ByelevenamessengerarrivedfromBalesunavillage，dispatchedbySeelee。TheJessiehadgoneashorehalf-waybetweenthevillageandNealIsland。Itwasnottillnightfallthattwoofthecrewarrived，reportingthedrowningofCaptainOlesonandoftheoneremainingboy。AsfortheJessie，fromwhattheytoldhimSheldoncouldnotbutconcludethatshewasatotalloss。Furthertoheartenhim，hewastakenbyashiveringfit。Inhalfanhourhewasburningup。Andheknewthatatleastanotherdaymustpassbeforehecouldundertakeeventhesmallestdoseofquinine。Hecrawledunderaheapofblankets，andalittlelaterfoundhimselflaughingaloud。Hehadsurelyreachedthelimitofdisaster。
Barringearthquakeortidal-wave，theworsthadalreadybefallenhim。TheFlibberty-GibbetwascertainlysafeinMboliPass。Sincenothingworsecouldhappen，thingssimplyhadtomend。Soitwas，shiveringunderhisblankets，thathelaughed，untilthehouse-
boys，withheadstogether，marvelledatthedevilsthatwereinhim。
CHAPTERIV——JOANLACKLAND
Bytheseconddayofthenorthwester，Sheldonwasincollapsefromhisfever。Ithadtakenanunfairadvantageofhisweakstate，andthoughitwasonlyordinarymalarialfever，inforty-eighthoursithadrunhimaslowastendaysoffeverwouldhavedonewhenhewasincondition。ButthedysenteryhadbeensweptawayfromBerande。
Ascoreofconvalescentslingeredinthehospital，buttheywereimprovinghourly。Therehadbeenbutonemoredeath——thatofthemanwhosebrotherhadwailedoverhiminsteadofbrushingthefliesaway。
Onthemorningofthefourthdayofhisfever，Sheldonlayontheveranda，gazingdimlyoutovertheragingocean。Thewindwasfalling，butamightyseawasstillthunderinginonBerandebeach，theflyingsprayreachinginasfarastheflagstaffmounds，thefoamingwashcreamingagainstthegate-posts。Hehadtakenthirtygrainsofquinine，andthedrugwasbuzzinginhisearslikeanestofhornets，makinghishandsandkneestremble，andcausingasickeningpalpitationofthestomach。Once，openinghiseyes，hesawwhathetooktobeanhallucination。Notfarout，andcominginacrosstheJessie\'sanchorage，hesawawhale-boat\'snosethrustskywardonasmokycrestanddisappearnaturally，asanactualwhale-boat\'snoseshoulddisappear，asitsliddownthebackofthesea。Heknewthatnowhale-boatshouldbeoutthere，andhewasquitecertainnomenintheSolomonsweremadenoughtobeabroadinsuchastorm。
Butthehallucinationpersisted。Aminutelater，chancingtoopenhiseyes，hesawthewhale-boat，fulllength，andsawrightintoitasitroseonthefaceofawave。Hesawsixsweepsatwork，andinthestern，clearlyoutlinedagainsttheoverhangingwallofwhite，amanwhostooderect，gigantic，swayingwithhisweightonthesteering-sweep。Thishesaw，andaneighthmanwhocrouchedinthebowandgazedshoreward。ButwhatstartledSheldonwasthesightofawomaninthestern-sheets，betweenthestroke-oarandthesteersman。Awomanshewas，forabraidofherhairwasflying，andshewasjustintheactofrecapturingitandstowingitawaybeneathahatthatforalltheworldwaslikehisown\"Baden-Powell。\"
Theboatdisappearedbehindthewave，androseintoviewonthefaceofthefollowingone。Againhelookedintoit。Themenweredark-skinned，andlargerthanSolomonIslanders，butthewoman，hecouldplainlysee，waswhite。Whoshewas，andwhatshewasdoingthere，werethoughtsthatdriftedvaguelythroughhisconsciousness。Hewastoosicktobevitallyinterested，and，besides，hehadahalffeelingthatitwasalladream；buthenotedthatthemenwererestingontheirsweeps，whilethewomanandthesteersmanwereintentlywatchingtherunofseasbehindthem。
\"Goodboatmen，\"wasSheldon\'sverdict，ashesawtheboatleapforwardonthefaceofahugebreaker，thesweepsplyingswiftlytokeepheronthatfrontofthemovingmountainofwaterthatracedmadlyfortheshore。Itwaswelldone。Partfullofwater，theboatwasflunguponthebeach，themenspringingoutanddraggingitsnosetothegate-posts。Sheldonhadcalledvainlytothehouse-boys，who，atthemoment，weredosingtheremainingpatientsinthehospital。Heknewhewasunabletoriseupandgodownthepathtomeetthenewcomers，sohelaybackinthesteamer-chair，andwatchedforageswhiletheycaredfortheboat。Thewomanstoodtooneside，herhandrestingonthegate。Occasionallysurgesofseawaterwashedoverherfeet，whichhecouldseewereencasedinrubbersea-boots。Shescrutinizedthehousesharply，andforsometimeshegazedathimsteadily。Atlast，speakingtotwoofthemen，whoturnedandfollowedher，shestartedupthepath。
Sheldonattemptedtorise，gothalfupoutofhischair，andfellbackhelplessly。Hewassurprisedatthesizeofthemen，wholoomedlikegiantsbehindher。Bothweresix-footers，andtheywereheavyinproportion。Hehadneverseenislanderslikethem。
TheywerenotblackliketheSolomonIslanders，butlightbrown；
andtheirfeatureswerelarger，moreregular，andevenhandsome。
Thewoman——orgirl，rather，hedecided——walkedalongtheverandatowardhim。Thetwomenwaitedattheheadofthesteps，watchingcuriously。Thegirlwasangry；hecouldseethat。Hergrayeyeswereflashing，andherlipswerequivering。Thatshehadatemper，washisthought。Buttheeyeswerestriking。Hedecidedthattheywerenotgrayafterall，or，atleast，notallgray。Theywerelargeandwideapart，andtheylookedathimfromunderlevelbrows。Herfacewascameo-like，soclearcutwasit。Therewereotherstrikingthingsabouther——thecowboyStetsonhat，theheavybraidsofbrownhair，andthelong-barrelled38Colt\'srevolverthathunginitsholsteronherhip。
\"Prettyhospitality，Imustsay，\"washergreeting，\"lettingstrangerssinkorswiminyourfrontyard。\"
\"I——Ibegyourpardon，\"hestammered，byasupremeeffortdragginghimselftohisfeet。
Hislegswobbledunderhim，andwithasuffocatingsensationhebegansinkingtothefloor。Hewasawareofafeeblegratificationashesawsolicitudeleapintohereyes；thenblacknesssmotehim，andatthemomentofsmitinghimhisthoughtwasthatatlast，andforthefirsttimeinhislife，hehadfainted。
Theringingofthebigbellarousedhim。Heopenedhiseyesandfoundthathewasonthecouchindoors。Aglanceattheclocktoldhimthatitwassix，andfromthedirectionthesun\'sraysstreamedintotheroomheknewthatitwasmorning。Atfirsthepuzzledoversomethinguntowardhewassurehadhappened。ThenonthewallhesawaStetsonhathanging，andbeneathitafullcartridge-beltandalong-barrelled38Colt\'srevolver。Theslendergirthofthebelttolditsfemininestory，andherememberedthewhale-boatofthedaybeforeandthegrayeyesthatflashedbeneaththelevelbrows。Sheitmusthavebeenwhohadjustrungthebell。Thecaresoftheplantationrusheduponhim，andhesatupinbed，clutchingatthewallforsupportasthemosquitoscreenlurcheddizzilyaroundhim。Hewasstillsittingthere，holdingon，witheyesclosed，strivingtomasterhisgiddiness，whenheheardhervoice。
\"You\'lllierightdownagain，sir，\"shesaid。
Itwassharplyimperative，avoiceusedtocommand。Atthesametimeonehandpressedhimbacktowardthepillowwhiletheothercaughthimfrombehindandeasedhimdown。
\"You\'vebeenunconsciousfortwenty-fourhoursnow，\"shewenton，\"andIhavetakencharge。WhenIsaythewordyou\'llgetup，andnotuntilthen。Now，whatmedicinedoyoutake？——quinine？Herearetengrains。That\'sright。You\'llmakeagoodpatient。\"
\"Mydearmadame，\"hebegan。
\"Youmusn\'tspeak，\"sheinterrupted，\"thatis，inprotest。
Otherwise，youcantalk。\"
\"Buttheplantation——\"
\"Adeadmanisofnouseonaplantation。Don\'tyouwanttoknowaboutME？Myvanityishurt。HereamI，justthroughmyfirstshipwreck；andhereareyou，nottheleastbitcurious，talkingaboutyourmiserableplantation。Can\'tyouseethatIamjustburstingtotellsomebody，anybody，aboutmyshipwreck？\"
Hesmiled；itwasthefirsttimeinweeks。Andhesmiled，notsomuchatwhatshesaid，asatthewayshesaidit——thewhimsicalexpressionofherface，thelaughterinhereyes，andtheseveraltinylinesofhumourthatdrewinatthecorners。Hewascuriouslywonderingastowhatheragewas，ashesaidaloud:
\"Yes，tellme，please。\"
\"ThatIwillnot——notnow，\"sheretorted，withatossofthehead。
\"I\'llfindsomebodytotellmystorytowhodoesnothavetobeasked。Also，Iwantinformation。Imanagedtofindoutwhattimetoringthebelltoturnthehandsto，andthatisaboutall。I
don\'tunderstandtheridiculousspeechofyourpeople。Whattimedotheyknockoff？\"
\"Ateleven——goonagainatone。\"
\"Thatwilldo，thankyou。Andnow，wheredoyoukeepthekeytotheprovisions？Iwanttofeedmymen。\"
\"Yourmen!\"hegasped。\"Ontinnedgoods!No，no。Letthemgooutandeatwithmyboys。\"
Hereyesflashedasonthedaybefore，andhesawagaintheimperativeexpressiononherface。
\"ThatIwon\'t；mymenareMEN。I\'vebeenouttoyourmiserablebarracksandwatchedthemeat。Faugh!Potatoes!Nothingbutpotatoes!Nosalt!Nothing!Onlypotatoes!Imayhavebeenmistaken，butIthoughtIunderstoodthemtosaythatthatwasalltheyevergottoeat。Twomealsadayandeverydayintheweek？\"
Henodded。
\"Well，mymenwouldn\'tstandthatforasingleday，muchlessawholeweek。Whereisthekey？\"
\"Hangingonthatclothes-hookundertheclock。\"
Hegaveiteasilyenough，butasshewasreachingdownthekeysheheardhimsay:
\"Fancyniggersandtinnedprovisions。\"
Thistimeshereallywasangry。Thebloodwasinhercheeksassheturnedonhim。
\"Mymenarenotniggers。Thesooneryouunderstandthatthebetterforouracquaintance。Asforthetinnedgoods，I\'llpayforalltheyeat。Pleasedon\'tworryaboutthat。Worryisnotgoodforyouinyourcondition。AndIwon\'tstayanylongerthanIhaveto——
justlongenoughtogetyouonyourfeet，andnotgoawaywiththefeelingofhavingdesertedawhiteman。\"
\"You\'reAmerican，aren\'tyou？\"heaskedquietly。
Thequestiondisconcertedherforthemoment。
\"Yes，\"shevouchsafed，withadefiantlook。\"Why？\"
\"Nothing。Imerelythoughtso。\"
\"Anythingfurther？\"
Heshookhishead。
\"Why？\"heasked。
\"Oh，nothing。Ithoughtyoumighthavesomethingpleasanttosay。\"
\"MynameisSheldon，DavidSheldon，\"hesaid，withdirectrelevance，holdingoutathinhand。
Herhandstartedoutimpulsively，thenchecked。\"MynameisLackland，JoanLackland。\"Thehandwentout。\"Andletusbefriends。\"
\"Itcouldnotbeotherwise——\"hebeganlamely。
\"AndIcanfeedmymenallthetinnedgoodsIwant？\"sherushedon。
\"Tillthecowscomehome，\"heanswered，attemptingherownlightness，thenadding，\"thatis，toBerande。Youseewedon\'thaveanycowsatBerande。\"
Shefixedhimcoldlywithhereyes。
\"Isthatajoke？\"shedemanded。
\"Ireallydon\'tknow——I——Ithoughtitwas，butthen，yousee，I\'msick。\"
\"You\'reEnglish，aren\'tyou？\"washernextquery。
\"Nowthat\'stoomuch，evenforasickman，\"hecried。\"YouknowwellenoughthatIam。\"
\"Oh，\"shesaidabsently，\"thenyouare？\"
Hefrowned，tightenedhislips，thenburstintolaughter，inwhichshejoined。
\"It\'smyownfault，\"heconfessed。\"Ishouldn\'thavebaitedyou。
I\'llbecarefulinthefuture。\"
\"Inthemeantimegoonlaughing，andI\'llseeaboutbreakfast。Isthereanythingyouwouldfancy？\"
Heshookhishead。
\"Itwilldoyougoodtoeatsomething。Yourfeverhasburnedout，andyouaremerelyweak。Waitamoment。\"
Shehurriedoutoftheroominthedirectionofthekitchen，trippedatthedoorinapairofsandalsseveralsizestoolargeforherfeet，anddisappearedinrosyconfusion。
\"ByJove，thosearemysandals，\"hethoughttohimself。\"Thegirlhasn\'tathingtowearexceptwhatshelandedonthebeachin，andshecertainlylandedinsea-boots。\"
CHAPTERV——SHEWOULDAPLANTERBE
Sheldonmendedrapidly。Thefeverhadburnedout，andtherewasnothingforhimtodobutgatherstrength。Joanhadtakenthecookinhand，andforthefirsttime，asSheldonremarked，thechopatBerandewaswhiteman\'schop。WithherownhandsJoanpreparedthesickman\'sfood，andbetweenthatandthecheershebroughthim，hewasable，aftertwodays，tototterfeeblyoutupontheveranda。
Thesituationstruckhimasstrange，andstrangerstillwasthefactthatitdidnotseemstrangetothegirlatall。Shehadsettleddownandtakenchargeofthehouseholdasamatterofcourse，asifhewereherfather，orbrother，orasifshewereamanlikehimself。
\"Itisjusttoodelightfulforanything，\"sheassuredhim。\"Itislikeapageoutofsomeromance。HereIcomealongoutoftheseaandfindasickmanallalonewithtwohundredslaves——\"
\"Recruits，\"hecorrected。\"Contractlabourers。Theyserveonlythreeyears，andtheyarefreeagentswhentheyenterupontheircontracts。\"
\"Yes，yes，\"shehurriedon。\"——Asickmanalonewithtwohundredrecruitsonacannibalisland——theyarecannibals，aren\'tthey？Orisitalltalk？\"
\"Talk!\"hesaid，withasmile。\"It\'satriflemorethanthat。
Mostofmyboysarefromthebush，andeverybushmanisacannibal。\"
\"Butnotaftertheybecomerecruits？Surely，theboysyouhaveherewouldn\'tbeguilty。\"
\"They\'deatyouifthechanceafforded。\"
\"Areyoujustsayingso，ontheory，ordoyoureallyknow？\"sheasked。
\"Iknow。\"
\"Why？Whatmakesyouthinkso？Yourownmenhere？\"
\"Yes，myownmenhere，theveryhouse-boys，thecookthatatthepresentmomentismakingsuchdeliciousrolls，thankstoyou。Notmorethanthreemonthsagoelevenofthemsneakedawhale-boatandranforMalaita。NineofthembelongedtoMalaita。TwowerebushmenfromSanCristoval。Theywerefools——thetwofromSanCristoval，Imean；sowouldanytwoMalaitamenbewhotrustedthemselvesinaboatwithninefromSanCristoval。\"
\"Yes？\"sheaskedeagerly。\"Thenwhathappened？\"
\"ThenineMalaitamenatethetwofromSanCristoval，allexcepttheheads，whicharetoovaluableformereeating。Theystowedthemawayinthestern-lockertilltheylanded。AndthosetwoheadsarenowinsomebushvillagebackofLangaLanga。\"
Sheclappedherhandsandhereyessparkled。\"Theyarereallyandtrulycannibals!Andjustthink，thisisthetwentiethcentury!
AndIthoughtromanceandadventurewerefossilized!\"
Helookedatherwithmildamusement。
\"Whatisthematternow？\"shequeried。
\"Oh，nothing，onlyIdon\'tfancybeingeatenbyalotoffilthyniggersistheleastbitromantic。\"
\"No，ofcoursenot，\"sheadmitted。\"Buttobeamongthem，controllingthem，directingthem，twohundredofthem，andtoescapebeingeatenbythem——that，atleast，ifitisn\'tromantic，iscertainlythequintessenceofadventure。Andadventureandromanceareallied，youknow。\"
\"Bythesametoken，togointoanigger\'sstomachshouldbethequintessenceofadventure，\"heretorted。
\"Idon\'tthinkyouhaveanyromanceinyou，\"sheexclaimed。
\"You\'rejustdullandsombreandsordidlikethebusinessmenathome。Idon\'tknowwhyyou\'rehereatall。Youshouldbeathomeplacidlyvegetatingasabanker\'sclerkor——or——\"
\"Ashopkeeper\'sassistant，thankyou。\"
\"Yes，that——anything。Whatunderthesunareyoudoinghereontheedgeofthings？\"
\"Earningmybreadandbutter，tryingtogetonintheworld。\"
\"\'Bythebitterroadtheyoungersonmusttread，Erehewintohearthandsaddleofhisown，\'\"shequoted。\"Why，ifthatisn\'tromantic，thennothingisromantic。Thinkofalltheyoungersonsoutovertheworld，onamyriadofadventureswinningtothosesamehearthsandsaddles。Andhereyouareinthethickofit，doingit，andhereamIinthethickofit，doingit。\"
\"I——Ibegpardon，\"hedrawled。
\"Well，I\'mayoungerdaughter，then，\"sheamended；\"andIhavenohearthnorsaddle——Ihaven\'tanybodyoranything——andI\'mjustasfarontheedgeofthingsasyouare。\"
\"Inyourcase，then，I\'lladmitthereisabitofromance，\"heconfessed。
Hecouldnothelpbutthinkoftheprecedingnights，andofhersleepinginthehammockontheveranda，undermosquitocurtains，herbodyguardofTahitiansailorsstretchedoutatthefarcorneroftheverandawithincall。Hehadbeentoohelplesstoresist，butnowheresolvedsheshouldhavehiscouchinsidewhilehewouldtakethehammock。
\"Yousee，Ihadreadanddreamedaboutromanceallmylife，\"shewassaying，\"butInever，inmywildestfancies，thoughtthatI
shouldliveit。Itwasallsounexpected。TwoyearsagoIthoughttherewasnothinglefttomebut……\"Shefaltered，andmadeamoueofdistaste。\"Well，theonlythingthatremained，itseemedtome，wasmarriage。\"
\"Andyoupreferredacannibalisleandacartridge-belt？\"hesuggested。
\"Ididn\'tthinkofthecannibalisle，butthecartridge-beltwasblissful。\"
\"Youwouldn\'tdareusetherevolverifyouwerecompelledto。Or，\"
notingtheglintinhereyes，\"ifyoudiduseit，to——well，tohitanything。\"
Shestartedupsuddenlytoenterthehouse。Heknewshewasgoingforherrevolver。
\"Nevermind，\"hesaid，\"here\'smine。Whatcanyoudowithit？\"
\"Shoottheblockoffyourflag-halyards。\"
Hesmiledhisunbelief。
\"Idon\'tknowthegun，\"shesaiddubiously。
\"It\'salighttriggerandyoudon\'thavetoholddown。Drawfine。\"
\"Yes，yes，\"shespokeimpatiently。\"Iknowautomatics——theyjamwhentheygethot——onlyIdon\'tknowyours。\"Shelookedatitamoment。\"It\'scocked。Isthereacartridgeinthechamber？\"
Shefired，andtheblockremainedintact。
\"It\'salongshot，\"hesaid，withtheintentionofeasingherchagrin。
Butshebitherlipandfiredagain。Thebulletemittedasharpshriekasitricochettedintospace。Themetalblockrattledbackandforth。Againandagainshefired，tilltheclipwasemptiedofitseightcartridges。Sixofthemwerehits。Theblockstillswayedatthegaff-end，butitwasbatteredoutofallusefulness。
Sheldonwasastonished。ItwasbetterthanheorevenHughieDrummondcouldhavedone。Thewomenhehadknown，whentheysporadicallyfiredarifleorrevolver，usuallyshrieked，shuttheireyes，andblazedawayintospace。
\"That\'sreallygoodshooting……forawoman，\"hesaid。\"Youonlymissedittwice，anditwasastrangeweapon。\"
\"ButIcan\'tmakeoutthetwomisses，\"shecomplained。\"Thegunworkedbeautifully，too。GivemeanotherclipandI\'llhititeighttimesforanythingyouwish。\"
\"Idon\'tdoubtit。NowI\'llhavetogetanewblock。Viaburi!
Hereyoufella，catchonefellablockalongstore-room。\"
\"I\'llwageryoucan\'tdoiteightoutofeight……anythingyouwish，\"shechallenged。
\"Nofearofmytakingiton，\"washisanswer。\"Whotaughtyoutoshoot？\"
\"Oh，myfather，atfirst，andthenVon，andhiscowboys。Hewasashot——Dad，Imean，thoughVonwassplendid，too。\"
SheldonwonderedsecretlywhoVonwas，andhespeculatedastowhetheritwasVonwhotwoyearspreviouslyhadledhertobelievethatnothingremainedforherbutmatrimony。
\"WhatpartoftheUnitedStatesisyourhome？\"heasked。\"ChicagoorWyoming？orsomewhereoutthere？Youknowyouhaven\'ttoldmeathingaboutyourself。AllthatIknowisthatyouareMissJoanLacklandfromanywhere。\"
\"You\'dhavetogofartherwesttofindmystampinggrounds。\"
\"Ah，letmesee——Nevada？\"
Sheshookherhead。
\"California？\"
\"Stillfartherwest。\"
\"Itcan\'tbe，orelseI\'veforgottenmygeography。\"
\"It\'syourpolitics，\"shelaughed。\"Don\'tyouremember\'Annexation\'？\"
\"ThePhilippines!\"hecriedtriumphantly。
\"No，Hawaii。Iwasbornthere。Itisabeautifulland。My，I\'malmosthomesickforitalready。NotthatIhaven\'tbeenaway。I
wasinNewYorkwhenthecrashcame。ButIdothinkitisthesweetestspotonearth——Hawaii，Imean。\"
\"ThenwhatunderthesunareyoudoingdownhereinthisGod-
forsakenplace？\"heasked。\"Onlyfoolscomehere，\"headdedbitterly。
\"Nielsenwasn\'tafool，washe？\"shequeried。\"AsIunderstand，hemadethreemillionshere。\"
\"Onlytootrue，andthatfactisresponsibleformybeinghere。\"
\"Andforme，too，\"shesaid。\"DadheardabouthimintheMarquesas，andsowestarted。OnlypoorDaddidn\'tgethere。\"
\"He——yourfather——died？\"hefaltered。
Shenodded，andhereyesgrewsoftandmoist。
\"Imightaswellbeginatthebeginning。\"Sheliftedherheadwithaproudairofdismissingsadness，after，themannerofawomanqualifiedtowearaBaden-Powellandalong-barrelledColt\'s。\"I
wasbornatHilo。That\'sontheislandofHawaii——thebiggestandbestinthewholegroup。IwasbroughtupthewaymostgirlsinHawaiiarebroughtup。Theyliveintheopen，andtheyknowhowtorideandswimbeforetheyknowwhatsix-times-sixis。Asforme，I
can\'trememberwhenIfirstgotonahorsenorwhenIlearnedtoswim。ThatcamebeforemyABC\'s。DadownedcattleranchesonHawaiiandMaui——bigones，fortheislands。Hokunahadtwohundredthousandacresalone。ItextendedinbetweenMaunaKoaandMaunaLoa，anditwasthereIlearnedtoshootgoatsandwildcattle。OnMolokaitheyhavebigspotteddeer。VonwasthemanagerofHokuna。
Hehadtwodaughtersaboutmyownage，andIalwaysspentthehotseasonthere，and，once，awholeyear。ThethreeofuswerelikeIndians。Notthatweranwild，exactly，butthatwewerewildtorunwild。Therewerealwaysthegovernesses，youknow，andlessons，andsewing，andhousekeeping；butI\'mafraidweweretoooftenbribedtoourtaskswithpromisesofhorsesorofcattledrives。
\"Vonhadbeeninthearmy，andDadwasanoldsea-dog，andtheywerebothsterndisciplinarians；onlythetwogirlshadnomother，andneitherhadI，andtheyweretwomenafterall。Theyspoiledusterribly。Yousee，theydidn\'thaveanywives，andtheymadechumsoutofus——whenourtasksweredone。Wehadtolearntodoeverythingaboutthehousetwiceaswellasthenativeservantsdidit——thatwassothatweshouldknowhowtomanagesomeday。Andwealwaysmadethecocktails，whichwastooholyariteforanyservant。Then，too，wewereneverallowedanythingwecouldnottakecareofourselves。Ofcoursethecowboysalwaysropedandsaddledourhorses，butwehadtobeableourselvestogooutinthepaddockandropeourhorses——\"
\"WhatdoyoumeanbyROPE？\"Sheldonasked。
\"Tolariatthem，tolassothem。AndDadandVontimedusinthesaddlingandmadeamostrigidexaminationoftheresult。Itwasthesamewaywithourrevolversandrifles。Thehouse-boysalwayscleanedthemandgreasedthem；butwehadtolearnhowinordertoseethattheydiditproperly。Morethanonce，atfirst，oneortheotherofushadourriflestakenawayforaweekjustbecauseofatinyspeckofrust。Wehadtoknowhowtobuildfiresinthedrivingrain，too，outofwetwood，whenwecampedout，whichwasthehardestthingofall——exceptgrammar，Idobelieve。WelearnedmorefromDadandVonthanfromthegovernesses；DadtaughtusFrenchandVonGerman。Welearnedbothlanguagespassablywell，andwelearnedthemwhollyinthesaddleorincamp。
\"InthecoolseasonthegirlsusedtocomedownandvisitmeinHilo，whereDadhadtwohouses，oneatthebeach，orthethreeofususedtogodowntoourplaceinPuna，andthatmeantcanoesandboatsandfishingandswimming。Then，too，DadbelongedtotheRoyalHawaiianYachtClub，andtookusracingandcruising。Dadcouldnevergetawayfromthesea，youknow。WhenIwasfourteenI
wasDad\'sactualhousekeeper，withentirepowerovertheservants，andIamveryproudofthatperiodofmylife。AndwhenIwassixteenwethreegirlswereallsentuptoCaliforniatoMillsSeminary，whichwasquitefashionableandstifling。Howweusedtolongforhome!Wedidn\'tchumwiththeothergirls，whocalleduslittlecannibals，justbecausewecamefromtheSandwichIslands，andwhomadeinvidiousremarksaboutourancestorsbanquetingonCaptainCook——whichwashistoricallyuntrue，and，besides，ourancestorshadn\'tlivedinHawaii。
\"IwasthreeyearsatMillsSeminary，withtripshome，ofcourse，andtwoyearsinNewYork；andthenDadwentsmashinasugarplantationonMaui。Thereportoftheengineershadnotbeenright。ThenDadhadbuiltarailroadthatwascalled\'Lackland\'sFolly，\'——itwillpayultimately，though。Butitcontributedtothesmash。ThePelaulauDitchwasthefinishingblow。Andnothingwouldhavehappenedanyway，ifithadn\'tbeenforthatbigmoneypanicinWallStreet。DeargoodDad!Heneverletmeknow。ButI
readaboutthecrashinanewspaper，andhurriedhome。Itwasbeforethat，though，thatpeoplehadbeendingingintomyearsthatmarriagewasallanywomancouldgetoutoflife，andgood-byetoromance。Insteadofwhich，withDad\'sfailure，Ifellrightintoromance。\"
\"Howlongagowasthat？\"Sheldonasked。
\"Lastyear——theyearofthepanic。\"
\"Letmesee，\"Sheldonponderedwithanairofgravity。\"Sixteenplusfive，plusone，equalstwenty-two。Youwerebornin1887？\"
\"Yes；butitisnotniceofyou。\"
\"Iamreallysorry，\"hesaid，\"buttheproblemwassoobvious。\"
\"Can\'tyoueversaynicethings？OrisitthewayyouEnglishhave？\"Therewasasnapinhergrayeyes，andherlipsquiveredsuspiciouslyforamoment。\"Ishouldrecommend，Mr。Sheldon，thatyoureadGertrudeAtherton\'s\'AmericanWivesandEnglishHusbands。\'\"
\"Thankyou，Ihave。It\'soverthere。\"Hepointedatthegenerouslyfilledbookshelves。\"ButIamafraiditisratherpartisan。\"
\"Anythingun-Englishisboundtobe，\"sheretorted。\"IneverhavelikedtheEnglishanyway。ThelastoneIknewwasanoverseer。
Dadwascompelledtodischargehim。\"
\"Oneswallowdoesn\'tmakeasummer。\"
\"ButthatEnglishmanmadelotsoftrouble——there!Andnowpleasedon\'tmakemeanymoreabsurdthanIalreadyam。\"
\"I\'mtryingnotto。\"
\"Oh，forthatmatter——\"Shetossedherhead，openedhermouthtocompletetheretort，thenchangedhermind。\"Ishallgoonwithmyhistory。Dadhadpracticallynothingleft，andhedecidedtoreturntothesea。He\'dalwayslovedit，andIhalfbelievethathewasgladthingshadhappenedastheydid。Hewaslikeaboyagain，busywithplansandpreparationsfrommorningtillnight。
Heusedtosituphalfthenighttalkingthingsoverwithme。ThatwasafterIhadshownhimthatIwasreallyresolvedtogoalong。
\"Hehadmadehisstart，youknow，intheSouthSeas——pearlsandpearlshell——andhewassurethatmorefortunes，introveofonesortandanother，weretobepickedup。Cocoanut-plantingwashisparticularidea，withtrading，andmaybepearling，alongwithotherthings，untiltheplantationshouldcomeintobearing。Hetradedoffhisyachtforaschooner，theMiele，andawaywewent。Itookcareofhimandstudiednavigation。Hewashisownskipper。WehadaDanishmate，Mr。Ericson，andamixedcrewofJapaneseandHawaiians。WewentupanddowntheLineIslands，first，untilDadwasheartsick。Everythingwaschanged。Theyhadbeenannexedanddividedbyonepoweroranother，whilebigcompanieshadsteppedinandgobbledland，tradingrights，fishingrights，everything。
\"NextwesailedfortheMarquesas。Theywerebeautiful，butthenativeswerenearlyextinct。DadwascutupwhenhelearnedthattheFrenchchargedanexportdutyoncopra——hecalleditmedieval——
buthelikedtheland。TherewasavalleyoffifteenthousandacresonNuka-hiva，halfinclosingaperfectanchorage，whichhefellinlovewithandboughtfortwelvehundredChilidollars。ButtheFrenchtaxationwasoutrageous(thatwaswhythelandwassocheap)，and，worstofall，wecouldobtainnolabour。Whatkanakastherewerewouldn\'twork，andtheofficialsseemedtositupnightsthinkingoutnewobstaclestoputinourway。
\"SixmonthswasenoughforDad。Thesituationwashopeless。
\'We\'llgototheSolomons，\'hesaid，\'andgetawhiffofEnglishrule。Andiftherearenoopeningstherewe\'llgoontotheBismarckArchipelago。I\'llwagertheAdmiraltysarenotyetcivilized。\'Allpreparationsweremade，thingspackedonboard，andanewcrewofMarquesansandTahitiansshipped。WewerejustreadytostarttoTahiti，wherealotofrepairsandrefittingfortheMielewerenecessary，whenpoorDadcamedownsickanddied。\"
\"Andyouwereleftallalone？\"
Joannodded。
\"Verymuchalone。Ihadnobrothersnorsisters，andallDad\'speopleweredrownedinaKansascloud-burst。Thathappenedwhenhewasalittleboy。Ofcourse，IcouldgobacktoVon。There\'salwaysahometherewaitingforme。ButwhyshouldIgo？Besides，therewereDad\'splans，andIfeltthatitdevolveduponmetocarrythemout。Itseemedafinethingtodo。Also，Iwantedtocarrythemout。And……hereIam。
\"TakemyadviceandnevergotoTahiti。Itisalovelyplace，andsoarethenatives。Butthewhitepeople!NowBarabbaslivedinTahiti。Thieves，robbers，andlairs——thatiswhattheyare。Thehonestmenwouldn\'trequirethefingersofonehandtocount。ThefactthatIwasawomanonlysimplifiedmatterswiththem。Theyrobbedmeoneverypretext，andtheyliedwithoutpretextorneed。
PoorMr。Ericsonwascorrupted。Hejoinedtherobbers，andO。K。\'dalltheirdemandsevenuptoathousandpercent。Iftheyrobbedmeoftenfrancs，hissharewasthree。OnebilloffifteenhundredfrancsIpaid，nettedhimfivehundredfrancs。Allthis，ofcourse，Ilearnedafterward。ButtheMielewasold，therepairshadtobemade，andIwascharged，notthreeprices，butsevenprices。
\"InevershallknowhowmuchEricsongotoutofit。Helivedashoreinanicelyfurnishedhouse。Theshipwrightsweregivingittohimrent-free。Fruit，vegetables，fish，meat，andicecametothishouseeveryday，andhepaidfornoneofit。Itwaspartofhisgraftfromthevariousmerchants。Andallthewhile，withtearsinhiseyes，hebemoanedtheviletreatmentIwasreceivingfromthegang。No，Ididnotfallamongthieves。IwenttoTahiti。
\"Butwhentherobbersfelltocheatingoneanother，Igotmyfirstcluestothestateofaffairs。Oneoftherobbedrobberscametomeafterdark，withfacts，figures，andassertions。IknewIwasruinedifIwenttolaw。Thejudgeswerecorruptlikeeverythingelse。ButIdiddoonething。InthedeadofnightIwenttoEricson\'shouse。IhadthesamerevolverI\'vegotnow，andImadehimstayinbedwhileIoverhauledthings。NineteenhundredandoddfrancswaswhatIcarriedawaywithme。Henevercomplainedtothepolice，andhenevercamebackonboard。Asfortherestofthegang，theylaughedandsnappedtheirfingersatme。ThereweretwoAmericansintheplace，andtheywarnedmetoleavethelawaloneunlessIwantedtoleavetheMielebehindaswell。
\"ThenIsenttoNewZealandandgotaGermanmate。Hehadamaster\'scertificate，andwasontheship\'spapersascaptain，butIwasabetternavigatorthanhe，andIwasreallycaptainmyself。
Ilosther，too，butit\'snoreflectiononmyseamanship。Weweredriftingfourdaysoutsidethereindeadcalms。Thenthenor\'westercaughtusanddroveusontheleeshore。Wemadesailandtriedtoclewoff，whentherottenworkoftheTahitishipwrightsbecamemanifest。Ourjib-boomandallourhead-stayscarriedaway。OuronlychancewastoturnandrunthroughthepassagebetweenFloridaandYsabel。Andwhenweweresafelythrough，inthetwilight，wherethechartshowsfourteenfathomsastheshoalestwater，wesmashedonacoralpatch。ThepooroldMielestruckonlyonce，andthenwentclear；butitwastoomuchforher，andwejusthadtimetoclearawayintheboatwhenshewentdown。TheGermanmatewasdrowned。Welayallnighttoasea-drag，andnextmorningsightedyourplacehere。\"
\"IsupposeyouwillgobacktoVon，now？\"Sheldonqueried。
\"Nothingofthesort。DadplannedtogototheSolomons。Ishalllookaboutforsomelandandstartasmallplantation。Doyouknowanygoodlandaroundhere？Cheap？\"
\"ByGeorge，youYankeesareremarkable，reallyremarkable，\"saidSheldon。\"Ishouldneverhavedreamedofsuchaventure。\"
\"Adventure，\"Joancorrectedhim。
\"That\'sright——adventureitis。Andifyou\'dgoneashoreonMalaitainsteadofGuadalcanaryou\'dhavebeenkai-kai\'dlongago，alongwithyournobleTahitiansailors。\"
Joanshuddered。
\"Totellthetruth，\"sheconfessed，\"wewereverymuchafraidtolandonGuadalcanar。Ireadinthe\'SailingDirections\'thatthenativesweretreacherousandhostile。SomedayIshouldliketogotoMalaita。Arethereanyplantationsthere？\"
\"Notone。Notawhitetradereven。\"
\"ThenIshallgooveronarecruitingvesselsometime。\"
\"Impossible!\"Sheldoncried。\"Itisnoplaceforawoman。\"
\"Ishallgojustthesame，\"sherepeated。
\"Butnoself-respectingwoman——\"
\"Becareful，\"shewarnedhim。\"Ishallgosomeday，andthenyoumaybesorryforthenamesyouhavecalledme。\"
CHAPTERVI——TEMPEST
ItwasthefirsttimeSheldonhadbeenatclosequarterswithanAmericangirl，andhewouldhavewonderedifallAmericangirlswerelikeJoanLacklandhadhenothadwitenoughtorealizethatshewasnotatalltypical。Herquickmindandchangingmoodsbewilderedhim，whileheroutlookonlifewassodifferentfromwhatheconceivedawoman\'soutlookshouldbe，thathewasmoreoftenthannotatsixesandsevenswithher。Hecouldneveranticipatewhatshewouldsayordonext。Ofonlyonethingwashesure，andthatwasthatwhatevershesaidordidwasboundtobeunexpectedandunsuspected。Thereseemed，too，somethingalmosthystericalinhermake-up。Hertemperwasquickandstormy，andshereliedtoomuchonherselfandtoolittleonhim，whichdidnotapproximateatalltohisidealofwoman\'sconductwhenamanwasaround。Herassumptionofequalitywithhimwasdisconcerting，andattimeshehalf-consciouslyresentedtheimpudenceandbizarrenessofherintrusionuponhim——risingoutoftheseainahowlingnor\'wester，freshfrompokingherrevolverunderEricson\'snose，protectedbyhergangofhugePolynesiansailors，andsettlingdowninBerandelikeanyshipwreckedsailor。ItwasallonaparwithherBaden-Powellandthelong38Colt\'s。
Atanyrate，shedidnotlookthepart。Andthatwaswhathecouldnotforgive。Hadshebeenshort-haired，heavy-jawed，large-
muscled，hard-bitten，andutterlyunlovelyineveryway，allwouldhavebeenwell。Insteadofwhichshewashopelesslyanddeliciouslyfeminine。Herhairworriedhim，itwassogenerouslybeautiful。Andshewassoslenderlyandprettilythewoman——thegirl，rather——thatitcuthimlikeaknifetoseeher，withquick，comprehensiveeyesandsharplyimperativevoice，superintendthelaunchingofthewhale-boatthroughthesurf。Inimaginationhecouldseeherropingahorse，anditalwaysmadehimshudder。
