No sign of a boat, however, was beheld; nothing but a tumultuous crowd of men and women, and some one in their midst, earnestly talking to them. As my comrade advanced, this person came forward, and proved to be no stranger. He was an old grizzled sailor, whom Toby and myself had frequently seen in Nukuheva, where he lived an easy, devil-may-care life, in the household of Mowanna the king, going by the name of "Jimmy." In fact, he was the royal favourite, and had a good deal to say in his master's councils. He wore a Manilla hat, and a sort of tappa morning gown, sufficiently loose and negligent to show the verse of a song tattooed upon his chest, and a variety of spirited cuts by native artists in other parts of his body. He sported a fishing-rod in his hand, and carried a sooty old pipe slung about his neck.
This old rover having retired from active life, had resided in Nukuheva some time- he could speak the language, and for that reason was frequently employed by the French as an interpreter. He was an arrant old gossip, too; for ever coming off in his canoe to the ships in the bay, and regaling their crews with choice little morsels of court scandal- such, for instance, as a shameful intrigue of his majesty with a Happar damsel, a public dancer at the feasts-and otherwise relating some incredible tales about the Marquesas generally. I remember, in particular, his telling the Dolly's crew what proved to be literally a cock-and-bull story, about two natural prodigies, which he said were then on the island. One was an old monster of a hermit, having a marvellous reputation for sanctity, and reputed a famous sorcerer, who lived away off in a den among the mountains, where he hid from the world a great pair of horns that grew out of his temples. Notwithstanding his reputation for piety, this horrid old fellow was the terror of all the island round, being reported to come out from his retreat, and go a man-hunting every dark night. Some anonymous Paul Pry, too, coming down the mountain, once got a peep at his den, and found it full of bones. In short, he was a most unheard-of monster.
The other prodigy Jimmy told us about, was the younger son of a chief, who, although but just turned of ten, had entered upon holy orders, because his superstitious countrymen thought him especially intended for the priesthood, from the fact of his having a comb on his head like a rooster. But this was not all: for, still more wonderful to relate, the boy prided himself upon this strange crest, being actually endowed with a cock's voice, and frequently crowing over his peculiarity.
But to return to Toby. The moment he saw the old rover on the beach, he ran up to him, the natives following after, and forming a circle round them.
After welcoming him to the shore, Jimmy went on to tell him how that he knew all about our having run away from the ship, and being among the Typees; indeed, he had been urged by Mowanna to come over to the valley, and, after visiting his friends there, to bring us back with him, his royal master being exceedingly anxious to share with him the reward which had been held out for our capture. He, however, assured Toby that he had indignantly spurned the offer.
All this astonished my comrade not a little, as neither of us had entertained the least idea that any white man ever visited the Typees sociably. But Jimmy told him that such was the case, nevertheless, although he seldom came into the bay, and scarcely ever went back from the beach. One of the priests of the valley, in some way or other connected with an old tattooed divine in Nukuheva, was a friend of his, and through him he was "taboo."
He said, moreover, that he was sometimes employed to come round to the bay, and engage fruit for ships lying in Nukuheva. In fact, he was now on that very errand, according to his own account, having just come across the mountains by the way of Happar. By noon of the next day, the fruit would be heaped up in stacks on the beach, in readiness for the boats, which he then intended to bring into the bay.
Jimmy now asked Toby whether he wished to leave the island- if he did, there was a ship in want of men, lying in the other harbour, and he would be glad to take him over, and see him on board that very day.
"No," said Toby; "I cannot leave the island, unless my comrade goes with me. I left him up the valley because they would not let him come down. Let us go now and fetch him."
"But how is he to cross the mountain with us," replied Jimmy, "even if we get him down to the beach? Better let him stay till to-morrow, and I will bring him round to Nukuheva in the boats."
"That will never do," said Toby; "but come along with me now, and let us get him down here at any rate"; and yielding to the impulse of the moment, he started to hurry back into the valley. But hardly was his back turned, when a dozen hands were laid on him, and he learned that he could not go a step farther.
It was in vain that he fought with them; they would not hear of his stirring from the beach. Cut to the heart at this unexpected repulse, Toby now conjured the sailor to go after me alone. But Jimmy replied, that in the mood the Typees then were, they would not permit him so to do, though, at the same time, he was not afraid of their offering him any harm.
Little did Toby then think, as he afterwards had good reason to suspect, that this very Jimmy was a heartless villain, who, by his arts, had just incited the natives to restrain him, as he was in the act of going after me. Well must the old sailor have known, too, that the natives would never consent to our leaving together; and he therefore wanted to get Toby off alone, for a purpose which he afterwards made plain. Of all this, however, my comrade now knew nothing.
