Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-11-07
BY
JACK LONDON
Copyright 1910, by Street 6 Smith
Copyright. 1911. by the Macmillan Comnar


e. thew fought their way back up
.Ao hooch. The other blacks caught
nold of the man-horse and pulled and
+ncged. There were among them those
hose 6o fondest desire was to drag the
ridor in the sand and spring upon him
and mash him into repulsive nothing
noss But the automatic pistol in his
holt with its rafting. quick dealing
dooth and the automatic, death defy
,ro snirit in the man himself made
tbom refrain and buckle down to the
task of hauling him to safety through
the storm
Wet through and exhausted. he was
novartheless surprised at the ease with
ubich he rot into change Of cloth
inc Though he was feGrfully weak, ne
found himself actually feeling better.
The disease had spent itself, and the
mend had begun.
"Now. if | don't get the fever he
said aloud and at the same moment
resolved to go to taking quinlne as
soon as he was strong enough to dare.
He crawled out on the veranda. The
rain had ceased. hut the wind which
had dwindled to half gale, was in
creasng. A big sen had sprung up.
and the mile long breakers. curlinG
up to the overfalI 200 yards from
the shore, were crashing on the
beach The Jessie was plunging madly
TO two anchors. and every second or
third sea broke clear over her how
Two flags we're stiffly unduating from
the halyards like squares Of flexible
sheet iron. One was blue. the other
red He knew their meaning in the
Berandp private code: What are your
Instructions; Shall | attempt to land
boatY Tackled on the wall between
the signal locker and the billiard rules
was the code itself. by which he veri-
fed the signal before making answer
On the Flagstaff gaff IL boy hoisted
white flag over u red. which stood for,
huu W Neal ISlduu IOI Su6ltGI.
That Captain Oleson had been ex
pecting this signal was apparent by
the celerity with which the shackles
were knocked out of both anchor
chains He slipped his anchors. Ieav-
ing them buoyed to be picked up in
better weather. The Jessie swung off
under her full staysail; then the fore
sail, double reefed. was run up. She
was away like race horse. clearing
BaleSuna Shoal with half cable length
to spare Just before she rounded the
point she was swallowed up in ter
rlhc Squall that far outblew the first.
All that night. while squall after
squall smote Berande. uprOoting trees.
overthrowing copra sheds and rocking
the house on its tall piles. Sheldon
slept He was unaware of the com
motion. He never wakened. nor did
ne change his position or dream. de
aWOke a new man. Furthermore. he
was hungry. II was over week
since food had passed his Hps. He
urank glass of condensed cream
'nlnned with water. and by 10 O'Clock
ne dared to take cup of beef tea.
de was cheered also by the situ-
auon In the hospital Despite the
storm there had been but one death.
ana there was only one fresh case.
while half dozen boys crawIed weak
away to the barracks He wonder
eu II Il was the wind that was blow
ing the disease away and cleansing the
pestlential land.
by eleven messenger arrived from
oaleSuna village. dispatched by Seelee
lie Jessie had gUue ashore halfway
OetWeen the village and Neal island
u was not till nightfan that two Of
ue crew arrived. reporting the drown
ing OF Captain Oleson and OF the one
Ienalning boy. As for the Jessie.
IRON what they told him. Sheldon
eOuld not but conclude that she was
a Total loss. Further to hearten him
ue was taken by a shivering ft. In
al uouf ne was burning up. And
ne knew that at least another day
must pass before be could undertake
wen the smallest dose Of quinine. He
aaWled under a heap of blankets and
: little later found himself laughing
aoud BE had surely reached the limit
VI disaster. Barring earthquake OF
eGal wave. the worst bad already be-
lallen him The Flibberty-Gibbet was
es,,ainly safe in MboH pass. Since
-,,g -Yluing worse could happen things
sLupiy had to mend So it was. shiv- I
slng under his blankets. that be
,-Ogned until the house boys. with
..s .ells together. marveled at the devils
nat were in him.