14.4 是天意叫我救這个番仔

14.4 Sī thiⁿ-ì kiò góa kiù chit-ê hoan-á

Chū-chiông góa ū chiah-ê siūⁿ-hoat, pêng-sî put-sî teh siūⁿ, m̄-koh bô ki-hōe si̍t-si, kòe chi̍t-nî pòaⁿ iáu-sī bô jīm-hô kiat-kó. Chi̍t-kang chá-khí, góa hut-jiân khòaⁿ tio̍h put-chí gō͘-chiah to̍k-bo̍k-chiu tī tó ê góa chit-thâu tâng-chê khò-hōaⁿ, chûn-téng ê lâng lóng í-keng chiūⁿ-hōaⁿ, bô khòaⁿ-e iáⁿ. He sò͘-liōng phah-phòa góa ê kè-ōe. Khòaⁿ tio̍h chiah-chē, koh chai in chi̍t-chûn chóng-sī chē sì-ê a̍h la̍k-ê, ū-sî khah-ke, taⁿ góa m̄-káⁿ siūⁿ boeh án-chóaⁿ ko͘ chi̍t-lâng tùi-hù jī/saⁿ cha̍p lâng. Chí-hó bih tī siâⁿ-pó, sim-chêng bē-tiāⁿ, chin kan-khó͘. M̄-koh, góa iáu-sī kin-kì kòe-khì ê kè-ōe, chún-pī chiàn-tàu, nā ū ki-hōe tō chhut-chhiú. Kú-kú tán chi̍t-khùn, chēng-chēng thiaⁿ in ê tōng-chēng, lo̍h-bóe, góa si̍t-chāi lún bē-tiâu, tō kā chhèng khǹg tī thui ē-kha, koh chiàu pêng-sî án-ne, kō͘ nn̄g kai-tōaⁿ peh kàu soaⁿ-téng. Khiā hia, góa chīn-liōng bô po̍k-lō͘ ka-tī, bián-tit hō͘ in hoat-hiān. Tī chia, kō͘ tiàu-kiàⁿ góa hoat-hiān in siōng-chió ū 30-lâng, í-keng khí hóe, tng-teh chú bah. M̄-koh góa m̄-chai in án-chóaⁿ chú, chú siáⁿ-mih bah. In ûi tī hóe-tui tng-teh thiàu-bú, kō͘ góa khòaⁿ m̄-bat ê iá-bân chu-sè hām bú-pō͘.

Góa ná khòaⁿ in ê sî, ùi góa ê kak-tō͘ ná koh khòaⁿ tio̍h nn̄g-ê khó-liân ê hoan-á hông ùi chûn-téng thoa lo̍h-lâi. Chit nn̄g-lâng khòaⁿ sī, in seng kā khǹg tī chûn té, taⁿ boeh thoa chhut-lâi thâi. Góa khòaⁿ tio̍h kî-tiong chi̍t-ê sûi tó lo̍h, khòaⁿ sī hông kō͘ kùn-á a̍h bo̍k-kiàm kòng tó, che sī in koàn iōng ê hong-sek. Nn̄g/saⁿ-ê lâng sûi tāng-chhiú, kā phòa-khui, boeh chú-chia̍h, lēng-gōa hit-ê ka-tī khiā tī piⁿ-á, tán-hāu in chún-pī hó-sè. Chit sî-chūn, hit-ê khó-liân hoan-á khòaⁿ bô lâng koán i, kha-chhiú bô pa̍k, sûi seⁿ-chhut kiû-seng ê hi-bāng, tō khí-kha cháu, kō͘ kiaⁿ-lâng ê sok-tō͘ iân soa-po͘ ti̍t-ti̍t hiòng góa chia lâi, iā tō-sī hiòng siâⁿ-pó chit-ūi ê hái-hōaⁿ cháu lâi.

Góa tio̍h sêng-jīn, khòaⁿ tio̍h i cháu góa chia lâi, góa chin-chiàⁿ tio̍h-kiaⁿ, in-ūi góa siūⁿ-kóng kui-tūi ê lâng lóng teh jiok i. Chit-sî, góa khòaⁿ tio̍h, bîn-bāng ê chi̍t pō͘-hūn chhut-hiān ah, koh-lâi i ē cháu lâi bih tī góa ê chhiū-nâ. M̄-koh, góa bē-tàng siuⁿ óa-khò bîn-bāng -- its kî-thaⁿ chheⁿ-hoan bē jiok i kàu hia, hoat-hiān i bih tī hia. Góa iû-goân tiām-tiām khiā leh, tán góa hoat-hiān jiok ê lâng bô-kàu saⁿ-ê, góa ê táⁿ chū án-ne khah chāi, iû-kî khòaⁿ tio̍h i cháu pí in khah kín, kī-lī í-keng khiú khui, góa ê táⁿ koh-khah tōa. I nā ē-tàng pó-chhî pòaⁿ tiám-cheng, góa khòaⁿ ē-chhut, i tō oân-choân kā in hàiⁿ-tiāu ah lah.

Chi̍t-tiâu sió-khe hoâiⁿ tī in kap góa tiong-kan, che tī kò͘-sū ê thâu pō͘-hūn chia̍p-chia̍p kóng-khí, its góa ùi phòa-chûn poaⁿ mi̍h-kiāⁿ lo̍h-lâi, chìn-ji̍p hit-tiâu khe-hōaⁿ lo̍h-hòe. Chit-tiâu khe, góa khòaⁿ i tiāⁿ-tio̍h ài siû kòe, nā-bô hit-ê hoan-á tō ē tī hia hông lia̍h tio̍h. Chit-sî sī tīⁿ-lâu, tô-cháu kàu hia ê sî, hoan-á chek-khek thiàu lo̍h-chúi, pê chha-put-to 30-ē tō siû kòe khe. Chi̍t-ē chiūⁿ-hōaⁿ, i koh khí-kha kín cháu. Āu-piah hit saⁿ-lâng lâi-kàu khe-piⁿ, kî-tiong nn̄g-ê ē-hiáu siû-chúi, lēng-gōa hit-ê bē-hiáu, tō khiā tī hia, khòaⁿ kî-thaⁿ nn̄g-ê siû kòe-khe, khòaⁿ chi̍t-khùn i tō ka-tī bān-bān kiâⁿ tò-tńg. Che tùi i lâi kóng, chiong-kî-bóe sī hó-sū.

Góa ê koan-chhat, siû-chúi kòe-khe hit nn̄g-lâng, siōng-bô sī tô-cháu hit-lâng ê nn̄g-pōe ióng. Hut-jiân, góa sim-koaⁿ hoat-sio, kiông-lia̍t jīn-ûi, góa ài tit-tio̍h chi̍t-ê po̍k-jîn, chiū-sī tông-phōaⁿ a̍h chō͘-chhiú. Che sī Thiⁿ-ì kiò góa kiù chit-ê khó-liân hoan-á ê miā. Góa kín-kín lo̍h thui the̍h khǹg tī thui-kha ê chhèng, che thâu-chêng kóng-kòe, tō koh kín peh-chhiūⁿ soaⁿ-téng, sûi chhóaⁿ hiòng hái khì. Chhóaⁿ chit-tiâu lō͘ lo̍h-soaⁿ, góa lâi-kàu jiok-lâng hām hông-jiok ê tiong-kan, tōa-siaⁿ hoah hit-ê hông-jiok ê lâng, i oa̍t-thâu khòaⁿ, khí-seng i kiaⁿ chi̍t-tiô, ká-ná i kiaⁿ hit nn̄g-ê kāng-khoán. M̄-koh, góa kā ia̍t-chhiú, kiò i tńg-lâi. Kāng hit-sî, góa bīn-tùi hit nn̄g-ê teh jiok ê lâng, chông hiòng thâu-chêng hit-ê, kō͘ chhèng-pèⁿ thâu kā kòng tó. Góa bô-ài khui-chhèng, in-ūi bô-ài pa̍t-lâng thiaⁿ-tio̍h. Kî-si̍t, kī-lī hiah hn̄g, chhèng-siaⁿ mā thiaⁿ bē-tio̍h, mā bē khòaⁿ tio̍h chhèng ian, só͘-í tek-khak mā m̄-chai tàu-té sī siáⁿ-tāi.

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14.4 是天意叫我救這个番仔

自從我有 chiah-ê 想法, 平時不時 teh 想, m̄-koh 無機會實施, 過一年半猶是無任何結果. 一工早起, 我忽然看著不止五隻獨木舟 tī 島 ê 我這頭同齊靠岸, 船頂 ê 人 lóng 已經上岸, 無看 e 影. He 數量拍破我 ê 計畫. 看著 chiah 濟, koh 知 in 一船總是坐四个 a̍h 六个, 有時較加, 今我毋敢想欲按怎孤一人對付二三十人. 只好覕 tī 城堡, 心情袂定, 真艱苦. M̄-koh, 我猶是根據過去 ê 計畫, 準備戰鬥, 若有機會 tō 出手. 久久等一睏, 靜靜聽 in ê 動靜, 落尾, 我實在忍袂牢, tō kā 銃囥 tī 梯下跤, koh 照平時 án-ne, kō͘ 兩階段 peh 到山頂. 徛 hia, 我盡量無暴露家己, 免得予 in 發現. Tī chia, kō͘ 召鏡我發現 in 上少有 30 人, 已經起火, tng-teh 煮肉. M̄-koh 我毋知 in 按怎煮, 煮啥物肉. In 圍 tī 火堆 tng-teh 跳舞, kō͘ 我看 m̄-bat ê 野蠻姿勢 hām 舞步.

我 ná 看 in ê 時, ùi 我 ê 角度 ná koh 看著兩个可憐 ê 番仔 hông ùi 船頂拖落來. 這兩人看是, in 先 kā 囥 tī 船底, 今欲拖出來刣. 我看著其中一个隨倒落, 看是 hông kō͘ 棍仔 a̍h 木劍摃倒, 這是 in 慣用 ê 方式. 兩三个人隨動手, kā 破開, 欲煮食, 另外彼个家己徛 tī 邊仔, 等候 in 準備好勢. 這時陣, 彼个可憐番仔看無人管伊, 跤手無縛, 隨生出求生 ê 希望, tō 起跤走, kō͘ 驚人 ê 速度沿沙埔直直向我 chia 來, 也 tō 是向城堡這位 ê 海岸走來.

我著承認, 看著伊走我 chia 來, 我真正著驚, 因為我想講規隊 ê 人 lóng teh jiok 伊. 這時, 我看著, 眠夢 ê 一部份出現 ah, 閣來伊會走來覕 tī 我 ê 樹林. M̄-koh, 我袂當 siuⁿ 倚靠眠夢 -- its 其他生番袂 jiok 伊到 hia, 發現伊覕 tī hia. 我猶原恬恬徛 leh, 等我發現 jiok ê 人無夠三个, 我 ê 膽自 án-ne 較在, 尤其看著伊走比 in 較緊, 距離已經搝開, 我 ê 膽閣較大. 伊若會當保持半點鐘, 我看會出, 伊 tō 完全 kā in 幌掉 ah lah.

一條小溪橫 tī in kap 我中間, 這 tī 故事 ê 頭部份 chia̍p-chia̍p 講起, its 我 ùi 破船搬物件落來, 進入彼條溪岸落貨. 這條溪, 我看伊定著愛泅過, 若無彼个番仔 tō 會 tī hia hông 掠著. 這時是滇流, 逃走到 hia ê 時, 番仔即刻跳落水, 扒差不多 30 下 tō 泅過溪. 一下上岸, 伊 koh 起跤緊走. 後壁彼三人來到溪邊, 其中兩个會曉泅水, 另外彼个袂曉, tō 徛 tī hia, 看其他兩个泅過溪, 看一睏伊 tō 家己慢慢行倒轉. Che 對伊來講, 終其尾是好事.

我 ê 觀察, 泅水過溪彼兩人, 上無是逃走彼人 ê 兩倍勇. 忽然, 我心肝發燒, 強烈認為, 我愛得著一个僕人, 就是同伴 a̍h 助手. 這是天意叫我救這个可憐番仔 ê 命. 我緊緊落梯提囥 tī 梯跤 ê 銃, che 頭前講過, tō koh 緊 peh 上山頂, 隨 chhóaⁿ 向海去. Chhóaⁿ 這條路落山, 我來到 jiok 人 hām hông-jiok ê 中間, 大聲喝彼个 hông-jiok ê 人, 伊越頭看, 起先伊驚一趒, ká-ná 伊驚彼兩个仝款. M̄-koh, 我 kā 擛手, 叫伊轉來. 仝彼時, 我面對彼兩个 teh jiok ê 人, 傱向頭前彼个, kō͘ 銃柄頭 kā 摃倒. 我無愛開銃, 因為無愛別人聽著. 其實, 距離 hiah 遠, 銃聲 mā 聽袂著, mā 袂看著銃煙, 所以的確 mā 毋知到底是啥代.

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14.4

About a year and a half after I entertained these notions (and by long musing had, as it were, resolved them all into nothing, for want of an occasion to put them into execution), I was surprised one morning by seeing no less than five canoes all on shore together on my side the island, and the people who belonged to them all landed and out of my sight. The number of them broke all my measures; for seeing so many, and knowing that they always came four or six, or sometimes more in a boat, I could not tell what to think of it, or how to take my measures to attack twenty or thirty men single-handed; so lay still in my castle, perplexed and discomforted. However, I put myself into the same position for an attack that I had formerly provided, and was just ready for action, if anything had presented. Having waited a good while, listening to hear if they made any noise, at length, being very impatient, I set my guns at the foot of my ladder, and clambered up to the top of the hill, by my two stages, as usual; standing so, however, that my head did not appear above the hill, so that they could not perceive me by any means. Here I observed, by the help of my perspective glass, that they were no less than thirty in number; that they had a fire kindled, and that they had meat dressed. How they had cooked it I knew not, or what it was; but they were all dancing, in I know not how many barbarous gestures and figures, their own way, round the fire.

While I was thus looking on them, I perceived, by my perspective, two miserable wretches dragged from the boats, where, it seems, they were laid by, and were now brought out for the slaughter. I perceived one of them immediately fall; being knocked down, I suppose, with a club or wooden sword, for that was their way; and two or three others were at work immediately, cutting him open for their cookery, while the other victim was left standing by himself, till they should be ready for him. In that very moment this poor wretch, seeing himself a little at liberty and unbound, Nature inspired him with hopes of life, and he started away from them, and ran with incredible swiftness along the sands, directly towards me; I mean towards that part of the coast where my habitation was. /

I was dreadfully frightened, I must acknowledge, when I perceived him run my way; and especially when, as I thought, I saw him pursued by the whole body: and now I expected that part of my dream was coming to pass, and that he would certainly take shelter in my grove; but I could not depend, by any means, upon my dream, that the other savages would not pursue him thither and find him there. However, I kept my station, and my spirits began to recover when I found that there was not above three men that followed him; and still more was I encouraged, when I found that he outstripped them exceedingly in running, and gained ground on them; so that, if he could but hold out for half-an-hour, I saw easily he would fairly get away from them all.

There was between them and my castle the creek, which I mentioned often in the first part of my story, where I landed my cargoes out of the ship; and this I saw plainly he must necessarily swim over, or the poor wretch would be taken there; but when the savage escaping came thither, he made nothing of it, though the tide was then up; but plunging in, swam through in about thirty strokes, or thereabouts, landed, and ran with exceeding strength and swiftness. When the three persons came to the creek, I found that two of them could swim, but the third could not, and that, standing on the other side, he looked at the others, but went no farther, and soon after went softly back again; which, as it happened, was very well for him in the end. /

I observed that the two who swam were yet more than twice as strong swimming over the creek as the fellow was that fled from them. It came very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly, that now was the time to get me a servant, and, perhaps, a companion or assistant; and that I was plainly called by Providence to save this poor creature’s life. I immediately ran down the ladders with all possible expedition, fetched my two guns, for they were both at the foot of the ladders, as I observed before, and getting up again with the same haste to the top of the hill, I crossed towards the sea; and having a very short cut, and all down hill, placed myself in the way between the pursuers and the pursued, hallowing aloud to him that fled, who, looking back, was at first perhaps as much frightened at me as at them; but I beckoned with my hand to him to come back; and, in the meantime, I slowly advanced towards the two that followed; then rushing at once upon the foremost, I knocked him down with the stock of my piece. I was loath to fire, because I would not have the rest hear; though, at that distance, it would not have been easily heard, and being out of sight of the smoke, too, they would not have known what to make of it. /

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