Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-11-07
A Romance of
The South Seas

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 on
Berande beach, the flying spray reach
ing in as far as the flagstaff mounds,
the foaming wash creaming against
the gateposts. He had taken thirty
grains of quinine, and the drug was
buzzing in his ears like 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 he took to
be a hallucination. Not far out and
coming in across the Jessie's anchor.
age he saw whaleboat's nose thrust
| skyward on a smoky crest and dis
appear naturally. as an actual whale
boats nose should disappear, as it
slid down the back of the sea. He
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 storm.
But the hallucination persisted. A
minute LATER CHANGING to open his eyes,
he 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 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 woman in
the sternsheets between the stroke
oar and the steersman. A woman she
was, for braid of her hair was flying.
and she was just in the act of recap
turing it and slowing 1t away beneath
a hat that for all the world was like
his own "Baden-Powell"
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 it was all a dream.
"Good boatmen." was Sheldon's YER
dict. as he saw the boat leap forward
on the face of 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 we'll done. Part full OF water,
the boat was flung upon the beach. the
men springing out and dragging Its
nose to the gate posts. Sheldon had
called vainly to the house boys. who.
at the moment. we're dosing the re-
naming patients in the hospital He
knew he was unable TO rise up and
20 down the path to meet the new
comers. so he lay back In the steamer
chair and watched for ages while they
rared 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.
She scrutinized the house sharply, and
for some time she gazed at him stead
ly. 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
lessly. he was surprised at the size
of the men. who loomed like giants be-
hind her. Both we're six footers, ana
they were heavy in proportion. He
had never seen islanders like them
They were not black, like the Solomon
islanders. but light brown. and their
features were larger. more regular ana
even handsome.
The woman-or girl, rather. be de-
along the veranda to-
ward him. The two men waited at the
head Of the steps watching curiously'
The girl was angry. He could see
that Her gray eyes were flashing ana
her lips were ouivering. That she had
, temper was his thought. But the
ewes were striking. he decided that
tbey were not gray after all. or al
east NOT all gray. They were large
md wide apart and they looked al MN
r-o,n under level broWs. Her race
rss cameolike. so clear cut was IL
rbere were other striking things about
ber-tbe COWBOY Stetson hat. the heavy
5-sias of brown hair and the long bar
-oIed ss Colts revolver that hung In It's
holster on her hip.
pretty hospitality. must say, was
nor erecting. letting strangers SINK OF
vim in your front yard
I'll be- your pardon" be STAN
nared bv a supreme effort oraggins
himself to bis feet
his Iecs wabbled under him, anl
-itb a sunocating sensation Be oe-4n
.sotipr 10 the foor- BE vas a"aIe
= feeble eratifcato1 as De saN
.,-srrfude lean into her egez- - 4.