The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-03
THE BEACH OF FALESA.
Tho Narrative Of a South Sea Trader.
BY ROBERT Louis Stevenson.
otpyrtohL 1893. BY Robert Louis SiessnsoM
CHAPTER II.

behind that hid the sunrise To tho west, n
swift, cold river ran down. aad beyond was tho
grorn OF tho village. dotted with cocoa palms
and breadfruits and houses. Tho shutters
were some OF them down and somo open: /
saw the mosquito bars still stretched. with
shadows OF people new-awakened sitting no
inside; and all over tho green others wero
stalking silent. wrapped In their many colorcd
sleeping clothes like Bedouins In Bible pic.
turos. 1t was mortal still and SOLEMN and
chilly, and the light Of the dawn on the lagoon
was like the shining OF fire.
But tho thing that troubled me was nearer
athand. Some dozen young mon and children
made o piece OF n halt circle Ranking my
house: tho river divided them. some were on
tho near side. some on tho far. and one on
boulder In the midst: and they all sat silent.
wrapped in their Sheets and stared at me and
my house Us straight as pointer dogs. I
thought II strange rs l went out. When had
bathsd and come back again. and found them
oil there. nnd two or throe moro along with
them. l thought 1t stranger still. What could
they 500 to gazc ut in my house ! wondered.
and wen. In.
Eut the thought OF those starers stuck In my
mind. and presently camo out again. Tho
sun was now w. but 1t was still behind the
capc Of woods. Say quarter OF an hour had
como and gono. The crowd was greatly in
cronsed. the far bank of tho river was lined for
quite way perhaps thirty grown folk. and Of
children twice Us many. some standing. some
squattel on the ground. nnd all staring at my
house. l have seen n house In a South Sea
village thus surrounded. but then u trader
was thfashiis MS "i'o iis.ue' anu SUI Gus
He OUT heto was no'"'nI 'he e.o''
VS. n''."' '"e s'noNo 3otnf' Wy AZ
Shr's'iih n'hhher' III WIS sl.psh"po "nu
btlstol i"shton ~ W su'e ',ieto m"'
STRANGER co'ne' o". '',eS "Au e"an'e W 90
that ssrAheor yesterday anu tooA III Vuie'
enough. What ai!ed then now ie'lneo my
arms on the rail and stared back. Down
wink they ma In them NOW anu then coulu
SO tho chi!dron onatter out they spoke 3D.
low not even tho hum OF thor speaking came
my lcnsth. The rost wore IKE craven images
thoy stared at me. duno anu sorroWtui. WIN
their bright eyos; and 1t came upon me thlngs
would look not much diierene IL wore on tue
platform OK tho galiows ana these gooo toiA
had come to SEQ mo hanged.
lfelt was getting daunted. and began TO be
afrnti looked it. which would never do I'd
stood. made believe to strotch myself. came
d'wn the veranda STAIR and stroiiei toward
tho river. There won't short buzz from one
to the othor. hke what you near IN thehtres
whon tho curtain goes up ano some OF the
1areSC gave BACK the matter Oh pace.
saw 'slrl lay one hanu on young man
aha meko gesture upward WIN '''e
other; at TIE same 'ime she sa'u SONS
thiaG IN tue hatlVe Tongue Win Easpi"S
V'ico. in'ee ht'ie poys "a. oosiuo iny
pain. Where must p"ss WITHIN tn.ee .oe'
o. them. Wrapped IN 'he,r sneols WIN ''ieir
e''a'eu hcaus anu ni's VI wy Nho'' auu "ueet
faces they iooSed IKE h;urcs on chlnhey-
I'ese. A"h1e theS sa' .ne', ''iouiia 40. oo,en
u iuuGos. cams VIZ MAUI o.oi nse uoius
my h'' kn'Is' ''A' 'a.u ''''.. .n'".' o"o.
nos an,' sHousi' e"w w, eo'' " wa CIV
Eu'p ia .ho .i''" '-.c ",. WI, -. Wy
VIC "',r .'o W." 49,. 80
~, Inv w. ~, -;
'oui sa'ao W s'"u,t w. w..
.'" i'S ~ w. VI 49, ~. a.is,
men 'nc,e Mo'" n.i s"ioo VI ,1. ,.-a MI :
LOT .''.'' il.e' "nu ". ,-AJ III,
h''Ne'' VIZ "ou'u 80, 80 49,. 49, -
~ ~ t,. 'ND "AN ''' N'' 49,
wv ~, o'' ~. :. l., ~, .,,,, NJ,
10, S", ~ W.. h,,, T., a. aor,, ~,
w. ,,inhtan a. go 10 aa,,t ra,,,a surn
Wv , - i.,t az IT, o,hon,
W.. $50 No., ,,,,,,.. T., ~, - r,,,h. l., w.
,ritst ~ i, ,rnwd ard have M guosa NJ vbot
t,,a,,.o dr;,,;,,r ~ whon thot l,,,h s+onnod
I.t,naI 80 MI hovs hod ,ot va. I'D thoir
H.. .ho, ,,,oro eth, IN tio NH strotoh ,oin,
tha m. NAV whom hal already roma ah[,ut
shIn and ,,..' si,onrinr ~, tha othnr H. =
tool h "A COM, ont Gn,ng NV Nv, knot.. III a
n Too, wont L,ck again II must have hoon
tho funniost thinr to sac. and wbnr knock ed
mo siIIv tbls time no one lonobed. onlv ono
old woman On Va a kind NJ nious NOM the wa "
Won have hoard Dssenters In their chane,s AT
thn sermon
"Inevor sow sucb FOOLS n, Konakne as vour
n,onIe hare p" T said once To lima oInncin ont
~ tho ,yirdou. ot tho storers
"Savvv nothing . saws lima with a. kind q,
disoustod oir that al, was good at
And thot was all tho taIk ,vo had unon tho
matter for I was nut out and Una tool, the
thing an much az n matter Of course that
WINS fairly ashamed
An div off and nm. now favor and nou mora
tho fools sat nbout the west end OF INV house
ana across tho river. waiting for the show,
whatever that was-lro to come down from
heaven 7 sunpose. and consume me homes
and barcape. But by evening. like real isl.
andcrs tbcv Ind vearied Of tho business. and
got aynvand had n dance instead in tho bio