\"Telepasse，youoldreprobate，tell\'mboysclearoutalongbeach。
Myword，Inogammonalongyou。\"
\"Menogammon，\"saidthechief。\"Mewant\'mpaywhiteMarybang\'mheadb\'longGogoomy。\"
\"I\'llcomedownthereandbang\'mheadb\'longyou，\"Sheldonreplied，leaningtowardtherailingasifabouttoleapover。
Anangrymurmurarose，andtheblackssurgedrestlessly。Themuzzlesofmanygunswererisingfromthehips。Joanwaspressingthelightedendofthecigarettetothefuse。ASniderwentoffwiththeroarofabomb-gun，andSheldonheardapaneofwindow-
glasscrashbehindhim。AtthesamemomentJoanflungthedynamite，thefusehissingandspluttering，intothethickoftheblacks。Theyscatteredbackintoogreathastetodoanymoreshooting。Satan，arousedbytheoneshot，wassnarlingandpantingtobeletout。Joanheard，andrantolethimout；andthereatthetragedywasaverted，andthecomedybegan。
Riflesandspearsweredroppedorflungasideinawildscramblefortheprotectionofthecocoanutpalms。Satanmultipliedhimself。Neverhadhebeenfreetotearandrendsuchaquantityofblackfleshbefore，andhebitandsnappedandrushedtheflyinglegstillthelastpairwereabovehishead。AllweretreedexceptTelepasse，whowastoooldandfat，andhelayproneandwithoutmovementwherehehadfallen；whileSatan，withtoogreatahearttoworryanenemythatdidnotmove，dashedfranticallyfromtreetotree，barkingandspringingatthosewhoclungonlowestdown。
\"Ifancyyouneedalessonortwoininsertingfuses，\"Sheldonremarkeddryly。
Joan\'seyeswerescornful。
\"Therewasnodetonatoronit，\"shesaid。\"Besides，thedetonatorisnotyetmanufacturedthatwillexplodethatcharge。It\'sonlyabottleofchlorodyne。\"
Sheputherfingersintohermouth，andSheldonwincedashesawherblow，likeaboy，asharp，imperiouswhistle——thecallshealwaysusedforhersailors，andthatalwaysmadehimwince。
\"They\'regoneuptheBalesuna，shootingfish，\"heexplained。\"ButtherecomesOlesonwithhisboat\'s-crew。He\'sanoldwar-horsewhenhegetsstarted。Seehimbangingtheboys。Theydon\'tpullfastenoughforhim。\"
\"Andnowwhat\'stobedone？\"sheasked。\"You\'vetreedyourgame，butyoucan\'tkeepittreed。\"
\"No；butIcanteachthemalesson。\"
Sheldonwalkedovertothebigbell。
\"Itisallright，\"herepliedtohergestureofprotest。\"Myboysarepracticallyallbushmen，whilethesechapsaresalt-watermen，andthere\'snolovelostbetweenthem。Youwatchthefun。\"
Herangageneralcall，andbythetimethetwohundredlabourerstroopedintothecompoundSatanwasoncemorepennedintheliving-
room，complainingtohighheavenathisabominabletreatment。Theplantationhandsweredancingwar-dancesaroundthebaseofeverytreeandfillingtheairwithabuseandvituperationoftheirhereditaryenemies。TheskipperoftheFlibberty-Gibbetarrivedinthethickofit，inthefirstthroesofoncomingfever，staggeringashewalked，andshiveringsoseverelythathecouldscarcelyholdtheriflehecarried。Hisfacewasghastlyblue，histeethclickedandchattered，andtheviolentsunshinethroughwhichhewalkedcouldnotwarmhim。
\"I\'lls-s-sitdown，andk-k-keepaguardon\'em，\"hechattered。
\"D-d-dashitall，Ialwaysg-getf-feverwhenthere\'sanyexcitement。W-w-wh-whatareyougoingtodo？\"
\"Gatherupthegunsfirstofall。\"
UnderSheldon\'sdirectionthehouse-boysandgang-bossescollectedthescatteredarmsandpiledtheminaheapontheveranda。Themodernrifles，stolenfromLunga，Sheldonsetaside；theSnidershesmashedintofragments；thepileofspears，clubs，andtomahawkshepresentedtoJoan。
\"Areallyuniqueadditiontoyourcollection，\"hesmiled；\"pickeduprightonthebattlefield。\"
Downonthebeachhebuiltabonfireoutofthecontentsofthecanoes，hisblackssmashing，breaking，andlootingeverythingtheylaidhandson。Thecanoesthemselves，splinteredandbroken，filledwithsandandcoral-boulders，weretowedouttotenfathomsofwaterandsunk。
\"Tenfathomswillbedeepenoughforthemtoworkin，\"Sheldonsaid，astheywalkedbacktothecompound。
HereaSaturnaliahadbrokenloose。Thewar-songsanddancesweremoreunrestrained，and，fromabuse，theplantationblackshadturnedtopeltingtheirhelplessfoeswithpiecesofwood，handfulsofpebbles，andchunksofcoral-rock。Andtheseventy-fivelustycannibalsclungstoicallytotheirtree-perches，enduringtherainofmissilesandsnarlingdownpromisesofvengeance。
\"There\'llbewarsforfortyyearsonMalaitaonaccountofthis，\"
Sheldonlaughed。\"ButIalwaysfancyoldTelepassewillneveragainattempttorushaplantation。\"
\"Eh，youoldscoundrel，\"headded，turningtotheoldchief，whosatgibberinginimpotentrageatthefootofthesteps。\"Nowheadbelongyoubang\'mtoo。Comeon，MissLackland，bang\'mjustonce。
Itwillbethecrowningindignity。\"
\"Ugh，he\'stoodirty。I\'drathergivehimabath。Here，you，AdamuAdam，givethisdevil-devilawash。Soapandwater!Fillthatwash-tub。Ornfiri，runandfetch\'mscrub-brush。\"
TheTahitians，backfromtheirfishingandgrinningatthebedlamofthecompound，enteredintothejoke。
\"Tambo!Tambo!\"shriekedthecannibalsfromthetrees，appalledatsoawfuladesecration，astheysawtheirchieftumbledintothetubandthesacreddirtrubbedandsousedfromhisbody。
Joan，whohadgoneintothebungalow，tosseddownastripofwhitecalico，inwhicholdTelepassewaspromptlywrapped，andhestoodforth，resplendentandpurified，withalhestillspatandstrangledfromthesoap-sudswithwhichNoaNoahhadgargledhisthroat。
Thehouse-boysweredirectedtofetchhandcuffs，and，onebyone，theLungarunawayswerehaleddownoutoftheirtreesandmadefast。Sheldonironedtheminpairs，andranasteelchainthroughthelinksoftheirons。Gogoomywasgivenalectureforhismutinousconductandlockedupfortheafternoon。ThenSheldonrewardedtheplantationhandswithanafternoon\'sholiday，and，whentheyhadwithdrawnfromthecompound，permittedthePortAdamsmentodescendfromthetrees。AndallafternoonheandJoanloafedinthecooloftheverandaandwatchedthemdivingdownandemptyingtheirsunkencanoesofthesandandrocks。Itwastwilightwhentheyembarkedandpaddledawaywithafewbrokenpaddles。Abreezehadsprungup，andtheFlibberty-GibbethadalreadysailedforLungatoreturntherunaways。
CHAPTERXII——MR。MORGANANDMR。RAFF
Sheldonwasbackintheplantationsuperintendingthebuildingofabridge，whentheschoonerMalakularanincloseanddroppedanchor。
Joanwatchedthetakinginofsailandtheswingingoutoftheboatwithasailor\'sinterest，andherselfmetthetwomenwhocameashore。Whileoneofthehouse-boysrantofetchSheldon，shehadthevisitorsservedwithwhiskyandsoda，andsatandtalkedwiththem。
Theyseemedawkwardandconstrainedinherpresence，andshecaughtfirstoneandthentheotherlookingatherwithsecretcuriosity。
Shefeltthattheywereweighingher，appraisingher，andforthefirsttimetheanomalouspositionsheoccupiedonBerandesanksharplyhometoher。Ontheotherhand，theypuzzledher。Theywereneithertradersnorsailorsofanytypeshehadknown。Nordidtheytalklikegentlemen，despitethefactthattherewasnothingoffensiveintheirbearingandthattheveneerofordinarysocialnicetywastheirs。Undoubtedly，theyweremenofaffairs——
businessmenofasort；butwhataffairsshouldtheyhaveintheSolomons，andwhatbusinessonBerande？Theelderone，Morgan，wasahugeman，bronzedandmoustached，withadeepbassvoiceandanalmostgutturalspeech，andtheother，Raff，wasslightandeffeminate，withnervoushandsandwatery，washed-outgrayeyes，whospokewithafaintindefinableaccentthatwashauntinglyreminiscentoftheCockney，andthatwasyetnotCockneyofanybrandshehadeverencountered。Whatevertheywere，theywereself-mademen，sheconcluded；andshefelttheimpulsetoshudderatthoughtoffallingintotheirhandsinabusinessway。There，theywouldbemerciless。
ShewatchedSheldoncloselywhenhearrived，anddivinedthathewasnotparticularlydelightedtoseethem。Butseethemhemust，andsopressingwastheneedthat，afteralittleperfunctorygeneralconversation，heledthetwomenintothestuffyoffice。
Laterintheafternoon，sheaskedLalaperuwheretheyhadgone。
\"Myword，\"quothLalaperu；\"plentywalkabout，plentylook\'m。
Look\'mtree；look\'mgroundbelongtree；look\'mallfellabridge；
look\'mcopra-house；look\'mgrass-land；look\'mriver；look\'mwhale-boat——myword，plentybigfellalook\'mtoomuch。\"
\"Whatfellamanthemtwofella？\"shequeried。
\"Bigfellamarsteralongwhiteman，\"wastheextentofhisdescription。
ButJoandecidedthattheyweremenofimportanceintheSolomons，andthattheirexaminationoftheplantationandofitsaccountswasofsinistersignificance。
Atdinnernowordwasdroppedthatgaveahintoftheirerrand。
Theconversationwasongeneraltopics；butJoancouldnothelpnoticingthetroubled，absentexpressionthatoccasionallycameintoSheldon\'seyes。Aftercoffee，sheleftthem；andatmidnight，fromacrossthecompound，shecouldhearthelowmurmuroftheirvoicesandseeglowingthefieryendsoftheircigars。Upearlyherself，shefoundtheyhadalreadydepartedonanothertrampovertheplantation。
\"Whatyouthink？\"sheaskedViaburi。
\"Sheldonmarsterhegoalongfinishshorttimelittlebit，\"wastheanswer。
\"Whatyouthink？\"sheaskedOrnfiri。
\"SheldonmarsterbigfellawalkaboutalongSydney。Yes，met\'inkso。HefinishalongBerande。\"
Alldaytheexaminationoftheplantationandthediscussionwenton；andalldaytheskipperoftheMalakulasenturgentmessagesashoreforthetwomentohasten。Itwasnotuntilsunsetthattheywentdowntotheboat，andeventhenafinaltalkofnearlyanhourtookplaceonthebeach。Sheldonwascombatingsomething——
thatshecouldplainlysee；andthathistwovisitorswerenotgivinginshecouldalsoplainlysee。
\"Whatname？\"sheaskedlightly，whenSheldonsatdowntodinner。
Helookedatherandsmiled，butitwasaverywanandwistfulsmile。
\"Myword，\"shewenton。\"Onebigfellatalk。Sunhegodown——
talk-talk；sunhecomeup——talk-talk；allthetimetalk-talk。Whatnamethatfellatalk-talk？
\"Oh，nothingmuch。\"Heshruggedhisshoulders。\"TheyweretryingtobuyBerande，thatwasall。\"
Shelookedathimchallengingly。
\"Itmusthavebeenmorethanthat。Itwasyouwhowantedtosell。\"
\"Indeed，no，MissLackland；IassureyouthatIamfarfromdesiringtosell。\"
\"Don\'tletusfenceaboutit，\"sheurged。\"Letitbestraighttalkbetweenus。You\'reintrouble。I\'mnotafool。Tellme。
Besides，Imaybeabletohelp，to——tosuggestsomething。\"
Inthepausethatfollowed，heseemedtodebate，notsomuchwhetherhewouldtellher，ashowtobegintotellher。
\"I\'mAmerican，yousee，\"shepersisted，\"andourAmericanheritageisalargeparcelofbusinesssense。Idon\'tlikeitmyself，butI
knowI\'vegotit——atleastmorethanyouhave。Letustalkitoverandfindawayout。Howmuchdoyouowe？\"
\"Athousandpounds，andafewtriflesover——smallbills，youknow。
Then，too，thirtyoftheboysfinishtheirtimenextweek，andtheirbalanceswillaveragetenpoundseach。Butwhatistheneedofbotheringyourheadwithit？Really，youknow——\"
\"WhatisBerandeworth？——rightnow？\"
\"WhateverMorganandRaffarewillingtopayforit。\"Aglanceatherhurtexpressiondecidedhim。\"HughieandIhavesunkeightthousandpoundsinit，andourtime。Itisagoodproperty，andworthmorethanthat。Butithasthreeyearstorunbeforeitsreturnsbegintocomein。ThatiswhyHughieandIengagedintradingandrecruiting。TheJessieandourstationscameveryneartopayingtherunningexpensesofBerande。\"
\"AndMorganandRaffofferedyouwhat？\"
\"Athousandpoundsclear，afterpayingallbills。\"
\"Thethieves!\"shecried。
\"No，they\'regoodbusinessmen，thatisall。Astheytoldme，athingisworthnomorethanoneiswillingtopayortoreceive。\"
\"AndhowmuchdoyouneedtocarryonBerandeforthreeyears？\"
Joanhurriedon。
\"Twohundredboysatsixpoundsayearmeansthirty-sixhundredpounds——that\'sthemainitem。\"
\"My，howcheaplabourdoesmountup!Thirty-sixhundredpounds，eighteenthousanddollars，justforalotofcannibals!Yettheplaceisgoodsecurity。YoucouldgodowntoSydneyandraisethemoney。\"
Heshookhishead。
\"Youcan\'tgetthemtolookatplantationsdownthere。They\'vebeentakenintoooften。ButIdohatetogivetheplaceup——moreforHughie\'ssake，Iswear，thanmyown。Hewasboundupinit。
Yousee，hewasapersistentchap，andhatedtoacknowledgedefeat。
It——itmakesmeuncomfortabletothinkofitmyself。Wewererunningslowlybehind，butwiththeJessiewehopedtomuddlethroughinsomefashion。\"
\"Youweremuddlers，thepairofyou，withoutdoubt。Butyouneedn\'tselltoMorganandRaff。IshallgodowntoSydneyonthenextsteamer，andI\'llcomebackinasecond-handschooner。I
shouldbeabletobuyoneforfiveorsixthousanddollars——\"
Hehelduphishandinprotest，butshewaveditaside。
\"Imaymanagetofreightacargobackaswell。Atanyrate，theschoonerwilltakeovertheJessie\'sbusiness。Youcanmakeyourarrangementsaccordingly，andhaveplentyofworkforherwhenI
getback。I\'mgoingtobecomeapartnerinBerandetotheextentofmybagofsovereigns——I\'vegotoverfifteenhundredofthem，youknow。We\'lldrawupanagreementrightnow——thatis，withyourpermission，andIknowyouwon\'trefuseit。\"
Helookedatherwithgood-naturedamusement。
\"YouknowIsailedhereallthewayfromTahitiinordertobecomeaplanter，\"sheinsisted。\"Youknowwhatmyplanswere。NowI\'vechangedthem，that\'sall。I\'dratherbeapartownerofBerandeandgetmyreturnsinthreeyears，thanbreakgroundonPari-Sulayandwaitsevenyears。\"
\"Andthis——er——thisschooner……\"Sheldonchangedhismindandstopped。
\"Yes，goon。\"
\"Youwon\'tbeangry？\"hequeried。
\"No，no；thisisbusiness。Goon。\"
\"You——er——youwouldrunheryourself？——bethecaptain，inshort？——
andgorecruitingonMalaita？\"
\"Certainly。Wewouldsavethecostofaskipper。Underanagreementyouwouldbecreditedwithamanager\'ssalary，andIwithacaptain\'s。It\'squitesimple。Besides，ifyouwon\'tletmebeyourpartner，IshallbuyPari-Sulay，getamuchsmallervessel，andrunhermyself。Sowhatisthedifference？\"
\"Thedifference？——why，allthedifferenceintheworld。InthecaseofPari-Sulayyouwouldbeonanindependentventure。YoucouldturncannibalforallIcouldinterfereinthematter。ButonBerande，youwouldbemypartner，andthenIwouldberesponsible。AndofcourseIcouldn\'tpermityou，asmypartner，tobeskipperofarecruiter。Itellyou，thethingiswhatI
wouldnotpermitanysisterorwifeofmine——\"
\"ButI\'mnotgoingtobeyourwife，thankgoodness——onlyyourpartner。\"
\"Besides，it\'sallridiculous，\"heheldonsteadily。\"Thinkofthesituation。Amanandawoman，bothyoung，partnersonanisolatedplantation。Why，theonlypracticalwayoutwouldbethatI\'dhavetomarryyou——\"
\"Minewasabusinessproposition，notamarriageproposal，\"sheinterrupted，coldlyangry。\"Iwonderifsomewhereinthisworldthereisonemanwhocouldacceptmeforacomrade。\"
\"Butyouareawomanjustthesame，\"hebegan，\"andtherearecertainconventions，certaindecencies——\"
Shesprangupandstampedherfoot。
\"DoyouknowwhatI\'dliketosay？\"shedemanded。
\"Yes，\"hesmiled，\"you\'dliketosay，\'Damnpetticoats!\'\"
Shenoddedherheadruefully。
\"That\'swhatIwantedtosay，butitsoundsdifferentonyourlips。
Itsoundsasthoughyoumeantityourself，andthatyoumeantitbecauseofme。\"
\"Well，Iamgoingtobed。Butdo，please，thinkovermyproposition，andletmeknowinthemorning。There\'snouseinmydiscussingitnow。Youmakemesoangry。Youarecowardly，youknow，andveryegotistic。Youareafraidofwhatotherfoolswillsay。Nomatterhowhonestyourmotives，ifotherscriticizedyouractionsyourfeelingswouldbehurt。Andyouthinkmoreaboutyourownwretchedfeelingsthanyoudoaboutmine。Andthen，beingacoward——allmenareatheartcowards——youdisguiseyourcowardicebycallingitchivalry。IthankheaventhatIwasnotbornaman。
Good-night。Dothinkitover。Anddon\'tbefoolish。WhatBerandeneedsisgoodAmericanhustle。Youdon\'tknowwhatthatis。Youareamuddler。Besides，youareenervated。I\'mfreshtotheclimate。Letmebeyourpartner，andyou\'llseemerattlethedrybonesoftheSolomons。Confess，I\'verattledyoursalready。\"
\"Ishouldsayso，\"heanswered。\"Really，youknow，youhave。I
neverreceivedsuchadressing-downinmylife。IfanyonehadevertoldmethatI\'dbeapartyeventothepresentsituation……Yes，Iconfess，youhaverattledmydrybonesprettyconsiderably。\"
\"Butthatisnothingtotherattlingtheyaregoingtoget，\"sheassuredhim，asheroseandtookherhand。\"Good-night。Anddo，dogivemearationaldecisioninthemorning。\"
CHAPTERXIII——THELOGICOFYOUTH
\"IwishIknewwhetheryouaremerelyheadstrong，orwhetheryoureallyintendtobeaSolomonplanter，\"Sheldonsaidinthemorning，atbreakfast。
\"Iwishyouweremoreadaptable，\"Joanretorted。\"YouhavemorepreconceivednotionsthananymanIevermet。Whyinthenameofcommonsense，inthenameof……fairplay，can\'tyougetitintoyourheadthatIamdifferentfromthewomenyouhaveknown，andtreatmeaccordingly？YousurelyoughttoknowIamdifferent。I
sailedmyownschoonerhere——skipper，ifyouplease。Icameheretomakemyliving。Youknowthat；I\'vetoldyouoftenenough。ItwasDad\'splan，andI\'mcarryingitout，justasyouaretryingtocarryoutyourHughie\'splan。Dadstartedtosailandsailuntilhecouldfindtheproperislandsforplanting。Hedied，andI
sailedandsaileduntilIarrivedhere。Well，\"——sheshruggedhershoulders——\"theschoonerisatthebottomofthesea。Ican\'tsailanyfarther，thereforeIremainhere。AndaplanterIshallcertainlybe。\"
\"Yousee——\"hebegan。
\"Ihaven\'tgottothepoint，\"sheinterrupted。\"LookingbackonmyconductfromthemomentIfirstsetfootonyourbeach，IcanseenofalsepretencethatIhavemadeaboutmyselformyintentions。
Iwasmynaturalselftoyoufromthefirst。Itoldyoumyplans；
andyetyousitthereandcalmlytellmethatyoudon\'tknowwhetherIreallyintendtobecomeaplanter，orwhetheritisallobstinacyandpretence。Nowletmeassureyou，forthelasttime，thatIreallyandtrulyshallbecomeaplanter，thankstoyou，orinspiteofyou。Doyouwantmeforapartner？\"
\"ButdoyourealizethatIwouldbelookeduponasthemostfoolishjackanapesintheSouthSeasifItookayounggirllikeyouinwithmehereonBerande？\"heasked。
\"No；decidedlynot。Butthereyouareagain，worryingaboutwhatidiotsandthegenerallyevil-mindedwillthinkofyou。Ishouldhavethoughtyouhadlearnedself-relianceonBerande，insteadofneedingtoleanuponthemoralsupportofeverywhisky-guzzlingworthlessSouthSeavagabond。\"
Hesmiled，andsaid，-
\"Yes，thatistheworstofit。Youareunanswerable。Yoursisthelogicofyouth，andnomancananswerthat。Thefactsoflifecan，buttheyhavenoplaceinthelogicofyouth。Youthmusttrytoliveaccordingtoitslogic。Thatistheonlywaytolearnbetter。\"
\"Thereisnoharmintrying？\"sheinterjected。
\"Butthereis。Thatistheverypoint。Thefactsalwayssmashyouth\'slogic，andtheyusuallysmashyouth\'sheart，too。It\'slikeplatonicfriendshipsand……andallsuchthings；theyareallrightintheory，buttheywon\'tworkinpractice。Iusedtobelieveinsuchthingsonce。ThatiswhyIamhereintheSolomonsatpresent。\"
Joanwasimpatient。Hesawthatshecouldnotunderstand。Lifewastooclearlysimpletoher。Itwasonlytheyouthwhowasarguingwithhim，theyouthwithyouth\'spure-mindedandinvinciblereasoning。Herswasonlytheboy\'ssoulinawoman\'sbody。Helookedatherflushed，eagerface，atthegreatropesofhaircoiledonthesmallhead，attheroundedlinesofthefigureshowingplainlythroughthehome-madegown，andattheeyes——boy\'seyes，undercool，levelbrows——andhewonderedwhyabeingthatwassomuchbeautifulwomanshouldbenowomanatall。Whyinthedeucewasshenotcarroty-haired，orcross-eyed，orhare-lipped？
\"SupposewedobecomepartnersonBerande，\"hesaid，atthesametimeexperiencingafeelingoffrightattheprospectthatwastangledwithacontradictoryfeelingofcharm，\"eitherI\'llfallinlovewithyou，oryouwithme。Propinquityisdangerous，youknow。
Infact，itispropinquitythatusuallygivesthefacertothelogicofyouth。\"
\"IfyouthinkIcametotheSolomonstogetmarried——\"shebeganwrathfully。\"Well，therearebettermeninHawaii，that\'sall。
Really，youknow，thewayyouharponthatonestringwouldleadanunprejudicedlistenertoconcludethatyouareprurient-minded——\"
Shestopped，appalled。Hisfacehadgoneredandwhitewithsuchabruptnessastostartleher。Hewaspatentlyveryangry。Shesippedthelastofhercoffee，andarose，saying，-
\"I\'llwaituntilyouareinabettertemperbeforetakingupthediscussionagain。Thatiswhat\'sthematterwithyou。Yougetangrytooeasily。Willyoucomeswimming？Thetideisjustright。\"
\"IfshewereamanI\'dbundleherofftheplantationrootandcrop，whale-boat，Tahitiansailors，sovereigns，andall，\"hemutteredtohimselfaftershehadlefttheroom。
Butthatwasthetrouble。Shewasnotaman，andwherewouldshego，andwhatwouldhappentoher？
Hegottohisfeet，lightedacigarette，andherStetsonhat，hangingonthewalloverherrevolver-belt，caughthiseye。Thatwasthedevilofit，too。Hedidnotwanthertogo。Afterall，shehadnotgrownupyet。Thatwaswhyherlogichurt。Itwasonlythelogicofyouth，butitcouldhurtdamnablyattimes。Atanyrate，hewouldresolveupononething:neveragainwouldhelosehistemperwithher。Shewasachild；hemustrememberthat。
Hesighedheavily。Butwhyinreasonablenesshadsuchachildbeenincorporatedinsuchawoman\'sform？
Andashecontinuedtostareatherhatandthink，thehurthehadreceivedpassedaway，andhefoundhimselfcudgellinghisbrainsforsomewayoutofthemuddle——forsomemethodbywhichshecouldremainonBerande。Achaperone!Whynot？HecouldsendtoSydneyonthefirststeamerforone。Hecould-
Hertrillinglaughtersmoteuponhisreverie，andhesteppedtothescreen-door，throughwhichhecouldseeherrunningdownthepathtothebeach。Atherheelsrantwoofhersailors，PapeharaandMahameme，inscarletlava-lavas，withnakedsheath-knivesgleamingintheirbelts。Itwasanothersampleofherwilfulness。Despiteentreatiesandcommands，andwarningsofthedangerfromsharks，shepersistedinswimmingatanyandalltimes，andbyspecialpreference，itseemedtohim，immediatelyaftereating。
Hewatchedhertakethewater，divingcleanly，likeaboy，fromtheendofthelittlepier；andhewatchedherstrikeoutwithsingleoverhandstroke，herhenchmenswimmingadozenfeetoneitherside。
Hedidnothavemuchfaithintheirabilitytobeatoffahungryman-eater，thoughhedidbelieve，implicitly，thattheirliveswouldgobravelybeforehersincaseofanattack。
Straightouttheyswam，theirheadsgrowingsmallerandsmaller。
Therewasaslight，restlessheavetothesea，andsoonthethreeheadsweredisappearingbehinditwithgreaterfrequency。Hestrainedhiseyestokeeptheminsight，andfinallyfetchedthetelescopeontotheveranda。AsquallwasmakingoverfromthedirectionofFlorida；butthen，sheandhermenlaughedatsquallsandthewhitechoppyseaatsuchtimes。Shecertainlycouldswim，hehadlongsinceconcluded。ThatcameofhertraininginHawaii。
Butsharksweresharks，andhehadknownofmorethanonegoodswimmerdrownedinatide-rip。
Thesquallblackenedthesky，beattheoceanwhitewherehehadlastseenthethreeheads，andthenblottedoutseaandskyandeverythingwithitsdelugeofrain。Itpassedon，andBerandeemergedinthebrightsunshineasthethreeswimmersemergedfromthesea。Sheldonslippedinsidewiththetelescope，andthroughthescreen-doorwatchedherrunupthepath，shakingdownherhairassheran，tothefresh-watershowerunderthehouse。
Ontheverandathatafternoonhebroachedthepropositionofachaperoneasdelicatelyashecould，explainingthenecessityatBerandeforsuchabody，ahousekeepertoruntheboysandthestoreroom，andperformdiversotherusefulfunctions。Whenhehadfinished，hewaitedanxiouslyforwhatJoanwouldsay。
\"Thenyoudon\'tlikethewayI\'vebeenmanagingthehouse？\"washerfirstobjection。Andnext，brushinghisattemptedexplanationsaside，\"Oneoftwothingswouldhappen。EitherIshouldcancelourpartnershipagreementandgoaway，leavingyoutogetanotherchaperonetochaperoneyourchaperone；orelseI\'dtaketheoldhenoutinthewhale-boatanddrownher。DoyouimagineforonemomentthatIsailedmyschoonerdownheretothisrawedgeoftheearthinordertoputmyselfunderachaperone？\"
\"Butreally……er……youknowachaperoneisanecessaryevil，\"heobjected。
\"We\'vegotalongverynicelysofarwithoutone。DidIhaveoneontheMiele？AndyetIwastheonlywomanonboard。ThereareonlythreethingsIamafraidof——bumble-bees，scarletfever，andchaperones。Ugh!theclucking，evil-mindedmonsters，findingwrongineverything，seeingsininthemostinnocentactions，andsuggestingsin——yes，causingsin——bytheirdiseasedimaginings。\"
\"Phew!\"Sheldonleanedbackfromthetableinmockfear。
\"Youneedn\'tworryaboutyourbreadandbutter，\"heventured。\"Ifyoufailatplanting，youwouldbesuretosucceedasawriter——
novelswithapurpose，youknow。\"
\"Ididn\'tthinktherewerepersonsintheSolomonswhoneededsuchbooks，\"sheretaliated。\"Butyouarecertainlyone——youandyourcustodiansofvirtue。\"
Hewinced，butJoanrattledonwiththeplatitudinousoriginalityofyouth。
\"Asifanythinggoodwereworthwhilewhenithastobeguardedandputinleg-ironsandhandcuffsinordertokeepitgood。YourdesireforachaperoneasmuchasimpliesthatIamthatsortofcreature。Iprefertobegoodbecauseitisgoodtobegood，ratherthanbecauseIcan\'tbebadbecausesomeargus-eyedoldfrumpwon\'tletmehaveachancetobebad。\"
\"Butit——itisnotthat，\"heputin。\"Itiswhatotherswillthink。\"
\"Letthemthink，thenasty-mindedwretches!Itisbecausemenlikeyouareafraidofthenasty-mindedthatyouallowtheiropinionstoruleyou。\"
\"IamafraidyouareafemaleShelley，\"hereplied；\"andassuch，youreallydrivemetobecomeyourpartnerinordertoprotectyou。\"
\"Ifyoutakemeasapartnerinordertoprotectme……I……I
shan\'tbeyourpartner，that\'sall。You\'lldrivemeintobuyingPari-Sulayyet。\"
\"Allthemorereason——\"heattempted。
\"DoyouknowwhatI\'lldo？\"shedemanded。\"I\'llfindsomemanintheSolomonswhowon\'twanttoprotectme。\"
Sheldoncouldnotconcealtheshockherwordsgavehim。
\"Youdon\'tmeanthat，youknow，\"hepleaded。
\"Ido；Ireallydo。Iamsickandtiredofthisprotectiondodge。
Don\'tforgetforamomentthatIamperfectlyabletotakecareofmyself。Besides，Ihaveeightofthebestprotectorsintheworld——
mysailors。\"
\"Youshouldhavelivedathousandyearsago，\"helaughed，\"orathousandyearshence。Youareveryprimitive，andequallysuper-
modern。Thetwentiethcenturyisnoplaceforyou。\"
\"ButtheSolomonIslandsare。YouwerelivinglikeasavagewhenI
camealongandfoundyou——eatingnothingbuttinnedmeatandsconesthatwouldhaveruinedthedigestionofacamel。Anyway，I\'veremediedthat；andsincewearetobepartners，itwillstayremedied。Youwon\'tdieofmalnutrition，besureofthat。\"
\"Ifweenterintopartnership，\"heannounced，\"itmustbethoroughlyunderstoodthatyouarenotallowedtoruntheschooner。
YoucangodowntoSydneyandbuyher，butaskipperwemusthave——
\"
\"Atsomuchadditionalexpense，andmostlikelyawhisky-drinking，irresponsible，andincapablemantoboot。Besides，I\'dhavethebusinessmoreatheartthananymanwecouldhire。Asforcapability，ItellyouIcansailallaroundtheaveragebrokencaptainorpromotedableseamanyoufindintheSouthSeas。AndyouknowIamanavigator。\"
\"Butbeingmypartner，\"hesaidcoolly，\"makesyounonethelessalady。\"
\"Thankyoufortellingmethatmycontemplatedconductisunladylike。\"
Shearose，tearsofangerandmortificationinhereyes，andwentovertothephonograph。
\"Iwonderifallmenareasridiculousasyou？\"shesaid。
Heshruggedhisshouldersandsmiled。Discussionwasuseless——hehadlearnedthat；andhewasresolvedtokeephistemper。Andbeforethedaywasoutshecapitulated。ShewastogotoSydneyonthefirststeamer，purchasetheschooner，andsailbackwithanislandskipperonboard。AndthensheinveigledSheldonintoagreeingthatshecouldtakeoccasionalcruisesintheislands，thoughhewasadamantwhenitcametoarecruitingtriponMalaita。
Thatwastheonethingbarred。
Andafteritwasallover，andaterseandbusiness-likeagreementbyherurgingdrawnupandsigned，Sheldonpacedupanddownforafullhour，meditatinguponhowmanydifferentkindsofafoolhehadmadeofhimself。Itwasanimpossiblesituation，andyetnomoreimpossiblethanthepreviousone，andnomoreimpossiblethantheonethatwouldhaveobtainedhadshegoneoffonherownandboughtPari-Sulay。Hehadneverseenamoreindependentwomanwhostoodmoreinneedofaprotectorthanthisboy-mindedgirlwhohadlandedonhisbeachwitheightpicturesquesavages，along-
barrelledrevolver，abagofgold，andagaudymerchandiseofimaginedromanceandadventure。
Hehadneverreadofanythingtocomparewithit。Thefictionists，asusual，wereexceededbyfact。Thewholethingwastoopreposteroustobetrue。Hegnawedhismoustacheandsmokedcigaretteaftercigarette。Satan，backfromaprowlaroundthecompound，ranuptohimandtouchedhishandwithacold，dampnose。Sheldoncaressedtheanimal\'sears，thenthrewhimselfintoachairandlaughedheartily。WhatwouldtheCommissioneroftheSolomonsthink？Whatwouldhispeopleathomethink？AndintheonebreathhewasgladthatthepartnershiphadbeeneffectedandsorrythatJoanLacklandhadevercometotheSolomons。Thenhewentinsideandlookedathimselfinahand-mirror。Hestudiedthereflectionlongandthoughtfullyandwonderingly。
CHAPTERXIV——THEMARTHA
Theyweredeepinagameofbilliardsthenextmorning，aftertheeleveno\'clockbreakfast，whenViaburienteredandannounced，-
\"Bigfellaschoonercloseup。\"
Evenashespoke，theyheardtherumbleofchainthroughhawse-
pipe，andfromtheverandasawabigblack-paintedschooner，swingingtoherjust-caughtanchor。
\"It\'saYankee，\"Joancried。\"Seethatbow!Lookatthatellipticalstern!Ah，Ithoughtso——\"astheStarsandStripesflutteredtothemast-head。
NoaNoah，atSheldon\'sdirection，rantheUnionJackuptheflag-
staff。
\"NowwhatisanAmericanvesseldoingdownhere？\"Joanasked。
\"It\'snotayacht，thoughI\'llwagershecansail。Look!Hername!Whatisit？\"
\"Martha，SanFrancisco，\"Sheldonread，lookingthroughthetelescope。\"It\'sthefirstYankeeIeverheardofintheSolomons。
Theyarecomingashore，whoevertheyare。And，byJove，lookatthosemenattheoars。It\'sanall-whitecrew。Nowwhatreasonbringsthemhere？\"
\"They\'renotpropersailors，\"Joancommented。\"I\'dbeashamedofacrewofblack-boysthatpulledinsuchfashion。Lookatthatfellowinthebow——theonejustjumpingout；he\'dbemoreathomeonacow-pony。\"
Theboat\'s-crewscatteredupanddownthebeach，rangingaboutwitheagercuriosity，whilethetwomenwhohadsatinthestern-sheetsopenedthegateandcameupthepathtothebungalow。Oneofthem，atallandslenderman，wascladinwhiteducksthatfittedhimlikeasemi-militaryuniform。Theotherman，innondescriptgarmentsthatwerebothoftheseaandshore，andthatmusthavebeenuncomfortablyhot，slouchedandshambledlikeanovergrownape。Tocompletetheillusion，hisfaceseemedtosproutinalldirectionswithadense，bushymassofredwhiskers，whilehiseyesweresmallandsharpandrestless。
Sheldon，whohadgonetotheheadofthesteps，introducedthemtoJoan。Thebewhiskeredindividual，wholookedlikeaScotsman，hadtheTeutonicnameofVonBlix，andspokewithastrongAmericanaccent。Thetallmaninthewell-fittingducks，whogavetheEnglishnameofTudor——JohnTudor——talkedpurely-enunciatedEnglishsuchasanyculturedAmericanwouldtalk，saveforthefactthatitwasmostdelicatelyandsubtlytouchedbyafaintGermanaccent。
JoandecidedthatshehadbeenhelpedtoidentifytheaccentbytheshortGerman-lookingmoustachethatdidnotconcealthemouthanditsfullredlips，whichwouldhaveformedaCupid\'sbowbutforsomeharshnessorseverityofspiritthathadmouldedthemmasculinely。
VonBlixwasroughandboorish，butTudorwasgracefullyeasyineverythinghedid，orlooked，orsaid。Hisblueeyessparkledandflashed，hisclean-cutmobilefeatureswereanindextohisslightestshadesoffeelingandexpression。Hebubbledwithenthusiasms，andhisfaintestsmileorlightestlaughseemedspontaneousandgenuine。Butitwasonlyoccasionallyatfirstthathespoke，forVonBlixtoldtheirstoryandstatedtheirerrand。
Theywereonagold-huntingexpedition。Hewastheleader，andTudorwashislieutenant。Allhands——andthereweretwenty-eight——
wereshareholders，invaryingproportions，intheadventure。
Severalweresailors，butthelargemajoritywereminers，culledfromallthecampsfromMexicototheArcticOcean。Itwastheoldandever-untiringpursuitofgold，andtheyhadcometotheSolomonstogetit。Partofthem，undertheleadershipofTudor，weretogouptheBalesunaandpenetratethemountainousheartofGuadalcanar，whiletheMartha，underVonBlix，sailedawayforMalaitatoputthroughsimilarexploration。
\"Andso，\"saidVonBlix，\"forMr。Tudor\'sexpeditionwemusthavesomeblack-boys。Canwegetthemfromyou？\"
\"Ofcoursewewillpay，\"Tudorbrokein。\"Youhaveonlytochargewhatyouconsiderthemworth。Youpaythemsixpoundsayear，don\'tyou？\"
\"Inthefirstplacewecan\'tsparethem，\"Sheldonanswered。\"Weareshortofthemontheplantationasitis。\"
\"WE？\"Tudoraskedquickly。\"Thenyouareafirmorapartnership？
IunderstoodatGuvututhatyouwerealone，thatyouhadlostyourpartner。\"
SheldoninclinedhisheadtowardJoan，andashespokeshefeltthathehadbecomeatriflestiff。
\"MissLacklandhasbecomeinterestedintheplantationsincethen。
Buttoreturntotheboys。Wecan\'tsparethem，andbesides，theywouldbeoflittleuse。Youcouldn\'tgetthemtoaccompanyyoubeyondBinu，whichisashortday\'sworkwiththeboatsfromhere。