Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-10-31
Adventure
A Romance of
The South Seas
BY
JACK LONDON
Copyright. 1910. by Street E Smith
Copyright. 1911. by the Macmillan Compan


around one Of the pile supports of the
house. At eleven o'clock. when the
laborers came in from the field. Shel
don had them assembled in the com
pound before the veranda. Every able
man was there, including those who
were helping about the hospital. Even
| the women and the several pickunin
MES Of the plantation were lined up
with the rest. two deep-a horde of
naked savnges trife under two hun
dred strong. Some wore benknives
clasped on their kinky locks for
safety. On the chest of one Il china
d0orknOb was suspended. on the chest
/ Of another the brass wheel OF an alarm
clock
Facing them. cingins to the railing
of the veranda for support. stood the
sick white man. Any one of them
could have knocked him over with
| the blow Of little finger. Despite his
firearms. the gang could have rushed
him and delivered that blow. when his
head and the plantation would have
been theirs. Hatred aud murder and
lust for revenge they possessed to
overlooking. But one thing they
lacked. the thing that he possessed
the flame Of mastery that would not
quench. that burned tiercely as ever
! in the disease wasted body.
: ''Narada! Billy" Sheldon called
sharply.
Two men skunk unwillingly forward
and waited.
Sheldon gave the keys OF the hand
cuffs to a house boy. who went under
the house and loosed the prisoner.
you felIa Narada. you fella Billy.
take um this feIla boy along tree and
make fast. hands high up was Shel,
don's command
While this was being done Que OF
the house boys fetched heavy han
died. heavy dashed whip. Sheldon he
gan speech.
This fella Arunga. me cross along
him too much. no steal this fela
Arunga. no CANNON. ! say. AN
right. you come along me Berande,
work three feIln year He say. All
right. me come along you work three
fella year He come. He catch plenty
good fella kai kai food, plenty good
fella money. What name he run
away? Me too much cross along him.
knock what name Outa him fella.
pay Seelee. big fella master along
Balesuna. one case tobacco catch that
fella Arunga. All right. Arunga pay
that fella case tobacco. Six pounds
that feIla Artlnsa pay. ALE same one
year more that fella Arunga work
Berande. All right. Now he catch ten
fella whip three times. You feIla Billy
catch whip. give that fella Arunga ten
fella three times. All fella boys look
see. all fella Marys (womem look see;
bime bye. they like run away they
think strong feIIa too much. no run
away. Billy. strong fella too much
ten fella three times"
The house boy extended the whip
to him, but Billy did not take it. Shell
don waited quietly. The eyes Of all
the cannibals were fixed upon him in
doubt and fear and eagerness. 1t
was the moment Of test. whereby the
lone white man was to live or be lost.
''Ten fella three times. Billy" Shell.
don said encOuragingly. though there
was certain metallic rasp in his
voice.
Billy scowIed. looked up and looked
down, but did not move.
"Billy!"
Sheldon's voice exploded like pistol
shot. The savage startled physically.
Grins overspread the grotesque feat
ures Of the audience. and there was II
sound Of tittering.
"S'pose you like too much lash that
fella ArunSu. you take him fella Tul
agi." Billy said zone fella govern
ment agent make plenty lash. That
um fella law. Me savvee um fella
law"
1t was the law. and Sheldon knew
It. But he wanted to live this dav