Mota

“ The story of both voyages bears out the comment of Mota's Colonel, that the Mer and Merat, though far from being impressionable, are singularly open to example. These brave and friendly folk may be lacking in initiative, but give them a lead, show them what may be done, and they will never fail in emulation. ”

“ In Mota there is no such use of nunuai, but there is a notion that a man may have something, not exactly his atai or tamaniu, with which he is originally connected. A man will scatter money into a deep pool among the rocks on the shore into which the tide is pouring, a sacred place; he will call on his near forefathers, dive in, and seat himself upon the bottom. If he sees anything there, a crab or cuttle-fish perhaps, he fancies that is his real origin and beginning; he gets mana, supernatural power, from it, and pigs will multiply to him. At Maewo, Aurora, nunu is never the soul ”

“ Eclipses of the sun are not recognised as occurring at Mota. When a remarkable comet, called in the Banks' Islands a 'smoking star,' appeared in the year 1882, the Lepers' islanders blew conchs to drive it. away, or at least to divert the mischief. A falling star is the same sort of portent; some great man will die, there will be an attack of enemies. ”

“ On several occasions, in seasons of little game, had she told the man in which direction, to go for the best results. Once, at her instance, they had migrated to a distant spring she had known in her youth, where the three were safe from the murderous designs of the warlike tribe coming to their country from the north.
Finally the man bethought himself of the last behest of the dead woman. “I go to the village, Mota,” he said hoarsely, and without another word left the hut and set off down the hill.
The woman moved not, but remained as before, near the bed of her grandmother. ”

“ On our arrival at the next pilot station the captain put the pilot ashore, with a parting malediction in the Swedish vernacular.
The next place of importance on our route was the pretty little town of Motala, at which we stopped for some hours to take in freight and passengers. The neighborhood is undulating and picturesque, and abounds in rich farms. Motala is an old-fashioned place, with paved streets and wooden houses, much like the suburbs of Stockholm. It is celebrated chiefly for its manufactures of iron. ”

“ Curious, too, that her dread and loathing of the man Gregson should have urged her the same way. But so they did, reason fusing with desire like spray with wind, and all conspiring to loose her from the firm hold of habit and training.
"We can go now—this minute," Motauri was whispering. "There are boats to be had below on the beach. We can reach Huapu before morning. None shall see us go."
"You forget the path—the people—" She could hardly frame the words with her lips. ”

“ Linnaeus knew of only one species of motmot, and referred it to his genus Ramphastos (properly Rhamphastus) under the name of R. momota. This is the Momotus brasiliensis of modern ornithologists, and from its geographical range cannot be the original Motmot of Hernandez, but is most likely the Guira guainumbi of Marcgrave.
The motmots form the sub-family Momotinae, which with the Todinae (see Tody) form the family Momotidae of Coraciiform birds, the nearest allies being rollers (q.v.) and kingfishers (q.v.) . ”

“ Momotaro now got a small ship, and they all got on board. The wind and weather were fair, and the ship went like an arrow over the sea. It was the first time they had ever been on the water, and so at first the dog, the monkey and the pheasant were frightened at the waves and the rolling of the vessel, but by degrees they grew accustomed to the water and were quite happy again. Every day they paced the deck of their little ship, eagerly looking out for the demons’ island. ”

“ The sight and the sound struck terror into the king, and, turning his horse, he fled at top speed, thinking that a regiment of yelling giants was upon him; and all his force followed him as fast as they might go. One fat officer alone could not keep up on foot with that mad rush, and as Moti came galloping up he flung himself on the ground in abject fear. This was too much for Moti's excited pony, who shied so suddenly that Moti went flying over his head like a sky rocket, and alighted right on the top of his fat foe. ”

“ Next, in the line of breakers he made out a small canoe, an outrigger canoe. In the stern he saw a young bronzed god in scarlet hip-cloth dipping a flashing paddle. He recognized him. He was Moti, the youngest son of Tati, the chief, and this was Tahiti, and beyond that smoking reef lay the sweet land of Papara and the chief's grass house by the river's mouth. It was the end of the day, and Moti was coming home from the fishing. He was waiting for the rush of a big breaker whereon to jump the reef. ”

“ I'll break every bone in your body!" Others ride behind, and you will do well to retire before this whirlwind of destruction comes upon you.'
Just then out of a cloud of dust in the distance the king saw Moti approaching at a hard gallop, looking indeed like a giant compared with the little beast he rode, whirling his castor-oil plant, which in the distance might have been an oak tree, and the sound of his revilings and shoutings came down upon the breeze! ”

“ Dan was completely astounded to find Captain Long beside him.
The Spanish captain bowed, and without a word he handed his sword to Captain Long.
"Faith!" exclaimed Dan, "I'm not understandin' it at all. Young Glory, why are you here when there's fightin' to be done?"
"You don't understand, Dan. I do. Look!"
Young Glory pointed to the masthead of the ship. There, Dan Daly, to his astonishment saw the Stars and Stripes flying.
"It means!" cried Young Glory, "that the fight is over. The Spanish cruiser has struck her colors. Our men have surrendered. The Cristobal Colon is ours!" ”

“ That web is the Motombo’s cave. The big spider is the Motombo. The white moth is us, Baas, who are caught in the web and going to be eaten.”
“Very pretty, Hans,” I said, “but what is the fish that came up and swallowed the spider so that the moth fell on the wood and floated away?”
“Baas, you are the fish, who come up softly, softly out of the water in the dark, and shoot the Motombo with the little rifle, and then the rest of us, who are the moth, fall into the canoe and float away. There is a storm about to break, Baas, and who will see you swim the stream in the storm and the night?” ”

“ Hoping to escape from the back of his fiery steed Moti grasped one in passing, but its roots gave way, and he dashed on, with the whole plant looking like a young tree flourishing in his grip.
The enemy were in battle array, advancing over the plain, their king with them confident and cheerful, when suddenly from the front came a desperate rider at a furious gallop.
'Sire!' he cried, 'save yourself! the enemy are coming!'
'What do you mean?' said the king.
'Oh, sire!' panted the messenger, 'fly at once, there is no time to lose. Foremost of the enemy rides a mad giant at a furious gallop. ”

“ A very comical sight was Moti when he rode out to the war. The only weapon he carried was his staff, and to help him to keep his balance on horseback he had tied to each of his ankles a big stone that nearly touched the ground as he sat astride the little pony. The rest of the king's cavalry were not very numerous, but they pranced along in armour on fine horses. Behind them came a great rabble of men on foot armed with all sorts of weapons, and last of all was the king with his attendants, very nervous and ill at ease. ”

“ Their progress was slow, but so would that be of the men who were after them. The only advantage the latter possessed was that they knew the country.
"Water!" cried Young Glory.
"It's a river, shure," said Dan.
"No, there's no river in these parts. I'm certain of that. It must be a creek—part of the sea, in fact."
"Faith, it's small use talkin' about it. It's there, an', begorra, our goose is cooked; we can niver get any further."
"It's a bad lookout."
"An' why shouldn't we swim, Young Glory?"
"And be shot down. How long would it take us to get to the other side? ”

“ The instant I give the word the sentries will be seized, and the rest will follow."
"And once more the ship will be ours."
"Yes, yes."
"For that I would do much. The plot will succeed, Manuel. I can see victory in the air."
"And I can't," muttered Young Glory, turning half round towards the two men. "On the contrary, gentlemen, I see nothing but failure. Go on talking till I've seen Mr. Tyler. Then I think the laugh will be all on our side. Ha, ha!"
"Silence!"
Young Glory stared aghast. A man, a Spanish naval officer was bending over him, holding a stilletto close against his breast. ”

“ Finnerty called as the noose man slipped in and flicked Moti on the knee with no result but the curling up of her trunk, as if out of harm's way. Again he danced in, and as the long trunk shot out like a snake darting from a coil he sprang beneath the big head, giving a laugh of derision; but Moti struck sidewise with a forefoot, and with a sickening crunch the man dropped ten feet away.
Uttering a squeal of rage, the elephant whipped about and charged back, the rawhide noose breaking like a piece of twine. ”

“ Young Glory had been almost ready to fire as Captain Long spoke to him. Now he did so.
"A hit!" cried the man. "A hit!"
"A knock-out blow!" shouted Dan, excitedly. "It's yourself won't come up to time."
The wind blew the thick smoke away for a few minutes, and when it was clear all eyes were fixed on the Spanish cruiser. It was seen at once that Young Glory's last shot had been successful.
The barbette was smashed.
The eight-inch gun of the Nashville had sent a shot right against it. Confusion reigned on the cruiser. Men were running hither and thither. ”

“ The king, however, did not share his pleasure at all, but called up a soldier to shoot the tiger, much to the relief of all the inmates of the serai except Moti. If the king, however, was before convinced that Moti was one of the wisest of men, he was now still more convinced that he was the bravest, and he increased his pay a hundredfold, so that our hero thought that he was the luckiest of men. ”

“ Jose Castro was very ready with his advice.
"Cut your boats adrift!" he cried.
"No," returned Young Glory. "No man must move or lift a finger, or I fire the powder."
Young Glory clearly commanded the situation, but how long would it last? One of the men who had swam ashore might have a rifle, and if so, no doubt he would fire at Young Glory.
But the sergeant was not satisfied even with this. For he saw that if Young Glory fell dead in the ammunition boat the torch would fall too, and then what would happen? It was too dreadful to think about. ”

“ The Spanish cruiser began the attack by firing one of her great guns from the barbette in the bows.
The shot went very wide of the mark, and the Yankee sailors shouted with derision.
They were all at the guns waiting the order to commence. But Captain Long was in no hurry.
Boom!
Another gun from the Spaniard.
"You see, sir, they can't hit us," said Young Glory.
"There's a heavy swell on, and it's almost impossible to train those big guns on us."
"We'll see if we can't do better. Her armor is only three inches thick, steel it's true, but what of that. ”

“ Now a serai, you must know, is generally just a large square enclosed by a high wall with an open colonnade along the inside all round to accommodate both men and beasts, and with perhaps a few rooms in towers at the corners for those who are too rich or too proud to care about sleeping by their own camels and horses. Moti, of course, was a country lad and had lived with cattle all his life, and he wasn’t rich and he wasn’t proud, so he just borrowed a bed from the innkeeper, set it down beside an old buffalo who reminded him of home, and in five minutes was fast asleep. ”

“ Such of the Spaniards as had not thrown down their arms had retreated in a body towards Lieutenant Tyler's force, with Young Glory and his band of fifty blue jackets in hot pursuit.
"It's your beautiful uniform I'm afther spoilin'," said Dan, as he gave a thrust. "Arrah! but that was a great stroke, though it's meself as says it."
The stroke in question was a severe cut on Captain Moret's sword arm, which caused him instantly to pass his weapon into his left hand.
"Ould gentleman," said Dan, "it's a poor chance ye have. Surrender!"
"Never! While my men fight I will!" ”

“ A ship-load of wretches like that should not be at large. They're no better than wild beasts."
"I can't venture in shore."
"But I can, Captain Miles. My boat's very light draft. Supposing I have a look in at San Juan? I may find out something."
"A good idea, but be careful. The Cristobal Colon's a fast boat, and if she caught you, well, you know where you'd be, at the bottom of the sea in a very few minutes."
"I shall be cautious. My scheme will be to try and lure the Spaniards out of port."
"Ha! Ha! Try, by all means, but the fish won't always bite." ”

“ The natives saw that Moti had come to help Bahadar and not to belabour him. With sticks and jungle axes some of them started to tear down to a slope the end wall of the pit, while the others gathered sticks and branches and threw them beneath the trapped elephant as a gradually rising stage.
Finnerty dismounted, and, calling a man, said: "While Moti is busy noose both her hind legs, leaving the ropes in the hands of men so that she will not find the strain, and when Bahadar is out fasten them quickly around trees." ”