Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-12-19

from Malaita. And romance lured and
beckoned before Joan's eyes when she
learned he was Christian Young.
Norfolk Islander. but direct descend
ant of John Young. one of the original
Bounty mutineers. The blended Ia
hitian and English blood showed in his
soft eyes and tawny skin. but the Eng.
lish hardness seemed to have disap-
peared. Yet the hardness was there.
and 1t was what enabled him to run
his ketch single handed and to wiring
q livelihood out of the fighting Solo
mons.
Joan's unexpected presence embar-
rassed him until she herself put him
out at his ease by frank. comradely
manner that offended Sheldon's sense
of the fitness of things feminine.
News from the world Young had not.
but he was filled with news of the
Solomons. Fifteen boys had stolen
rifles and run away into the bush
from Lunga plantation, which was
farther east on the Guadalcanar coast
And from the bush they had sent word
that they were coming back to wipe
out the three white men In charge,
while two of the three white men, in
turn, were hunting them through the
bush. There was strong possibility,
Young volunteered. that II they were
not caught. they might circle around
and tap the coast at Berande In order
to steal or capture wbaleboat.
81 forgot to tell you that your trader
ut Ugi has been murdered he said to
Sheldon. "tive big canoes came
down from Port Adams. They landed
in the night time and caught Oscar
asleep. What they didn't steal they
burned. The Flibberty Gibbet got the
news at Mboli pass and ran down to
Ag. | was at Mboli when the news
came"
~ think III have to abandon Ugi."
Sheldon remarked.
ITS the second trader you've lost
there in a year." Young concurred.
"To make 1t safe, there ought to be
two white men at least. live got
dog for you. Tommy Jones sent 1t
up from Neal island. He said he'd
promised il to you. It's a first class
niger chaser. Hadn't been on board
two minutes when he had my whole
boats crew in the rigging. Tommy
calls him Satan. Jack Henley was
killed at Marovo lagoon two months
ago. The news just came down on
the Apostle"
"where is Marovo lagoon" Joan
asked.
New Georgia. a couple Of hundred
miles to the westward" Sheldon an
swered. "Bougainville lies just be-
yond"
His own house boys did It," Young
went on; but they were put up to 1t
by the Marovo natives. His Santa
Cruz boats crew escaped In the whale
boat to Choiseul. and Mather. IN the
Lily, sailed over to Marovo He burn
ed village and got Henley's head
back. He found 1t in one Of the houses
where the niggers had It drying. And
that's all the news I've got. except
that there's a lot Of new Lee Entelds
loose on the eastern end of Ysabel. No
body knows how the natives got them.
The government ought to investigate.
Ah-oh, yes-a war vessels In the
group, the Cambran. She burned three
villages at Bina-on account OF the MI
nota. YOU know-and shelled the bush.
Then she went to Sio to straighten out
things there"
The conversation became general.
and Just before Young left to 60 on
board Joan asked:
How can you manage all alone.
Mr.. YoungT
His large, almost girlish eyes rested
on her for q moment before he re-
piled, and then it was in the softest
and gentlest Of voices.
"Oh. l get along pretty well with
them. OF course. there Is q bit OF
trouble once in awhile. but that must
be expected. You must never let them
think you are afraid. I've been afraid
plenty of times. but they never knew
It."
"You would think he wouldn't strike
mosquito that was biting him"
Sheldon said when Young had gone
ON board. IAN the Norfolk islanders
that have descended from the Bounty
crowd are that way. But look at
Young. Only three years ago. when
he first got the Minerva. he was lying
in SUI, on Malaita. There are lot
of returned Queensanders there-a
rough crowd. They planned to get
his head. The son of their chief. old
One Eyed Billy. had recruited on
Lunga and died of dysentery. That
meant that a white mans head was
owing to Suu-any white man. 1t
didn't matter who. so long as they got
the head. And Young was only a lad
and they made sure to get bis easily.
They decoyed bis whaleboat ashore
with a promise of recruits and killed
4 all hands. At the same instant the
Suu gang that was on board the MI.
uerva jumped Young. He was Just
preparing a dynamite stick for fish.
and he lighted 1t and tossed It In
among them. One can't get him to
talk about 1t. but the fuse was short.
the survivors leaped overheard. while
he slipped his anchor and got away.
They've got 100 fathoms OF shell
money on his head now. which ID
worth f1OO. Yet he goes into Suu reg
ularly. He was there short time ago.
returning thirty boys from Cape Marsh
that's the Eulcrum brothers planta'
ton"
AT any rate. bis news tonight has
given me a better insight into the Life
down here.' Joan said. "And It Is
colorful Life. to say the least The
Solomons ought to be printed red on
the charts-and yellow, too, for the
diseases"
"The solomons are not always Ike