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himself to a wounded bull pursued by plains' coyotes too cowardly to
battle with him for the meat of him； yet certain of the inevitable end of
him when they would be full gorged。 As the bull's horns and stamping
hoofs kept off the coyotes； so his shot… gun kept off these Solomon
Islanders； these twilight shades of bushmen of the island of Guadalcanal。
Came the day of the grass lands。 Abruptly； as if cloven by the sword
of God in the hand of God； the jungle terminated。 The edge of it；
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perpendicular and as black as the infamy of it； was a hundred feet up and
down。 And； beginning at the edge of it； grew the grass … sweet； soft；
tender； pasture grass that would have delighted the eyes and beasts of any
husbandman and that extended； on and on； for leagues and leagues of
velvet verdure； to the backbone of the great island； the towering mountain
range flung up by some ancient earth…cataclysm； serrated and gullied but
not yet erased by the erosive tropic rains。 But the grass！ He had
crawled into it a dozen yards； buried his face in it； smelled it； and broken
down in a fit of involuntary weeping。
And； while he wept； the wonderful sound had pealed forth … if by
PEAL； he had often thought since； an adequate description could be given
of the enunciation of so vast a sound melting sweet。 Sweet it was； as no
sound ever heard。 Vast it was； of so mighty a resonance that it might
have proceeded from some brazen…throated monster。 And yet it called to
him across that leagues…wide savannah； and was like a benediction to his
long…suffering； pain racked spirit。
He remembered how he lay there in the grass； wet…cheeked but no
longer sobbing； listening to the sound and wondering that he had been able
to hear it on the beach of Ringmanu。 Some freak of air pressures and air
currents； he reflected； had made it possible for the sound to carry so far。
Such conditions might not happen again in a thousand days or ten
thousand days； but the one day it had happened had been the day he
landed from the NARI for several hours' collecting。 Especially had he
been in quest of the famed jungle butterfly； a foot across from wing…tip to
wing…tip； as velvet…dusky of lack of colour as was the gloom of the roof； of
such lofty arboreal habits that it resorted only to the jungle roof and could
be brought down only by a dose of shot。 It was for this purpose that
Sagawa had carried the ten…gauge shot…gun。
Two days and nights he had spent crawling across that belt of grass
land。 He had suffered much； but pursuit had ceased at the jungle… edge。
And he would have died of thirst had not a heavy thunderstorm revived
him on the second day。
And then had come Balatta。 In the first shade； where the savannah
yielded to the dense mountain jungle； he had collapsed to die。 At first
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she had squealed with delight at sight of his helplessness； and was for
beating his brain out with a stout forest branch。 Perhaps it was his very
utter helplessness that had appealed to her； and perhaps it was her human
curiosity that made her refrain。 At any rate； she had refrained； for he
opened his eyes again under the impending blow； and saw her studying
him intently。 What especially struck her about him were his blue eyes
and white skin。 Coolly she had squatted on her hams； spat on his arm； and
with her finger…tips scrubbed away the dirt of days and nights of muck and
jungle that sullied the pristine whiteness of his skin。
And everything about her had struck him especially； although there
was nothing conventional about her at all。 He laughed weakly at the
recollection； for she had been as innocent of garb as Eve before the fig…
leaf adventure。 Squat and lean at the same time； asymmetrically limbed；
string…muscled as if with lengths of cordage； dirt…caked from infancy save
for casual showers； she was as unbeautiful a prototype of woman as he；
with a scientist's eye； had ever gazed upon。 Her breasts advertised at the
one time her maturity and youth； and； if by nothing else； her sex was
advertised by the one article of finery with which she was adorned；
namely a pig's tail； thrust though a hole in her left ear…lobe。 So lately had
the tail been severed； that its raw end still oozed blood that dried upon her
shoulder like so much candle…droppings。 And her face！ A twisted and
wizened complex of apish features； perforated by upturned； sky…open；
Mongolian nostrils； by a mouth that sagged from a huge upper…lip and
faded precipitately into a retreating chin； by peering querulous eyes that
blinked as blink the eyes of denizens of monkey…cages。
Not even the water she brought him in a forest…leaf； and the ancient
and half…putrid chunk of roast pig； could redeem in the slightest the
grotesque hideousness of her。 When he had eaten weakly for a space； he
closed his eyes in order not to see her； although again and again she poked
them open to peer at the blue of them。 Then had come the sound。
Nearer； much nearer； he knew it to be； and he knew equally well； despite
the weary way he had come； that it was still many hours distant。 The
effect of it on her had been startling。 She cringed under it； with averted
face； moaning and chattering with fear。 But after it had lived its full life
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of an hour； he closed his eyes and fell asleep with Balatta brushing the
flies from him。
When he awoke it was night； and she was gone。 But he was aware of
renewed strength； and； by then too thoroughly inoculated by the mosquito
poison to suffer further inflammation； he closed his eyes and slept an
unbroke