The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-01-22
BY
JACK LONDON
Copyright. 1910. by Street 4 Smith
Copyright. 1911. oy the Macmillan
Company
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CHAPTER XIII.

the auIOm2uc WASN'T nice 10 listen
to, Was 1t you or Tudor?'
$50 you know all about It." he an
kwered coolly. well. 1t was Tudor,
but be was doing it left handed. Hes
down with hole in his shoulder" He
looked at her keeny. disappointing,
isn't ii o. be drawIed.
How do you mean?"
why. that didn't kill him"
But | didn't want him killed just
because be kissed me-" she cried
"Oh. be did kiss you" Sheldon re-
torted In evident surprise. Il thought
you said be hurt your arm"
Zone could call 1t a kiss. though ii
was only on the end of the rose" She
laughed at the recollection. But
paid him back for that myself.
boxed his face for him. And be did
hurt my arm. It's black and blue.
Look at it,
She pulled up the loose sleeve of her
blouse, and he saw the bruised i'm
prints of two fingers.
Just then a gang Of blacks came out
from among the trees, carrying the
wounded man on a rough stret4her.
Romantic, isn't it?' Sheldon sneered
following Joan's startled gaze land
now TIL have to play surgeon and doc.
tor him up. Funny. this twentieth
century dueling. First you drill hole
In a man, and next you set about
plugging the hole up"
They had stepped aside to let the
sretcher pass. and Tudor, who bad
heard the remark. lifted himself up
on the elbow of his sound arm and
said with defiant grin:
III you'd got one of mine you'd have
had to plug with dinner plate"
"Oh, you wretchw Joan cried
you've been cutting your bullets"
lit was according to agreement
Tudor answered Everything went
We could have used dynamite If we
wanted to-"
Hes right" Sheldon assured her
as they swung in behind. Amy weap.
on was permissible lay in the grass
where be couldn't see me and bush
whacked him In truly noble fashion
That's what comes of having women
tics and drainage tubes. suppose
It's nasty mess, and I'll have to
read up on 1t before / tackle the job"
II don't see that it's my fault" she
began. II couldn't help it because be
kissed me. l never dreamed he would
attempt it"
I'VE didn't fight for that reason. Blu,
there isn't time to explain. Ii you'll
get dressings and bandages ready I'll
look up gunshot wounds and see what's
to be done"
''Is he bleeding seriously? 7" she asked
mo; the bullet seems to have missed
the important arteries. But that
would have been a pickle"
Then there's no need to bother
about reading up," Joan said. And
I'm just dying to hear what 1t was
all about The Apostle is lying be
Gained inside the point, and her boats
are out towing. She'll be at anchor
In FIVE minutes. and DR.. Welshmere Is
sure to be on board. So all we've got
to do Is to make Tudor comforta bic
We'd better put him in your room un.
der the mosquito netting and send a
boat off to tell DR.. Welshmere to bring
his instruments"
An hour afterward DR.. Welshmere
left the patient comfortable and at
tended to and went down to the beach
to go on board. promising to come back
to dinner. Joan and Sheldon. stand
ing on the veranda. watched him de-
part
'I'u never have 1t In for the mission.
aries again since seeing them here in
the Solomons," she said, seating her
self in steamer chair.
She looked at Sheldon and began to
laugh.
That's right" be said. Its the
way feel. playing the fool and trying
to murder guest"
But you haven't told me what it
was all about"
YOU" be answered shortly.
ME? But you just said 1t wasn't"
''Oh. 1t wasn't the kiss" He walked
over to the railing and leaned against
1t, facing her. But it was about you
all the same. and | may as well tell
you. You remember. warned you
long ago what would happen when you
wanted to become a partner In Be
kande- Well, all the beach is gossip
Ing about 1t. and Tudor persisted in
repeating the gossip TO me- So you
see 1t won't do for you to stay on here
under present conditions 1t would be
better II you went away"
But | don't want TO go away" she
objected with rueful countenance
"A chaperon then
NO. nor a chaperon."
But you surely don't expect me to
go around shooting every slanderer In
the Solomons that opens his mouth p
he demanded gloomily.
mo. nor that either" she answered
with quick impulsiveness- III tell
you what we'n do. Wen get married
and put stop to it all-therer'
he looked at her In amazement and
would have believed that she was
making fun Of him had 1t not been for
the warm blood that suddenly sufused
her cheeks
do you mean thatT he asked un.
steadily. "Whyr
ITO put a stop to all the nasty Cos,
sip Of the beach. That's a pretty good
reason, isn't ttY'