Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-10-27


ed. the chop at Berande was white
mans chop. With her own hands Joan
prepared the sick mans food. and be
tween that and the cheer she brought
him he was able after two days 10
tOtter feebly out upon the veraDda.
The situation struck him as strange.
and stranger still was the fact that Il
did not seem strange to the girl al all.
She had settled down aud taken charge
Of the household as n matter of course
as If he We're her father or brother
or as If she were a man like himself
1T IS just too delightful for any
thing" she assured him. 1T is Ike n
page out OF some romance Here /
come along out Of the sea and find 9
sick man all alone with 200 slaves
Recruits" he corrected Contract
iabOrers. 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 caunibals. aren't
they Or Is it all talk
Talk be said, with a smile. Its
Il tribe more than that Most Of my
boys are from the bush, and every
bushman is ii 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"
Your own men hereE'
Yes. my own men here. the very
house boys, the cook that at the present
moment is making such delicious rolls.
thanks to you Not more than three
months ago eleven OF them sneaked a
whaleboat and ran for Malaita Nine
Of them belonged to Malaita Two
We're bushmen from San CristovaL
They We're. fools. the two from San
Cristoval. ! mean: so would any two
Falaita men he who trusted them
selves in a boat with nine from San
CrisJOyaI"
Yes she asked eagerly. Then
what happenedT7
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 cIapped her hands and her eyes
sparkled
They are really and truly cannibals.
And just think. this is the twentieth
century, And I thought romance and
adventure were tu~Silized.'
He looked at her with mild amuse-
ment
That is the matter nowY' she
que-.ed.
"Oh. nothing. only don't fancy be
ing eaten by q lot of filthy niggers is
the least bit romantic"
No. OF course not" she admitted
Put TO he among them. controlling
them. directing them, 200 OF them. and
TO escape being eaten by them-that.
at least, II il isn't romantic, is certain
~ the qujntessence Of adventure. And
adventure and romance are allied, you
know"
BY the same token. to go into q
nig-er's stomach should be the Quin- /
tessenCe OF adventure" he retorted.
dtfA Z tii4ah y Ou lAN = any lOuauCe
IN you" she exclaimed You're Just 4
duu and somber and sordid. ike the /
business men nj home. / don't know .
why you're here at all You should be .
at home piacidly vegetating as a bank /
er'S clerk or-or'-
A shopkeepers assistant thank
you"
Yes. attempting What under
tie sun are YOU doing here on the edge
Of things"
Earning my bread and butter. try
Ing 20 get ON In the world"
Nv the ll'te- road the youngest son
must tread ere he win TO hearth and
saddle uf E.S own " she quoted why.
.aHr isn't romantic. then nothing is
rsuautc. Th.nk or all the younceT
SONS aat over tHr world on myraid
OF .-E"HtGreS. winning 10 those same
Ie-r--> and saddles And uere you
are .u tie tbie, ot Il. doing IL. and
here IN Do the thIyE OF il. doing il"
III ap- lr-dou. he drawicd-
we. tu "a younger daughter.
t1r-- she amended. and / have no
hea-ra .a- >addIe-I haven't anybody
or auE'-IH-- I'm lust aS far on the
< .-e Of ,hi--~ Is you are
-l vo.- case then. I'll admit there :
j. e. hit ol romance. lie con fessed.
lie could not help but think OF the :
s1.o- nights AID of her sleeping =
.a -as a-I.Iac6 on the verluca under .
-o~1ulro curtains. her bodyEuard OF I
F.tEia- sailors stretched out NJ the Z
..r .H--e- ~ tue veranda within call c
..-a ia-u 500 helpless - resist. ugt q