Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-01-16
A Romance of
The South Seas
BY
JACK LONDON
Copyright. 1870 by Street & Smith
Copyright. 1871. by the Macmillan Company


shelter tent for Joans use.
Il was quite a formidable expedi.
tion that departed from Berande al
break of day next morning in fleet
of canoes and dingeys. There were
Joan and Sheldon, with Binu Charley
and Lalaperu. the eight Tahitians and
the ten Poonga-Poonga men, each
proud in the possession of a bright and
shining modern rife.
Binu Charley led the way onward
into the rolling foothills, following the
trail made by Tudor and his men
weeks before. That night they camp
ed well into the hills and deep in the
tropic jungle. The third day found
them on the runways of the bushmen
narrow paths that compelled single
file and that turned and twisted with
endless convolutions through the dense
underground.
Here. in the midmorning, the first
casualty occurred. Binu Charley had
dropped behind for time and KoogoO,
the Poonga- PoOnga man who had
! boasted that he would eat the bush
men, was in the lead. Joan and Shell
don heard the twanging thrum and
saw Koogoo throw out his arms, at
the same time dropping his rife, STUN
| BILE forward and sink down on his
| hands and knees. Between his naked
shoulders, low down and to the left,
appeared the bone barbed head of an
arrow. He had been shot through and
through. Cooked rifles swept the bush
with nervous apprehension, but there
was no rustic, no movement; nothing
but the humid oppressive silence.
"Bushmen he no stop" Binu Char
ley called ont, the sound Of his voice
startling more than one Of them.
my word! Look IN that fella," he
continued brushing aside the leafy
wall of the runway and exposing IA
bow so massive that no one bushman
could have bent it.
The Binu man traced out the me
chanics Of the trap and exposed the |
hidden fiber in the tangled under
growth that at contact with Koogoo's
foot had released the taut bow.
They We're deep in the primeval for !
est Binu Charley took the lead as
they pushed on. and trap after trap
yielded its secret lurking place to his
keen scrutiny. The way was beset
with thousand annoyanceS. chiefest
among which were thorns. cunningly
concealed. that penetrated the bare
feet of the invaders Once. during
the afternoon, Binu Charley barely
missed being impaled in a staked pit
that undermined the trail There were
times when all stood still and waited
for half an hour or more. while Binu
Charley prospected suspicious parts of
the trail
Where slight runway entered the
main one Sheldon paused and asked
Binu Charley If he knew where it leu.
PLENTY bush fella garden he stop
along there short way little bit" was
the answer. IAN right you like IN go
look IN along Walk m easy" he
cautioned few minutes later. CLOSE
up, that fella garden. S'pOSe some
bush fella he stop, we catch m"
Creeping ahead and peerlng into the
clearing for a moment, B!uu Charley
beckoned sheldon TO come ON cautious
". Joan crouched beside him and to-
yether they peeped out. On one edge
IF the clearing was small grass
house, open sided, a mere rain shell ,
er, In front Of Il. Cruuched on his ,
lams before a fire. was a gaunt and ,
BEARDED hushman. The Ere seemed TO ,
moke excessively. and In the thick Of Z
he smoke a round dark object hung
The bushman seemed alb q
orhed I'm contemplation Of this object. !
Warning them not 90 shoot unless ,
he man was successfully escaping. ?
sheldon heckoned the poonga- Poonru ] a
nen forward. Before the buShman /,
ould shoot his swift enemies were =
Ipon him. lie was rolled over and
vcr and dragged 10 his feet. disarmed p,
nd helpless.
why. he's an ancient Rahyloniaur' r
oan cried. REGARDING him. Hes an I
.sSyrian, a phoeuician, Look az that n
tuight nose thar narrow face. those
igh cheek bones and that slantinc. g,
val forehead and the beard and the !.
yes too"
"And the snaky locks" sheldon =.
.ughed ..
My wori bush fella kai-kai along =
'at fella boy Binu Charley remark !,
So stolid was his manner OF utter -
hoe that Joan turned carelessly 10 see n,
hat had attracted his attention and =
'und herself face % face with Co ~
'omy. AT least q was the head OF =,
oroomy- dark object they had =,
'en hanging IN the smoke. =.
Nor was jeans horror lessened bv :,
e conduct Of the Pooura- -Poonra / tt
is on TIRE instant they recognized f h.
e head. and on the instant rose their
"a hearty laughter as they erpiained Z q.
one another On shriu falsetto voices. =.
'rocmy's end was a soke he had =
IN foilci IN his attempt o. esca..e. -
had riarei the sane and lost And fh