The Land of the Hibiscus Blossom
James Hume Nisbet (1888)
Country of origin: Australia
Available texts by the same author here
XIX. Niggeree's Version of His Escapade.
THE Professor filled his pipe and leaned back to enjoy the story, while he meditated on his plans; he did not care much for the tale, but he wished to please the Greek and enlist him in his cause, and he knew well that Niggeree liked to hear himself speak of his own exploits."You have heard how I got out of that trouble about the copra, Professor?"
"No, my boy, tell it to me."
"Well, it happened in Milne Bay; I had made a station for myself there, and married one of the chief's daughters. I always like to marry where I make a station, for it gives the tribes an interest in me."
"Very true," murmured the Professor, absently.
"We had a big corroberee over that wedding, for I had paid a good price for the gal--two bags of rice, four pounds of tobacco, and a full--grown female pig. She warn't worth it, of course, for these native gals are like logs, they never wake up to a white fellow, no matter how kind he may be to them, and deceive you right afore your blessed eyes; but they know better than put on airs when I am on the job. I only marry them to make the time pass, and get as much work as I can out of my relations."
"Quite right."
"Wall, next morning, arter the marriage, I gets up to have a wash, when who should I run against but the old man, her father, who stood solemnly in my road, and would not move when I run against him.
"I looks at him a moment, and then taking him by the arm turns him about and gives him a hearty kick, saying, 'You go, old bloke, and get some fish for my breakfast,' at which he looked astonished for a bit, and then walked away.
"One of the natives, who saw me kick him, comes up to me and tells me that I was breaking a sacred law, that my father-in-law was waiting for me to salute him, and that next time I met him I must bend my head low and respectful when I passed him.
"'Oh, must I,' says I, 'we'll see about that when the time comes.'
"The old boy brought me the fish, and we had breakfast all together, boiled taro and fried fish, winding up with a puff at the bau-bau, and a chew of the betel.
"That day we all went hunting the Wallabis, you know how it is done, so no use explaining that process, but before night we had bagged about thirty fine fat fellows, and had another great feast.
"I missed my gal once during the feed, and sent a young fellow, whom she had palmed off on me as her brother, to hunt her up; they were both gone considerably longer than I liked to be kept waiting, and when they did come back, all the natives burst out a laughing, but wouldn't tell me what was the joke.
"Next morning I met the old man as before, right in my road, waiting to be saluted; you bet I did salute him, although not exactly us he cared about, after which I again sent him off to fish; then, by way of a warning, I goes over to his hut where the old woman lay, and treated her to a little of my fun.
"As I left the hut I sees one or two natives running up to see what the matter had been; I suppose they had heard her screeching. My gal also was coming out of our hut and behind her the young man I had thought to be her brother; as she came along I saw a couple of sticks of baccy drop out of her Raumua, which the young fellow picked up with his toe and hid.
"'So that's the game, is it,' thought I. 'It isn't a brother you're prigging my baccy for,' and I walks straight up to him and caught him by the arm, shouting out, 'He is not her brother.'
"Then one of the old women comes up trembling and tells me that he was her husband, and that she had committed bigamy when she came to my hut.
"When I heard this I made up my mind to wind up this kind of deceit, so I just took a couple of steps from him, and pulling out my barker, I says, 'I give you a chance for your life while I count five--run while you can.'
"But the darned young fool wouldn't run; he drew himself straight up, and folding his arms, looked on me smiling, he had no weapons or he might ha' done something else.
"'Run,' cried out his wife and the others, but he only smiled, and looked at me without winking a lash.
"'One, two, three, four--'
"I hung on to the last word a bit, for I like pluck, and if he had only turned, I'd have let him go; but there he stood like a target afore me, and my gal, his wife, wringing her hands; I knew that I'd have to fire or they'd think me afraid.
"One more chance.
"'F--I--V--E.'
"I drawled out the letters slowly, and at the last one let go.
"How she did it I cannot say, but when the smoke cleared they were both there as dead as door-nails; the ball had gone through her back and his breast, splitting both hearts with one shot, and they now lay, her arms round his neck with her face down, and him a smiling still at the sun. My pig and rice and baccy had been a swindle.
"The natives didn't say a word, but slunk back to their huts, and left me alone with my smoking revolver and the two dead fools, in the middle of the village.
"I knew after this there would be a rumpus, so I goes down to the shore, and hailing my boys, told them to be ready for sailing when the tide turned. Then I went back to the hut and begun to pack up my traps.
"By-and-by the old man came, and I could see them creep out and tell him what I'd done; his old woman also was jabbering away like an old ape and pointing to where I was, while he lifted up both hands and tore some of his white hair out, after which they all went into the big house to consult.
"Meantime some of my boys came up and carried down my baggage and put them aboard, while I goes over to the door of the big house, and shouts to the old man to come out.
"'You old blackguard, you cheated me,' I said, when the old fellow appeared, holding down his head and looking at the ground. 'I thought the gal was single or I wouldn't have married her, and now it's all your fault if she's dead, so give me back the price I paid for her.'
"He didn't answer very plain, but mumbled something inside the room, at which four young fellows started towards his hut, and came out carrying the two bags of rice and the pig, with the tobacco.
"'That's all correct, says I. 'Put them in the dingey. Now, old man, I am going off now; and as a punishment for your deceit, see that you get me a cargo of copra ready by the time I come back."
"'When will you come?' asked the chief in a low voice.
"'Next moon! and if it's not ready--a full cargo, mind you, I'll burn down your village and take six of your best-looking wenches.'
"'We'll be ready for you, Niggeree,' replied he, and went back to the hut.
"I sailed away at the turn of the tide, for I had some business to get through at Brooker Island, and I thought it best to get out of the road for a bit."