Adventure

loneliness, and several heavy squalls during the afternoon brought him frequently on to the veranda, telescope in hand, to scan the sea anxiously for the whale-boat. Betw

t her earnings were no longer to be reckoned on, and it was her e

ce. "I'm glad you didn't live to see it,

f the Jessie), ancient, grizzled, wild-eyed, emaciated by fever, dragged his weary frame up the veranda steps a

said. "Why don't you run down to S

ipper shoo

nds too long. I'd die. The fev

re," Sheldo

re and into hospital. I was unconscious one stretch for two weeks. After that the doctors sent me back to the islands-said it wa

o?" Sheldon queried. "You ca

but I couldn't stand it. I'll last longer here, and here I'll stay unti

of it. As the spritsail was taken in and the boat headed on to the beach, he was aware of a distinct hurt at sight of Joan at the steering-oar, standing erect and swaying her strength to it as she resis

alms were bending and writhing in the grip of the wind, while the thick cl

d he felt strangely cheered at the sight of her running up the steps laughing, fac

ungalow-I've selected it already-is wonderful. You must come over some day and advise me. You won't mind my staying here until I ca

himself walking about the big living-room and impa

o squabble with you again," he

a sordid word. It sounds cheap and nast

inning of hostilities. "I beg your pardon," he hurried on. "I should have spoken for myself. What I mean is that I refuse to quarrel. You h

emarks," she co

ave of catching me

ng sweetly lured on by promises of peace on earth and all

that, I

horrible way about me, which is the same thing.

the next moment the man was more uncomforta

there-don't say it. You know you promised not to quarrel, while I have the privilege of going on being as hateful as I please. And to begin with, there's the Flibberty-Gibbet. I didn't know she was so large a cutter; but she's in d

to drop his mate off to take hold of things at Ugi-that's where I lost

the netted veins that come to youth when youth is gone. The fingers were brown with tan and looked exceedingly boyish. Then, and without effort, the concept came to him. Yes, that was it. He had stumbled upon the clue to her tantalizing personality. Her fingers, sunburned and boyish, told the story. No wonder she had exasperated him so frequently. He had tried to treat with her as a woman,

had not been exposed to ripening influences of that sort. She had had no mother. Von, her father, native servants, and rough island life had constituted her training. Horses and rifles had been her toys, camp and trail her nursery. From what she had told him, her seminary days had been an ex

she would be when her nature awoke; and he wondered if he could love her just as she was and himself wake her up. After all, whatever it was, she had come to fill quite a large place

are that she

said. "What's tha

ou've told the skipper and not hurt his feelings, I am going to take my men out and give her an overhauling. We'll scrub her bottom, too. Why, there's whiske

e compound near the beach gate, and Sheldon finally rescued a mauled

demanded. "What name you come alon

long along Port Adams stop along my

from under his belt and passed it

s boat's-crew. He says the Port Adams crowd is out-fifty of them, in big canoes-and camping on his beach. They've killed half a do

case?" s

her's successor. It's Pape's station, you know. I wish I

e along

and shoo

d. "They're good shots, and they're not afraid of

regular boat's-crew manned her, and Matauare and three other Tahitians, belted with cartri

h you," Joan said wistfull

shook

d as a man,

re needed her

e, and with both of us absent rush the plantation. Good-bye. We

there came to her, as she was in the midst of them, a feeling of her own helplessness. There were so many of them. What was to prevent them from dragging her down if they so willed? Then she remembered that one cry

sked sharply. "Wha

oa," h

wo sick boys she had nursed at the

ella medicine too mu

all right now

cco; me want 'm calico; me want 'm por

ear-plugs, and about his kinky hair a chaplet of white cowrie-shells, he was naked. His body was fresh-oiled and shiny, and his eyes glistened in the starlight like so

What for you want p

cine," quoth Aro

dly. A leaping fish splashed far out on the water. A tiny wavelet murmured sleepily on the beach. The shadow of a flying-f

e said, starting to turn on

me," said

me one big fool. I no

felt that he was regarding her

ine. You pay me.

rs so soundly as to drive him back among his fellows.

y me,"

monkeys; but while he was patently uncomfortable under her scrutiny,

or?" sh

said. "Bawo bro

red, was the sick

" she c

brother. You pay me. Father belong me one b

lau

as Aroa, one big fool. My wo

gh the gate and closing it. But Gogoomy p

hief. You no bang 'm head belong

nded, while anger tin

'm head belong me,"

g on the wall of her grass house. Yet one cry would bring her sailors, and she knew she was safe. So she did not cry for help. Instead, she whistled for Satan, at the same time calling him by name. She knew he was shut up in the living room, but the blacks did not wait to see. They fled wit

ed, while she debated whether or not sh