The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1905-09-09
CHAPTER !

uhat | shall DO Win u uAteEWSEu ue@
nepds on many things"
p' "Do what you like with it, replied
.ho EnRlishman, slowly and huskily.
"Sond It to the police In London, IL you
lilo | don't care what becomes OF 1t,
~ NJ myself either. For l am tired OF
". rive In. No one knows what 1t Ia
like until you actually come to fight
with it"
.ho other seemed to understand what he
meant and nodded his head grayely,
though coldly. 81.
The two men were a most curious
conple to look upon, set among most re-
msrkable surroundings. The scene was
u nossible, more interesting than the
couple In the foreground. For In front
there stretched the seashore, the little
waves tapping softly and creeping slow
" over the level white coral sand: be-
vond the smooth water lay the coral reef
with its breakers; at the back OF the
sandy shores was a gentle rise OF land,
covered with groves Of cocoa palms and
bananas; among them were clearings
nlanted with fields Of sweet potatoes and
two or three huts were visible beneath
the trees. Again, beyond the level belt
rose a great green mountain, Ave 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
tral and threatening. among their living
companions In the forest.
One of the men-the German-was of
colossal proportions, certainly six feat
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 a great piece of Feeje tapu cloth
white, decorated with black lozenges and
brown edging; it 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
talres, by Robinson Crusoe; 1t was conf
cal In shape, and made of feathers
brightly colored. He had sandals Of
thin bark tied to his feet by leather
thongs, and he wore a kind Of leather
scarf, from which depended a revolver
case, field glass, a case Of instruments
and large waterproof bag. These con
Stitutsd his whole possessions, except
thick cotton umbrella. This he con
Btantly carried open.
TPA other was an Englishman. ThC
rougs flannel shirt, which had lost all 1t:
buttons and one of it's sleeves; the coarse
canvas trousers; the old boots broker
down at heel-all spoke of the soil. Hi
gait and carriage sung aloud Of plowet
fields; his broad and ruddy cheeks, hi
reddish-brown hair and beard, spoke O
might be about six or eight-and-twenty
bis hair hung in masses over his shout
ders, and his beard was thicker than hi
~companion's, though not so long. Eli
lace, which had been once a square full
race was drawn and haggard; his eyes
which were meant to be frank, were trou
pied; and his carriage, which shoulC
nave been upright and brave, was heav.
ana detected. He seemed, as he stoot
before the other man, at once ashamet
and remorseful.
Listen; l will read 1t carefully AM
slowly" said the German. "Sit dow
while read it. If there Is single wor,
mat is not true you can alter that wor,
before you sign"
The man sat down obedientk-ther
was curious slowness about his move
ments as we'll as his speech-while tn
herman read the document, which wa
written very closely on two pages Of
notebook.
Listen" he said again, "and correc
me when l am wrong"
4, inns was the paper which he read O
tne shore of the Pacific ocean and on tn
IS'and OF New Ireland one evening In tn
year 1884:
y David Leighan,> farmer, of Challs
GTnloe' Devonshire, being now on a
Sland In the Pacific ocean, where O.
psct to be shortly killed and eaten b
ne cannibals, declare that the followin
10 the whole truth concerning the deaf
IN. my uncle Daniel Leighan.
ne jockeyed me out of my property
sn Nc kept on lending me money In larg
s suns and small sums, and making m
sSn papers In return, and never let NJ
nuOw now much I owed him; he mad
a" a mortgage my land to him; he encoul
sSeo me to drink, and to neglect m
.arn' At last, when I was head owe
tS IS IN debt, he suddenly brought dow
Ine law upon me, foreclosed and took m
n muu' l stayed about the place till m
r Uney was nearly all gone. Then
Lust SSt either starve, or l must become
nau where had been a master, or
s,. 90 away and find work somewhel
N" l had but thirty pounds left
world, and made up my mind I
H. away. It was a day In October /
sns year 1880. went to see my unc
m uu begged him to lend me thirty pound
nNn1' 70 start me in Canada. Said m
;Ne els-i shall not forget his words
,upnew David he said, GRIMM