The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1905-09-29
CHAPTER I.


what your signature may mean. AS for
what l shall do with 1t afterward de-
ponds on many things
"Do what you like with It," replied
the Englishman, slowly and huskily.
Send 1t to the police In London, If you
like. l don't care what becomes Of 1t,
or of myself either. For | am tired OF
1t; give in. No one knows what 1t 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 two men were a most curious
couple to look upon, set among most re-
markable surroundings. The scene was,
If 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
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
grove and clearing, seashore and noun
tain side, forest and green field, making
everything glow with splendid richness
and prodigality of color.
bo
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 frultion 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 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 spectncles. 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; 1t 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; 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, a field glass, case of instruments
and a large waterproof bag. These con
stituted his whole possessions, except
thick cotton umbrella. This he con
stantly carried open
The other was an Englishman. Tht
rough flannel shirt, which had lost all It
buttons and one of its sleeves; the coarse
canvas trousers; the old boots broker
down at heel--all spoke of the soil. Hi
gait and carriage sung aloud of ploweC
fields; his broad and ruddy cheeks, hi
reddish-brown hair and beard, spoke o
the south or west of England. His ag
might be about six or eght-a twenty
His hair hung in masses over his shout
ders, and his beard was thicker than hi
companions, though not so long. Hi
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 heav
and detected. He seemed, as he stoo
before the other man, at once ashame
and remorseful.
Listen; l will read 1t carefully an
slowly" said the German. ''Sit dow
while l read it. If there Is single wor
that Is not true you can alter that wor
before you sign"
The man sat down obedently--ther
was a curious slowness about his move
ments as well as his speech-while tn
German read the document which wa
written very closely on two pages of
notebook.
"Listen," he said again, "and correc
me when | am wrong"
This was the paper which he read O
the shore of the Pacific ocean and on tn
island of New Ireland one evening in tn
year 1884:
81, David Leighan, farmer of Challt
combe, Devonshire, being now on q
island In the Pacific ocean, where I e,
pect to be shortly killed and eaten b
the cannibals, declare that the followin
Is the whole truth concerning the deaf
of my uncle, Daniel Leighan.
HE jockeyed me out Of my property
he kept on lending me money in lara
sums and small sums, and making N
sign papers In return, and never let n
know how much l owed him. he mao
me mortgage my land to him; he encou
aged me to drink, and to neglect n
farm At last, when I was head ov,
ears in debt, he suddenly brought dow
the law upon me, foreclosed and took n
land. I stayed about the place till, n
money was nearly all gone. Then
must either starve, or | must become
laborer where l had been master, or
must go away and find work somewhe
else. I had but thirty pounds left
the world, and l made up my mind
go away. 1t was q day in October