By L. Frank Baum
Author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Secret of the Lost Fortune, The Visitors from Oz, etc.
Originally published in Short Stories, September 1898.
Gouigi the Hunter lay motionless beneath a wide-spreading yacca that
towered far above the other trees of the forest. The moon was out, and
its beams penetrating the leafy barriers, threw a network of fantastic
shadows across the glistening brown body of the islander.
He lay upon his back with hands clasped firmly beneath his head, and his
bright black eyes staring at the branches above him. A long,
double-pointed spear was beside him, the ends drawn to the fineness of a
needleç—´ point, its length well-polished and greased save for the
handles near the centre.
Gouigi was thinking, and he had lain in nearly the same posture since
the dawn of the previous day. For custom decreed that all those
islanders who intended to take part in the mating tournament should
absent themselves for the period of a day and a night from the society
of their fellows, and Gouigi had made declaration to the chief that he
would fight at the tourney.
One day each year the natives of this island of Macheki, in the South
Seas, set apart for the mating of the maidens with the young braves of
the tribe, and on this day took place a series of conflicts among the
aspirants to determine which should have first choice from the bevy of
eligible maidens.
Usually, upon such occasions, the victor was content to triumph over his
adversaries, without seriously injuring them, and those vanquished had
thus an opportunity to fight among themselves for second choice, and so
on until the maids were all chosen. And upon most mating days there were
many of the young warriors to take part in the conflict, yet now Gouigi
counted upon his fingers and found there were but seven all told, who
had declared their intention or fighting upon the morrow. For amongst
the maidens to be chosen was Cheluika, the daughter of the chieftain,
and whoever won the first choice would thus in time become the first
brave of the tribe, since the chief was very old and unlikely to live
more than a few moons longer. Therefore, this time the duel would be
fought to the death, the prize being the greatest fate had ever yet
placed within reach of the mating-day champions, and only the strongest
and bravest of the young men had dared to undertake the task of winning
the Princess Cheluika, and with her the leadership of the tribe.
Gouigi mused on all this as he lay under the yacca awaiting the time to
return to the village. Somewhere amidst the forest were six other
warriors resting or preparing themselves for the fray, but he did not
dwell upon them long. True, they were the pick of the tribe, well
skilled in the use of the spear and of great and powerful build.
But he, Gouigi, was the strongest of them all--save, perhaps, Mati the
Tiger, and Mati was a brute, whom he loathed and would delight to kill.
He spat upon the ground when he thought upon him, and turned his musings
into more pleas-ant channels.
Soon he would be chief of the tribe and able to command where he had
before served. He would fight the Kankins for one thing, and drive them
from the little neighboring island, whence they so frequently descended
upon his people to annoy them with their poisoned darts. And he would
move the village over into the little harbor at the south, where the
winds were less fierce. There were so many things he had in mind to
accomplish when he should become chief.
What a fortunate thing he had waited until Cheluika was to be mated
instead of choosing little Natka last year, as he had at one time
intended. It was Mati the Tiger who had put it into his head to wait.
"For my part," Mati had said at that time, "I shall wait for the mating
of the Princess Cheluika, for whoever wins her will be chief."
And he, because he hated Mati and wished to fight him, had also waited,
and so there was no one to choose little Natka, who had looked at him
reproachfully, but said no word.
It had been a long year, in which he had repeatedly quarreled with his
rival; but the end was nigh at last, and his ambitions would not only be
fulfilled, but supplemented by a triumph over Mati the Tiger. True, it
would be a struggle to the death; there was no doubt of that. But he,
Gouigi, would win. As for Cheluika, he knew very little about her, for
he had been several years with the other young men at the wars, and the
fishing, and the hunting grounds, and the princess had grown up in the
village. But he had noted that Cheluika was a handsome maiden, proud and
reserved, and mixing little with the other girls of the tribe. He could
recall, as he lay musing under the big tree, her full, rounded form,
her piercing dark eyes, the erect carriage of her head and her
disdainful smile. Yes, Cheluika would do very well for a mate. She was
not so lively as little Natka, nor could he expect her to mend his lines
so deftly or to polish his spear so carefully as the laughing maiden
who often followed him to the shore when he went to the fish-ing. But
she was the chiefç—´ daughter, and with her he gained power and
position, which, in their way, meant as much to the simple islander as
to his civilized brethren.
The moon was waning now, and the light breeze which fanned his brow and
fluttered the leaves of the tree heralded, he knew, the dawn. He sat up,
drew a piece of dried meat from his pouch, and leisurely ate of it,
drinking afterward from a little stream that flowed near by. Then,
sitting down again, he examined with care his spear, testing its
strength in every possible way.
Apparently satisfied with his inspection, he proceeded to bind up his
long hair, heavy with walrus grease, into a knot, fastening it upon the
back of his head with a fish-bone. Afterward he made his toilet by
rubbing every part of his body plentifully with grease, and then,
seizing his weapon, he started through the forest on his way to the
village. With the first streak of dawn every member of the tribe was
astir, and soon men, women and children assembled upon the green slope
that led to the sea. In two long lines that faced each other they
squatted to witness the coming spectacle, and at the head of these lines
sat the old chief, with the row of maidens just before him who were
eligible to be mated.
The girls were calm enough, for it was well understood that but one
would be chosen this day, since the fight was to the death. The
surviving champion would, of course, select the princess. The daughter
of the chieftain, proud and self-contained, sat at the feet of her
father, while the maidens on either side cast many curious and some
envious glances at her dark immobile face.
Little Natka was there, nearly at the end of the line, but her eyes were
red with weeping, for on this day she knew that Gouigi was destined
either to fall in death or to mate with the princess, and either event
would rob her of him forever.
At the other end of the double row of spectators and facing the chief
and the maidens, was the dark edge of the forest, and now, as the sun
shot its first ray over the treetops, the aged chief arose painfully to
his feet and exclaimed: "It is the day of mating. The maidens await
their lords. Who demands to choose first amongst them?"
"I demand the choice!" cried a voice, and a tall, powerful warrior
stepped from the forest and advanced into the square. A loud murmur
arose from the people, for this was Mati the Tiger, whose prowess was
well known and respected.
But scarcely had he taken his place, spear in hand, when a lithe, slender form darted from the thicket and said boldly:
"I am here to choose first from the maidens. Who denies my right?"
"I!" returned Mati, and poising his spear he advanced upon his rival, who quickly sprang to meet him.
The contest was short. For a moment both whirled their slender spears
rapidly before them, and then, quicker than the eye could follow, they
came together--and separated. Mati stood upright, but his antagonist,
uttering a great cry, fell writhing upon the ground and then lay still,
pierced to the heart by the sharp-pointed spear of his foe.
Again from the crowd arose a murmur of approval, and the Princess
Cheluika, aroused from her customary reserve, laughed aloud and clapped
her hands together.
"Who now disputes my right?" cried Mati, strutting up and down in evident pride.
"I!" answered a voice, and another youth stepped from the forest to confront him.
The combat was longer this time, for the new champion was wary, and
twice the warriors came together and separated before Mati's powerful
arm could drive his spear-point home. Again he received the plaudits of
the spectators, and again the princess laughed.
The dead bodies were drawn from the square, and Mati turned to face
another foe. But none were able to combat him long, and within the hour
five dead forms lay side by side upon the green, silent evidences o his
wonderful skill.
The princess was fairly transformed by excitement. A deep red glowed
beneath her brown cheeks, her eyes glistened like a serpent's, and as
each warrior fell before the strong arm of Mati her little hands were
the first to demonstrate approval. She seemed to revel in the bloodshed,
and Gouigi, watching her from the concealment of the forest, wondered
at her high spirits and glanced anon from her radiant face to where
little Natka sat shrinking backward and shielding her eyes from the
ghastly scene.
But his turn had come now. Mati was already shouting:
"Who now challenges my right to choose first?"
Gouigi grasped his spear firmly and advanced with slow strides into the
open. The crowd greeted the newcomer with a growl of applause.
His great form, erect and firmly-knit, glistened bravely in the morning
sun. His head was thrown back in an attitude both dignified and defiant,
and his clear eyes, steadfast and piercing, sought his rival's face and
questioned it gravely. He looked every inch a chieftain, and the
people, quick to judge a warrior's powers and resources, glanced at one
another and whispered:
"Mati has found his match!"
Mati himself undoubtedly realized that his most desperate fight lay
before him, but he did not flinch. Shaking his spear in bravado and
casting a look at Cheluika, who smiled and nodded her head to encourage
him, he advanced with quick strides toward Gouigi the Hunter.
Swiftly the spears of the antagonists whirled above their heads, and
then, with a sudden rush, they met, and the crash of the spears,
splintered both into fragments, echoed sharply through the forest.
The natives looked at each other in amaze, for such a thing as this had
not happened before in their experience. Gouigi and Mati, each
astonished at the force of the other's blow, stood face to face glaring
defiance. Then Gouigi turned his head.
"A spear!" he shouted.
Instantly two young men leaped from the ranks of the spectators and thrust their spears into the hands of the combatants.
"Good!" cried the princess, leaning eagerly forward.
The fight began anew, and so fiercely did it wage that for a time
nothing could be distinguished but a mass of struggling brown limbs and
the flash of the greased spears as they whirled in the sunshine. Then
arose a wild cry, for Gouigi's spear had broken near the middle and the
Tiger was pressing him furiously. But Gouigi managed the half weapon
that remained to him with such consummate dexterity that a minute later
Mati's spear was wrenched from his grasp and sent flying through the
air. The Tiger reeled backward and fell upon his knees, and now, as in a
flash, the sharp point of Gouigi's spear was at his throat.
But ere he had time to strike a piercing scream cleft the air and
Cheluika rushed forward and threw herself between the warriors.
"Hold!" she commanded, "he shall fight again!" Then, as a murmur arose,
she added: "I am Cheluika, the daughter of your chieftain, and I say he
shall have another chance!"
Mati, still kneeling with bowed head, never moved from his place, while
Gouigi, with spear still poised, seemed as if carved from stone.
The aged chief tottered to his feet and looked around upon his people with a troubled air.
"It is wrong," he said; "it is very wrong, and you all know it! But
Cheluika is a woman, and she is my daughter. It shall be as she says.
Mati shall have one more chance."
The people were silent, sitting with knit brows and angry faces. But Gouigi drew back and cast down his broken spear.
"It is well," he said calmly. "Arise, Mati the Tiger, and choose your weapon."
Cheluika rushed back to where the chief sat, and drawing two great
knives, fashioned from walrus tusks, from his girdle, cast them upon the
ground before the duelists.
"There are the weapons!" she cried.
Mati sprang to his feet, seized one of the knives, and waved his hand at
the princess in token of thanks. Gouigi stooped to pick up the other
knife, but before he could resume the defensive Mati bounded upon him
with the ferocity of his namesake, the tiger, and only a quick movement
on Gouigi's part saved him from death. As it was the blow but slashed
his shoulder, and never heeding the dark blood that gushed forth he
sprang at his treacherous enemy with a fierceness that matched his own.
For a time the blows fell fast, the spectators gazing with breathless
interest at the unwonted sight. Forward and backward they pressed, and
then Mati's great left arm shot around Gouigi's neck and drew him close
to his breast, but just as his knife was raised to strike, the
combatants whirled half around and fell full length upon the ground. For
a few seconds they remained motionless, then slowly Gouigi released
himself from the otherç—´ grasp and rose to his feet. But Mati lay prone
upon his back, and protruding from his breast was the hilt of the
Hunterç—´ knife.
Amidst the cries of approval that greeted the conqueror was heard the
clapping of hands, and Gouigi, glancing toward Cheluika, was rewarded
with a bright smile and a nod of her stately head. But further along the
line his eyes wandered, and there was little Natka, sitting back in her
place and sobbing softly for joy.
The warrior's stern face relaxed, and for the first time that day he smiled grimly.
Then, although blood was dripping from many wounds upon his body, he
advanced to the chief, and folding his arms with savage grace, said, in a
clear voice:
"I claim the right to choose my mate from these maidens. Who dares dispute me?"
There was no reply, and the old chief again arose and slowly addressed him.
"You have fought a great fight, and you have won. There is none living
who dares dispute your right. Therefore, choose your mate from these
maidens, and may your house be ever the abode of peace and plenty!"
In these words was the ceremony concluded, and now all eyes were turned
upon the Princess Cheluika. The daughter of the chief arose to her feet.
The smile still lingered upon her features, but she held herself
proudly erect as her dark eyes read the rebuke upon the faces
confronting her.
"Mati was brave," she said, "but he is dead; and Gouigi was more brave,
and is alive! Therefore, if I favored the Tiger in the fight it was to
prove that Gouigi had the strongest arm and the greatest skill. Now you
know why I gave Mati another chance. I have spoken."
She gave one proud look around her, and then her eyes sought those of
Gouigi, and again she smiled. No shout of approval greeted her speech as
she resumed her seat. The people were silently watching Gouigi. He
stood before the chief in the same attitude as before, but now a frown
contracted his swarthy face, and his great eyes glittered strangely.
"Choose, oh Gouigi!" commanded the chief.
Gouigi started and raised his head. Slowly his eyes passed down the line
of maidens until they rested upon little Natka, and lifting his right
hand he walked deliberately to where she sat and, drawing the astonished
girl to his side, he exclaimed in a loud voice:
"I have won the right to choose, and from all these maidens I take Natka to be my mate!"
Even that isolated tribe of savages could appreciate a heroism greater
than mere prowess in battle, and the air resounded with wild cries of
approval as the men and women of Macheki gathered around Gouigi to offer
their congratulations.
But soon a hush fell upon the crowd, and with one accord they turned
toward the scene of the late conflict, for the proud Cheluika, unable to
support the infamy of the slight Gouigi had put upon her, had rushed to
the body of Mati and, drawing the knife from his breast, plunged it
deep into her own heart.
THE FORGETFUL POET
By Ruth Plumly Thompson
Originally published in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, February 23, 1919.
The Forgetful Poet's Riddles
The Forgetful Poet says that you knew more about history than he had
supposed, and that you had no trouble in filling in the blanks. The
necessary words were: One hundred and eighty-seven, Washington, Valley
Forge and George. An adjective that describes morning meadows and also a
naval hero is Dewey.
One's in a circus,
And one's in a road;
Both are used on the table
In every abode.
Said the merchant,
"'Tis the last of you!"
But 'twasn't, for it
Was a ------
He thus addressed,
It had a tongue--
Yet did not speak,
It was too young!
[Answers next time.]
Copyright © 2010 Eric Shanower and David Maxine. All rights reserved.
