Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-11-07
CHAPTER V.
SHE WOULD a PLANTER BE

- HELDON mendPd rapidly The
W. fever had burned out. and
~ there was nothing for him tt
do hut gather strength. Joan
had taken the cook in hand and
for the first time. AZ Sheldon remark
ed the chop at Berande was white
mans chop. With her own hands Joan
prepared the sick mans food. and he
| tween that and the cheer she brought
him he was able after two days to
totter feebly out upon the veranda
The situation struck him as strange
and stranger still was the fact that II
did not seem strange TO the girl at all
She had settled down and taken chargs
of the household as Il matter of course
as if be were her father or brother
or as if she were man like himself
1T is just too delightful for any
thing" she assured him. 1T is like n
page out of some romance. Here J
come along out of the sea and find a
sick man all alone with POO slaves
Recruits" he corrected. Contract
laborers. They serve only three years.
and they are free agents when they
enter upon their contracts"
"Yes. yes" she hurried on: "a sick
man alone with 200 recruits on a can
nibal island-they are cannibals, aren't
they? Or il it all talk|'
Talk" he said. with smile ITS
trifle more than that. Most of my
boys are from the bush, and every
bushman is a cannibal."
But not after they become recruits:
Surely the boys you have here would
not be guilty"
They'd eat you If the chance afford
ed"
Are you Just saying so. on theory.
or do you really know" she asked.
Il know"
why? What makes you think SO:
Your own men hereY
Yes. my own men here the very
house boys. the cook that at the present
monent is making such delicious rolls,
thanks to you. Not more than three
q
whaleboat and ran for Malaita. Nine
Jf them belonged TO Malaita. Two
were bushmen from San Cristoval.
They were. fools, the two from San
Cristoval. ! mean; so would any TWO
Malaita men be who trusted them
selves in a boat with nine from San
Cristoval."
"Yesy' she asked eagerly. Then
what happenedT'
The nine Malaita men ate the TWO
from san Cristoval. all except the
heads. which are too valuable for
mere eating They slowed them away
In the stern locker until they landed
And those two heads are now In some
bush village back OF Langa Langa."
She clapped her hands and her eyes
sparkled.
They are really and truly cannibals
And just think. this is the twentieth
century. And J thought romance and
adventure we're fossilizedr'
he looked at her with mild amuse
ment
What is the matter nowT' she
queried.
"Oh. nothing. only | don't fancy he-
ing eaten by a LOT Of dlthy niggers IL
the least bit romantic"
NO. of course not" she admitted.
But To- he among them. controlling
them. directing them. 200 Of them. and
TO escape being eaten by them-thai.
at least. IL IL isn't romantic. Is certain
" the quintessencp n adventure And
adventure AZ ] romance are allied. you
know"
by the same token. to 20 into
nigger's stomach should be the quin
tessence Of adventure" he reioried
Il don't think you have any roman'e
IN you she exclaimed. You're just
dull and somber and sOrdid. like the
business men al home don't know
why you're here AZ ALL You should be
at home placidly veEetating as a bank
er's clerk Or-Or-
"A sboPkeeper's assistant. thank
you
Yes. that-anything What under
the sun are you doing here on the edge
OF thinEsT
Earning ny bread and butter. Try
ing 10 get on in the world"
by the bitter ruad the youngest son
must tread ere he win 70 hearth aud
saddle Of his own. she quoted Why
ID that isn't romantic. then nothing is
romantic. Think n an The younger
sons out over the world. on q myraid
4 adreufures. winning % those same
he1rths and saddies And here you
are On tbe Thick uf O.. doing H. and
here an ] in the thick % %. doing g.
IL beg pardon he druWied
sWeL I'm younger daughter.
then.- she amended. -aud . have 10
helrth Dor s1dfLe . haven't auyhniy !