Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-11-21

at Ogl mas been murdered. he said to
Sheldon. Five 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 Mboi pass and ran down to
Agi. l was at Mboli when the news
came"
II think I'll have to abandon Ugi,"
Sheldon remarked.
Its the second trader you've lost
there in year." Young concurred.
ITO make it safe, there ought to be
two white men at least. I've got
dog for you. Tommy Jones sent it
up from Neal island. He said he'd
promised it to you. It's 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, couple of hundred
miles to the westward" Sheldon an
swered. "BougainviIle 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 burr
ed a 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 lot OF new Lee Enfieldt
loose on the eastern end of Ysabei. No
body knows bow the natives got them
Inc government ought to investigate.
Ah-oh, yes-a war vessels in the
group, the Cambrian. She buried three
villages at Bina-en account Uf the Mi
nota, you know-Iand shelled the bush.
Then she went to Sic to straighten out
things there"
The conversation became general,
and just before Young left to go on
board Joan asked:
''How can you manage all alone,
Mr. YouDg?"
His large, almost ;girli5h eyes rested
on her for a moment before he re-
piled, and then it was in the softest
and gentlest of voices.
'"Oh, 4 get along prEtty well with
them. OF course there is a bit of
trouble once i'm awhile, but that must
be expected. You must never let them
think you are afEaid. 1--we been afraid
plenty of times, but they never knew
it,
You would tkink lhe,wouldn't strike
a mosquito that was biting him,
Sheldon said when Young had gone
on board AN 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 AIalaitR. There are a lot
of returned Queenslanders 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-sany white man. 1t
didn't matter who, so long as they got
the head. And KOung was only lad
and they made sure Ito get his easily.
They decoyed his whalebOat ashore
with a promise of recruits and killed
all hands. At the same instant the
Suu gang that wRs on board the MI
nerva jumped Young. He was just
preparing a dynamite stick for fish,
and he lighted 1t and tossed 1t in
among them. One can't get him to
talk about it. bnt 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 is
worth f1O0. Yet be goes into SUI reg
ularly. He was there a short time ago,
returning thirty boys from Cape Marsh
that's the Fulerum brothers pianta-
ton"
AT any rate, his news tonight has
given me a better insight into the life
down here" Joan said. And 1t 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
this" Sheldon answered of course,
Berande is the worst plantation and
everything it gets Is the worst All
the old timers shake their beads at It.
They say it has what you Americans
call a hOodoO on it"
sBerande will succeed" Joan sald
stoutly. Il like TO laugh at supersu-
ton. You'll pull through and come
ont the big end of the horn. The i'll
luck can't last forever. l am afraid
though. the Solomons is not a white
mans climate
"It will be. though. Give rs hfty
years, and when all the bush Is
cleared of back to the mountains
fever will be stamped out, everything
viii be far healthier. There VIII De