With Hans Egede, Red Rooney, and Angut as chief councillors, it may be easily understood that the punishment awarded to Kajo was not severe. He was merely condemned1, in the meantime, to be taken to his own people as a prisoner, and then let go free with a rebuke2.
“But how are we to carry him there?” asked Egede. “He cannot walk, and we must not delay.”
“That’s true,” said Rooney; “and it will never do to burden the women’s boat with him. It is too full already.”
“Did he not say that he had his kayak with him?” asked Angut.
“He did,” cried Okiok, with the sudden animation3 of one who has conceived an idea. “Run, Arbalik, Ippegoo, Ermigit, Norrak, and seek for the kayak.”
The youths named ran off to obey, with the alacrity4 of well-trained children, and in half an hour returned in triumph with the kayak on their shoulders. Meanwhile Kajo had recovered slightly, and was allowed to sit up, though his hands were still bound.
“Now we’ll try him. Launch the boat, boys,” said Okiok, “and be ready to paddle.”
The young men did as they were bid, and Okiok, unloosening Kajo’s bonds, asked him if he could manage his kayak.
“O–of—c–course I can,” replied the man, somewhat indignantly.
“Come, then, embark5 an’ do it,” returned Okiok, seizing his arm, and giving it a squeeze to convince him that he was in the hands of a strong man.
Kajo staggered towards his little vessel6, and, lifting it with difficulty, went down to the beach. He would certainly have fallen and damaged it if Okiok had not stood on one side and Angut on the other to prevent a fall. When the kayak was launched, he attempted to step into the little oval opening in it, but with so little success that Okiok, losing patience, lifted, him in, and crammed8 him down. Then he sent him afloat with a vigorous push.
Feeling all right, with the familiar paddle in his hands, Kajo tried to rouse himself, bethought him of flight, gave a hiccoughing cheer, and went skimming away like a sword-fish.
“After him now, boys, and keep alongside,” cried Okiok.
Responsive to the order, the boat shot after the kayak, but they had barely got under weigh when Kajo made a false stroke with the paddle, lost his balance, and disappeared.
“I expected that,” remarked Okiok, with a laugh.
“But the poor man will drown,” said Egede anxiously; “he is too drunk to recover himself.”
This was obvious, for the overturned craft seemed to quiver like a dying whale, while its owner made wild but fruitless efforts to recover his proper position; and it is certain that the poor man would then and there have paid the penalty of his intemperance9 with his life, if the boat had not ranged alongside, and rescued him.
“So then,” said Angut to Egede, as they were bringing Kajo ashore10, “this is the effect of the mad waters that I have often heard of, but never seen till now.”
“Yes, Angut, you see the effect of them—at least on one man; but their effects vary according to the nature of those who drink. Some men they make violent, like Kajo; others become silly; while not a few become heavy, stupid, and brutal11. In my country most if not all of the murders that take place are committed under the influence of strong drink. The Red Indians, who dwell far to the south-west of your lands, call strong drink ‘fire-water.’ Your own name ‘mad waters’ is better, I think.”
Kajo was led forward at this moment, looking very much dejected, and greatly sobered. He made no further attempt to resist, but, as a precaution, his hands were again tied, and then he was left to dry in the sun, and to his meditations12, while the party made the traverse of the bay.
This was accomplished13 in three trips. As the last party was about to start, Okiok and Kajo alone remained on the shore.
“You had better think twice,” said Rooney, as he was about to push off the boat. “He may give you some trouble.”
“Fear not,” returned Okiok, with a grin, in which there were mingled14 fun and contempt. “I have thought twice—three—four—ten times,” and he extended the fingers of both hands.
“Very good; we’ll keep an eye on you,” said Rooney, with a laugh.
“He runs no risk,” remarked Egede, taking up one of the paddles to share in the work. “His plan is one which Eskimos frequently adopt when one of their kayaks has been destroyed by rocks or walruses15.”
The plan referred to consisted in making the man whose kayak has been lost lie out on what may be called the deck of a friend’s kayak. The well-known little craft named the “Rob Roy Canoe” bears much resemblance to the Eskimo kayak—the chief difference being that the former is made of thin, light wood, the latter of a light framework covered with sealskin. Both are long and narrow; decked entirely16 over, with the exception of a hole in the centre; can hold only one person, and are propelled with one double paddle having a blade at each end. The only way, therefore, of helping17 a friend in distress18 with such craft is to lay him out flat at full length on the deck, and require him to keep perfectly19 still while you paddle to a place of safety.
Okiok intended to take the helpless drunkard across the bay in this fashion, but for the sake of safety, resolved to do it in an unfriendly manner.
When the boat had shot away, he pushed the kayak into the water until it was afloat in the fore-part, arranged the spears which formed its armament, made fast the various lines, and laid the paddle across the opening. Then he went up to Kajo, who had been watching his movements with much curiosity, not quite unmingled with discomfort20.
“Go,” he said, pointing to the kayak, “and lay yourself out in front, on your face.”
Kajo looked earnestly at the speaker. There was much less of the heroic in his gaze by that time, and therefore more of manly21 determination; but Okiok said “go” again. And Kajo went.
When he was laid flat on his face in front of the opening, with his feet on either side, and his head towards the bow, Okiok proceeded to tie him down there.
“You need not fear,” he said; “I will not move.” Okiok did not cease his work, but he said—
“I will make sure that you do not move. Any man with the sense of a puffin might be trusted to lie still for his own sake, but I have learned this day that a man full of mad water is a fool—not to be trusted at all.”
Having expressed himself thus, and finished the lashing22, he got softly into his place, pushed off, and paddled gently over the sea.
He had not advanced far when Kajo, feeling uncomfortable, tried slightly to alter his position, whereupon Okiok took up a spear that lay handy, and gave him a slight prick23 by way of reminding him of his duty. The rest of the voyage was accomplished in peace and safety.
In the evening the party arrived at the temporary abode24 of the tribe to which Kajo belonged. By that time the Eskimo was thoroughly25 sober, but the same could not be said of all his people—of whom there were upwards26 of a hundred men, besides women and children. It was found that a chance trader to Godhaab had brought a considerable quantity of rum, and the families of which we now speak had secured several kegs.
All of these Eskimos were well acquainted with Egede, and a few of them were friendly towards him; but many were the reverse. There was great excitement among them at the time the party arrived—excitement that could scarcely be accounted for either by the rum or by the unexpected arrival.
Egede soon found out what it was. A terrible murder had been committed the night before by one of the Eskimos, who was considered not only the best hunter of the band to which he belonged, but one of the best husbands and fathers. His name was Mangek. He was one of those who had been well disposed towards the missionary27, and in regard to whom much hope had been entertained. But he had been treated to rum by the traders, and having conceived an ardent28 desire for more, had managed to obtain a keg of the mad water. Although kind and amiable29 by nature, his temperament30 was sanguine31 and his nerves sensitively strung. A very little of the rum excited him to extravagant32 exuberance33 of spirit, and a large dose made him temporarily insane.
It was during one of these fits of insanity34 that Mangek had on the previous night struck his wife, when she was trying to soothe35 him. The blow would not in itself have killed her, but as she fell her head struck on a stone, her skull36 was fractured, and she died in a few minutes.
Indifferent to—indeed, ignorant of—what he had done, the Eskimo sat beside the corpse37 all that night drinking. No one dared to go near him, until he fell back helplessly drunk. Then they removed the body of his wife.
It was bad enough to see this hitherto respected man mad with drink, but it was ten times worse to see him next day mad with horror at what he had done. For it was not merely that his wife was dead, but that, although he had loved that wife with all his heart and soul, he had killed her with his own hand. The wretched man had rushed about the place shrieking38 all the morning, sometimes with horror and sometimes with fury, until he was physically39 exhausted40. Every one had kept carefully out of his way. When our travellers arrived he was lying in his hut groaning41 heavily; but no one knew what state he was in, for they still feared to disturb him.
No such fear affected42 Hans Egede. Knowing that he could point to the only remedy for sin and broken hearts, he went straight into the poor man’s hut. Shortly afterwards the groaning ceased, and the natives listened with awe43 to what they knew was the voice of prayer. As they could not, however, distinguish the words, they gradually drew off, and circled round the strangers who had so unexpectedly arrived.
Great was their surprise when they found that their comrade Kajo had been brought home as a prisoner; and still greater was their surprise when they found that a bottle of rum which had been stolen from one of their hunters, and carried off the day before, was found on the person of Kajo—for Kajo had been, like Mangek, a respectable man up to that date, and no one believed it possible that he would condescend44 to steal.
One of those who was himself under the influence of rum at the time looked sternly at Kajo, and began to abuse him as a hypocrite and deceiver.
“Now, look here,” cried Red Rooney, stepping forward; “listen to me.”
Having regard to his commanding look and tone, the natives considered him the leader of the party, and listened with respect.
“What right have you,” he continued, turning sharply on the last speaker, “to look with contempt on Kajo? You have been drinking mad water yourself. I smell it in your breath. If you were to take a little more, you would be quite ready to commit murder.”
“Yes, you would,” said the sailor, still more stoutly. “Even my good-natured friend Okiok here would be ready to murder his wife Nuna if he was full of mad water.”
This unexpected statement took our kindly46 Eskimo so much by surprise that for a moment or two he could not speak. Then he thundered forth—
“Never! What! kill Nuna? If I was stuffed with mad water from the toes to the eyelids47, I could not kill Nuna.”
At that moment an aged7 Eskimo pressed to the front. Tears were on his wrinkled cheeks, as he said, in a quavering voice—
“Yes, you could, my son. The wife of Mangek was my dear child. No man ever loved his wife better than Mangek loved my child. He would have killed himself sooner than he would have killed her. But Mangek did not kill her. It was the mad water that killed her. He did not know what the mad water would do when he drank it. How could he? It is the first time he has drunk it; he will never drink it again. But that will not bring back my child.”
The old man tried to say more, but his lip trembled and his voice failed. His head drooped48, and, turning abruptly49 round, he mingled with the crowd.
It was evident that the people were deeply moved by this speech. Probably they had never before given the mad water much of their thoughts, but now, after what had been said, and especially after the awful event of the previous night, opinion on the subject was beginning to form.
“My friends,” he said, and the natives listened all the more eagerly that he spoke51 their language so well, “when a cruel enemy comes to your shore, and begins to kill, how do you act?”
“Is not mad water a cruel enemy? Has he not already begun his deadly work? Has he not killed one of your best women, and broken the heart of one of your best men?”
“Huk! huk! Yes, that is true.”
“Then who will fight him?” shouted Rooney.
There was a chorus of “I wills,” and many of the men, running up to their huts, returned, some with bottles, and some with kegs. Foremost among them was the old father of the murdered woman. He stumbled, fell, and his keg rolled to Rooney’s feet.
Catching53 it up, the sailor raised it high above his head and dashed it to splinters on the stones. With a shout of enthusiasm the Eskimos followed his example with bottle and keg, and in another moment quite a cataract54 of the vile55 spirit was flowing into the sea.
“That is well done,” said Hans Egede, coming up at the moment. “You know how to take the tide at the flood, Rooney.”
“Nay, sir,” returned the sailor; “God brought about all the circumstances that raised the tide, and gave me power to see and act when the tide was up. I claim to be naught56 but an instrument.”
“I will not quarrel with you on that point,” rejoined Egede; “nevertheless, as an instrument, you did it well, and for that I thank God who has granted to you what I have prayed and toiled57 for, without success, for many a day. It is another illustration of prayer being answered in a different and better way from what I had asked or expected.”
In this strange manner was originated, on the spur of the moment, an effectual and comprehensive total abstinence movement. We are bound of course to recognise the fact that it began in impulse, and was continued from necessity—no more drink being obtainable there at that time. Still, Egede and Rooney, as well as the better-disposed among the Eskimos, rejoiced in the event, for it was an unquestionable blessing58 so far as it went.
As the Eskimos had settled down on that spot for some weeks for the purpose of hunting—which was their only method of procuring59 the necessaries of life,—and as there was no pressing necessity for the missionary or his friends proceeding60 just then to Godhaab, it was resolved that they should all make a short stay at the place, to assist the Eskimos in their work, as well as to recruit the health and strength of those who had been enfeebled by recent hardship and starvation.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
condemned
|
|
| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
rebuke
|
|
| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
animation
|
|
| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
alacrity
|
|
| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
embark
|
|
| vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
aged
|
|
| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
crammed
|
|
| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
intemperance
|
|
| n.放纵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
ashore
|
|
| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
brutal
|
|
| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
meditations
|
|
| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
accomplished
|
|
| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
mingled
|
|
| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
walruses
|
|
| n.海象( walrus的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
helping
|
|
| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
distress
|
|
| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
discomfort
|
|
| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
manly
|
|
| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
lashing
|
|
| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
prick
|
|
| v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
abode
|
|
| n.住处，住所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
missionary
|
|
| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
ardent
|
|
| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
amiable
|
|
| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
temperament
|
|
| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
sanguine
|
|
| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
extravagant
|
|
| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
exuberance
|
|
| n.丰富；繁荣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
insanity
|
|
| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
soothe
|
|
| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
skull
|
|
| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
corpse
|
|
| n.尸体，死尸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
shrieking
|
|
| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
physically
|
|
| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
exhausted
|
|
| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
groaning
|
|
| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
awe
|
|
| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
condescend
|
|
| v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
stoutly
|
|
| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
eyelids
|
|
| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
drooped
|
|
| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
promptly
|
|
| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
catching
|
|
| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
cataract
|
|
| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
vile
|
|
| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
naught
|
|
| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
toiled
|
|
| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
blessing
|
|
| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
procuring
|
|
| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
proceeding
|
|
| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |