The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-12-21
down, and ten tottering around"

down. and ten tottering around
Sheldon sighed.
THAT means another addition TO the
hospital. We've got to get them ashore
somehow. Viaburil 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 1t down to the sea. Sheldon
bad gritted his teeth, pulled his col
lapsing soul together and taken Be
rande plantation into his fist once
more
Have you seen the barometerr Cap
tain Oleson asked. pausing at the bot
tom Of the steps on his way to oversee
the Decentralization of the sick.
NO" Sheldon answered. rs II
DOWN.
ITS going down"
'Then you'd better sleep aboard to-
night" was Sheldons judgment.
Never mind the funeral. III see to
poor Hughie. II you can see your way
to 1t, come ashore tomorrow and lend
me hand IL you can't. send the
mate
Right O. I'll come myself. Mr..
Johnsons dead. sir 1 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
the end. His breathing was impercep.
tible. BY mere touch Sheldon could
ascertain that the dying mans tenn
perature was going down. 1t must have
been going down when the Their
mometer registered one hundred and
seven He had burned out. Sheldon
knelt beside him. the house boys group.
ed around. their white singlets and
loin cloths peculiarly at variance with
their dark skins and savage counte,
nances, their huge ear plugs and carved
and glistening nose rings. Sheldon
tottered to his feet at last and half
fell into the steamer chair Oppres
siye as the heat had been It was now
sven more oppressive. Ii was diff
cult to breathe He painted for air
The faces and naked arms of the house
boys were beaded with sweat.
"Marster." one OF them ventured.
"big fella wind he come. strong fella
too much"
Sheldon nodded his head, but did not
look Much as he had loved Hughie
Drummond. his death and the funeral
It entailed seemed an Intolerable bur
den to add to what he was already
sinking under. He had feeling
nay. II was a certitude-that all he
had 10 do was to shut his eyes ana
let go and that be would die, sink
into immensely of rest His weary
body seemed torn by the oncoming
pangs of dissolution. He was fool
to hang on. He had died score of
deaths already, and what was the use
Of prolonging II to twoscore deaths
before he really died? Not only was
he not afraid to die. but he desired
to die
But his mind that could will life or
death still pulsed on. He saw the two
whaleboats land on the beach and
the sick, on stretchers or pickaback.
groaning and waiting. go by in lugu-
brious procession. He saw the wind
making on the clouded horizon and
thought of the sick in the hospital
Here was something waiting for his
hand to be done, and 1t was not in his
nature to lie down and sleep or die
when any task remained undone.
The boss boys were called and given
their orders to rope down the hospital
with its two additions He remem-
bered the spare anchor chain. new and
black painted. that hung under the
house suspended from the floor beams
and ordered 1t to be used on the hos
pital as well Other boys brought the
coffin. grotesque patchwork Of pack
ing cases. and under his directions
they laid Hughie Drummond in It,
Half dozen boys carried II down the
beach. while he rode on the back of