Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-10-31
A Romance of
The South Seas
BY
JACK LONDON
Copyright. 1910. by Street g Smith
Copyright. 1911. by the Macmillan Compan,

fella too much. l give you fella one
case tobacco-my word, one case to
bacco. Then, you good fella along
me, l give you three fathom calico
one fella knife big fella too much"
The tobacco and trade goods were
brought from the store room by two
house boys and turned over to the
chief of Balesuna village, who accept
ed the additional reward with a non
committal grunt and went away down
the path to his caEUes. Under Shell
don's directions, the house boys hand
cuffed the prisoner, by hands and feet,
around one of the pile supports of the
house. At eleven o'clock, when the
laborers came in from the field, Shell
don had them assembled in the COM
pound before the veranda. Every able
man was there, including those who
were helping about the hospital. Even
the women and the several pickanin-
MES of the plantation were lined up
with the rest. two deep-a horde of
naked savages a trifie under two hun.
dred strong. Some wore penknives
clasped on their kinky locks for
safety. On the chest of one china
doorknob was suspended, ON the chest
of another the brass wheel of an alarm
clock.
Facing them, clinging to the railing
of the veranda for support. stood the
sick white man. Any one of them
could have knocked him over with
the blow of little finger Despite his
firearms, the gang could have rushed
him and delivered that blow, when his
head and the plantation would have
been theirs. Hatred and murder and
lust for revenge they possessed to
overflowing. But one thing they
lacked, the thing that he possessed
the fame of mastery that would not
quench. that burned fercely as ever
in the disease wasted body.
'Narada! Billy!' Sheldon called
sharply.
Two men skunk unwillingly forward
and waited.
Sheldon gave the keys of the hand
cuffs to a house boy. who went under
the house and lOosed the prisoner.
You fella Narada, you fella Billy,
cOke um this fella boy along tree and
make fast. hands high up" was Shell
don's command.
While this was being done one of
the house boys fetched a heavy ham
died, heavy lashed whip. Sheldon be-
gan a speech.
This fella Arunga, me cross along
him too much. | no steal this feIla
Arunga. | no CANNON. | say, All
right, you come along me Berande,
work three fella year. He say. All
right, me come along you work three
fella year He come. He catch plenty
good fella kai kai food plenty good
fella money. What name he run
away? Me too much cross along him.
| knock what name outa him fella. |
pay Seelee. big fella master along |
Balesuna. one case tobacco catch that |
ella Arunga. All right. Arunga pay
hat fella Arunga pay. ALE same one
Tear more that fella Arunga work
Ali right. Now he catch ten
ella whip three times. You fella Billy
,atch whip. give that fella Arunga ten
ella three times. All fella boys look
lee. all fella Marys (wOmenI look see:
,ime bye. they like run away they
hink strong fella too much. no run
way. Billy. strong fella too much
en- fella three times"
The house boy extended the whip
o him, but Billy did not take IT, Shell
lon waited quietly. The eyes OF all
he cannibals were fixed upon him in
oubt and fear and eagerness. It
vas the moment OF test, whereby the
Dne white man was to live or be lost.
Ten fella three times. Billy" Shell
on said encOuragingly. though there
7as a certain metallic rasp in his
Oice.
Billy scowled. looked up and looked
own, but did not move
'Billyr
Sheldon's voice exploded like a pistol
hot. The savage startled physically.
rims Overspread the grotesque feat
res Of the audience. and there was a
Dund Of tittering.
'S'pose you like too much lash that
lila Arunga. you take him fella Tul-
gi" Billy said. zone fella govern
lent agent make plenty lash. That /
N fella law. Ne savvee um fella
W"
II was the law. and Sheldon knew
But be wanted to live this dav
nd the next day and not to die wait
lg for the law 10 operate the next
eek OF the week after
To much talk along you" be cried
lgrily. What name. eh? What
amer
Me savvee law the savage repeat
] stubbornly.
"Astoar'
Another man stepped forward in al
.ost a sprightly way and glanced in I
,lently I'D. Sheldon was selecting the '
orst characters for the lesson