, 1913-04-24

IA TEXT morning Joan and Shell
don. at breakfast. were
aroused by a swelling. MUIR
muir of angry voices. The
first rule of Berande had been broken.
The compound had been entered with
out permission or command. and all
the 200 laborers. with the exception
Of the boss boys. were guilty OF the
offense. They crowded up. threaten
ing and shouting. close under the
front veranda. Sheldon leaned over
the verauda railing. looking down
upon them. while Joan stood slightly
back. When the uproar was stilled
two brothers stood forth. They were
large men. ~splendidly muscled. and
with faces unusually ferocious. even
for Solomon islanders. One was
Carin. llama, otherwise the Silent. and
the other was Bellin jana. the Boast
er. Both a served on the Queens
land plantations in the old days, and
they were known as evil characters
wherever hite men met n gained.
I'VE fella boy we want m them
two black fella Mary said Bellin-
jana.
what do you want along lack
fella MaryY' Sheldon asked.
xiii m" said Bellin-Jama.
"What name you fella boy talk
along mel" Sheldon demanded. with
a show of rising anger. Big bell he
ring. You no belong along here. You
belong along field. Bime by. big fella
bell he ring. you stop along kai-kah.
you come talk along me about two
fella Mary. Now all you boy get
along out of here"
The gang waited to see what Bellin-
jana would do, and Bellin-Jama stood
still.
"Me no CO." he said
"You watch out. Bellin-Jama." Shell
don said sharply. ''or | send you along
Tulagi n big fella lashing. My word.
you catch m strong fella."
Bellin-Jama glared up belligerently.
"You want IN eight" he said. putting
up his fists in approved returned
Queenslander style.
Now. In the Solomons. where whites
are few and blacks are many, and
where the whites do the ruling, uch
an offer to fight is the deadliest insult.
Blacks are not supposed to dare SO
highly as to offer to fight a white man.
A murmur Of admiration at Bellin-
Jama's bravery ven up from the
listening blacks. But Beilin-Jama's
voice was still ringing In the air, and
the %murmuring was just beginning.
when Sheldon cleared the rail, leaping
straight downward. From the top OF
the railing TO the ground. 1t was fifteen
feet. and Bellin-Jama was directly
beneath. S~heldon's flying body struck
him and crushed him to earth. No
blows were needed to be struck. The
black had been knocked helpless. Joan.
startled by the unexpected leap. saw
Carin-Jama. the Silent. reach out and
seize Sheldon by the throat as he
was halfway TO his feet. while the ten
score blacks surged forward for the
killing. Her revolver was ont, and
Carin-Jama let go his grip. Keeling
back ward with a bullet In his shoulder.
In that 6eeting Instant Of action. she
had thought TO shoot him In the arm.
which. at that short distance. might
reasonably have been achieved. But
the wave OF savages leaping forward
had changed her shot TO the shoulder.
1t was a moment when not the slight
est chance could be taken.
The instant his throat was released,
sheldon struck out with his fist. and
Carin-Jama Joined his brother on the
s.ound. The mutlny was quelled. and
Eve minutes more saw the brothers
being carried to the hospital. and the
m~utineers. m~arshalled by the gang
bosses. on the way to the fields
When Sheldon came up on the
veranda, he found Joan collapsed on
the steamer chair and in tears. The