The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-18
CHAPTER Y.
SEE woULD a rLAvrER BE.


fever had burned out. and
there was nothing for him to
do but gather strength. Joan
had taken the cook in hand. and
for the first time. as Sheldon remark
ed, the chop at Berande was white
mans chop. With her own hands Joan
prepared the sick mans food. and be-
tween that and the cheer she brought
him he was able after two days to
totter feebly out upon the veranda.
The situation struck him as strange.
and stranger still was the fact that it
did not seem strange to the girl at all.
She had settled down and taken charge
of the household as a matter Of course.
as Il be were her father or brother
or as il she were a man like himself.
1T Is just too delightful for any
thing she assured him. 1T is like a
page out Of some romance Here !
come along out Of the sea and find a
sick man all alone with 200 slaves
Recruits. /" he corrected. Contract
Iaborers. They serve only three years,
and they are free agents when they
enter upon their contracts"
YES. yes" she hurried on; "a sick
man lalope. with 200 recruits on can
nibaI island they are cannibals, aren't
they? Or IS It al taik!H
Talk" he said. With a smile. "It's
q tribe more than that. Most OF my
boys are from the bushs and every
bushman Is cannibal."
But not after they become recruits?
Surely the boys ron have here would
not be guilty.
They'd eat you if the chance AFFORD
ed.~
"Are you just saying so. on theory.
or Do you really know?" she asked.
Il know"
"Whyg What makes you think so
Your own men heres"
''Yes. my own men here. the very
house boys. the cook that at the present
moment is making such delicious rolls.
thanks TO you. Not more than three
months ago eleven OF them sneaked a
whaleboat aud ran for AIalaita. Nine
OF them belonged TO Naiaita. Two
were bushmen from San Cristovai
They were. fools. the two from san
Cristoyal. mean: so would any two
Malaita men be who trusted them
selves in a boat with nine from San
CrisIoval"
.'Yes.' she asked eagerly. sThen
what happenedT'
The nine Malaita men ate the two
from San Cristoyal. all except the
heads. which are too valusble for
mere eating. They slowed them away
IN the stern locker until they lauded
And those two heads are now in some
bush village back OF I4anga Langa.s
She clapped her hands and her eyes
sparkled.
They are really and truly eannibalss
And just think. this is the twentieth
century: And thought romance and
adventure were fossilized."
He looked at her with mild amuse.
ment.
what is the matter uOwya she
queried
.'oh. nothing, only I don't fancy be-
ing eaten by lot Of filthy niggers is
the least bit romantic
No, OF course not. she admitted.
.sBut TO be among them. controlling
them, directing them. 200 of them, and
TO escape being eaten by them-that,
at least, If It isn't romantic. is certain
" the qUintessence OF adventure. And
adventure and romance are allied. you
know
by the same token. to go into a
nigger's stomach should be ft1e quin-
tessence Of adventure" he retorted.
Il don't think you have any romance
"a you," she exclaimed You're just
duh and somber and sordid, ike the
Business men at home l don't know
why you're here at all. You should be
at home placidly negotiating as 3 bank
er's clerk or-or'-
a shopkeeper's assistant. thank
yCu."
.sYes. that-anything. What under
the sun are you doing here on the edge
of thingsY'
Earning my bread and butter. try
ing to get on In the world"
BY the bitter road the youngest son
must tread ere he win TO hearth aud
saddle of his own, she quoted. .Why.
e that isn't romantic, then nothing is