The Call Of The South by George Lewis Becke (i read book .TXT) 📕

cannot fight him here in Roan Kiti, which is open to the sea, and never can we make it a strong fort, for here we have no _falat_,{*} nor yet any great forest trees. But at Tokolme are many thousands of the great stones and mighty trees in plenty. Ah, my father was a foolish man to give such a place to people who fought against us. Are we fools, to build here another weak town, and let Roka bear the more heavily upon us? Answer me!'

* "Falat" is the natives' name for the huge prisms of basalt
with which the mysterious and Cyclopean walls, canals,
vaults, and forts are constructed on the island of Ponape.

"'What wouldst thou have, O chief,' asked one of the head men.

"'I would have Tokolme. It is mine inheritance. There can we make a strong fort, and from there shall we have entrance to the sea by the river. Are we to let these dogs from Yap deny us?'

"'Let us ask them to give us, as an act of friendship, all the trees, and all the _felat_ we desire,' said one of the head men.

"Lirou laughed scornfully. 'And we to toil for years in carrying the trees and stones from Tokolme, a league away. Bah! Let us fall upon them as they sleep--and spare no one.'

"'Nay, nay,' said a sub-chief, named Kol, who had taken one of the Yap girls to wife, 'that is an evil thought, and foul treachery. We be at peace with them. I, for one, will have no part in such wickedness.' And others said the same, but some were with Lirou.

"Then, after many angry words had been spoken--some for fair dealing, and some for murder--Lirou said to the chief Kol and two others: 'Go to the girl Lea and her head men with presents, and say this: We of Roan Kiti are like to be hard pressed by Roka when the time comes for the payment of our tribute. If we yield it not, then are we all dead men. So give back to us Tokolme, and take from us Roan Kiti, where ye may for ever dwell in peace, for Roka hath no ill-will against ye.'

"So Kol and two other chiefs, with many slaves bearing presents, went to Tokolme. But before they set out, Kol sent secretly a messenger to Lea, with these words: 'Though I shall presently come to thee with fair words from Lirou, I bid thee and all thy people take heed, and beware of what thou doest; and keep good watch by night, for Lirou hath an evil mind.'

"This message was given to Lea, and her head men rewarded the messenger, and then held council together, and told Lea what answer she should give.

"This was the answer that she gave to Kol, speaking smilingly, and yet with dignity:--

"'Say to the chief Lirou that I thank him for the rich presents he hath sent me, and that I would that I could yield to his wish, and give unto him this tract of country that his father gave to mine--so that he might build a strong place of refuge against the King Roka But it cannot be, for we, too, fear Roka. And we are but a few, and some day it might happen that he would fall upon us, and sweep us away as a dead leaf is swept from the branch of a young tree by the strong breath of the storm.'

"So Kol returned to Lirou, and gave him the answer of Lea, and then Lirou and those of his head men who meant ill to Lea and her people, met together in secret, and plotted their destruction.

"And again Kol, who loved the Yap girl he had married, sent a message to Lea, warning her to beware of treachery. And then it was that the Yap people began to build a strong fort, and at night kept a good watch.

"Then Lirou again sent messengers asking that Lea would let him cut down a score of great trees, and Lea sent answer to him: 'Thou art welcome. Cut down one score--or ten score. I give them freely.' This did she for the sake of peace and good-will, though she and her people knew that Lirou meant harm. But whilst a hundred of Lirou's men were cutting the trees the Yap people worked at their fort from dawn till dark, and Lirou's heart was black with rage, for these men of Yap were cunning fort builders, and he saw that, when it was finished, it could never be taken by assault. But he and his chiefs continued to speak fair words, and send presents to Lea and her people, and she sent back presents in return. Then again Lirou besought her to become his wife, saying that such an alliance would strengthen the friendship between his people and hers; but Lea again refused him, though with pleasant words, and Lirou said with a smooth face: 'Forgive me. I shall pester thee no more, for I see that thou dost not care for me.'

"When two months had passed two score of great trees had been felled and cut into lengths of five fathoms each, and then squared. These were to be the main timbers of the outer wall of Lirou's fort--so he said. But he did not mean to have them carried away, for now he and his chiefs had completed their plans to destroy the people of Yap, and this cutting of the trees was but a subterfuge, designed to throw Lea and her advisers off their guard.

"One day Lirou and his chiefs, dressed in very gay attire, came into Tokolme, each carrying in his hand a tame ring-dove which is a token of peace and amity, and desired speech of Lea. She came forth, and ordered fine mats, trimmed with scarlet parrots' feathers, to be spread for them upon the ground and received them as honoured guests.

"'We come,' said Lirou, lifting her hand to his forehead, 'to beg thee and all thy people to come to a great feast that will be ready to-morrow, to celebrate the carrying away of the wood thou hast so generously given unto me.'

"'It is well,' said Lea; 'I thank thee. We shall come.'

"Little did Lea and her people know that during the night, as it rained heavily, some of Lirou's warriors had hidden clubs and spears and axes of stone near where the logs lay and where the feast was to be given. They were hidden under a great heap of chips and shavings that came from the fallen trees.

"At dawn on the day of the feast, three hundred of Lirou's men, all dressed very gaily, marched past Tokolme, carrying no arms, but bearing baskets of food. They were going, they said, with presents to King Roka to tell him that Lirou would hold faithfully to his promise of tribute.

"'But why,' asked the men of Yap, 'do ye go to-day--which is the day of the feast?'

"'Because the heart of Lirou is glad, and he desires peace with all men--even Roka. And whilst he and those of our people who remain feast with ye men of Yap, and make merriment, we, the tribute messengers, go unto Roka with words of goodwill.'

"Now these words were lies, for when the three hundred men had marched a quarter of a league past Tokolme, they halted at a place in the forest where they had arms concealed. Then they waited for a certain signal from Lirou, who had said:--

"'When thou hearest the sound of a conch shell at the beginning of the feast, march quickly back and form a circle around us and the people of Yap, but let not one of ye be seen. Then when there comes a second blast rush in, and see that no one escapes. Spare no one but the girl Lea.'

"When the sun was a little high Lirou and all his people--men, women and children--came and made ready the feast On each of the squared logs was spread out baked hogs, fowls, pigeons, turtle and fish, and all manner of fruits in abundance, and then also there were placed in the centre of the clearing twenty stone mortars for making kava.

"When all was ready, Lea and her people were bidden to come, and they all came out of the fort, dressed very gaily and singing as is customary for guests to do. And Lirou stepped out from among his people and took Lea by the hand and seated her on a fine mat in the place of honour, and as she sat with Lirou beside her, a man blew a loud, long blast upon a conch shell and the feast began."

Rai's story had interested me keenly, but I was now guilty of a breach of native etiquette--I had to interrupt him to ask how it was that the man Kol and others who were friendly to the Yap people did not give them a final warning of the intended massacre.

"Ah, I forgot to tell thee that Lirou was as cunning as he was cruel, and ten days before the giving of the feast he had sent away Kol and some others whom he knew to be well disposed to the people of Yap. He sent them to the islands of Pakin--ten leagues from Ponape, and desired them to catch turtle for him. But with them he sent a trusty man, whom he took into his confidence, and said, 'Tell Rairik, Chief of Pakin, to make some pretext, and prevent Kol from returning to Ponape for a full moon. And say also that if he yields not to my wish I shall destroy him and his people.'"

"Ah," I said, "Lirou was a Napoleon."

"Who was he?"

"Oh, a great Franki chief, who was as lying and as treacherous and cruel and merciless as Lirou. Some day I will tell thee of him. Now, about the feast."

"Ah, the feast After a little while, Lirou, whilst the people ate, said softly to Lea, 'Wilt thou not honour me and be my wife? I promise thee that I shall send away my other wives, and thou alone shalt rule my house and me.'

"Lea was displeased, and her eyes flashed with anger as she drew away from him, and then Lirou seized her by her wrist, and threw up his left hand.

"A long, loud blast sounded from the conch, and then Lirou's men, who were feasting, sprang to the great heap of chips, and seized their weapons. And then began a cruel slaughter--for what could three hundred unarmed people do against so many! But yet some of the men of Yap fought most bravely, and tearing clubs or short stabbing spears from their treacherous enemies, they killed over two score of Lirou's people.

"As Lea beheld the murdering of her kith and kin, she cried piteously to Lirou to at least spare the women and children, but he laughed and bade her be silent Some of the women and children tried to escape to the fort, but they were met by the men who had been in ambush, and slain ruthlessly.

"When all was over, the bodies were taken to a high cliff, and cast down into the valley below. Then Lirou and his men entered the fort, and made great rejoicing over their victory.

"Lea sat on a mat with her face in her hands, dumb with grief, and Lirou bade her go to her sleeping-place, telling her to rest, and that he would