Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-12-22
Adventure
A Romance of
The South Seas
BY
JACK LONDON
Copyright. 1910. BY Street q Smith
opyrifht, 1911. by the Macmillan cou,n

fright. 1911. by the Macmillan Company
are afraid Of being eaten. They woult
desert you at the FIRST opportunity
You could get the Bnu men to &C
company you another days journe,
through the grass lands. but at the frs
roll Of the foothills look for them L
turn back. They likewise are disin
clined to being eatcn.''
us it as bad as that?" asked Vo1
Blk.
1.-THE interior of Guadalcanar has
never been explored" Sheldon explain
ed. 'The bushmen are as wild men
as are to be found anywhere in the
world today. have never seen one
/ have never seen a man who has seen
one. The Austrian expedtion-scient.
lists, you know-got part way in before
1t was cut to pieces. The monument
is up the beach there several miles.
Only one man got back to the coast to
tell the tale. And now YOU have all
] or any other man knows of the inside
Of Guadalcanar"
"But gold-have You heard of gold?"
Tudor asked impatientIy. do you
know anything about gold?"
Sheldon smiled. while the two visitors
hung eagerly upon his words.
''You can go two miles up the Bale
suna and wash coIors from the gravel
I've done it often. There is gold IN
doubtedly back in the mountains"
Tudor and Won Blk looked trium
phantly at each other.
"Old Wheatsheaf's yarn was true.
then" Tudor said. and Won Blk nod
ded. And If Malaita turns out as
WE'LL
Tudor broke off and looked at joan
1T was the tale Of this old beach.
comber that brought us here" he ex-
planned. "Von Blk befriended him
and was told the secret" He turned
and addressed Sheldon II think we
shall prove that white men have been
through the heart OF GuadaIcanar
long before the time of the Austrian
expedition"
Sheldon shrugged his shoulders.
1--WE have never heard Of it down
here" he said simply. Then he ad-
dressed Won Blk. LAS to the boys.
you couldn't use them farther than
Binu. and Ill lend you as many as
you want as far as that. How many
Of your party are going and how soon
will you start?"
Ten" said Tudor; mine men and
myself
'And you should be able to start
day after tomorrow" Blk said
to him. The boats should practically
be knocked together this afternoon.
Tomorrow should see the outfit por
toned and packed. AS for the Martha.
Mr.. Sheldon. We'll rush the stuff ashore
this afternoon and sail by shutdown"
As the two men returned down the
path to their boat Sheldon regarded
Joan quizzically.
There's romance for you." he said.
"and adventure-gold hunting among
the cannitals. Aren't you sorry you
beca me oocoanut panter?"
'What do you think Of them?" she
asked.
''Oh. old Won Blk is all right. a
solid sort of chap in his fashion: but
Tudor Is n dyaway-too much on the
surface. you know. If it came to
being wrecked on desert island Id
prefer Won Blk"
II don't quite understand" Joan OBJ.
jected. what have you against
Tudor?"
"A man Of Tudor's type gets on my
nerves. One demands more repose
from man."
Joan felt that she did not quite
agree with his judgment, and. some
how. Sheldon caught her feeling and
was disturbed. He remembered noting
how her eyes had frightened as she
talked with the newcomer.
A second boat had been lowered. and
the outfit Of the shore party was
landed rapidly. A dozen of the crew
put the knocked down boats together
on the beach. There were five of these
and narrow. with taring
sides and remarkably long. Each was
equipped with three paddles and
several iron shOd poles.
You chaps certainly seem to know
river work." Sheldon told one of the
I'VE use 'em in Alaska. They're
after the Yukon polling boats.
and you can bet your life they're
This creek'll be a snap
alongside some Of them northern
streams. Five hundred pounds in one
II them boats an two men can snake
t along in a way that'd surprise you"
At sunset the Martha broke out her
lnchor and got under way. dipping
Ter flag and saludng with bomb
:un. The union Jack ran up and
lOwn the STAFF. and Sheldon replied
With his brass signal cannon. The
miners pitched their tents in the COM
'Ound and cooked on the beach. while
Tudor dined with Joan and Sheldon.
Their guest seemed to have been
and seen everything and
net everybody, and. encouraged by
oan. his talk was largely upon his
wn adventures. Descended from old
Jew England stock. his father a con.
ul general. he had been born in Ger
many. in which country he had re-
eived his early education and his &C.
ent. Then. still boy. he had re-
oined his father in Turkey and ar
Ompa MED him later to Persia. his ia
her having been appointed minister to
hat country.
Tudor had gone through South
american revolutions. been rough
ider in Cuba. a scout In South Africa
nd a war correspondent in the Russo
III Gl<e