The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-08-19
9
His Hearts Desire
By SIR WALTER BEsANT
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CHAPTER l.
Bv SIR WALTER BESANT

your statement over, anu you CoA "Ae"
it if you like. Remember, however,
what your signature may mean. As Tor
what l shall do with it afterward de-
ponds on many things"
"Do what you like with II" replied
the Englishman, slowly and huskily.
"Send it to the police in London, il 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 it Is
like until you actually come to hght
with it."
He did not explain what cit was; but
the other seemed to understand what ne
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
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
grove and clearing, seashore and noun
tain side, forest and green field, making
everything glow with a splendid richness
and prodigalty 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.
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 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 cap something like that In
vented, and patented for the use of soil
taires, by Robinson Crusoe; 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 a revolver
case, field glass, case Of instruments
and 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 it's sleeves; the coarse
canvas trousers; the old boots broken
down at heel-all spoke of the SOIL His
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 shcul-
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; l will read it carefully and
slowly" said the German. ''Sit down
while l 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-there
was a curious slowness about his move
ments as well as his speech-while the
German read the document, which was
written very closely on two pages of q
notebook.
Listen" he said again, "and correc,
me when l am wrong"
This was the paper which he read on
the shore of the Pacific ocean and on th.
island of New Ireland one evening in the
year 1884:
Il. David Leighan, farmer. of Challa.
combe Devonshire, being now on ar
island in the Pacific ocean. where 7 er
pect to be shortly killed and eaten nv
the cannibals, declare that the followins
is the whole truth concerning the dealt
of my uncle, Daniel Leighan.
He jockeyed me out of my pronertv
he kept on lending me money in laro.
sums and small sums, and making m,
sign papers in return, and never l@t M
know how much l owed him; he mad,
me mortgage my land to him; he encour
aged me to drink, and to neglect nv
farm. At last, when I was head Owe
ears in debt, he suddenly brought dowr
the law upon me, foreclosed and took m,
land. l stayed about the place till nv
money was nearly all gone. Then
must either starve, or must become ,
laborer where had been master. or
must 60 away and find work somewher,
else l had but thirty pounds left il
the world, and l made up my mind t.
go away. It was day in October o.
the year 1880. l went to see my uncl,