But you wouldn’t have to eat more, even if she brought it.”
“Yes, I would, sir.”
“Why?”
“I’d jess _have_ to, sir.” This with a solemn helplessness.
“He has taken her measure,” dryly remarked Captain Mason.
He had found opportunity to study the splendid jewels so abundantly
adorning the king and the girl.
“Those gems,” he said, “were cut by European lapidaries.”
There was a disturbing suggestion in his words, but I could not define
it. This island had received rich treasures from civilization. Here was
a mystery.
“How do you account for them?” I asked.
“The typhoon makes many wrecks. There’s no knowing what shores they
crawl up on to die.”
“Yes; but you see that although our ship was wrecked, we came ashore.
Survivors of other wrecks likely have had the same experience.”
“No doubt.”
“Then, why haven’t they given out news of this island? It is evidently
very rich, and----”
He gave me an obscure look, and turned away with the remark:
“I think you’ll find the reason in a few hours.”
He must have felt the hurt in my silence, and opened a confidence on
another tack.
“You have noticed, Mr. Tudor, that there are no women, children, nor
domestic animals in this village. Do you infer anything from that?”
“What is your inference, Captain?”
“The village is not inhabited. The natives live back of those mountains
to the west. This is merely a receiving-station for wrecks and
castaways.”
The shrewdness of the king was not hidden by his hospitality. I did
not overlook the inquiries that he made among the colonists with Gato’s
help, nor his private colloquy with Mr. Vancouver, nor the thoughtful
look of that gentleman when it was over.
The banquet was ended; the colony was reassembled before the throne; the
king, backed by his now sedate fan-wielder, seated himself; and Captain
Mason, Christopher, and I stood ready. We were made to understand the
following:
We had not been invited to this island, but the misfortune that landed
us on it would be respected. Two circumstances ruled the situation. One
was that no vessels from the outside world ever put in here, and hence
our means of escape were restricted to such resources as the king might
devise; the other, that our intercourse with the people would not be
permitted beyond a certain limit. The king explained that in youth he
had gone abroad and found that the ways of white people were not suited
to the islanders, who would be demoralized should they come under our
civilization.
At intervals he sent his people, two or three at a time, in a small
boat to the nearest islands, some hundreds of miles away, with native
products for barter. But so great had been their precautions that the
situation of the island had never been discovered. In these boats one or
two of us would be taken away at a time, and thus placed in the path of
ships that would assist us homeward.
In order to keep us isolated from the people, we were to be conduced at
once to a pleasant valley, which would be free to us for our exclusive
use. Natives skilled in farming would be furnished us for a time as
instructors; but it would be expected that we should pledge our honor
not to make any attempt to leave the valley without permission.
Every heart among us sank. A deep look was in Captain Mason’s eyes. It
was on the end of my tongue to say, “Captain, let him know that we can
make our own vessels and leave in them;” but a glance at him informed
me that he had forgotten nothing, and that anything but a cheerful
acceptance of the old bandit’s conditions, until we might devise and
execute plans of our own, would precipitate immediate disaster. And then
I understood why the captain had asked no question about the barkentine.
He said to me, under his breath:
“You have an easy tongue. We must keep our people blind for the present.
Brace them up and flatter the king.”
The colonists were in the apathy of weariness and repletion. The glow
with which I put the situation to them was barely needed to secure their
acquiescence.
I turned to the king. Only with difficulty could I see him clearly
through the intensely dramatic picture made by the girl. All through the
conference I had seen her intense anxiety. What did it mean? With her
sweet audacity, she might have made some sign. As I read her conduct,
it betrayed a terrible uneasiness lest we refuse or were ungracious.
Clearly she was greatly relieved by our acceptance.
I thanked the king and gratefully accepted his proffers. He then
informed us that we should immediately be conducted to our valley, made
comfortable, and supplied with everything needful.
The cavalcade, conduced by the armed guard, started through the
enchanted forest, and mysteries throbbed in the very air. Never had I
seen so pathetic a spectacle as this draggling procession of civilized
people marched as dumb cattle to the shambles by a horde of savages.
Captain Mason, Christopher, and I stood apart as the others filed past.
The man of the sea was in a deep reverie.
“If the king,” I said, “has been so careful to conceal this island from
the world, why should he plan sending us away to betray it?”
Captain Mason gave me a slow look.
“Do you think that he intends to send us away?” he asked.
“If not, he hasn’t sent other castaways off, and we’ll find them here.”
Again that slow look, but I felt that it saw too far to include me. He
shook his head, and said, as though talking to himself:
“Now begins the great struggle. We’ll be patient--and ready. That girl
is our hope.”
The king descended; the fan-bearer, her face mantled with content,
disappeared within the administration hut and dropped the curtain. The
rear guard were waiting for us three, and we started. After a few paces,
I turned, and saw, as I had hoped to see, a brown face watching us
through the parted curtain, and it was filled with more mysteries than
any enchanted forest ever held.
On and up we went, and finally reached the summit. We stood on a small
open plateau, which abruptly ended in a precipice. Before us was a giant
chasm in a great tableland of lava. The floor was a thousand feet below.
We were looking down on it from the top of the great wall of columnar
basalt which enclosed it. The chasm was an irregular ellipse, some three
miles on its minor axis and five on its major. The floor was level, and,
except for some farms, was covered with a forest. A breeze sent long,
unctuous waves of lighter green rolling over it, or swirling in graceful
spirals where the wall deflected the wind and drifted it on in majestic
eddies.
In splendid contrast to the deep, warm colors below was the gloomy black
of the mighty enclosing rampart. Near the upper end a beautiful stream,
nearly a river in size, made a wild, joyous leap over the brink. A lake
into which the water plunged sent up clouds of mist, out of which sprang
a rainbow. From the lake ran the stream of molten silver which swung
lazily on its shining way through the valley till lost in the distance.
The leader of the guard announced that the valley was our destination.
I was dumb in the grasp of its witchery, but a quiet voice brought me
back:
“As good a prison as another.” Captain Mason had spoken.
“Why, man,” I cried, “that is Paradise!”
“No doubt; but the flaming sword will keep us in, not out.”
During the march I had not failed to keep Christopher in the corner of
my eye. I had been trying to read in his face one of those flashes of
insight which his fine instinct sometimes threw into dark places. He had
held his listening attitude often since I found him standing beside me
on the sand. It had given his face a certain leaden alertness, which,
as we beheld the valley, slowly faded into the habitual blankness, and I
saw that it was useless to question him.
We descended through a steep, narrow cleft, and were marched through a
forest to the stream. A rude bridge bore us across, and there we found
a large number of natives rapidly and skilfully building us a village of
huts made from logs, boughs, and thatch. From all indications, they must
have begun the work almost immediately after we landed. Large stores of
food and other necessities had been accumulated; nothing needed for our
comfort and sustenance had been neglected.
As soon as the soldiers had helped us bring order to the camp and the
building of the village was finished, they and the workmen melted away
in the twilight.