, 1913-04-17

men, VINO turned ana followed her
she started up the path.
Sheldon attempted to rise, got hal,
up cut Of his chair and fell back help
iessly. 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, like the Solomon
islanders, but light brown. and their
features were larger. more regular and
even handsome.
The woman-or girl, rather, he de.
cided-walked along the veranda to-
ward him, The two men waited at the
head Of the steps watching curiously.
The girl was angry. He could see
that Her gray eyes were flashing and
her lips were quivering. That she had
a temper was his thought. But the
eyes were striking. He decided that
they were not gray after all. or, ut
least. not all gray. They were large
and wide apart and they looked at him
from under level brows. Her face
was cameolike. so clear cut was IL.
There were other striking things about
her-the cowboy Stetson hat, the heavy
braids of brown hair and the long bar
relied 38 Colts revolver that hung in its
holster on her hip.
Pretty hospitality, l must say" was
her greeting. "Ietting strangers sink or
swim in your front yard"
IL beg your pardon" he STAN
mered. by a supreme effort dragging
himself to bis feet
His legs wabbied under him. and
with q s~u1ocating sensation he began
sinking TO, the floor. He was aware
Of 4 feeble qualification as he saw
solicitude leap into her eyes; then
blackness smote him, and at the mo-
ment of shifting him his thought was
that at last and for the first time in
his ife he had tainted.
The ringing of the big bell aroused
him. He opened his eyes and found that
he was ON the couch indoors. A glance
at the clock told him that 1t was @,
and from the direction the suns rays
streamed into the room he knew that
1t was morning. At first he puzzled
over something untoward he was sure
had happened. Then. on the wall. he
raw a Stetson hat hanging and beneath
It 4 full cartridge belt and a long
barreiled SO Colts revolver.
The slender girth of the belt told its
feminine story. and he remembered
the whaleboat Of the day before and
the gray eyes that flashed beneath the
level brows. She, It must have been,
who had Just rung the bell. The cares
Of the plantation rushed upon him, and
he sat up IN bed, clutching at the wall
for support as the mosquito screen
lurched, dizzily around him. BE was
still sitting there, holding on, with
Eyes closed. striving to master his
giddjness, when he heard her voice.
"Yourl ME right down again, sir"
she said.
It was sharply imperative. a voice
used to command. At the same time
one hand pressed him back toward the
pillow while the other caught him
from behind and eased him down.
you've been unconscious for TWEEN
ty-four hours now" she went on. "and
l have taken charge. When l say
the word you'l get up, and not until
then. Now. what medicine do you
take-quinine7 Here are ten grains.
That's right. You'll make a good pa
tent"
MY dear madam" he began.
you mustn't speak," she interrupt
ed, that IT, in protest. Otherwise you
can talk"
"But the plantation"
"A dead man IL Of no use on a plan
tation. Don't you want to know about
msf My vanity is hurt. Here am
l, Just through my first shipwreck.
and here are you, not the least bit
curious. talking about your miserable
plantation. Can't you see that I am
Just bursting to tell somebody. any
body. about my shipwreckT'
He smiled. II was the FIRST time in
weeks. And he smiled. not 30 much at
what she said. as at the way she said
1.-THE whimsical expression on her
face. the laughter In her eyes. and the
several tiny lines of humor that drew
In at the orner He was %cur1ousiy
wondering as to what her age was.
as he said aloud:
Yes. tell me, please"
That win not-not now" she re-
torted. with a toss of the head. "Tn
nnd somebody to tell my story to who
does not have to be asked. Also. !
want Information. managed to lind
out what time to ring the bell to turn
the hands to. And that Is about all
don't understand the ridiculous
speech of your people. What time do
they knock off?"
A ll-go on again at l."
rhat will do, thank you. And now,
where do you keep the key to the
provisions? | want to feed my men"
Your menu he gasped. ION timed