. . do something that you can look
back on with pride? Why, see . . . six years ago there came to our
island three war-canoes full of savages . . . cannibals they were. If
father and I hadn't been there, they'd have wiped our people out. And
do you think I'd give up the memory of that struggle?
FREDDY. What happened?
OCEANA. Fortunately they came in the daytime, so we soon drove them
back to their boats. See . . . I'll show you. [She goes to trunk.]
Here's one of them.
[She lifts up a human skull.]
FREDDY. Good Lord!
OCEANA. Notice that crack. That was done with a spear . . . by my
prince, the one who made me this robe, you know. He cleaned the skull
out for me.
FREDDY. Rather a ghastly sort of souvenir.
OCEANA. Oh, I don't mind that. Father and I found it useful . . . a
sort of memento mori.
FREDDY. [Looking into trunk.] And what are those things?
OCEANA. They are some of my arrows. And these are what we used for
bowls . . . turtle-shells, you see.
FREDDY. [Pointing.] But those?
OCEANA. Oh, my single-sticks. [Lifts them.] That's the game Henry and
I were talking about. You ought to get him to teach it to you.
FREDDY. What's it like?
OCEANA. I'll show you. [She takes from the trunk two leather helmets
and gloves.] Here you are! It's an old English game . . . didn't you
ever read "Robin Hood"?
FREDDY. Oh, it's that? Why, they used to crack each other's heads!
OCEANA. The object was to draw first blood.
Pages:
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65