Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-01-16

Never had runaways from Berande
been more zealously hunted. The
deeds of Gogoomy and his fellows had
been a bad example for the $50 new
recruits. One by one the boys were
captured. Gogoomy alone remained
at large, and. as the pursuit closed in
on him. he conquered his fear of the
bushmen and headed straight in for
the mountainous backbone Of the is
land Sheldon, with four Tahitians,
and Seeee with thirty Of his hunters,
followed Gogoomy's trail dozen miles
into the open grass lands. and then
Seelee and his people lost heart. He
confessed that neither he nor any Of
his tribe had ever ventured so far in
land before, and he narrated for Shell
don's benefit most horrible tales of the
bushmen
"Gogoomy he finish along them fella
bushmen." he assured Sheldon. my
word. he finish close up. kai-kai alto
gether."
So the expedition turned back. Moth
ing could persuade the coast natives to
venture farther and Sheldon, with his
four Tahitians. knew that it was mad
ness to go on alone.
That night, after dinner. Sheldon and
Joan were playing billiards when Satan
barked in the compound and Lalaperu,
sent to see. brought back tired and
travel stained native who wanted to
talk with the "big fella white marster"
Sheldon went out on the veranda to
see him
whit name you come along house
belong ne sun he go DOWN."
ME Charley" the man muttered
apologeticalIy and wearily. ME stop
along Binu."
"Ah, Binu Charley. Ell? Well. what
name you talk along me? What place
big fella marster along white man he
stOp?'
Joan and Sheldon together listened
to the tale Binu Charley had brought
He described Tudor's expedition up
the Balesuna, the dragging Of the boats
up the rapids, the passage up the river
where 1t threaded the grass lands, the
lnnumerable washings of gravel by the
white men in search of gold. the first
rolling foothills the man traps o.
spear staked pits In the jungle trails.
the first meeting with the bushmen
who had never seen tobacco and knew
NOT the virtues of smoking, their friend
liness. the deeper penetration of the
Interior around the nanks of the Lions
Head, the bush sores and the fevers of
the white men. and their madness I'm
trusting the bushmen. One morning
Binu Charley noticed that the women
and children had disappeared Tudor
Mt the time, was lying In stupor with /
fever IN late camp five miles away, /
the main camp having moved on those
hve miles IN order to prospect an out
crop OF likely quartz Blnu Charley
was midway between the two camps
when the absence Of the women aud
children struck him as suspicious
"Aiy word he said. me savvee too
much trouble close up. Me run. My
word. me run"
Tudor, quite unconscious. was slung
across his shoulder and carried a mile
down the trall. Here, hiding new trail
Binu Charley had carried him for a
quarter Of a mile into the heart of the
deepest jungle and hidden him in big
banyan tree. Here. and from the direc-
ton OF the main camp, be had heard
two rifle shots. And that was all. He
had never seen the white men again.
There is only one thing to do" Shell
don said TO Joan. I'm start the first
thing in the morning"
Wen start" she corrected. Il can
get twice as much out Of my Tahltians
rs YOU can. and, besides, one white
should never be alone under such cir
Sheldon sent FOR a gang boss and
old him 10 bring ten Of the biggest
best and strongest Poouga -poouCa
men.
mot salt water boys" sheldon eau
toned "hut bush boys-lcg belong him
.trong fclla leg BOY no savvce mus ,
.et. no good. You bring IN shoot
nuSkct strong fella."
They were ten picked men that filed ,
m on the veranda and stood In the !,
Hare OF the lanterns Their heavy. .
LEGS advertised that they
we're bushmen. Killing was their nat. ..
lral vocation. not weed cutting: aud
While they would not have venturcd a
he Guadalcanar bush alone. with e.
white man Ike sheldon behind them.
md white Mary such as they knew n
loan 90 be. they could expect a safe v
nd de1ghtful time Besides. the great 2.
aasicr bad told them that the eirht e
iganuc rahitians were going along. e
Plenty strong feia dght" sheldon s,
armed them In conclusion.
They grinncd and shifted delighted. N
'S'pose bushmea kai-tai along youy- N
e Qucricd ~
NO fear answered their spokes- %
lan. one koocoo a sirapplnr. thick q
pped Efhiop.an looking nan. -Spose b,
o1nEa-roousa boz kai-kai bush boyI- N