Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-11-09
Copyright. 1910. BY Street 3 Smith
Copyright. 1871. by the Macmillan Compaa.

Of the men. WHO loOlneU Ike giants Dt
hind her. Both were six footers, and
they were heavy in proportion. He
had never seen islanders like them.
They were not black like the Solomon
islanders. but light brown. and their
features were larger. more regular and
even handsome.
The woman-or girl. rather. he de-
cided-walked along the veranda to-
ward him. The two men waited at the
head Of the steps watching curiously.
The girl was angry. He could see
that. Her gray eyes were flashing and
her lips were quivering. That she had
temper was his thought. But the
eyes were striking. He decided that
they we're not gray after all. or, at
least. not all gray. They were large
and wide apart and they looked at him
from under level brows. Her face
was cameolike. so clear cut was it.
There were other striking things about
her-the cowboy Stetson hat. the heavy
braids Of brown hair and the long bar
relied 80 Colts revolver that hung in its
holster on her hip.
"Pretty hospitality. must say" was
her greeting. letting strangers sink or
swim in your front yard
III beg your pardon" he STAN
mered, by supreme effort dragging
himself to his feet.
His legs wabbled under him, and
with a suffocating sensation he began
sinking to the floor. He was aware
Of a feeble qualification as he saw
solicitude leap into her eyes; then
blackness smote him, and at the mo-
ment of shifting him his thought was
that at last and for the first time in
his life he had tainted.
The ringing Of the big bell aroused
him. he opened his eyes and found that
he was on the couch indoors. A glance
at the clock told him that 1t was 6.
and from the direction the suns rays
streamed into the room he knew that
It was morning. At first he puzzled
over something untoward he was sure
had happened. Then. on the wall, he
saw a Stetson hat hanging and beneath
it a full cartridge belt and a long
barrelled 80 Colts revolver.
The slender girth of the belt told its
feminine story. and he remembered
the whaleboat of the day before and
the gray eyes that flashed beneath the
level brows. She. it must have been.
who had just rung the bell. The cares
Of the plantation rushed upon him, and
he sat up in bed, clutching at the wall
for support as the mosquito screen
lurched dizzily around him. He was
still sitting there, holding on, with
eyes closed, striving to master his
giddiness, when he heard her voice.
"You'n lie right down again, SIR
she said.
1t was sharply imperative. voice
used to command. At the same time
one hand pressed him back toward the
pillow while the other caught him
from behind and eased him down.
you've been unconscious for twen-
ty-four hours now" she went on. "and
I have taken charge. When say
tho word you'll get up, and not until
then. Now. what medicine do you
take-quinine? Here are ten grains.
That's right. You'll make good pa
tient."
MY dear madam" he began.
"You mustn't speak," she interrupt
ed, that is. in protest. Otherwise you
can talk
But the plantation"
"A dead man is Of no use on a plan.
tation. Don't you want to know about
me? My vanity is hurt. Here am
I, just through my first shipwreck.
and here are you, not the least Bit
curious. talking about your miserable
plantation. Can't you see that I am
just bursting to tell somebody. any
body. about my shipwreck?'
He smiled. 1t was the first time in
weeks. And he smiled. not 50 much at
what she said. rs at the way she said
1.-THE whimsical expression on her
face. the laughter in her eyes. and the
several tiny lines of humor that drew
in at the corners. He was curiously
wondering as to what her age was,
as he said aloud:
Yes. tell me. please"
THAT will not-not now" she re-
torted. with toss of the head. I'll
find somebody to tell my story to who
does not have to he asked. Also.
want information. managed to find
out what time to ring the bell to turn
the hands to. And that is about all
don't understand the ridiculous
speech Of your people. What time do
they knock OFF,"
AT 11-go on again at IT,
THAT will do. thank you. And now.
where do you keep the key to the
provisions? want to feed my men,
Your men," he gasped lon timed
goods! No. no. Let them 20 out and
eat with my boys"
Her eyes flashed as on the day be-