The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-15
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CHAPTER n.
Joan LAKELAND.
~ Y the second day OF the north.
wester Sheldon was In col
lapse from his fever. It had
taken an unfair advantage Of
MS weak state. and. though It was only
ordinary malaTiaI fever. In forty-eight
hours It had run him as low az ten
days Of fever wouId have done when
ne was % condition. But the dysen.
terry had been swept away from Be
rande. A score Of convalescents I'm
eered n the hospital but they were
improving hourly. There had been
out one more death-that Of the man
whose brother had walled over him In
stead Of brushing the dies away.
On the morning Of the fourth day Of
his fever sheldon lay on the veranda,
gazing dimly out over the raging
ocean. The wind was falling, but a
mighty sea was still laundering In on
Berande beach. the dying spray reach
ing mas fkr IS the flagstaR mounds.
the foaming wash Dreaming against
the sateposts. lie had taken thirty
grains of Quinine, and the drug was
buzzing IN his ears like q nest of hor-
nets, making bis hands and knees
trembIe and causing siekening pal
pitation oe the stomach. Once, open
ing his eyes. be saw what he took to
-. n.sf1 H1y~$ - ~
coming IN across the Jessie's anchor
age be saw 4 Whaleboatss nose thrust
skyWard on a smoky crest and dis
nppeAr naturally. as an actual whale
boats nose should disappear. as IL
sid down the back OF the sea. He
knew G1at no whaleboat should be
out there. and be was quite certain
no men In the Solomons were mad
enough to be abroad IN such storm.
But the haIlucination persisted A
minute later. CHANGING to open his eyes.
he saw the whaieboat. full length. aad
saw right into It as 1t rose on the face
Of q wave He saw SIX sweeps at
work. and IN the stern. clearly out
lined against the overhanging wall OF
white. q man who stood erect, gigantic.
gwayfng with his weight on the steer.
ing sweep. This be saw. and an eighth
man who crouched In the bow and
gazed shoreward But what startled
sheldon was the sight OF 3 woman In
the sternsheets between the stroke
oar and the steersman. A woman she
was. for a braid Of her hair was flying.
and she was just In the act Of recap
turing It and showing It away beneath
a hat that for all the world was like
his own 'Baden-Powen."
The boat disappeared behind the
wave and rose into view on the face
OF the following one. Again be looked
into It The men were dark skinned
and larger than Solomon islanders, but
the woman, he could plainly see. was
white. Who she was and what she
was doing there were thoughts that
drifted vaguely through bis conscious
ness. he was too sick to be vitality In
tsrssted. and. besides. be had q half
feeling that IL was all dream.
tsGOod boatraen." was Shelden's YER
Dict Is he saw the boat leap forward
on the faea OF q huge breaker. the
sweeps flying swiftly 20 keep her on
that front OF the moving mountain of
water that raced madiy for the shore.
It was wen done. Part xuIl Of water,
the boat was dung upon the beach. the
men springing out and dragging its
nose to the gate posts Sheldon had
called va1nly to the house boys. who.
at the moment. were dosing the re-
manning patients in the hospital He
knew he was unable to rise up and
60 down the path to meet the new
Corners. 50 he lay back In the steamer
chair and watched for ages while they
cared for the boat The woman stood
to one side, her hand resting on the
gate. Occasional surges OF sea water
washed 0Yen her feet. which he could
see were incased in rubber sea boots.
She scrutinized the house sharply, and
for some time she gazed at him stead
lily. At last. speaking TO two OF the
men. who turned and followed her.
she started up the path.
sheldon attempted to rise. got hall
up cut OF his chair and fen back help
lessly. He was surprised at the size
Of the men, who doomed like giants be-
hind her. Both were six footers, and
they were heavy in proportion. He
had never seen islanders like them.
They were not black, Ike the solomon
islanders. but light brown. and their
features were larger. more regular and
even handsome.
The weman-cr girl. rather. be de-
elded-walked along the veranda to-
ward him. The two men waited at the
head of the steps watching curiously-