FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>  
ct Rollicked underneath the sky. British law to give him safety, British fleets to guard his shore, And a square of British freehold-- He had all we have, and more. Fattening through the endless summer, Like his own provision ground, He had reached the summum bonum Which our latest wits have found. So he thought; and in his hammock Gnawed his junk of sugar-cane, Toasted plantains at the fire-stick, Gnawed, and dozed, and gnawed again. Had a wife in his ajoupa {332}-- Or, at least, what did instead; Children, too, who died so early, He'd no need to earn their bread. Never stole, save what he needed, From the Crown woods round about; Never lied, except when summoned-- Let the warden find him out. Never drank, except at market; Never beat his sturdy mate; She could hit as hard as he could, And had just as hard a pate. Had no care for priest nor parson, Hope of heaven nor fear of hell; And in all his views of nature Held with Comte and Peter Bell. Healthy, happy, silly, kindly, Neither care nor toil had he, Save to work an hour at sunrise, And then hunt the colibri. Not a bad man; not a good man: Scarce a man at all, one fears, If the Man be that within us Which is born of fire and tears. Round the palm-stems, round the creepers, Flashed a feathered jewel past, Ruby-crested, topaz-throated, Plucked the cocorite bast, Plucked the fallen ceiba-cotton, {333} Whirred away to build his nest, Hung at last, with happy humming, Round some flower he fancied best. Up then went the rusty muzzle, 'Dat de tenth I shot to-day:' But out sprang the Indian shouting, Balked the negro of his prey. 'Eh, you Senor Trinidada! What dis new ondacent plan? Spoil a genl'man's chance ob shooting? I as good as any man. 'Dese not your woods; dese de Queen's woods: You seem not know whar you ar, Gibbin' yuself dese buckra airs here, You black Indian Papist! Dar!' Stately, courteous, stood the Indian; Pointed through the palm-tree shade: 'Does the gentleman of colour Know how yon Pitch Lake was made?' Grinned the negro, grinned and trembled-- Through his nerves a shudder ran-- Saw a snake-like eye that held him; Saw--he'd met an Obeah man. Saw a fetish--such a bottle-- Buried at his cottage door; Toad and spider, dirty water, Rusty nails, and nine charms more. Saw in vision such a c
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>  



Top keywords:

Indian

 

British

 

Plucked

 
Gnawed
 
Balked
 

shouting

 
Trinidada
 

ondacent

 

sprang

 

fancied


cotton
 

Whirred

 

fallen

 

crested

 

throated

 
cocorite
 

muzzle

 

humming

 

flower

 
shudder

nerves

 
Through
 

Grinned

 

trembled

 

grinned

 

fetish

 

charms

 
vision
 

Buried

 

bottle


cottage

 

spider

 

Gibbin

 

buckra

 

yuself

 

chance

 

shooting

 

gentleman

 

colour

 

Pointed


Papist

 

Stately

 

courteous

 

gnawed

 

ajoupa

 

Toasted

 
plantains
 

Children

 

hammock

 

thought