In the Wrong Paradise, and Other Stories Page 7

  VI. A BACKSLIDER. A WARNING.

  We had not remained long by ourselves in the square, when the mostextraordinary procession which I had ever beheld began to climb into theopen space from the town beneath. I do not know if I have made itsufficiently clear that the square, on the crest of the isolated hillabove the sea, was occupied only by public buildings, such as the temple,the house of the chief, and a large edifice used as a kind of town hall,so to speak. The natives in general lived in much smaller houses, manyof them little better than huts, and divided by extremely narrow andfilthy streets, on the slopes, and along the shores of the bay.

  It was from these houses and from all the country round that theprocession, with persons who fell into its ranks as they came, was nowmaking its way. Almost all the parties concerned were young, boys andgirls, or very young men and women, and though their dress was muchscantier and less decent than what our ideas of delicacy require, it mustbe admitted that the general aspect of the procession was far fromunpleasing. The clothes and wraps which the men and women wore were ofvarious gay colours, and were, in most cases, embroidered quite skilfullywith representations of flowers, fruits, wild beasts, and individuals ofgrotesque appearance. Every one was crowned with either flowers orfeathers.

  But, most remarkable of all, there was scarcely a person in this largegathering who did not bring or lead some wild bird or beast. The girlscarried young wild doves, young rooks, or the nestlings of such smallfowls as sparrows and finches. It was a pretty sight to see these pooruninstructed young women, flushed with the exertion of climbing, andmerry, flocking into the square, each with her pet (as I supposed, butthe tender mercies of the heathen are cruel) half hidden in the folds ofher gown. Of the young men, some carried hawks, some chained eagles,some young vultures. Many were struggling, too, with wild stags and wildgoats, which they compelled with the utmost difficulty to march in theranks of the procession. A number of young persons merely bore in theirhands such fruits as were in season, obviously fine specimens, of whichthey had reason to be proud.

  Others, again, were carrying little young bears, all woolly, comfortable-looking creatures, while the parent bears, adult bears at any rate, werebrought along, chained, in the rear. My guards, or adorers, or whateverthe young men who looked after me really were, led me forward, and madesigns to me that I was to bring up the rear of the procession--behind thebears, which made no attempt (as in the case of the prophet) to take thepart of a Minister of the Bungletonian Connection. What a position forone who would fain have been opening the eyes of this darkened people tobetter things! But, till I had acquired some knowledge of theirlanguage, I felt my only chance was to acquiesce in everything notpositively sinful. The entrance of a menagerie and horticulturalexhibition into the town--for thus I explained to myself what was goingon before my eyes--could not be severely censured by the harshest critic,and I prepared to show my affability by joining in an innocent diversionand popular entertainment.

  Soon I found that, after all, I was not to be absolutely last in theadvance of this miscellaneous exhibition, nor were the intentions of thepeople so harmless as I had imagined. This was no affair of cottagewindow gardens, and a distribution of prizes.

  The crowd which had collected in front of the chief's house openedsuddenly, and, in the throng of people, I detected a movement ofexcitement and alarm. Next I saw the horns of animals mixed with theheads and shoulders of the multitude, and then an extraordinary spectacleburst, at full speed, upon my gaze. Four great wild stags, plunging,rearing, and kicking, rushed by, dragging a small vehicle of unusualshape, in which stood, to my horror, the chief's beautiful daughter,Doto. The vehicle passed me like a flash of horns, in spite of theattempts of four resolute men, who clung at the stags' heads to restrainthe impetuosity of these coursers. The car, I should explain--though Ican hardly expect to be believed--was not unlike the floor of a hansomcab, from which the seat, the roof, the driver's perch, and everythingelse should have been removed, except the basis, the wheels, and thesplashboard, the part on which we generally find the advertisements ofMessrs. Mappin and Webb. On this floor, then, Doto stood erect, holdingthe reins; her yellow hair had become unbound, and was floating like aflag behind her, and her beautiful face, far from displaying any alarm,was flushed with pleasure and pride. She was dressed in splendid andglittering attire, over which was fastened--so strange were the mannersof these islanders--the newly-stripped skin of a great black bear. Thusdragged by the wild deer, Doto passed like a flash through the midst ofthe men and women, her stags being maddened to fresh excitement by thesight and smell of the bears, and other wild animals. But, eager as werethe brutes that dragged the precarious carriage, they were somewhat tamedby the great steepness of the ascent, up which they bounded, to theheights at the back of the town. Up this path, often narrow andexcessively dangerous, we all took our way, and finally, after passingthrough various perilous defiles and skirting many cliffs, we arrived ata level space in front of an ancient temple of one of their heathen gods.It was built like the others in the settlement below, but the white stonehad become brown and yellow with time and weather, and the colours,chiefly red and blue, with which the graven images, in contempt of thesecond commandment, were painted, had faded, and grown very dim.

  On the broad platform in front of this home of evil spirits had beenpiled a great mound of turf, sloping very gradually and smoothly, likethe terrace of a well-kept lawn, to the summit, which itself was,perhaps, a hundred feet in circumference. On this was erected a kind ofbreastwork of trunks of trees, each tree some fifteen feet in length, andin the centre of the circular breastwork was an altar, as usual, underwhich blazed a fire of great fierceness. From the temple came a veryaged woman, dressed in bear skins, who carried a torch. This torch shelit at the blaze under the altar, and a number of the young men, lightingtheir torches at hers, set fire to the outer breastwork, in which certainopen spaces or entrances had been purposely left. No sooner had thetrees begun to catch fire, which they did slowly, being of green wood,than the multitude outside, with the most horrible and piercing outcries,began to drive the animals which they had brought with them into themidst of the flames.

  The spectacle was one of the most terrible I ever beheld, even among thiscruel and outlandish people, whose abominable inventions contrasted sostrangely with the mildness of their demeanour where their religion wasnot concerned. It was pitiful to see the young birds, many of them notyet able to fly, flutter into the flames and the stifling smoke, and thenfall, scorched, and twittering miserably. The young lambs and otherdomesticated animals were forced in without much resistance, but thegreat difficulty was to urge the wolves, antelopes, and other wildcreatures, into the blaze. The cries of the multitude, who bounded aboutlike maniacs, armed with clubs and torches, rose madly over the strangeunusual screams and howls uttered by the wild beasts in their pain andterror. Ever and anon some animal would burst through the crowd, perhapshalf burned, and with its fur on fire, and would be pursued to a certaindistance, after which it was allowed to escape by the sacrificers. As Iwas watching, with all my hopes enlisted on its side, the efforts of anantelope to escape, I heard a roar which was horrible even in that babelof abominable sights and sounds.

  A great black bear, its pelt one sheet of flame, its whole appearance (ifI may be permitted to say so) like that of a fiend from the pit, forcedits way through the throng, and, bounding madly to the spot where Doto'scar stood at a little distance, rose erect on its hind feet, and fixedits claws in the flank of one of the stags, the off-leader. Instantlythe team of stags, escaping from the hands of the strong men who stood attheir heads, plunged violently down the narrow and dangerous path whichled to the city. I shouted to Doto to leap out, but she did not hear ordid not understand me.

  With a fixed look of horror on her white face, she dropped the uselessreins, and the vehicle passed out of sight round a corner of the cliff.

  I had but a moment in which to reflect on what might be done to res
cueher. In that moment I providentially spied a double-edged axe which laybeside me on the grass, having fallen from the hands of one of thenatives. Snatching up this weapon, I rushed to the edge of the cliff,and looked down. It was almost a sheer precipice, broken only by narrowshelves and clefts, on some of which grass grew, while on others a slightmountain-ash or a young birch just managed to find foothold.

  Far, far beneath, hundreds of feet below, I could trace the windings ofthe path up which we had climbed.

  Instantly my plan was conceived. I would descend the cliff, risking mylife, of course, but that was now of small value in this hopelesslyheathen land, and endeavour to save the benighted Doto from thedestruction to which she was hastening. Her car must pass along thatportion of the path which lay, like a ribbon, in the depth below me,unless, as seemed too probable, it chanced to be upset before reachingthe spot. To pursue it from behind was manifestly hopeless.

  These thoughts flashed through my brain more rapidly than even the flightof the maddened red deer; and scarcely less swiftly, I began scramblingdown the face of the cliff. It was really a series of almost hopelessleaps to which I was committed, and the axe, to which I clung, ratherimpeded than aided me as I let myself drop from one rocky shelf toanother, catching at the boughs and roots of trees to break my fall. Atlast I reached the last ledge before the sheer wall of rock, which hungabove the path. As I let myself down, feeling with my feet for any shelfor crack in the wall, I heard the blare of the stags, and the rattle ofthe wheels. Half intentionally, half against my will, I left my hold ofa tree-root, and slid, bumping and scratching myself terribly, down theslippery and slatey face of the rocky wall, till I fell in a mass on thenarrow road. In a moment I was on my feet, the axe I had thrown in frontof me, and I grasped it instinctively as I rose. It was not too soon.The deer were almost on me. Stepping to the side of the way, where arock gave some shelter, I dealt a blow at the nearest stag, under whichhe reeled and fell to the ground, his companion stumbling over him. Inthe mad group of rearing beasts I smote right and left at the harness,which gave way beneath my strokes, and the unhurt stags sped down theglen, and then rushed into separate corries of the hills. The car wasupset, and Doto lay pale and bleeding among the hoofs of the strickendeer.

  I dragged her out of the danger to the side of the path. I felt herpulse, which still fluttered. I brought her, in my hat, water from thestream; and, finally, had the pleasure of seeing her return to lifebefore the first of her friends came, wailing and lamenting, and tearingtheir hair, down the path.

  When they found the girl unwounded, though still weak and faint, theirjoy knew no bounds, though I too plainly perceived that they werereturning thanks to the heathen goddess whose priestess Doto was. As forme, they once more crowned me in the most elaborate, and, I think,unbecoming manner, with purple pandanus flowers. Then, having laid Dotoon a litter, they returned in procession to the town, where the girl wastaken into the chiefs house. As we parted, she held out her hand to me,but instantly withdrew it with a deep sigh. I closely watched her. Shewas weeping. I had noticed before that all the natives, as much aspossible, avoided personal contact with me. This fact, coupled with thereverence which they displayed towards me, confirmed my impression thatthey regarded me as something supernatural, not of this world, anddivine.

  To remove this belief was most certainly my duty, but how was it to bedone? Alas! I must now admit that I yielded to a subtle temptation, andwas led into conduct unworthy of a vessel. Sad to say, as I search therewards of my own heart, I am compelled to confess that my real desirewas not so much to undeceive the people--for in their bewildering myriadsof foolish beliefs one more or less was of small importance--as torecommend myself to Doto. This young woman, though not a member of ourConnection, and wholly ignorant of saving Truths, had begun to findfavour in my eyes, and I hoped to lead her to the altar; altars, for thatmatter, being plentiful enough in this darkened land. I should haveremembered the words once spoken by a very gracious young woman, thedaughter of a pious farmer. "Mother," said she, "I have made up my mindnever to let loose my affections upon any man as is not pious, and ingood circumstances." Doto was, for an islander, in good circumstances,but who, ah! who, could call her pious?

  I endeavoured, it is true, to convert her, but, ah! did I go to work inthe right way? Did I draw, in awful colours, the certain consequences ofignorance of the Truth? Did I endeavour to strike a salutary terror intoher heathen heart?

  No; such would have been a proper course of conduct, but such was notmine! I weakly adopted the opposite plan--that used by the Jesuits intheir dealings with the Chinese and other darkened peoples. I attempted,meanly attempted (but, as may be guessed, with but limited success), togive an orthodox Nonconformist character to the observances of Doto'sreligion. For example, instead of thundering, as was my duty, at herworldly diversions of promiscuous dancing, and ball play, I took a partin these secular pursuits, fondly persuading myself that my presencediscouraged levity, and was a check upon unseemly mirth.

  Thus, among the young native men and maidens, in the windings of the mazydance, might have been seen disporting himself, a person of stalwartform, whose attire still somewhat faintly indicated his European originand sacred functions. A hymn-book in my hand instead of a rattle (usedby the natives), I capered gaily through their midst. Often and often Iled the music, instructing my festive flock in English hymns, which,however, I adapted to gay and artless melodies, such as "There's some onein de house wid Dinah!" or "Old Joe kicking up behind and afore!"

  This kind of entertainment was entirely new to the natives, who heartilypreferred it to their own dull music, resembling what are called, Ibelieve, "Gregorians," by a bloated and Erastian establishment.

  So far, then, I may perchance trust that my efforts were not altogethervain, and the seed thus sown may, in one or two cases, have fallen onground not absolutely stony. But, alas! I have little room for hope.

  I pursued my career of unblushing "economy"--as the Jesuits say, meaning,alas! economy of plain truth speaking--and of heathen dissipation. Fewwere the dances in which I did not take a part, sinking so low asoccasionally to oblige with a hornpipe. My blue ribbon had long ago wornout, and with it my strict views on Temperance. I acquired a liking forthe strange drink of the islanders--a thick wine and water, sometimesmixed with cheese and honey. In fact, I was sliding back--like theunfortunate Fanti missionary, John Greedy, M.A., whose case, as reportedby precious Mr. Grant Allen, so painfully moved serious circles--I wassliding back to the level of the savagery around me. May theseconfessions be accepted in the same spirit as they are offered; may itpartly palliate my guilt that I had apparently no chance of escape fromthe island, and no hope beyond that of converting the natives andmarrying Doto. I trusted to do it, not (as of old) by open and fearlessdenunciation, but by slowly winning hearts, in a secular and sportivecapacity, before gaining souls.

  Even so have I seen young priests of the prelatical Establishment aim atpopularity by playing cricket with liberal coal-miners of sectarianpersuasions. They told me they were "in the mission field," and oneobserved that his favourite post in the field was third man. I know notwhat he meant. But to return to the island.

  My career of soul-destroying "amusement" (ah, how hollow!) was notuninterrupted by warnings. Every now and again the mask was raised, andI saw clearly the unspeakable horrors of heathen existence.

  For example, in an earlier part of this narrative, I have mentioned anold heathen called Elatreus, a good-natured, dull, absent-minded man, whoreminded me of a respectable British citizen. How awful was _his_ end,how trebly awful when I reflect how nearly I--but let me not anticipate.Elatreus was the head, and eldest surviving member of a family which hada singular history. I never could make out what the story was, but, inconsequence of some ancient crime, the chief of the family was neverallowed to enter the town hall. The penalty, if he infringed the law,was terrible. Now it chanced one day that I was wandering down thestre
et, my hands full of rare flowers which I had gathered for Doto, andwith four young doves in my hat. It was spring, and at that season theyoung persons of the island expected to receive such gifts from theiradmirers. I was also followed by eleven little fawns, which I had tamedfor her, and four young whelps of the bear. At the same time, in thelightness of my foolish heart, I was singing a native song, all about oneLityerses, to the tune of "Barbara Allen."

  At this moment, I observed, coming out of a side street, old Elatreus. Hewas doddering along, his hands behind his back, and his nose in the air,followed by a small but increasing crowd of the natives, who creptstealthily behind at a considerable distance. I paused to watch what washappening.

  Elatreus entered the main street, and lounged along till he came oppositethe town hall, on which some repairs were being made. The door stoodwide open. He gazed at it, in a vacant but interested way, and went upthe steps, where he stood staring in an absent-minded, vacant kind offashion. I could see that the crowd watching him from the corner of theside street was vastly excited.

  Elatreus now passed his hand across his brow, seemed vastly puzzled, andyawned. Then he slowly entered the town hall. With a wild yell ofsavage triumph the mob rushed in after him, and in a few moments cameforth again, with Elatreus bound and manacled. Some one sped away, andbrought the old priest, who carried the sickle. He appeared full of joy,and lustily intoned--for they have this Popish custom of intoning--anunintelligible hymn. By this time Elatreus had been wreathed and crownedwith flowers, and the rude multitude for this purpose seized theinteresting orchids which I had gathered for my Doto. They then draggedthe old man, pitifully lamenting, to the largest altar in the centre ofthe square.

  Need I say what followed? The scene was too awful. With a horribleexpression of joy the priest laid the poor wretch on the great stonealtar, and with his keen sickle--but it is too horrible! . . . This wasthe penalty for a harmless act, forbidden by a senseless law, whichElatreus--a most respectable man for an idolater--had broken in mereinnocent absence of mind.

  Alas! among such a people, how could I ever hope, alone and unaided, toeffect any truly regenerating work?

  Yet I was not wholly discouraged; indeed, my _infatuation_ for Doto mademe overlook much profligate behaviour that I do not care to mention in atract which may fall into the hands of the young. One other example ofthe native barbarity, however, I must narrate.

  A respected couple in the vicinity had long been childless. At lengththeir wishes were crowned with success, and a little baby girl was bornto them. But the priest, who had curious ideas of his own, insisted onconsulting, as to this child, a certain witch, a woman who dwelt apart ina cave where there was a sulphurous hot-water spring, surrounded bylaurel bushes, regarded as sacred by the benighted islanders. Thisspring, or the fumes that arose from it, was supposed to confer on thedweller in the cave the gift of prophecy. She was the servant ofApollon, and was credited with possessing a spirit of divination. Thewoman, after undergoing, or simulating, an epileptic attack, declared, inrhythmical language, that the babe must not be allowed to live. Sheaverred that it would "bring destruction on Scheria," the native name forthe island, which I have styled Boothland, in honour of the SalvationArmy. This was enough for the priests, who did not actually slay theinfant, but exposed it on the side of a mountain, where the beasts andbirds were likely to have their way with it.

  Now it chanced that I had climbed the hill-top that day to watch for asail, for I never quite lost hope of being taken away by some British orcontinental vessel. My attendants, for a wonder, were all absent at somefeast--Carneia, I think they called it--of their heathen gods. The timewas early summer; it only wanted a fortnight of the date, as far as Icould reckon, at which I had first been cast on the island, a yearbefore.

  As I descended the hillside, pleased, I must own, by the warm blightsunlight, the colour of the sea, and the smell of the aromaticherbs,--pleased, and half forgetful of the horrid heathenism thatsurrounded me, I heard a low wail as of an infant. I searched about, insurprise, and came on a beautiful baby, in rich swaddling bands, with agold signet ring tied round its neck. Such an occurrence was not veryunusual, as the natives, like most savages, were in the habit of keepingdown the surplus population, by thus exposing their little ones. Thehistory of the island was full of legends of exposed children, picked upby the charitable (there was, oddly enough, no prohibition against this),and afterwards recognized and welcomed by their families. As anyEnglishman would have done, I lifted the dear little thing in my arms,and, a happy thought occurring to me, carried it off as a present toDoto, who doted on babies, as all girls do. The gift proved to be themost welcome that I had ever offered, though Doto, as usual, would notaccept it from my hands, but made me lay it down beside the hearth, whichthey regarded as a sacred place. Even if an enemy reached the hearth ofhis foe, he would, thenceforth, be quite safe in his house. Doto thenpicked up the child, warmed and caressed it, sent for milk for itsentertainment, and was full of pleasure in her new pet.

  She was a dear good girl, Doto, in spite of her heathen training. {74}

  Strangely enough, as I thought at the time, she burst out weeping when Itook my leave of her, and seemed almost as if she had some secret toimpart to me. This, at least, showed an interest in me, and I walked tomy home with high presumptuous thoughts.

  As I passed a certain group of rocks, in a lonely uncultivated district,while the grey of evening was falling, I heard a low whistle. The placehad a bad reputation, being thought to be haunted. Perhaps I hadunconsciously imbibed some of the superstitions of the natives, for Istarted in alarm.

  Then I heard an unmistakably British voice cry, in a suppressed tone,"Hi!"

  The underwood rustled, and I beheld, to my astonishment, the form, thecrawling and abject form, of William Bludger!

  Since the day of his landing we had never once met, William having beensent off to a distant part of the island.

  "Hi!" he said again, and when I exclaimed, naturally, "Hullo!" he put hisfinger on his lips, and beckoned to me to join him. This I did, andfound that he was lurking in a cavern under the group of grey weather-worn stones.

  When I entered the cave, Bludger fell a-trembling so violently that hecould not speak. He seemed in the utmost alarm, his face quite ashenwith terror.

  "What is the matter, William Bludger?" I asked; "have you had a Call, orwhy do you thrust yourself on me?"

  "Have _you_ sich a thing as a chaw about ye?" he asked in tremulousaccents. "I'm _that_ done; never a drop has passed my lips for threedays, strike me dead; and I'd give anything for a chaw o' tobacco. A supof drink you have _not_ got, Capt'n Hymn-book, axing your pardon for theliberty?"

  "William," I said, "even in this benighted island, you set a pitifulexample. You have been drinking, sir; you are reaping what you havesown; and only temperance, strict, undeviating total abstinence rather,can restore your health."

  "So help me!" cried the wretched man, "except a drop of Pramneian {76} Itook, the morning I cut and run,--and that was three days ago,--nothingstronger than castor-oil berries have crossed my lips. It ain't that,sir; it ain't the drink. It's--it's the Thargeelyah. Next week, sir,they are going to roast us--you and me--flog us first, and roast usafter. Oh Lord! Oh Lord!"