adventure-第12节

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pears　and　arrows。　　Of　course；　Johnny　Be…blowed's　whale…　boat　is　lying　ready　to　pick　him　up。　　In　his　last　days　Johnny　got　nothing　but　pier…head　jumps。

〃And　the　first　owners　of　Berande　bought　his　recruitsa　hard…bitten　gang　of　murderers。　　They　were　all　five…year　boys。　　You　see；　the　recruiter　has　the　advantage　over　a　boy　when　he　makes　a　pier…head　jump。　　He　could　sign　him　on　for　ten　years　did　the　law　permit。　Well；　that's　the　gang　of　murderers　we've　got　on　our　hands　now。　　Of　course　some　are　dead；　some　have　been　killed；　and　there　are　others　serving　sentences　at　Tulagi。　　Very　little　clearing　did　those　first　owners　do；　and　less　planting。　　It　was　war　all　the　time。　　They　had　one　manager　killed。　　One　of　the　partners　had　his　shoulder　slashed　nearly　off　by　a　cane…knife。　　The　other　was　speared　on　two　different　occasions。　　Both　were　bullies；　wherefore　there　was　a　streak　of　cowardice　in　them；　and　in　the　end　they　had　to　give　up。　　They　were　chased　awayliterally　chased　awayby　their　own　niggers。　　And　along　came　poor　Hughie　and　me；　two　new　chums；　to　take　hold　of　that　hard…bitten　gang。　　We　did　not　know　the　situation；　and　we　had　bought　Berande；　and　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　hang　on　and　muddle　through　somehow。

〃At　first　we　made　the　mistake　of　indiscreet　kindness。　　We　tried　to　rule　by　persuasion　and　fair　treatment。　　The　niggers　concluded　that　we　were　afraid。　　I　blush　to　think　of　what　fools　we　were　in　those　first　days。　　We　were　imposed　on；　and　threatened　and　insulted；　and　we　put　up　with　it；　hoping　our　square…dealing　would　soon　mend　things。　　Instead　of　which　everything　went　from　bad　to　worse。　　Then　came　the　day　when　Hughie　reprimanded　one　of　the　boys　and　was　nearly　killed　by　the　gang。　　The　only　thing　that　saved　him　was　the　number　on　top　of　him；　which　enabled　me　to　reach　the　spot　in　time。

〃Then　began　the　rule　of　the　strong　hand。　　It　was　either　that　or　quit；　and　we　had　sunk　about　all　our　money　into　the　venture；　and　we　could　not　quit。　　And　besides；　our　pride　was　involved。　　We　had　started　out　to　do　something；　and　we　were　so　made　that　we　just　had　to　go　on　with　it。　　It　has　been　a　hard　fight；　for　we　were；　and　are　to　this　day；　considered　the　worst　plantation　in　the　Solomons　from　the　standpoint　of　labour。　　Do　you　know；　we　have　been　unable　to　get　white　men　in。　　We've　offered　the　managership　to　half　a　dozen。　　I　won't　say　they　were　afraid；　for　they　were　not。　　But　they　did　not　consider　it　healthyat　least　that　is　the　way　it　was　put　by　the　last　one　who　declined　our　offer。　　So　Hughie　and　I　did　the　managing　ourselves。〃

〃And　when　he　died　you　were　prepared　to　go　on　all　alone！〃　Joan　cried；　with　shining　eyes。

〃I　thought　I'd　muddle　through。　　And　now；　Miss　Lackland；　please　be　charitable　when　I　seem　harsh；　and　remember　that　the　situation　is　unparalleled　down　here。　　We've　got　a　bad　crowd；　and　we're　making　them　work。　　You've　been　over　the　plantation　and　you　ought　to　know。　And　I　assure　you　that　there　are　no　better　three…and…four…years…old　trees　on　any　other　plantation　in　the　Solomons。　　We　have　worked　steadily　to　change　matters　for　the　better。　　We've　been　slowly　getting　in　new　labour。　　That　is　why　we　bought　the　Jessie。　　We　wanted　to　select　our　own　labour。　　In　another　year　the　time　will　be　up　for　most　of　the　original　gang。　　You　see；　they　were　recruited　during　the　first　year　of　Berande；　and　their　contracts　expire　on　different　months。　　Naturally；　they　have　contaminated　the　new　boys　to　a　certain　extent；　but　that　can　soon　be　remedied；　and　then　Berande　will　be　a　respectable　plantation。〃

Joan　nodded　but　remained　silent。　　She　was　too　occupied　in　glimpsing　the　vision　of　the　one　lone　white　man　as　she　had　first　seen　him；　helpless　from　fever；　a　collapsed　wraith　in　a　steamer…chair；　who；　up　to　the　last　heart…beat；　by　some　strange　alchemy　of　race；　was　pledged　to　mastery。

〃It　is　a　pity；〃　she　said。　　〃But　the　white　man　has　to　rule；　I　suppose。〃

〃I　don't　like　it；〃　Sheldon　assured　her。　　〃To　save　my　life　I　can't　imagine　how　I　ever　came　here。　　But　here　I　am；　and　I　can't　run　away。〃

〃Blind　destiny　of　race；〃　she　said；　faintly　smiling。　　〃We　whites　have　been　land　robbers　and　sea　robbers　from　remotest　time。　　It　is　in　our　blood；　I　guess；　and　we　can't　get　away　from　it。〃

〃I　never　thought　about　it　so　abstractly；〃　he　confessed。　　〃I've　been　too　busy　puzzling　over　why　I　came　here。〃



CHAPTER　VIIILOCAL　COLOUR



At　sunset　a　small　ketch　fanned　in　to　anchorage；　and　a　little　later　the　skipper　came　ashore。　　He　was　a　soft…spoken；　gentle…voiced　young　fellow　of　twenty；　but　he　won　Joan's　admiration　in　advance　when　Sheldon　told　her　that　he　ran　the　ketch　all　alone　with　a　black　crew　from　Malaita。　　And　Romance　lured　and　beckoned　before　Joan's　eyes　when　she　learned　he　was　Christian　Young；　a　Norfolk　Islander；　but　a　direct　descendant　of　John　Young；　one　of　the　original　Bounty　mutineers。　　The　blended　Tahitian　and　English　blood　showed　in　his　soft　eyes　and　tawny　skin；　but　the　English　hardness　seemed　to　have　disappeared。　　Yet　the　hardness　was　there；　and　it　was　what　enabled　him　to　run　his　ketch　single…handed　and　to　wring　a　livelihood　out　of　the　fighting　Solomons。

Joan's　unexpected　presence　embarrassed　him；　until　she　herself　put　him　at　his　ease　by　a　frank；　comradely　manner　that　offended　Sheldon's　sense　of　the　fitness　of　things　feminine。　　News　from　the　world　Young　had　not；　but　he　was　filled　with　news　of　the　Solomons。　Fifteen　boys　had　stolen　rifles　and　run　away　into　the　bush　from　Lunga　plantation；　which　was　farther　east　on　the　Guadalcanar　coast。　And　from　the　bush　they　had　sent　word　that　they　were　coming　back　to　wipe　out　the　three　white　men　in　charge；　while　two　of　the　three　white　men；　in　turn；　were　hunting　them　through　the　bush。　　There　was　a　strong　possibility；　Young　volunteered；　that　if　they　were　not　caught　they　might　circle　around　and　tap　the　coast　at　Berande　in　order　to　steal　or　capture　a　whale…boat。

〃I　forgot　to　tell　you　that　your　trader　at　Ugi　has　been　murdered；〃　he　said　to　Sheldon。　　〃Five　big　canoes　came　down　from　Port　Adams。　They　landed　in　the　night…time；　and　caught　Oscar　asleep。　　What　they　didn't　steal　they　burned。　　The　Flibberty…Gibbet　got　the　news　at　Mboli　Pass；　and　ran　down　to　Ugi。　　I　was　at　Mboli　when　the　news　came。〃

〃I　think　I'll　have　to　abandon　Ugi；〃　Sheldon　remarked。

〃It's　the　second　trader　you've　lost　there　in　a　year；〃　Young　concurred。　　〃To　make　it　safe　there　ought　to　be　two　white　men　at　least。　　Those　Malaita　canoes　are　always　raiding　down　that　way；　and　you　know　what　that　Port　Adams　lot　is。　　I've　got　a　dog　for　you。　Tommy　Jones　sent　it　up　from　Neal　Island。　　He　said　he'd　promised　it　to　you。　　It's　a　first…class　nigger…chaser。　　Hadn't　been　on　board　two　minutes　when　he　had　my　whole　boat's…crew　in　the　rigging。　　Tommy　calls　him　Satan。〃

〃I've　wondered　several　times　why　you　had　no　dogs　here；〃　Joan　said。

〃The　trouble　is　to　keep　them。　　They're　always　eaten　by　the　crocodiles。〃

〃Jack　Hanley　was　killed　at　Marovo　Lagoon　two　months　ago；〃　Young　announced　in　his　mild　voice。　　〃The　news　just　came　down　on　the　Apostle。〃

〃Where　is　Marovo　Lagoon？〃　Joan　asked。

〃New　Georgia；　a　couple　of　hundred　miles　to　the　westward；〃　Sheldon　answered。　　〃Bougainville　lies　just　beyond。〃

〃His　own　house…boys　did　it；〃　Young　went　on；　〃but　they　were　put　up　to　it　by　the　Marovo　natives。　　His　Santa　Cruz　boat's…crew　escaped　in　the　whale…boat　to　Choiseul；　and　Mather；　in　the　Lily；　sailed　over　to　Marovo。　　He　burned　a　village；　and　got　Hanley's　head　back。　　He　found　it　in　one　of　the　houses；　where　the　niggers　had　it　drying。　　And　that's　all　the　news　I've　got；　except　that　there's　a　lot　of　new　Lee…　Enfields　loose　on　the　eastern　end　of　Ysabel。　　Nobody　knows　how　the　natives　got　them。　　The　government　ought　to　investigate。　　Andoh　yes；　a　war　vessel's　in　the　group；　the　Cambrian。　　She　burned　three　villages　at　Binaon　account　of　the　Minota；　you　knowand　shelled　the　bush。　　Then　she　went　to　Sio　to　straighten　out　things　there。〃

The　conversation　became　general；　and　just　before　Young　left　to　go　on　board　Joan　asked；　…

〃How　can　you　manage　all　alone；　Mr。　Young？〃

His　large；　almost　girlish　eyes　rested　on　her　for　a　moment　before　he　replied；　and　then　it　was　in　the　softest　and　gentlest　of　voices。

〃Oh；　I　get　along　pretty　well　with　them。　　Of　course；　there　is　a　bit　of　trouble　once　in　a　while；　but　that　must　be　expected。　　You　must　never　let　them　think　you　are　afraid。　　I've　been　afraid　plenty　of　times；　but　they　never　knew　it。〃

〃You　would　think　he　wouldn't　strike　a　mosquito　that　was　biting　him；〃　Sheldon　said　when　Young　had　gone　on　board。　　〃All　the　Norfolk　Islanders　that　have　descended　from　the　Bounty　crowd　are　that　way。　But　look　at　Young。　　Only　three　years　ago；　when　he　first　got　the　Minerva；　he　was　lying　in　Suu；　on　Malaita。　　There　are　a　lot　of　returned　Queenslanders　therea　rough　crowd。　　They　planned　to　get　his　head。　　The　son　of　their　chief；　old　One…Eyed　Billy；　had　recruited　on　Lunga　and　died　of　dysentery。　　That　meant　that　a　white　man's　head　was　owing　to　Suuany　white　man；　it　didn't　matter　who　so　long　as　they　got　the　head。　　And　Young　was　only　a　lad；　and　they　made　sure　to　get　his　easily。　　They　decoyed　his　whale…boat　ashore　with　a　promise　of　recruits；　and　killed　all　hands。　　At　the　same　instant；　the　Suu　gang　that　was　on　board　the　Minerva　jumped　Young。　　He　was　just　preparing　a　dynamite　stick　for　fish；　and　he　lighted　it　and　tossed　it　in　amongst　them。