Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-11-03

"NWO Gays piSSeu. anu SuelOOu
felt that he could not grow
any weaker and live. much
less make his four daily rounds
Of the hospital. The deaths were aver
aging four a day. aud there were more
new cases than recoveries. The blacks
were in funk. Each one. when taken
sick. seemed to make every effort to
die. They believed they were going
to die. and yet. believing this with
absolute conviction. they somehow
wrath Of man with the white skin
and escape from the charnel house by
the whale boats. They chose the lin
gering death they were sure awaited
them rather than the immediate death
they were very sure would pounce
upon them II they went up against
the master. That he never slept they
knew. That he could not be conjured
to death they we're equally sure-they
had tried 1t. And even the sickness
that was sweeping them Off could not
kill him.
With the whipping in the compound
discipline had improved. They cringed
under the iron hand of the white man.
They gave their scowls or malignant
looks with averted faces or when his
back was turned They saved their
mutterings for the barracks at night.
where he could not hear. And there
we're no more runawa and no more
night providers on the veranda.
Dawn Of tho third day after the
whipping brought the .Iessie's white
sails in sight. His partner was on
board. vigorous and hearty from six
weeks recruiting in Malaita. He could
take charge now and all would be well
with Berande.
Sheldon lay ip the steamer chair and
watched the Jessie's whaleboat pull in
for the beach. He wondered why only
three sweeps were pulling, and he
wondered still more when. beached.
thlre was SO much delay in getting out
IF the boat Then he understood. The
three blacks who had been pulling
started up the beach with a stretcher
on their shoulders. A white man.
whom he recognized as the Jessie's
captain. walked in front and opened
the gate. then dropped behind to close
1t. Sheldon knew that 1t was Hughie
Drummond who lay in the stretcher,
and mist came before his eyes. He
felt an overwhelming desire to die.
The disappointment was too great. In
his own state Of terrible weakness he
felt that 1t was impossible to go on
with his task Of holding Berande
plantation tight gripped in his fist.
Then the will Of him famed up again.
and he directed the blacks to lay the
stretcher beside him on the floor.
Hughie Drummond, whom he had last
seen in health. was an emaciated
skeleton.
"Black water fever" the captain
said. He's been like this for six days.
unconscious. And we've got dysentery
on board. What's the matter with
you?"
I'm burying four day." Sheldon
answered. rs he bent over from the
steamer chair and inserted Their
mometer under his partners tongue.
Captain Oleson swore blasphemously
and sent house boy to bring whiskey
and soda. Sheldon glanced ut the ther-
mometer.
Zone hundred and seven" he said.
'Poor Hughie."
Captain Oleson offered him some
whiskey.
Couldn't think Of it-perforation.
you know" Sheldon said.
He sent for a boss boy and ordered
q grave to be dug: also, some of the
packing cases to be knocked together
into coffin. Having given the orders.
Sheldon lay back in his chair with
closed eyes.
Its been fair hell, SIR Captain
Oleson began. then broke or to help
himself to more whisky. Contrary
winds and Gains. We've been driftin'
oil about the shop for ten days.
There's ten thousand sharks following
US for the tucker we've ben THROWN
over to them. They was snappin' at
the oars when we started to come
ashore. We got 1t from the water
water from Owga creek. Filled my
casks with it. How was we to know?
I've filled there before an it was all
right. We had sixty recruits-full up.
and my crew Of fifteen. We've been
buryin' them day an night. The beg.
gars won't live. dash them. They die
out of spite. Only three Of my crew
left on its legs. Five more down.
Seven dead. Oh. h.! What's the
good OF talkin'?"
.How many recruits left?" Sheldon
asked.
Lost half. Thirty left. Twenty
down. and ten tottering around"
Sheldon sighed.
''That means another addition to the
hospital. We've got to get them ashore
somehow. Viaburi! Hey. you. Viaburi.
ring big fella bell strong fella too
much"
The hands. called in from the fields
at that unwonted hour. We're split
into attachments. Some We're sent
into the woods to cut timber for house
beams. others to cutting cane grass
for matching and forty Of them lift
ed whale boat above their heads and
carried it down to the sea. Sheldon
had gritted his teeth. pulled his col
lapsing soul together and taken Be-
rande plantation into his fist once
more.
Have you seen the barometer?" Cap
tain Oleson asked. pausing at the bot
tor, ~ tho rtonS IN hio NOV RI nvorSoo