adventure(冒险)-第12章
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〃Oh； now I say〃 he began soothingly。
〃Go away。 Don't you see I hate you！ hate you！ Oh； won't you go
away！〃
Sheldon was white with anger。
〃Then why in the name of common sense did you shoot？〃 he
demanded。
〃Be…be…because you were a white man；〃 she sobbed。 〃And Dad
would never have left any white man in the lurch。 But it was your fault。
You had no right to get yourself in such a position。 Besides； it wasn't
necessary。〃
〃I am afraid I don't understand；〃 he said shortly； turning away。 〃We
will talk it over later on。〃
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〃Look how I get on with the boys；〃 she said； while he paused in the
doorway； stiffly polite； to listen。 〃There's those two sick boys I am
nursing。 They will do anything for me when they get well； and I won't
have to keep them in fear of their life all the time。 It is not necessary； I
tell you； all this harshness and brutality。 What if they are cannibals？
They are human beings； just like you and me； and they are amenable to
reason。 That is what distinguishes all of us from the lower animals。〃
He nodded and went out。
〃I suppose I've been unforgivably foolish；〃 was her greeting； when he
returned several hours later from a round of the plantation。 〃I've been to
the hospital； and the man is getting along all right。 It is not a serious hurt。〃
Sheldon felt unaccountably pleased and happy at the changed aspect of
her mood。
〃You see； you don't understand the situation；〃 he began。 〃In the first
place； the blacks have to be ruled sternly。 Kindness is all very well； but
you can't rule them by kindness only。 I accept all that you say about the
Hawaiians and the Tahitians。 You say that they can be handled that way；
and I believe you。 I have had no experience with them。 But you have
had no experience with the blacks； and I ask you to believe me。 They are
different from your natives。 You are used to Polynesians。 These boys
are Melanesians。 They're blacks。 They're niggerslook at their kinky
hair。 And they're a whole lot lower than the African niggers。 Really；
you know； there is a vast difference。〃
〃They possess no gratitude； no sympathy； no kindliness。 If you are
kind to them； they think you are a fool。 If you are gentle with them they
think you are afraid。 And when they think you are afraid； watch out； for
they will get you。 Just to show you； let me state the one invariable
process in a black man's brain when； on his native heath； he encounters a
stranger。 His first thought is one of fear。 Will the stranger kill him？
His next thought； seeing that he is not killed； is： Can he kill the stranger？
There was Packard； a Colonial trader； some twelve miles down the coast。
He boasted that he ruled by kindness and never struck a blow。 The result
was that he did not rule at all。 He used to come down in his whale…boat
to visit Hughie and me。 When his boat's crew decided to go home； he
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had to cut his visit short to accompany them。 I remember one Sunday
afternoon when Packard had accepted our invitation to stop to dinner。
The soup was just served； when Hughie saw a nigger peering in through
the door。 He went out to him； for it was a violation of Berande custom。
Any nigger has to send in word by the house…boys； and to keep outside the
compound。 This man； who was one of Packard's boat's…crew； was on the
veranda。 And he knew better； too。 'What name？' said Hughie。 'You tell
'm white man close up we fella boat's…crew go along。 He no come now；
we fella boy no wait。 We go。' And just then Hughie fetched him a clout
that knocked him clean down the stairs and off the veranda。〃
〃But it was needlessly cruel；〃 Joan objected。 〃You wouldn't treat a
white man that way。〃
〃And that's just the point。 He wasn't a white man。 He was a low
black nigger； and he was deliberately insulting； not alone his own white
master； but every white master in the Solomons。 He insulted me。 He
insulted Hughie。 He insulted Berande。〃
〃Of course； according to your lights； to your formula of the rule of the
strong〃
〃Yes；〃 Sheldon interrupted； 〃but it was according to the formula of the
rule of the weak that Packard ruled。 And what was the result？ I am still
alive。 Packard is dead。 He was unswervingly kind and gentle to his
boys； and his boys waited till one day he was down with fever。 His head
is over on Malaita now。 They carried away two whale…boats as well；
filled with the loot of the store。 Then there was Captain Mackenzie of
the ketch Minota。 He believed in kindness。 He also contended that
better confidence was established by carrying no weapons。 On his
second trip to Malaita； recruiting； he ran into Bina； which is near Langa
Langa。 The rifles with which the boat's…crew should have been armed；
were locked up in his cabin。 When the whale…boat went ashore after
recruits； he paraded around the deck without even a revolver on him。 He
was tomahawked。 His head remains in Malaita。 It was suicide。 So was
Packard's finish suicide。〃
〃I grant that precaution is necessary in dealing with them；〃 Joan agreed；
〃but I believe that more satisfactory results can be obtained by treating
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them with discreet kindness and gentleness。〃
〃And there I agree with YOU； but you must understand one thing。
Berande； bar none； is by far the worst plantation in the Solomons so far as
the labour is concerned。 And how it came to be so proves your point。
The previous owners of Berande were not discreetly kind。 They were a
pair of unadulterated brutes。 One was a down… east Yankee； as I believe
they are called； and the other was a guzzling German。 They were slave…
drivers。 To begin with； they bought their labour from Johnny Be…blowed；
the most notorious recruiter in the Solomons。 He is working out a ten
years' sentence in Fiji now； for the wanton killing of a black boy。 During
his last days here he had made himself so obnoxious that the natives on
Malaita would have nothing to do with him。 The only way he could get
recruits was by hurrying to the spot whenever a murder or series of
murders occurred。 The murderers were usually only too willing to sign
on and get away to escape vengeance。 Down here they call such escapes；
'pier…head jumps。' There is suddenly a roar from the beach； and a nigger
runs down to the water pursued by clouds of spears and arrows。 Of
course； Johnny Be…blowed's whale… boat is lying ready to pick him up。 In
his last days Johnny got nothing but pier…head jumps。
〃And the first owners of Berande bought his recruitsa hard…bitten
gang of murderers。 They were all five…year boys。 You see； the recruiter
has the advantage over a boy when he makes a pier…head jump。 He could
sign him on for ten years did the law permit。 Well； that's the gang of
murderers we've got on our hands now。 Of course some are dead； some
have been killed； and there are others serving sentences at Tulagi。 Very
little clearing did those first owners do； and less planting。 It was war all
the time。 They had one manager killed。 One of the partners had his
shoulder slashed nearly off by a cane…knife。 The other was speared on
two different occasions。 Both were bullies； wherefore there was a streak
of cowardice in them； and in the end they had to give up。 They were
chased awayliterally chased awayby their own niggers。 And along
came poor Hughie and me； two new chums； to take hold of that hard…
bitten gang。 We did not know the situation； and we had bought Berande；
and there was nothing to do but hang on and muddle through somehow。
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〃At first we made the mistake of indiscreet kindness。 We tried to rule
by persuasion and fair treatment。 The niggers concluded that we were
afraid。 I blush to think of what fools we were in those first days。 We
were imposed on； and threatened and insulted； and we put up with it；
hoping our square…dealing would soon mend things。 Instead of which
everything went from bad to worse。 Then came the day when Hughie
reprimanded one of the boys and was nearly killed by the gang。 The only
thing that saved him was the number on top of him； which enabled me to
reach the spot in time。
〃Then began the rule of the strong hand。 It was either that or quit；
and we had sunk about all our money into the venture； and we could not
quit。 And besides； our pride was involved。 We had started out to do
something； and we were so made that we just had to go on with it。 It has
been a hard fight； for we were； and are to this day； considered the worst
plantation in the Solomons from the standpoint of labour。 Do you know；
we have been unable to get white men in。 We've offered the managership
to half a dozen。 I won't say they were afraid； for they were not。 But
they did not consider it healthyat least that is the way it was put
