The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-14
Adventure
A Romance of The South Seas
BY JACK LONDON
Copyright. 1910. by Street 6 Smith Copyritht. 1911. by the Macmillan Compau

upon them if they went up against the master That he never slept they knew. That he could not be conjured to death they were equally sure-they had tried it. And even the sickness that was sweeping them off could not kill him.
 With the whipping in the compound discipline had improved. They cringed under the iron hand of the white man. They gave their scowls or malignant looks with averted faces or when his back was turned They saved their mutterings for the barracks at night, where he could not hear. And there were no more runaways and no more cignt providers on the veranda.
 Dawn of the third day after the whipping brought the Jessie's white sails in sight. His partner was on board, vigorous and hearty from six weeks recruiting in Malaita. He could take charge now and all would be well with Berande.
 Sheldon lay in the steamer chair and watched the Jessies whaleboat pull in 
 three sweeps were pulling, and he wondered still more when, beached, there was so much delay in getting out of the boat. Then he understood. The three blacks who had been pulling started up the beach with stretcher on their shoulders. A white man, whom he recognized as the Jessie's captain, walked in front and opened the gate, then dropped behind to close it. Sheldon knew that it was Hughie Drummond who lay in the stretcher, and a mist came before his eyes. He felt an overwhelming desire to die. The disappointment was too great. In his own state of terrible weakness he felt that it was impossible to go on with his task of holding Berande plantation tight gripped in his fist. Then the will of him famed up again, and he directed the blacks to lay the stretcher beside him on the floor. Hughie Drummond, whom he had last seen in health, was an emaciated skeleton.
 'Black water fever" the captain said. He's been like this for six days, unconscious. And we've got dysentery on board. What's the matter with youw
 'I'm burying four day." Sheldon answered, as he bent over from the steamer chair and inserted a ther- mometer under his partners tongue.
 Captain Oleson swore blasphemously and sent house boy to bring whiskey and soda. Sheldon glanced at the ther- mometer.
 "One hundred and seven,' he said. "Poor Hughie."
 Captain Oleson offered him some whiskey.
 Couldn't think of it-perforation, you know" Sheldon said.
 He sent for a boss boy and ordered grave to be dug; also, some of the into coffin. Having given the orders, Sheldon lay back in his chair with closed eyes.
 'It's been fair hell, sir," Captain Oleson began, then broke off to help himself to more whisky. Contrary winds and calms. We've been driftin' all about the shop for ten days. There's ten thousand sharks following us for the tucker we've ben throwin' over to them. They was snappin' at the oars when we started to come ashore. We got it from the water water from Owga creek. Filled my casks with it. How was we to know? I've filled there before an it was all right. We had sixty recruits-full up, and my crew of fifteen. We've been buryin' them day an night. The beg gars won't live, dash them! They die out of spite. Only three of my crew left on its legs. Five more down. Seven dead. Oh, h-t Whats the good of talkin'?'
 "How many recruits left?" Sheldon asked.
 Lost half Thirty left. Twenty down, and ten tottering around"
 Sheldon sighed.
 That means another addition to the hospital. We've got to get them ashore somehow. Niaburi! Hey, you, viaburi, ring big fella bell strong fella too much"
 The hands, called in from the fields at that unwonted hour, were split into detachmentS. Some were sent into the woods to cut timber for house beams, others to cutting cane grass for matching and forty of them lift ed whale boat above their heads and carried it down to the sea. Sheldon had gritted his teeth, pulled his col lapsing soul together and taken Be- rande plantation into his fist once more.
 Have you seen the barometer" Cap tain Oleson asked, pausing at the bot tom of the steps on his way to oversee the disembarkation of the sick.
 "No," Sheldon answered. "Is it E down?"
 "1ts going down.
 'Then you'd better sleep aboard to- night.''' was Sbeldon's judgment. Never mind the funeral. I'll see to poor Hughie. If you can see your way to it, come ashore tomorrow and lend me hand. If you can't. send the mate"
 Right O. I'll come myself. Mfr. Johnson's dead. sir. I forgot to tell you-three days ago."
 Sheldon turned to his partner, calling for boys to carry him into the house. But Hughie Drummond had reached