Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1905-12-09
CHATTER /

pends on many things.
do what you like with It," replied
the Englshman, slowly and huskily.
"Send It TO the police In London. II you
like. l don't care what becomes Of II,
or of myself either. For l am tired OF
It; give In. No one knows what II Is
like until you actually come to fight
with IT,"
He did not explain what at" was; but
the other seemed to understand what he
meant, and nodded his head gravely,
though coldly.
The two men were a most curious
couple TO look upon, set among most re-
markable surroundings. The scene was,
II possible, more interesting than the
couple in the foreground. For In front
there stretched the seashore, the little
waves tapping softly and creeping slow
ly over the level white coral sand; be
yond the smooth water lay the coral reef
with It's breakers; at the back Of the
sandy shores was gentle rise of land,
covered with groves of cocoon palms and
bananas; among them were clearings
planted with fields Of sweet potatoes and
two or three huts we're visible beneath
the trees. Again, beyond the level belt
rose great green mountain, FIVE or six
thousand feet high. The time was about
an hour before sunset; the air was warm
and soft; the sloping sunshine lay on
grove and clearing. seashore and noun
tain side, forest and green field, making
everything glow with a splendid richness
and prodigality Of color.
As one saw the place this evening one
might see 1t every evening" for In New
Ireland there is neither summer nor win
ter, but always all the year round the
promise of spring, the heat Of summer
and the fruition of autumn; with no
winter at all, except the winter Of death.
when the branches cease to put forth
leaves and stretch out white arms, spec
trail and threatening among their living
companions In the forest.
One Of the men-the 6erman-was of
colossal proportions. certainly six feet
In height. He was still quite young
well under thirty. His hair was light
brown. short and curly; an immense
brown beard covered his face and fell
over his chest. His eyes were blue and
prominent, and he wore spectacles. His
dress was modelled on the dress of the in
habitants of these Islands. His only robe
was great piece Of Feeje tapu cloth.
white, decorated with black lozenges and
n brown edging; II was rolled once round
his waist, descending to his knees. and
was then thrown over his left shoulder,
leaving the right arm bare. The sun had
painted this limb a rich warm brown.
He wore a cap something like that in
vented, and patented for the use of soil
taires, by Robinson Crusoe; II was conf
cal in shape. and made of feathers
brightly colored. He had sandals OF
thin bark tied to his feet by leather
L.. l. III -
scarf, from which depended a revolver
case, a field glass, case of instruments
and a large waterproof bag. These con
stituted his whole possessions, except
thick cotton umbrella. This he son
stantly carried open.
The other was an Englishman. The
rough flannel shirt which had lost all its
buttons and one of Its sleeves the coarse
canvas. trousers; the old boots broken
down at heel-all spoke Of the soil. His
gait aud carriage sung aloud Of plowed
fields; his broad and rudy cheeks, his
reddish-brown hair and beard. spoke OF
the south or west of England. His age
might be about six or Extraordinarily.
His hair hung in masses over his shout
ders, and his beard was thicker than his
companions. though not so long. His
face, which had been once a square full
lace, was drawn and haggard; his eyes,
which were meant to be frank, were trou-
bled and his carriage. which should
have been upright and brave, was heavy
and detected. He seemed, as he stood
before the other man, at once ashamed
and remorseful.
Listen; l will read 1t carefully and
slowly" said the German. "Sit down
while read it. If there is a single word
that is not true you can alter that word
before you sign"
The man sat down obediently-ther
was curious slowness about his move
ments as well as his speech-whie the
German read the document. which was
written very closely on two pages Of
notebook.
Listen" he said again, "and correct
me when | am wrong"
This was the paper which he read on
the shore of the Pacific ocean and on the
island of New Ireland one evening In the
year 1884:
81. David Leighan, farmer, Of Challa-
combe. Devonshire, being now on an
island in the Pacific ocean. where I ex-
pect to be shortly killed and eaten by
the cannibals, declare that the following
is the whole truth concerning the death
Of my uncle. Daniel Leighan.
HE jockeyed me out of my property;
be kept on lending me money In large
sums and small sums, and making me
sign papers In return, and never let me
know how much l owed him; he made
me mortgage my land to him; he encour-
aged me to drink, and TO neglect my
farm. At last. when / was head over
ears in debt, he suddenly brought down
the law upon me, foreclosed and took my
land / stayed about the place till my
money was nearly all gone. Then
must either starve. or l must become a
laborer where l had been a master. or
must 90 away and find work somewhere
else. l had but thirty pounds left in
the world. and l made up my mind to
20 away. 1t was a day In October Of
the year 1880. / went to see my uncle
and begged him to lend me thirty pounds
more to start me In Canada. Said my
uncle-I shall not forget his words
Nephew David he said, grinning.
you've been fool and lost your money.
I've been a wise man and kept mine
Do you think ! am going to give you
more money to fool awayT l wonder
did not kill him then and there. He sat
In his room at Gratnor. his account books
before him, and be looked up and laugh
ed at me while he said 1t, jingling the
money that was In his pocket. And |
was his nephew, and by his arts and
practices he'd jockeyed me out Of farm
of three hundred acres, most Of II good
land, with the brook running through 1t
and a mill upon 1t.
II remember very well what / said to