The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-07-19
CHAPTER /.

II will now" said he German, "read
your statement over, and you can sign
1t if you like. Remember, however,
what your signature may mean. AS for
what l shall do with it afterward de-
ponds on many things"
'Do what you like with it." replied
the Englishman, slowly and huskily.
"Send ii TO the police in London, IL you
like. / don't care what becomes of it,
or Of myself either. For / 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 'it' was; but
the other seemed to understand what he
meant, and nodded his head ~gravely,
though coldly.
The w men were a most curious
couple to look upon, set among most re-
markable surroundings. The scene was,
IL 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 a gentle rise of land,
covered with groves of cocoa palms and
bananas; among them were clearings
planted 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, 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
OPOUn md clnarino caaShnra anI ,nun.
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 it 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 ~German-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 4 great piece of Feeje tapu cloth,
white, decorated with black ~lozenges and
a brown edging: ii was rolled once round
his waist, descending to his knees, and
uyau thar #fhraxp,, nx,av he laft .hn.I1ou
leaving the right arm bare. The sun had
painted this limb a rich warm brown.
He wore a cup something like that in
vented, and patented for the use of soli-
taires, by Robinson Crusce; it 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 q revolver
case, a field glass, a case of instruments
and a large waterproof bag. These con-
stituted his whole possessions. except a
thick cotton umbrella. This he con-
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 and carriage IN 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 eight-and-twenty.
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
face, 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; | will read it 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-thers
was d curious slowness about his move
ments as we'll as his ~speech-while the
German read the document. which was
written very closely on tive pages Of q
notebook.
Listen" he said again, ''and correct
me. when | am wrong"
This was the ape which he read on
the shore of the PacSic ocean and on the
island of New Ireland one evening in the
year 1884:
II. David Leighan. farmer, Of Challa-
combe, Devonshire. being now on an
island In the Pacific ocean, where | ex-,
pect to be shortly killed and eaten by
the cannibals. declare that the following
II the whole truth concerning the death
of my uncle, Daniel Lcighan.
Vile jockeyed me out Of my property:
he 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 / owed him; he made
me mortgage my land to him; he encour.
A&~o 80 Arsx,H ..1 49, .~.t<.. -