El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-10
CHAPTER ".
JOAN LACKLAND.

"Y the second day Of the north
wester Sheldon was in col
lapse from his fever. It had
taken an unfair advantage Of
his weak state, and. though it was only
ordinary malariaI fever. in forty-eight
hours It had run him as low as ten
days Of fever would have done when
he was in condition. But the dysen-
terry had been swept away from Be
rande. A score Of convalescents lin
gered in the hospital. but they were
improving hourly. There had been
out one more death-that OF the man
whose brother had walled over him in
stead Of brushing the flies away.
On the morning Of the fourth day Of
his fever Sheldon lay on the veranda.
gazing dimly out over the raging
ocean. The wind was falling, but a
mighty sea was still laundering in OF
Berande beach. the flying spray reach
ing in as far as the Flagstaff mounds,
the foamiug wash Dreaming against
the gatepOsts he had taken thirty
grains Of quinine. and the drug was
bUZzing in his ears like a nest Of hor-
nets. making his hands and knees
tremble and causing a sickening pal
pitation Of the stomach. Once, open
ing his eyes. he saw what be took to
be a hauucinaton. Not far out and
coming in across the Jessie's anchor
age he saw a whaleboat's nose thrust
skyward on 4 smoky crest and dis
appear naturally, as an actual whale
boats nose should disappear. as it
slid down the back Of the sea. BE
knew that no whaleboat should be
out there. and he was quite certain
no men in the Solomons were mad
enough to be abroad in such a storm.
But the haIucination persisted A
minute later. CHANGING to open his eyes.
be saw the whalebOat, full length. and
saw right into It as it rose on the face
Of a wave. He saw six sweeps at
work. and in the stern, clearly out
lined against the overhanging wall of
white, a man who stood erect gigantic.
swaying with his weight on the steer
ing sweep. This he saw, and an eighth
man who crouched in the bow and
gazed shOreward- But what startled
Sheldon was the sight Of a woman in
the stemsheets between the stroke
oar and the steersman. A woman she
was, for a braid Of her hair was flying.
and she was just in the act Of recap
turing it and slowing & away beneath
a bat that for all the world was Ike
his own ''Baden-Powen."
The boat disappeared behind the
wave and rose into view on the face
Of the following one Again he looked
into it. The men were dark skinned
and larger than Solomon islanders, but
the woman. he could plainly see. was
white. Who she was and what she
was doing there were thoughts that
drifted vaguely through his conscious
ness. He was too sick to be vitality in
terested, and. besides, he had a half
feeling that il was all a dream.
"Good boatmen," was Sheldon's YER
dict, as he saw the boat leap forward
on the face OF a huge breaker. the
sweeps flying swiftly to keep her on
that front Of the moving mountain Of
water that raced madly for the shore.
It was well done. Part full CT water,
the boat was fung upon the beach, the
men springing out and dragging its
nose 10 the gate posts. Sheldon had |
called vainly to the house boys, who,
at the moment. were dosing the re-
patients in the hospital. He /
knew, he was unable to rise up and /
go down the path to meet the new /
corners, so he lay back in the steamer /
chair and watched for ages while they I
cared for the boat The woman stood |
to one side, her hand resting on the /
gate. Occasional surges Of sea water
washed over her feet, which he could /
see were incased in rubber sea boots. Z
She scrudnized the house sharply, and |
for some time she gazed at him stead /
by. At last, speaking to two Of the
men. who turned and followed her. /
she started up the path.
Sheldon attempted TO rise. got half /
Up out Of his chair and fell back help /
essly. He was surprised at the size
IF the men, who doomed like giants be
hind her. Both were six footers. and
hey were heavy in proportion. He
had never seen islanders like them.
They were not black. like the Solomon
SANDERS but light brown and their