Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-11-14

The big bell was rung. and fifty black
boys carried the whaleb0at down to
the water. The regular boats crew
manned her. and Matauare and three
other Tahitians, beIted with cartridges
and armed with rifles. sat in the stern
sheets, where Sheldon stood at the
steering oar
my. l wish could 60 with you"
Joan said wistfully as the boat showed
off.
"I'm as good as man." she urged.
"You really are needed here" he re-
piled. There's that Lunga crowd:
they might reach the coast right here
and. with both Of us absent, rush the
plantation. Goodby. Well get back
in the morning some time. It's only
twelve miles,"
When Joan started to return to the
house she was compelled to pass
among the boat carriers. and one OF
them stepped up to her In the dark
ness she could not make him out.
"What name" she asked sharply.
what name belong you"
me Aroa." he said.
She remembered him as one Of tho
two sick boys she had nursed in the
hospital. The other one had died.
me take IN plenty fella medicine
too much" Aroa was saying.
''Well. and you all right now" she
answered.
"Me want IN tobacco, plenty fella
tobacco: me want IN calico. me want
IN porpoise teeth: me want m one
fella belt.'
She looked at him humorousiy, ex-
pecting to see smile. or at least grin.
on his face. The rest of the boys had
crowded up at his back in solid wall.
Some one of them gtggled. but the
remainder regarded her In morose ana
intent silence.
well" she asked. what for you
want plenty fella things?"
ME take IN medicine" quoth Aroa.
'You pay me-"
"You 60 along quarters" she said,
starting to turn on her heel to enter
the gate.
"You pay me-" said the boy.
''Aroa, you all the same one big fool.
no pay you. Now you go"
But the black was unmoved. She
felt that he was regarding her almost
lnsolently as he repeated:
Il take m medicine. You pay me.
You pay me now"
| Then it was that she lost her tenn
per and cuffed his ears so soundly as
to drive him back among his fellows.
But they did not break up. Another
boy stepped forward.
me Gogoomy," he said. "Bawo
brother belong me-"
Bawo, she remembered, was the
sick boy who had died.
Go on" she commanded.
"Bawo take IN medicine. BawO I'm
ish. Bawo my brother. You pay me.
Father belong me one big fella chief
along Port Adams. You pay me-"
Joan laughed.
"Gogoomy, you just the same as
Aroa, one big fool. My word, who
nay me for medicine?"
She dismissed the matter by passing
through the gate and closing 1t. But
Gogoomy pressed up against it and
said impudently:
Father belong me one big fella
chief. You no bang IN head belong
he. Ny word, you fright too much"
me fright?' she demanded, while
anger tingled all through her:
''Too much fright bang m head be-
long me-" Gogoomy said proudly.
And then she reached for him across
the gate and got him. It was a sweep
Ing, broad handed slap, so heavy that
he staggered sideways and nearly fell
he sprang for the gate as If to force
it open, while the crowd surged for
ward against the fence. Joan thought
RAPIDLY. Her revolver was hanging
on the wall Of her grass house. Yet
one CRY would bring her sailors, and
she knew she was safe. So she did
not CRY for help. Instead, she whistled
for Satan, at the same time calling
him by name. She knew he was shut
up in the living room, but the blacks
did not wait to see. They fed with
wild yells through the darkness, fol-
lowed reluctantly by Gogoomy, while
she entered the bungalow, laughing al
first, but finally vexed to the verge OF
tears by what had taken place. She
had sat up whole night with the boy
who had died, and yet his brother de
manded to be paid for his life.
ugh! The ungrateful beast!' one
muttered. while she debated whether
or not she would confess the incident
to Sheldon.
"And so it was all settled easily
enough" Sheldon was saying. He was
on the veranda, drinking coffee. The
whaleboat was being carried into ite
shed. Boucher was bit timid at
first to carry off the situation with
strong hand, but he did very well once
we got started. We made play at
holding a court, and Telepasse, the old
scoundrel, accepted the findings. Hes
Port Adams chief, filthy beggar. We
fined him ten times the value of the
| ,,,oa ond made him move on with his