, 1913-06-05

IN the first place we can't spare
them" Sheldon answered. We are
short of them on the plantation as II
is." p
h"Wer Tudor asked quickly Then
you are a firm or a partnership?s l
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 trifie stiff. .u i1a
Miss Lakeland has become inter
ested In the plantation since then. But
to return to h 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 MaIaita men. and they
are afraid of being eaten. They would
desert you at the first opportunity.
You could get the Binu men to &C
company you another days Journey
through the grass lands. but at the first
roll Of b foothills look for them to
turn back. They likewise are disin-
clined to being eaten"
els 1t as bad as that2' asked Won
Biz.
''The interior Of Guadalcanar has
never been explored" Sheldon explain,
ed '.The bushmen are as wild men
as are to be found anywhere in the,
world today. I have never seer one.
l have never e a man who has seen
one. The Austrian expedition-scient-
lists, you know-got part way In before
1t 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 now you have all
] or any other man knows of the inside
Of Guadalcanar."
But gold-have you heard Of goldT',
Tudor asked impatiently. DO you
know anything about goldY'
Sheldon smiled. while the two visitors
hung eagerly upon his words.
you can go two miles up the Bale,
suna and wash colors from the gravel.
I've done it often. There Is gold un-
doubtedly back in the mountains"
Tudor n Won Blk looked trium.
phantly at each other.
"Old W~heatsheafs yarn was true.
khCh 4uNOE balu, anu NUu Dill uoor
ded- And II Malaita turns out az
well"-
Tudor broke of 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. II think, we
shall prove that white men have been
through the heart of Guadalcanaf
long before the time of the Austrian
expedition"
Sheldon shrugged his shoulders,
I'VE have never heard Of 1t down
nescs- ne sau Simply. 1nen ne al
dressed Won Blk. "As to the boys,
you couldn't use them farther than
Binu. and I'll lend you as many as
you want as far as that. How many
Of your party are going and how soon
will you startT" u
''Ten," said Tudor; mine men and
myself"
"And you should be able to start
day after tomorrow" Won Biz said
to him. 1.-The boats should practically
be knocked together this afternoon.
Tomorrow should see the outfit por-
toned and packed. As for the Martha.
Mr.. Sheldon. we'll rush the stun ashore
this afternoon and sail by SHUTDOWN"
As the two men returned down the
path to their boat Sheldon regarded
Joan quizzically.
There's romance for you" he said.
~and adventure-gold hunting among
the cannibals. Aren't you sorry you
became a cocoanut planter?"
"what do you think Of themr" she
asked.
solid sort of chap in his fashion; but
Tudor is a iyaway-too much on the
surface. you know. If 1t came to
being wrecked on a desert island I'd
prefer Won Blk" tgtt.
II don't quite understand" Joan OBJ
jected. what have You against
Tudorf"
"A man Of Tudor's type gets on my
nerves. One demands more repose
from q man" MStla
Joan felt that she did not quite
agree with his judgment. and. sone-
how. Sheldon caught her feeling and
was disturbed. he remembered noting
how her eyes mad frightened as b
talked with the newcomer.
A second boat had been lowered. and
the outfit OF the shore party was
landed rapidly. A dozen Of the crew
put the knocked down boats together
on the beach. There were hve Of these
craft-lean int narrow. with haring
sides and remarkably long. Each was
equipped with three paddles and
several iron shod poles. 4.goa
"You chaps certainly seem to know
river work." Sheldon told n Of the
carpenters. -.i.
1--WE use 'em In Alaska. They're
modelled after the Yukon polling boats.
and you can bet your life they're
crackerjacks. This creek'n be a snap