The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-12-21
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Continued from last issue)
CHAPTER III.
SOMETHING Is DONE.

- was no doubt, and there were
Iolher symptoms that were unfavorable.
EBe began his rounds looking for
ElrDuble He wanted trouble. In full
fhalth the strained situation would
1Mye been serious enough: but as il
XNas, himself growing helpless, some
Etbng had to be done. The blacks
fgere getting more sullen and defiant.
Ind the appearance of the men the
Iaeylous night on his veranda-one of
Lac gravest of offences ON Berande-
LAS ominous. Sooner or later they
E8ould get him, If he did not get them
#{rst if he did not once again scar on
heir dark souls the flaming mastery
d the white man.
He returned to the house disappoint-
ii No opportunity had presented it.
ELI of making an example of insolence
III insubordination- as had oc-
[furred on every other day since the
Richness smote Berande. The fact that
/ none had offended was in itself sus-
[Ilcious. They were growing crafty.
10 was one man against two hundred.
|and he was horribly afraid of his
Sickness overpowering him and leav-
|3hg him at their mercy. He saw vi
bons Of the blacks taking charge OF
The plantation, looting the store, burn
eing the buildings and escaping to Ma
lalta. Also one grewsome vision he
eaught of his own head, sun dried and
smoke cured, ornamenting the canoe
house of cannibal village. Either
The Jessie would have to arrive or
De would have to do something.
The bell had hardly rung, sending
The laborers into the fields. when Shell
don had a visitor. Forty men, armed
with spears. bows and arrows and
Ewar clubs. gathered outside the gate
|of the compound, but only one enter.
led They knew the law of Berande
Jas every n;rive knew the law Of every
white mans compound in all the thou
sand miles of the far flung Solomons.
The one man who came up the path
Sheldon recognized as Seelee. the chief
of Balesuna village. The savage did
not mount the steps, but stood be-
meath and talked to the white lord
above.
Seelee was more intelligent than the
average of his kind, but his intelli-
gence only emphasized the lowness of
that kind. His eyes, close together and
small, advertised cruelty and crafti-
hess. A gee string and a cartridge
belt were all the clothes he wore.
AS he talked, or listened, he made
grimaces like a monkey. He said yes
by dropping his eyellds and thrusting
his chin forward He spoke with
childish arrogance strangely at vari-
ance with the subservient position be
occupied beneath the veranda. He,
with his many followers, was lord and
master of Balesuna village. But the
white man. without followers. was
lord and master of Berande-ay. and
on occasion, single handed, had made
himself lord and master of Balesuna
village as we'll Seelee did not like to
remember that episode 1t had Or
Cured in the course Of learning the
nature of white men and Of learning
TO abominate them. He had once been
guilty of sheltering three runaways
from Berande.
Unfortunately, he was ignorant of
the ways of white men. This particu-
lar white man educated him by arriv-
Ing at his grass house in the gray of
dawn. In the first moment he had felt
He was so perfectly safe in
he midst of bis village. But the next
moment. and before he could cry out.
pair of handouts on the white mans
knuckles had landed on his mouth,
knocking the cry of alarm back down
bis throat. Also, the white mans other
list had caught him under the ear and
left him without further interest In
what was happening. When he came
to he found himself In the white man'i
whaleboat on the way to Berande
When his tribe had returned the TIRES
runaways, he was given his freedom.
And finally, the terrible white man
had fined him and Balesuna village
ten thousand cocoanuts. After that he
had sheltered no more runaway Ma
laita men. Instead, be had gone into
the business of catching them. 1t was
safer. Besides, he was paid one case
OF tobacco per head But if he ever
got a chance at that white man. if he
ever caught him sick or stood at his
back when he stumbled and fell on
bush trail--well. there would he head
that would fetch price in Mala
tia.
sheldon was pleased with what See
lee told him. The seventh man Of the
iast batch of runaways had been
caught and was even then at the gate
he was brought in, heavy featured
ana defiant, his arms bound with CO
eoanut sennit. the dry blood still on
us body from the struggle with his
captors.
Me savvee you good feila, Seelee."
S"eidon said, as the chief gulped down
quarter tumbler of raw trade gin.
feiia boy belong me you catch short
.''ae little bit. This felia boy strong
ieNa too much. I give you fella one
s"sc tobacco-my word. one case to-
o"oco. Then. you good fella along
"''' ! give you three fathom calico.
'le leila knife big fella too mus 5
IS tobacco ana trade goods wtle
s'oaEht from the store room By two
' Ao'se boys and turned over 10 az