the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



his　eyes　opened；　and　did　not　close。　　His　last　thought　was　of　his　

Mauser；　and　he　pressed　it　against　his　chest　with　his　folded；　

fingerless　hands。







GOOD…BYE；　JACK







Hawaii　is　a　queer　place。　　Everything　socially　is　what　I　may　call　

topsy…turvy。　　Not　but　what　things　are　correct。　　They　are　almost　too　

much　so。　　But　still　things　are　sort　of　upside　down。　　The　most　ultra…

exclusive　set　there　is　the　〃Missionary　Crowd。〃　　It　comes　with　rather　

a　shock　to　learn　that　in　Hawaii　the　obscure　martyrdom…seeking　

missionary　sits　at　the　head　of　the　table　of　the　moneyed　aristocracy。　　

But　it　is　true。　　The　humble　New　Englanders　who　came　out　in　the　third　

decade　of　the　nineteenth　century；　came　for　the　lofty　purpose　of　

teaching　the　kanakas　the　true　religion；　the　worship　of　the　one　only　

genuine　and　undeniable　God。　　So　well　did　they　succeed　in　this；　and　

also　in　civilizing　the　kanaka；　that　by　the　second　or　third　

generation　he　was　practically　extinct。　　This　being　the　fruit　of　the　

seed　of　the　Gospel；　the　fruit　of　the　seed　of　the　missionaries　（the　

sons　and　the　grandsons）　was　the　possession　of　the　islands　

themselves；of　the　land；　the　ports；　the　town　sites；　and　the　sugar　

plantations：　　The　missionary　who　came　to　give　the　bread　of　life　

remained　to　gobble　up　the　whole　heathen　feast。



But　that　is　not　the　Hawaiian　queerness　I　started　out　to　tell。　　Only　

one　cannot　speak　of　things　Hawaiian　without　mentioning　the　

missionaries。　　There　is　Jack　Kersdale；　the　man　I　wanted　to　tell　

about；　he　came　of　missionary　stock。　　That　is；　on　his　grandmother's　

side。　　His　grandfather　was　old　Benjamin　Kersdale；　a　Yankee　trader；　

who　got　his　start　for　a　million　in　the　old　days　by　selling　cheap　

whiskey　and　square…face　gin。　　There's　another　queer　thing。　　The　old　

missionaries　and　old　traders　were　mortal　enemies。　　You　see；　their　

interests　conflicted。　　But　their　children　made　it　up　by　

intermarrying　and　dividing　the　island　between　them。



Life　in　Hawaii　is　a　song。　　That's　the　way　Stoddard　put　it　in　his　

〃Hawaii　Noi〃：…





〃Thy　life　is　musicFate　the　notes　prolong！

Each　isle　a　stanza；　and　the　whole　a　song。〃





And　he　was　right。　　Flesh　is　golden　there。　　The　native　women　are　sun…

ripe　Junos；　the　native　men　bronzed　Apollos。　　They　sing；　and　dance；　

and　all　are　flower…bejewelled　and　flower…crowned。　　And；　outside　the　

rigid　〃Missionary　Crowd；〃　the　white　men　yield　to　the　climate　and　the　

sun；　and　no　matter　how　busy　they　may　be；　are　prone　to　dance　and　sing　

and　wear　flowers　behind　their　ears　and　in　their　hair。　　Jack　Kersdale　

was　one　of　these　fellows。　　He　was　one　of　the　busiest　men　I　ever　met。　　

He　was　a　several…times　millionaire。　　He　was　a　sugar…king；　a　coffee　

planter；　a　rubber　pioneer；　a　cattle　rancher；　and　a　promoter　of　three　

out　of　every　four　new　enterprises　launched　in　the　islands。　　He　was　a　

society　man；　a　club　man；　a　yachtsman；　a　bachelor；　and　withal　as　

handsome　a　man　as　was　ever　doted　upon　by　mammas　with　marriageable　

daughters。　　Incidentally；　he　had　finished　his　education　at　Yale；　and　

his　head　was　crammed　fuller　with　vital　statistics　and　scholarly　

information　concerning　Hawaii　Nei　than　any　other　islander　I　ever　

encountered。　　He　turned　off　an　immense　amount　of　work；　and　he　sang　

and　danced　and　put　flowers　in　his　hair　as　immensely　as　any　of　the　

idlers。

　

　　He　had　grit；　and　had　fought　two　duelsboth；　politicalwhen　he　

was　no　more　than　a　raw　youth　essaying　his　first　adventures　in　

politics。　　In　fact；　he　played　a　most　creditable　and　courageous　part　

in　the　last　revolution；　when　the　native　dynasty　was　overthrown；　and　

he　could　not　have　been　over　sixteen　at　the　time。　　I　am　pointing　out　

that　he　was　no　coward；　in　order　that　you　may　appreciate　what　happens　

later　on。　　I've　seen　him　in　the　breaking　yard　at　the　Haleakala　

Ranch；　conquering　a　four…year…old　brute　that　for　two　years　had　

defied　the　pick　of　Von　Tempsky's　cow…boys。　　And　I　must　tell　of　one　

other　thing。　　It　was　down　in　Kona；or　up；　rather；　for　the　Kona　

people　scorn　to　live　at　less　than　a　thousand　feet　elevation。　　We　

were　all　on　the　lanai　of　Doctor　Goodhue's　bungalow。　　I　was　talking　

with　Dottie　Fairchild　when　it　happened。　　A　big　centipedeit　was　

seven　inches；　for　we　measured　it　afterwardsfell　from　the　rafters　

overhead　squarely　into　her　coiffure。　　I　confess；　the　hideousness　of　

it　paralysed　me。　　I　couldn't　move。　　My　mind　refused　to　work。　　There；　

within　two　feet　of　me；　the　ugly　venomous　devil　was　writhing　in　her　

hair。　　It　threatened　at　any　moment　to　fall　down　upon　her　exposed　

shoulderswe　had　just　come　out　from　dinner。



〃What　is　it？〃　she　asked；　starting　to　raise　her　hand　to　her　head。



〃Don't！〃　I　cried。　　〃Don't！〃



〃But　what　is　it？〃　she　insisted；　growing　frightened　by　the　fright　she　

read　in　my　eyes　and　on　my　stammering　lips。



My　exclamation　attracted　Kersdale's　attention。　　He　glanced　our　way　

carelessly；　but　in　that　glance　took　in　everything。　　He　came　over　to　

us；　but　without　haste。



〃Please　don't　move；　Dottie；〃　he　said　quietly。



He　never　hesitated；　nor　did　he　hurry　and　make　a　bungle　of　it。



〃Allow　me；〃　he　said。



And　with　one　hand　he　caught　her　scarf　and　drew　it　tightly　around　her　

shoulders　so　that　the　centipede　could　not　fall　inside　her　bodice。　　

With　the　other　handthe　righthe　reached　into　her　hair；　caught　the　

repulsive　abomination　as　near　as　he　was　able　by　the　nape　of　the　

neck；　and　held　it　tightly　between　thumb　and　forefinger　as　he　

withdrew　it　from　her　hair。　　It　was　as　horrible　and　heroic　a　sight　as　

man　could　wish　to　see。　　It　made　my　flesh　crawl。　　The　centipede；　

seven　inches　of　squirming　legs；　writhed　and　twisted　and　dashed　

itself　about　his　hand；　the　body　twining　around　the　fingers　and　the　

legs　digging　into　the　skin　and　scratching　as　the　beast　endeavoured　

to　free　itself。　　It　bit　him　twiceI　saw　itthough　he　assured　the　

ladies　that　he　was　not　harmed　as　he　dropped　it　upon　the　walk　and　

stamped　it　into　the　gravel。　　But　I　saw　him　in　the　surgery　five　

minutes　afterwards；　with　Doctor　Goodhue　scarifying　the　wounds　and　

injecting　permanganate　of　potash。　　The　next　morning　Kersdale's　arm　

was　as　big　as　a　barrel；　and　it　was　three　weeks　before　the　swelling　

went　down。



All　of　which　has　nothing　to　do　with　my　story；　but　which　I　could　not　

avoid　giving　in　order　to　show　that　Jack　Kersdale　was　anything　but　a　

coward。　　It　was　the　cleanest　exhibition　of　grit　I　have　ever　seen。　　

He　never　turned　a　hair。　　The　smile　never　left　his　lips。　　And　he　

dived　with　thumb　and　forefinger　into　Dottie　Fairchild's　hair　as　

gaily　as　if　it　had　been　a　box　of　salted　almonds。　　Yet　that　was　the　

man　I　was　destined　to　see　stricken　with　a　fear　a　thousand　times　more　

hideous　even　than　the　fear　that　was　mine　when　I　saw　that　writhing　

abomination　in　Dottie　Fairchild's　hair；　dangling　over　her　eyes　and　

the　trap　of　her　bodice。



I　was　interested　in　leprosy；　and　upon　that；　as　upon　every　other　

island　subject；　Kersdale　had　encyclopedic　knowledge。　　In　fact；　

leprosy　was　one　of　his　hobbies。　　He　was　an　ardent　defender　of　the　

settlement　at　Molokai；　where　all　the　island　lepers　were　segregated。　　

There　was　much　talk　and　feeling　among　the　natives；　fanned　by　the　

demagogues；　concerning　the　cruelties　of　Molokai；　where　men　and　

women；　not　alone　banished　from　friends　and　family；　were　compelled　to　

live　in　perpetual　imprisonment　until　they　died。　　There　were　no　

reprieves；　no　commutations　of　sentences。　　〃Abandon　hope〃　was　written　

over　the　portal　of　Molokai。



〃I　tell　you　they　are　happy　there；〃　Kersdale　insisted。　　〃And　they　are　

infinitely　better　off　than　their　friends　and　relatives　outside　who　

have　nothing　the　matter　with　them。　　The　horrors　of　Molokai　are　all　

poppycock。　　I　can　take　you　through　any　hospital　or　any　slum　in　any　

of　the　great　cities　of　the　world　and　show　you　a　thousand　times　worse　

horrors。　　The　living　death！　　The　creatures　that　once　were　men！　　

Bosh！　　You　ought　to　see　those　living　deaths　racing　horses　on　the　

Fourth　of　July。　　Some　of　them　own　boats。　　One　has　a　gasoline　launch。　　

They　have　nothing　to　do　but　have　a　good　time。　　Food；　shelter；　

clothes；　medical　attendance；　everything；　is　theirs。　　They　are　the　

wards　of　the　Territory。　　They　have　a　much　finer　climate　than　

Honolulu；　and　the　scenery　is　magnificent。　　I　shouldn't　mind　going　

down　there　myself　for　the　rest　of　my　days。　　It　is　a　lovely　spot。〃



So　Kersdale　on　the　joyous　leper。　　He　was　not　afraid　of　leprosy。　　He　

said　so　himself；　and　that　there　wasn't　one　chance　in　a　million　for　

him　or　any　other　white　man　to　catch　it；　though　he　confessed　

afterward　that　one　of　his　school　chums；　Alfred　Starter；　had　

contracted　it；　gone　to　Molokai；　and　there　died。



〃You　know；　in　the　old　days；〃　Kersdale　explained；　〃there　was　no　

certain　test　for　leprosy。　　Anything　unusual　or　abnormal　was　

sufficient　to　send　a　fellow　to　Molokai。　　The　result　was　that　dozens　

were　sent　there　who　were　no　more　lepers　than　you　or　I。　　But　they　

don't　make　that　mistake　now。　　The　Board　of　Health　tests　are　

infallible。　　The　funny　thing　is　that　when　the　test　was　discovered　

they　immediately　went　down　to　Molokai　and　applied　it；　and　they　found　

a　number　who　were　not　lepers。　　These　were　immediately　deported。　　

Happy　to　get　away？　　They　wailed　harder　at　leaving　the　settlement　

than　when　they　left　Honolulu　to　go　to　it。　　Some　refused　to　leave；　

and　really　had　to　be　forced　out。　　One　of　them　even　married　a　leper　

woman　in　the　last　stages　and　then　wrote　pathetic　letters　to　the　

Board　of　Health；　protesting　against　his　expulsion　on　the　ground　that　

no　one　was　so　well　able　as　he　to　take　care　of　his　poor　old　wife。〃



〃What　is　this　infallible　test？〃　I　demanded。



〃The　bacteriological　test。　　There　is　no　getting　away　from　it。　　

Doctor　Herveyhe's　our　expert；　you　knowwas　the　first　man　to　apply　

it　here。　　He　is　a　wizard。　　He　knows　more　about　leprosy　than　any　

living　man；　and　if　a　cure　is　ever　discovered；　he'll　be　that　

discoverer。　　As　for　the　test；　it　is　very　simple。　　They　have　

succeeded　in　isolating　the　bacillus　leprae　and　studying　it。　　They　

know　it　now　when　they　see　it。　　All　they　do　is　to　snip　a　bit　of　skin　

from　the　suspect　and　subject　it　to　the　bacteriological　test。　　A　man　

without　any　visible　symptoms　may　be　chock　full　of　the　leprosy　

bacilli。〃



〃Then　you　or　I；　for　all　we　know；〃　I　suggested；　〃may　be　full　of　it　

now。〃



Kersdale　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　laughed。



〃Who　can　say？　　It　takes　seven　years　for　it　to　incubate。　　If　you　have　

any　doubts　go　and　see　Doctor　Hervey。　　He'll　just　snip　out　a　piece　of　

your　skin　and　let　you　know　in　a　jiffy。〃



Later　on　he　introduced　me　to　Dr。　Hervey；　who　loaded　me　down　with　

Board　of　Health　reports　and　pamphlets　on　the　subject；　and　took　me　

out　to　Kalihi；　the　Honolulu　receiving　station；　where　suspects　were　

examined　and　confirmed　lepers　were　held　for　deportation　to　Molokai。　　

These　deportations　occurred　about　once　a　month；　when；　the　last　good…

byes　sai