Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-12-05

they walked back to the compound.
Here a saturnalia had broken loose
The war songs and dances were more
unrestrained. and from abuse the pian-
tation blacks had turned TO peiting
their helpless foes with pieces OF wood.
handfuls OF pebbles and chunks or
coral rock. And the seventy-hve iusty
cannibals chung stoically to their tree
perches, enduring the rain OF missiles
and snarling down promises OF Venge-
ance.
"There'll be wars for forty years on
Malaita on account Of this" Sheldon
laughed but fancy old Telepass0
will never again attempt to rush
plantation.
"Eh. you old scoundrel," he added.
turning to the old chief. who sat glib
bering in impotent rage at the toot
of the steps. Nov head belong you
bang m too. Come on, Miss Lack
land. bang I'm just once. 1t will be the
crowning indignity."
ugh, he's too dirty. I'd rather give
him a bath. Here you, Adamu Adam.
give this devil wash. Soap and
water! Fill that washtuh. Ornnrl. run
and fetch 'm scrub brush"
The Tahitians. back from their nsn"
ing aud grinning at the bedlam OF the
compound, entered into the joke.
.sTambo! Tambow shrieked the cam
nibals from the trees. appalled, at SO
awful desecration. as they saw their
chief tumbed into the tub and the
sacred dirt rubbed and soused from
his body.
Joan. who had gone into the bunga-
low, tossed down strip OF White
calico. in which old Telepasse was
promptly wrapped, and he stood rortns
respIendent and purified, withal ne
still spat and strangled from the soap
suds with which Noa Noah had gargleu
his throat.
The house boys were directed to fetcn
handouts, and. one by one, the Lunga
runaways were hauled down our OK
their trees and made fast. Sheldon
ironed them in pairs and ran a steel
chain through the links of the irons.
Gogoomy was given lecture for MS
, mutinous conduct and locked up Tor the
afternoon. Then Sheldon rewarded the
plantation hands with an afternoons
holiday, and when they mad WIFI
drawn from the compound permitteu
! the Port Adams men to descend from
the trees. And all afternoon he ana
Joan loafed in the cool OF the veranua
and watched them diving down and
: emntving their sunken canoes OF the
, sond and rocks. 1t was twilight when
= they embarked and padded away WIN
:. few broken paddles. A breeze had
u sprung up. and the Flibberty GiDDet
had already sailed for Lunga to return
: the runaways.
: Sheldon was back In the plantation
;, superintending the building OF bridge
y when the schooner Malakula ran 10
q close and dropped anchor Joan watcn
= ed the taking in Of sail and the swing
e ing out Of the boat with sailors inter
is est and herself met the two men wn'
i. came ashore.
u They seemed awkward and constrain
~ ed IN her precence, and she caught mrs
one and then the other looking at ne
with secret curiosity. She felt tina
&c they were weighing her appraising mel
ct and for the first time the anomalcul
at position she occupied on Berande SAM
o. sharply home to her. On the otne
hand, they puzzled her.
The elder one. Morgan. was mug
man, bronzed and mustached. with
deep bass voice and an almost guttera
ei speech, and the other Raft. was slign
as and effeminate. with nervous hand
a and watery washed out gray eyes.
he She watched Sheldon closely wne
RS he arrived and OWNED that he was nc
particularly delighted to see them. br
Ia. see them he must. and so pressing wa
re the need that ne led the two men int
W. the stuffy office. Later in the afternoo
cts she asked Lalaperu where they ia
rs. gone.
A." my word" quoth Lalaperu. "plen'
he walk about. plenty look m. Look
,ut tree; look IN ground belong tree; loS
IN all fella bridge; look IN cop
n." -.