The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1905-09-29
CHAPTER |.

IT will now said the German, Tread
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 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
It; / give in. No one knows What 1t Is
like until you actually come to tight
with it."
He did not explain what 'it'F 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 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
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 ~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 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
a 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
g A~-1ANIt-- IslyA fhot 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 o.
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, a case Of instrument
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. TIL
rough flannel shirt, which had lost all it
buttons and one of its sleeves; the coars
canvas trousers; the old boots broke
down at heel-all spoke of the soil. Hi
gait and carriage sung aloud of plowe
fields; his broad and ruddy cheeks, hi
reddish-brown hair and beard, spoke Q
the south or west of England. His ag
might be about six or eight-and-twenty
His hair hung in masses over his shou
ders, and his beard was thicker than hi
companions, though not so long. H
face, which had been once a square flu
face, was drawn and haggard; his eye'
which were meant to be frank, were tror
bled; and his carriage, which shout
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 a single wor
that Is not true you can alter that wor
before you sign"
The man. sat down obediently-thel
was O curious slowness about his NOV
ments as we'll as his speech-while IL
German read the document, which WI
written very closely on two pages of
notebook.
"Listen," he said again, ''and CORE
me when | am wrong"
This was the paper which he read {
the shore of the Pacific ocean and ON ii
asland of New Ireland one evening in Il
rear 1884:
~, David Leighan, farmer, Of Chall
kombe, Devonshire, being now on /,
sland in the Pacific ocean, where l 9
|ect to be shortly killed and eaten
be cannibals, declare that the followil
the whole truth concerning the dea
my uncle, Daniel Leighan.
"He jockeyed me out of my propert
kept on lending me money in lar
ms and small sums, and making 4
IN papers In return, and never let I
low how much l owed him; he ma
mortgage my land to him; he encor
ed me to drink, and to neglect n
m AT last, when l was head ov
IS In debt, he suddenly brought doy
law upon me, foreclosed and took I
d. / stayed about the place till I
ney was nearly all gone Then.
st either ~starve, or l must become
prer where I had been a master, OF
81 90 away and find work somewhe
/ had but thirty pounds left
world, and / made up my mind
away. 1t was a day In October
- M ---- 9QCn 7 want 10 400 INV nm