The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1911-11-08
Adventure
A Romance of
The South Seas
BY
JACK LONDON
Copyright, 1910. by Street @ Smith
Copyright. 1911. by the Macmillan Complain

= NHN@-~~~-~~-N@
( robbery. ana man eating. the place
from which his own two hundred plan.
tation hands had been recruited Be
tween him aud the beach was the cane
grass fence OF the compound. The
gate was ajar. and he sent the house
boy 70 close Ii. Within the fence grew
number of lofty cucounui palms On
either side the path that ted to the
gate stood two tail hagstatfS. like
ships masts. with tupmasts spliced on
in true nautical fashion. with snrouus.
ratlines. gaifs and flag haIyards.
From the gaff of one two gay dags
hung Imply. one II checker board of
blue and white squares. the other a
white pennant centred with Il red disk
Ii was the International code signal
of distress
The man ordered the great bell to be
hands to cease work and go to their
barracks Then he mounted his man
horse and made the last round of the
day.
In the hospital were two new cases
To these he gave castor Oil He con-
graduated himself IL had been an
easy day Only three had died. He
inspected the copra driving that had
been going on. and went through the
barracks to see II there were any sick
lying hidden and defying his rule of
segregatio Returned to the house.
he received the reports of the boss
boys and gave Instructions for next
days work The boats crew boss also
he had in. to give assurance as was
the custom nightly. that the whale
boats were hauled up ana padIocKeu
! This was q most necessary precaution.
! FOR the blacks were in Il funk. and a
whale boat left lying on the beach in
! the evening meant loss Of twenty
blacks by morning Since the blacks
were worth $50 piece or less. accord
ing to how much of their time had
/ been worked our. Bprande plantation
! could i'll afford the loss Besides.
| whale boats were not cheap in the
/ SOlOmOnS. and also. the deaths were
| daily reducing The working capital
! Seven blacks had fed into the bush
| The week before. and four had dragged
| themselves back. helpless from fever
with the report that two more had
been killed and kai kai'd (eaten) by
the hosptable bushmen. The seventh
man was still ut large and was said
TO be working along the coast on the
lookout to steal canoe and get away
to his own island.
Viaburi brought two lighted lanterns
to the white man for inspection He
glanced at them and saw that they
were burning brightly with clear.
broad flames. and nodded his head.
One was hoisted up TO the gaff of the
flagstaff. and the other was placed on
the wide veranda. They were the
leading lights to the Berande anchor
age. and every night in the year they
were so inspected and hung out.
He rolled back Oh his couch with
sigh of relief The days work was
done. rifle lay on the couch beside
him His revolver was within reach
Of his hand An hour passed. during
which he did not move. He lay i'm q
state of half slumber. half coma. He
became suddenly alert. A creak OH
the back veranda was the cause The
room was l. shaped: the corner in
which stood his couch was dim. but
the hanging lamp in the main part of
the room. over the billiard table and
just around the corner SO that IL did
not shine on him. was burning bright
ly. Likewise the verandas were well
lighted He waited without move
ment. The creaks were repeated. and
he knew several men lurked outside.
what name?" he cried sharply.
The house. raised a dozen feet above
the ground. shook on its pile founda-
tons to the rush of retreating foot
steps.
They're getting bold" he muttered
something will have to be done"
The full moon rose over Malaita and
shone down on Berande. Nothing
stirred in the MINDLESS air. From the
hospital still proceeded the moaning
of the sick. In the grass matched
barracks nearly two hundred woolly
headed man eaters slept off the weari-
ness of the days toll. though several
lifted their heads to listen 10 the curses
Of one who cursed the white man
who never slept On the four veran-
das of the house the lanterns burned
Inside. between rifle and revolver. the
man himself moaned and tossed In
intervals OF troubled sleep.