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！
battle…wrecks。 Their faces were leonine。 Here a space yawned in a
face where should have been a nose； and there an arm…stump showed
where a hand had rotted off。 They were men and women beyond the
pale； the thirty of them； for upon them had been placed the mark of the
beast。
They sat； flower…garlanded； in the perfumed； luminous night； and
17
… Page 18…
THE HOUSE OF PRIDE
their lips made uncouth noises and their throats rasped approval of
Koolau's speech。 They were creatures who once had been men and
women。 But they were men and women no longer。 They were
monsters in face and form grotesque caricatures of everything human。
They were hideously maimed and distorted； and had the seeming of
creatures that had been racked in millenniums of hell。 Their hands；
when they possessed them； were like harpy claws。 Their faces were the
misfits and slips； crushed and bruised by some mad god at play in the
machinery of life。 Here and there were features which the mad god had
smeared half away； and one woman wept scalding tears from twin pits of
horror； where her eyes once had been。 Some were in pain and groaned
from their chests。 Others coughed； making sounds like the tearing of
tissue。 Two were idiots； more like huge apes marred in the making；
until even an ape were an angel。 They mowed and gibbered in the
moonlight； under crowns of drooping； golden blossoms。 One； whose
bloated ear…lobe flapped like a fan upon his shoulder； caught up a
gorgeous flower of orange and scarlet and with it decorated the
monstrous ear that flip…flapped with his every movement。
And over these things Koolau was king。 And this was his kingdom；
a flower…throttled gorge； with beetling cliffs and crags； from which
floated the blattings of wild goats。 On three sides the grim walls rose；
festooned in fantastic draperies of tropic vegetation and pierced by cave…
entrancesthe rocky lairs of Koolau's subjects。 On the fourth side the
earth fell away into a tremendous abyss； and； far below； could be seen
the summits of lesser peaks and crags； at whose bases foamed and
rumbled the Pacific surge。 In fine weather a boat could land on the
rocky beach that marked the entrance of Kalalau Valley； but the weather
must be very fine。 And a cool… headed mountaineer might climb from the
beach to the head of Kalalau Valley； to this pocket among the peaks
where Koolau ruled； but such a mountaineer must be very cool of head；
and he must know the wild… goat trails as well。 The marvel was that the
mass of human wreckage that constituted Koolau's people should have
been able to drag its helpless misery over the giddy goat…trails to this
inaccessible spot。
18
… Page 19…
THE HOUSE OF PRIDE
〃Brothers；〃 Koolau began。
But one of the mowing； apelike travesties emitted a wild shriek of
madness； and Koolau waited while the shrill cachination was tossed
back and forth among the rocky walls and echoed distantly through the
pulseless night。
〃Brothers； is it not strange？ Ours was the land； and behold； the
land is not ours。 What did these preachers of the word of God and the
word of Rum give us for the land？ Have you received one dollar； as
much as one dollar； any one of you； for the land？ Yet it is theirs； and in
return they tell us we can go to work on the land； their land； and that
what we produce by our toil shall be theirs。 Yet in the old days we did
not have to work。 Also； when we are sick； they take away our
freedom。〃
〃Who brought the sickness； Koolau？〃 demanded Kiloliana； a lean and
wiry man with a face so like a laughing faun's that one might expect to
see the cloven hoofs under him。 They were cloven； it was true； but the
cleavages were great ulcers and livid putrefactions。 Yet this was
Kiloliana； the most daring climber of them all； the man who knew every
goat…trail and who had led Koolau and his wretched followers into the
recesses of Kalalau。
〃Ay； well questioned；〃 Koolau answered。 〃Because we would not
work the miles of sugar…cane where once our horses pastured； they
brought the Chinese slaves from overseas。 And with them came the
Chinese sicknessthat which we suffer from and because of which they
would imprison us on Molokai。 We were born on Kauai。 We have
been to the other islands； some here and some there； to Oahu； to Maui； to
Hawaii； to Honolulu。 Yet always did we come back to Kauai。 Why did
we come back？ There must be a reason。 Because we love Kauai。 We
were born here。 Here we have lived。 And here shall we dieunless… …
unlessthere be weak hearts amongst us。 Such we do not want。 They
are fit for Molokai。 And if there be such； let them not remain。
Tomorrow the soldiers land on the shore。 Let the weak hearts go down
to them。 They will be sent swiftly to Molokai。 As for us； we shall
stay and fight。 But know that we will not die。 We have rifles。 You
19
… Page 20…
THE HOUSE OF PRIDE
know the narrow trails where men must creep； one by one。 I； alone；
Koolau； who was once a cowboy on Niihau； can hold the trail against a
thousand men。 Here is Kapalei； who was once a judge over men and a
man with honour； but who is now a hunted rat； like you and me。 Hear
him。 He is wise。〃
Kap