Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-01-09


when viaburi entered and an.
nounced:
"Big fella schooner close up."
Even as. he spoke. they heard the
rumble Of chain through hawse pipe,
and from the veranda saw big black
painted schooner swinging to her just
,'aucht anchor.
ITS q Yankee" Joan cried. "See
that bow. Look at that elliptical stern!
All, thought So as the stars and
stripes huttered to the masthead.
Martial. San Francisco" Sheldon
read. locking through the telescope.
Its the first Yankee ever heard Of
in the Solomons. They are coming
ashore. whoever they are. And. by
love. look at those men at the oars.
It's an all white crew. Now. what rea-
son brings them hereT"
''They' not proper sailors" Joan
commented. I'D be ashamed Of a crew
of blac,: boys that pulled in such
fashion. Look at that fellow In the
bow-the one just jumping out; he'd be
more at home OH q COW pony"
The boats crew scattered up and
down the beach. ranging about with
eager curiosity. while the two men who
had sat in the stern sheets opened the
gate and came up the path 10 the bun
galow. one of them. n tall and slender
In xx-hf q
ted him like semi-military uniform.
The other man. In nondescript gar-
menis that were both Of the sea and
shore and that must have been uncom-
fortabiy hot. slouched and shambled
like an orergrown ape. To complete
the Illusion. his face seemed TO sproui
in all directions with dense bushy
mass OF red whiskers. while his eyes
were snail and sharp and restless.
Sheldon. who had gone to the head
Of the steps. introduced them to Joan.
The bewhiskered individual. who
looked like Il Scotchman. had the leu
tonic name OF Won Blk and spoke
with an American accent The tail
man In the well fitting ducks. who
gave the English name Of Tudor-John
Tudor-talked purely enunciated Eng
lish such as any cultured American
would talk. save for the fact that II
was most delicately and subtly touched
by faint German accent.
Won Blk was rough and boorish. but
Tr1fn ft,l1 N
thing he did. or looked. or said.
They were on gold hunting ex-
pedition. He was the leader and Tudor
was his lieutenant All hands-and
there were twenty -eight-were share
holders. fl varying proportions. In the
adventure. Several were sailors. but
the large majority were miners. culled
from all the camps from Mexico to
the Arctic ocean. , 1t was the old and
ever untiring pursuit Of gold and they
came ty the Solomons to get 1t. Part
Of them. under the leadership Of Tudor.
were to 20 up the Balesuna and pene-
trate the mountainous heart Of Guadal-
canar. while the Martha. under Won
Blk. sailed away for Malaita to put
through similar exploration.
"AEd So" said Won Blk. "for Mr..
Tudor's expedition We must have some
black boys Can we get them from
you?"
"In the first place we can't spare
them" Sheldon answered. 1--WE are
short of them on the plantation as 1t
is"
"Wp?" Tudor asked quickly. Then
you are firm or partnership? |
understood at Guvutu that you were
alone. that you had lost your partner"
Sheldon inclined his head toward
Joan. and as he spoke she felt that he
had become a trlfle stiff.
"AIlss Lakeland has become inter
ested in the plantation since then. But
to return to the boys. We can't spare
them. and. besides, they would be OF
little use. You couldn't get them to
accompany you beyond Binu. which Is
a short days work with the boats from
here. They are Malaita men. and they
are afraid of being eaten. They would
desert you at the first opportunity.
You could get the Binu men to ac-
company you another days journey
through the grass lands. but at the first
roll of the foothills look for them to
turn back. They likewise are disin-
clined to being eaten.'
els It as bad as that" asked Won
Blk.
"The Interior Of Guadalcanar has
never been explored" Sheldon explain
ed. 1.-THE bushInen are as wild men
as are to be found anywhere ln the
world today have never seen one.
have never seen man who has seen
one. The Austrian expedition-scient-
lists, you know-got part way In before
II was cut to pieces. The monument
Is up the beach there several miles.
Only one man got back to the coast to
tell the tale. And DOW you have all
or any other man knows OF the inside
Of Guadalcanar."
but gold-have you hedrd OF goidF
Tudor asked impatiently. '"Do you
know anything about gold?
Sheldon smiled. while the two visitors
hung eagerly upon bis words.
"You can go two miles up the Bale
suna and wash colors from the gravel.
I've done 1t often. There Is gold un-
doubtedly hack In the mountains"
Tudor and Won Blk looked trium
phantly at each other.
."Old Wheatsheafs yarn was true.
then. -" Tudor said. and Won Blk nod
ded. ''And If Malaita turns out az
well"-
Tudor broke on and looked at Joan.
"It was the tale of this old beach
comber that brought us here" he ex-
planned. "von Blk befriended him
and was told the secret" He. turned
and addressed Sheldon. Il think we
shall prove that white men have been
through the heart of Guadalcanar
long before the time of the Austrian
expedition"
Sheldon shrugged his shoulders.
1--WE have never heard Of It down
here" he said simply, Then he ad-
dressed Won Blk. "As to the boys,
you couldn't use them farther than