第7章
She"scertainlyahustler，thatlittlegirlofyours。"
"Sheismypartner，"Sheldoncorrected。
"Well，she"sagoodone，that"sall，andacoolone。Myword!awhitewomanonMalaita，andatPoonga-Poongaofallplaces!Oh，I
forgottotellyou——shepalaveredBurnettintolendinghereightriflesforhermen，andthreecasesofdynamite。You"dlaughtoseethewayshemakesthatGuvutugangstandaround。Andtoseethembeingpoliteandtryingtogiveadvice!Lord，Lord，man，thatlittlegirl"sawonder，amarvel，a——a——acatastrophe。That"swhatsheis，acatastrophe。She"sgonethroughGuvutuandTulagilikeahurricane；everylastswineoftheminlovewithher——exceptRaff。
He"ssoreovertheauction，andhespranghisrecruitingcontractwithMunsteronher。Andwhatdoesshedobutthankhim，andreaditover，andpointoutthatwhileMunsterwaspledgedtodeliverallrecruitstoMorganandRaff，therewasnoclauseinthedocumentforbiddinghimfromcharteringtheEmily。
""There"syourcontract，"saysshe，passingitback。"Andaverygoodcontractitis。Thenexttimeyoudrawoneup，insertaclausethatwillfitemergencieslikethepresentone。"And，Lord，Lord，shehadhim，too。
"Butthere"sthebreeze，andI"moff。Good-bye，oldman。Hopethelittlegirlsucceeds。TheMartha"sawhackingfineboat，andshe"dtaketheplaceoftheJessie。"
CHAPTERXVII——"YOUR"MISSLACKLAND
ThenextmorningSheldoncameinfromtheplantationtobreakfast，tofindthemissionketch，Apostle，atanchor，hercrewswimmingtwomaresandafillyashore。SheldonrecognizedtheanimalsasbelongingtotheResidentCommissioner，andheimmediatelywonderedifJoanhadboughtthem。ShewascertainlylivinguptoherthreatofrattlingthedrybonesoftheSolomons，andhewaspreparedforanything。
"MissLacklandsentthem，"saidWelshmere，themissionarydoctor，steppingashoreandshakinghandswithhim。"There"salsoaboxofsaddlesonboard。Andthisletterfromher。AndtheskipperoftheFlibberty-Gibbet。"
Thenextmoment，andbeforehecouldgreethim，Olesonsteppedfromtheboatandbegan。
"She"sstolentheFlibberty，Mr。Sheldon。Runcleanawaywithher。
She"sawildone。Shegavemethefever。Broughtitonbyshock。
Andgotmedrunk，aswell——rottendrunk。"
Dr。Welshmerelaughedheartily。
"Nevertheless，sheisnotanunmitigatedevil，yourMissLackland。
She"sswornthreemenofftheirdrink，or，tothesamepurpose，shutofftheirwhisky。Youknowthem——Brahms，Curtis，andFowler。
SheshippedthemontheFlibberty-Gibbetalongwithher。"
"She"stheskipperoftheFlibbertynow，"Olesonbrokein。"Andshe"llwreckherassureasGoddidn"tmaketheSolomons。"
Dr。Welshmeretriedtolookshocked，butlaughedagain。
"Shehasquiteawaywithher，"hesaid。"Itriedtobackoutofbringingthehorsesover。SaidIcouldn"tchargefreight，thattheApostlewasunderayachtlicense，thatIwasgoingaroundbySavoandtheupperendofGuadalcanar。Butitwasnouse。"Botherthecharge，"saidshe。"Youtakethehorseslikeagoodman，andwhenIfloattheMarthaI"llreturntheservicesomeday。""
"And"botheryourorders，"saidshetome，"Olesoncried。""I"myourbossnow，"saidshe，"andyoutakeyourordersfromme。"
"Lookatthatloadofivorynuts，"Isaid。"Botherthem，"saidshe；"I"mplayin"forsomethingbiggerthanivorynuts。We"lldumpthemoversideassoonaswegetunderway。""
Sheldonputhishandstohisears。
"Idon"tknowwhathashappened，andyouaretryingtotellmethetalebackwards。Comeuptothehouseandgetintheshadeandbeginatthebeginning。"
"WhatIwanttoknow，"Olesonbegan，whentheywereseated，"isIS
sheyourpartnerorain"tshe？That"swhatIwanttoknow。"
"Sheis，"Sheldonassuredhim。
"Well，who"dhavebelievedit!"OlesonglancedappealinglyatDr。
Welshmere，andbackagainatSheldon。"I"veseenafewunlikelythingsintheseSolomons——ratstwofeetlong，butterfliestheCommissionerhuntswithashot-gun，ear-ornamentsthatwouldshamethedevil，andhead-huntingdevilsthatmakethedevillooklikeanangel。I"veseenthemandgotusedtothem，butthisyoungwomanofyours——"
"MissLacklandismypartnerandpart-ownerofBerande，"Sheldoninterrupted。
"Soshesaid，"theirateskipperdashedon。"Butshehadnopaperstoshowforit。HowwasItoknow？Andthentherewasthatloadofivorynuts-eighttonsofthem。"
"Forheaven"ssakebeginatthe——"Sheldontriedtointerrupt。
"Andthenshe"shiredthemdrunkenloafers，threeoftheworstscoundrelsthateverdisgracedtheSolomons——fifteenquidamontheach——whatd"yethinkofthat？Andsailedawaywiththem，too!
Phew!——Youmightgivemeadrink。Themissionarywon"tmind。I"vebeenonhisteetotalhookerfourdaysnow，andI"mperishing。"
Dr。WelshmerenoddedinreplytoSheldon"slookofinquiry，andViaburiwasdispatchedforthewhiskyandsiphons。
"Itisevident，CaptainOleson，"Sheldonremarkedtothatrefreshedmariner，"thatMissLacklandhasrunawaywithyourboat。Nowpleasegiveaplainstatementofwhatoccurred。"
"RightO；heregoes。I"djustcomeinontheFlibberty。ShewasonboardbeforeIdroppedthehook——inthatwhale-boatofherswithhergangofTahitiheathens——thatbigAdamuAdamandtherest。
"Don"tdroptheanchor，CaptainOleson，"shesangout。"IwantyoutogetunderwayforPoonga-Poonga。"Ilookedtoseeifshe"dbeendrinking。WhatwasItothink？Iwasroundingupatthetime，alongsidetheshoal——aticklishplace——headsailsrunningdownandlosingway，soIsays，"Excuseme，MissLackland，"andyellsfor"ard，"Letgo!"
""Youmighthavelistenedtomeandsavedyourselftrouble，"saysshe，climbingovertherailandsquintingalongfor"ardandseeingthefirstshackleflipoutandstop。"There"sfifteenfathom，"
saysshe；"youmayaswellturnyourmentoandheaveup。"
"Andthenwehaditout。Ididn"tbelieveher。Ididn"tthinkyou"dtakeheronasapartner，andItoldherasmuchandwantedproof。Shegothighandmighty，andItoldherIwasoldenoughtobehergrandfatherandthatIwouldn"ttakegammonfromachitlikeher。AndthenIorderedherofftheFlibberty。"CaptainOleson，"
shesays，sweetasyouplease，"I"veafewminutestospareonyou，andI"vegotsomegoodwhiskyoverontheEmily。Comeonalong。
Besides，Iwantyouradviceaboutthiswreckingbusiness。
Everybodysaysyou"reacrackerjacksailor-man"——that"swhatshesaid，"crackerjack。"AndIwent，inherwhale-boat，AdamuAdamsteeringandlookingassolemnasafuneral。
"OnthewayshetoldmeabouttheMartha，andhowshe"dboughther，andwasgoingtofloather。Shesaidshe"dcharteredtheEmily，andwassailingassoonasIcouldgettheFlibbertyunderway。Itstruckmethathergammonwasreasonableenough，andIagreedtopulloutforBeranderightO，andgetyourorderstogoalongtoPoonga-Poonga。Butshesaidtherewasn"tasecondtobelostbyanysuchfoolishness，andthatIwastosaildirectforPoonga-
Poonga，andthatifIcouldn"ttakeherwordthatshewasyourpartner，she"dgetalongwithoutmeandtheFlibberty。Andrightthere"swhereshefooledme。
"DownintheEmily"scabinwasthemthreesoaks——youknowthem——
FowlerandCurtisandthatBrahmschap。"Haveadrink，"saysshe。
Ithoughttheylookedsurprisedwhensheunlockedthewhiskylockerandsentaniggerfortheglassesandwater-monkey。Butshemusthavetippedthemoffunbeknownsttome，andtheyknewjustwhattodo。"Excuseme，"shesays，"I"mgoingondeckaminute。"Nowthatminutewashalfanhour。Ihadn"thadadrinkintendays。I"manoldmanandthefeverhasweakenedme。ThenItookitonanemptystomach，too，andtherewasthemthreesoakssettingmeanexample，theyarguingformetotaketheFlibbertytoPoonga-Poonga，an"mepointingoutmydutytothecontrary。Thetroublewas，alltheargumentswerepointedwithdrinks，andmenotbeingadrinkingman，sotosay，andweakfromfever……
"Well，anyway，attheendofthehalf-hourdownshecameagainandtookagoodsquintatme。"That"lldonicely，"Irememberhersaying；andwiththatshetookthewhiskybottlesandhovethemoversidethroughthecompanionway。"That"sthelast，shesaidtothethreesoaks，"tilltheMarthafloatsandyou"rebackinGuvutu。
It"llbealongtimebetweendrinks。"Andthenshelaughed。
"Shelookedatmeandsaid——nottome，mindyou，buttothesoaks:
"It"stimethisworthymanwentashore"——me!worthyman!"Fowler，"
shesaid——youknow，justlikeastraightorder，andshedidn"tMISTERhim——itwasplainFowler——"Fowler，"shesaid，"justtellAdamuAdamtomanthewhale-boat，andwhilehe"stakingCaptainOlesonashorehaveyourboatputmeontheFlibberty。Thethreeofyousailwithme，sopackyourdunnage。Andtheoneofyouthatshowsupbestwilltakethemate"sbillet。CaptainOlesondoesn"tcarryamate，youknow。"
"Idon"tremembermuchafterthat。Allhandsgotmeovertheside，anditseemstomeIwenttosleep，sittinginthestern-sheetsandwatchingthatAdamusteer。ThenIsawtheFlibberty"smainsailhoisting，andheardtheclankofherchaincomingin，andIwokeup。"Here，putmeontheFlibberty，"IsaidtoAdamu。"Iputyouonthebeach，"saidhe。"MissieLackalannasaybeachplentygoodforyou。"Well，Iletoutayellandreachedforthesteering-
sweep。Iwasdoingmybestbymyowners，yousee。OnlythatAdamugivesmeashovedownonthebottom-boards，putsonefootonmetoholdmedown，andgoesonsteering。Andthat"sall。Theshockofthewholethingbroughtonfever。AndnowI"vecometofindoutwhetherI"mskipperoftheFlibberty，orthatchitofyourswithherpirating，heathenboat"s-crew。"
"Nevermind，skipper。Youcantakeavacationonpay。"Sheldonspokewithmoreassurancethanhefelt。"IfMissLackland，whoismypartner，hasseenfittotakechargeoftheFlibberty-Gibbet，why，itisallright。Asyouwillagree，therewasnotimetobelostiftheMarthawastobegotoff。Itisabadreef，andanyconsiderableseawouldknockherbottomout。Yousettledownhere，skipper，andrestupandgetthefeveroutofyourbones。WhentheFlibberty-Gibbetcomesback，you"lltakechargeagain，ofcourse。"
AfterDr。WelshmereandtheApostledepartedandCaptainOlesonhadturnedinforasleepinaverandahammock，SheldonopenedJoan"sletter。
DEARMR。SHELDON，——PleaseforgivemeforstealingtheFlibberty-
Gibbet。Isimplyhadto。TheMarthameanseverythingtous。
Thinkofit，onlyfifty-fivepoundsforher，twohundredandseventy-fivedollars。IfIdon"tsaveher，IknowIshallbeabletopayallexpensesoutofhergear，whichthenativeswillnothavecarriedoff。AndifIdosaveher，itisthehaulofalife-
time。AndifIdon"tsaveher，I"llfilltheEmilyandtheFlibberty-Gibbetwithrecruits。RecruitsareneededrightnowonBerandemorethananythingelse。
Andplease，pleasedon"tbeangrywithme。YousaidIshouldn"tgorecruitingontheFlibberty，andIwon"t。I"llgoontheEmily。
Iboughttwocowsthisafternoon。ThattraderatNogidiedoffever，andIboughtthemfromhispartner，SamWillishisnameis，whoagreestodeliverthem——mostlikelybytheMinervanexttimesheisdownthatway。Berandehasbeenlongenoughontinnedmilk。
AndDr。WelshmerehasagreedtogetmesomeorangeandlimetreesfromthemissionstationatUlava。HewilldeliverthemthenexttripoftheApostle。IftheSydneysteamerarrivesbeforeIgetback，plantthesweetcornshewillbringbetweentheyoungtreesonthehighbankoftheBalesuna。Thecurrentiseatinginagainstthatbank，andyoushoulddosomethingtosaveit。
Ihaveorderedsomefig-treesandloquats，too，fromSydney。Dr。
Welshmerewillbringsomemango-seeds。Theyarebigtreesandrequireplentyofroom。
TheMarthaisregistered110tons。SheisthebiggestschoonerintheSolomons，andthebest。Isawalittleofherlinesandguesstherest。Shewillsaillikeawitch。Ifshehasn"tfilledwithwater，herenginewillbeallright。Thereasonshewentashorewasbecauseitwasnotworking。Theengineerhaddisconnectedthefeed-pipestocleanouttherust。Poorbusiness，unlessatanchororwithplentyofsearoom。
Plantallthetreesinthecompound，evenifyouhavetocleanoutthepalmslateron。
Anddon"tplantthesweetcornallatonce。Letafewdayselapsebetweenplantings。
JOANLACKLAND。
Hefingeredtheletter，lingeringoveritandscrutinizingthewritinginawaythatwasnothiswont。Howcharacteristic，washisthought，ashestudiedtheboyishscrawl——cleartoread，painfully，clear，butnonethelessboyish。Theclearnessofitremindedhimofherface，ofhercleanlystencilledbrows，herstraightlychisellednose，theveryclearnessofthegazeofhereyes，thefirmlyyetdelicatelymouldedlips，andthethroat，neitherfragilenorrobust，but——butjustright，heconcluded，anadequateandbeautifulpillarforsoshapelyaburden。
Helookedlongatthename。JoanLackland——justanassemblageofletters，ofcommonplaceletters，butanassemblagethatgeneratedasubtleandheadymagic。Itcreptintohisbrainandtwinedandtwistedhismentalprocessesuntilallthatconstitutedhimatthatmomentwentoutinlovetothatscrawledsignature。Afewcommonplaceletters——yettheycausedhimtoknowinhimselfalackthatsweetlyhurtandthatexpresseditselfinvaguespiritualoutpouringsanddeliciousyearnings。JoanLackland!Eachtimehelookedatittherearosevisionsofherinamyriadmoodsandguises——cominginoutoftheflyingsmotherofthegalethathadwreckedherschooner；launchingawhale-boattogoa-fishing；
runningdrippingfromthesea，withstreaminghairandclinginggarments，tothefresh-watershower；frighteningfour-scorecannibalswithanemptychlorodynebottle；teachingOrnfirihowtomakebread；hangingherStetsonhatandrevolver-beltonthehookintheliving-room；talkinggravelyaboutwinningtohearthandsaddleofherown，orjuvenilelyrattlingonaboutromanceandadventure，bright-eyed，herfaceflushedandeagerwithenthusiasm。
JoanLackland!Hemusedoverthecrypticwonderofittillthesecretsofloveweremadeclearandhefeltakeensympathyforloverswhocarvedtheirnamesontreesorwrotethemonthebeach-
sandsofthesea。
Thenhecamebacktoreality，andhisfacehardened。EventhenshewasonthewildcoastofMalaita，andatPoonga-Poonga，ofallvillainousanddangerousportionstheworst，peopledwithateemingpopulationofhead-hunters，robbers，andmurderers。Fortheinstantheentertainedtherashthoughtofcallinghisboat"s-crewandstartingimmediatelyinawhale-boatforPoonga-Poonga。Butthenextinstanttheideawasdismissed。Whatcouldhedoifhedidgo？First，shewouldresentit。Next，shewouldlaughathimandcallhimasilly；andafterallhewouldcountforonlyoneriflemore，andshehadmanyrifleswithher。Threethingsonlycouldhedoifhewent。Hecouldcommandhertoreturn；hecouldtaketheFlibberty-Gibbetawayfromher；hecoulddissolvetheirpartnership；——anyandallofwhichheknewwouldbefoolishandfutile，andhecouldhearherexplainintersesettermsthatshewaslegallyofageandthatnobodycouldsaycomeorgotoher。
No，hispridewouldneverpermithimtostartforPoonga-Poonga，thoughhisheartwhisperedthatnothingcouldbemorewelcomethanamessagefromheraskinghimtocomeandlendahand。Herverywords——"lendahand"；andinhisfancy，hecouldseeandhearhersayingthem。
Therewasmuchinherwilfulconductthatcausedhimtowinceintheheartofhim。HewasappalledbythethoughtofhershouldertoshoulderwiththedrunkenrabbleoftradersandbeachcombersatGuvutu。Itwasbadenoughforaclean，fastidiousman；butforayoungwoman，agirlatthat，itwasawful。ThetheftoftheFlibberty-Gibbetwasmerelyamusing，thoughthemeansbywhichthethefthadbeeneffectedgavehimhurt。YethefoundconsolationinthefactthatthetaskofmakingOlesondrunkhadbeenturnedovertothethreescoundrels。Andnext，andswiftly，camethevisionofher，alonewiththosesamethreescoundrels，ontheEmily，sailingouttoseafromGuvutuinthetwilightwithdarknesscomingon。
ThencamevisionsofAdamuAdamandNoaNoahandallherbrawnyTahitianfollowing，andhisanxietyfadedaway，beingreplacedbyirritationthatsheshouldhavebeencapableofsuchwildnessofconduct。
AndtheirritationwasstillonhimashegotupandwentinsidetostareatthehookonthewallandtowishthatherStetsonhatandrevolver-beltwerehangingfromit。
CHAPTERXVIII——MAKINGTHEBOOKSCOMETRUE
Severalquietweeksslippedby。Berande，aftersuchanunusualrunofvisitingvessels，driftedbackintoheroldsolitude。Sheldonwentonwiththedailyround，clearingbush，plantingcocoanuts，smokingcopra，buildingbridges，andridingabouthisworkonthehorsesJoanhadbought。Newsofherhehadnone。RecruitingvesselsonMalaitaleftthePoonga-Poongacoastseverelyalone；andtheClansman，aSamoanrecruiter，droppinganchoronesunsetforbilliardsandgossip，reportedrumoursamongsttheSionativesthattherehadbeenfightingatPoonga-Poonga。Asthisnewswouldhavehadtotravelrightacrossthebigisland，littledependencewastobeplacedonit。
ThesteamerfromSydney，theKammambo，brokethequietudeofBerandeforanhour，whilelandingmail，supplies，andthetreesandseedsJoanhadordered。TheMinerva，boundforCapeMarsh，broughtthetwocowsfromNogi。AndtheApostle，hurryingbacktoTulagitoconnectwiththeSydneysteamer，sentaboatashorewiththeorangeandlimetreesfromUlava。Andtheseseveralweeksmarkedaperiodofperfectweather。Thereweredaysonendwhensleekcalmsruledthebreathlesssea，anddayswhenvagrantwispsofairfannedforseveralhoursfromonedirectionoranother。Theland-breezesatnightaloneprovedregular，anditwasatnightthattheoccasionalcuttersandketchesslippedby，tooeagertotakeadvantageofthelightwindstodropanchorforanhour。
Thencamethelong-expectednor"wester。Foreightdaysitraged，lullingattimestoshortdurationsofcalm，thenshiftingapointortwoandragingwithrenewedviolence。Sheldonkeptaprecautionaryeyeonthebuildings，whiletheBalesuna，inflood，sosavagelyattackedthehighbankJoanhadwarnedhimabout，thathetoldoffallthegangstobattlewiththeriver。
Itwasinthegoodweatherthatfollowed，thathelefttheblacksatwork，onemorning，andwithashot-gunacrosshispommelrodeoffafterpigeons。Twohourslater，oneofthehouse-boys，breathlessandscratchedranhimdownwiththenewsthattheMartha，theFlibberty-Gibbet，andtheEmilywereheadinginfortheanchorage。
Comingintothecompoundfromtherear，Sheldoncouldseenothinguntilherodearoundthecornerofthebungalow。Thenhesaweverythingatonce——first，aglimpseatthesea，wheretheMarthafloatedhugealongsidethecutterandtheketchwhichhadrescuedher；and，next，thegroundinfrontoftheverandasteps，whereagreatcrowdoffresh-caughtcannibalsstoodatattention。Fromthefactthateachwasattiredinanew，snow-whitelava-lava，Sheldonknewthattheywererecruits。Partwayupthesteps，oneofthemwasjustbackingdownintothecrowd，whileanother，calledoutbyname，wascomingup。ItwasJoan"svoicethathadcalledhim，andSheldonreinedinhishorseandwatched。Shesatattheheadofthesteps，behindatable，betweenMunsterandhiswhitemate，thethreeofthemcheckinglonglists，Joanaskingthequestionsandwritingtheanswersinthebig，red-covered，Berandelabour-
journal。
"Whatname？"shedemandedoftheblackmanonthesteps。
"Tagari，"cametheanswer，accompaniedbyagrinandarollingofcuriouseyes；foritwasthefirstwhite-man"shousetheblackhadeverseen。
"Whatplaceb"longyou？"
"Bangoora。"
NoonehadnoticedSheldon，andhecontinuedtosithishorseandwatch。Therewasadiscrepancybetweentheanswerandtherecordintherecruitingbooks，andaconsequentdiscussion，untilMunstersolvedthedifficulty。
"Bangoora？"hesaid。"That"sthelittlebeachattheheadofthebayoutofLatta。He"sdownasaLatta-man——see，thereitis，"Tagari，Latta。""
"Whatplaceyougoyoufinishalongwhitemarster？"Joanasked。
"Bangoora，"themanreplied；andJoanwroteitdown。
"Ogu!"Joancalled。
Theblacksteppeddown，andanothermountedtotakehisplace。ButTagari，justbeforehereachedthebottomstep，caughtsightofSheldon。Itwasthefirsthorsethefellowhadeverseen，andheletoutafrightenedscreechanddashedmadlyupthesteps。Atthesamemomentthegreatmassofblackssurgedawaypanic-strickenfromSheldon"svicinity。Thegrinninghouse-boysshoutedencouragementandexplanation，andthestampedewaschecked，thenew-caughthead-huntershuddlingcloselytogetherandstaringdubiouslyatthefearfulmonster。
"Hello!"Joancalledout。"Whatdoyoumeanbyfrighteningallmyboys？Comeonup。"
"Whatdoyouthinkofthem？"sheasked，whentheyhadshakenhands。
"Andwhatdoyouthinkofher？"——withawaveofthehandtowardtheMartha。"Ithoughtyou"ddesertedtheplantation，andthatImightaswellgoaheadandgetthemenintobarracks。Aren"ttheybeauties？Doyouseethatonewiththesplitnose？He"stheonlymanwhodoesn"thailfromthePoonga-Poongacoast；andtheysaidthePoonga-Poonganativeswouldn"trecruit。Justlookatthemandcongratulateme。Therearenokiddiesandhalf-grownyouthsamongthem。They"remen，everylastoneofthem。IhavesuchalongstoryIdon"tknowwheretobegin，andIwon"tbeginanywaytillwe"rethroughwiththisanduntilyouhavetoldmethatyouarenotangrywithme。"
"Ogu——whatplaceb"longyou？"shewentonwithhercatechism。
ButOguwasabushman，lackingknowledgeofthealmostuniversalbeche-de-merEnglish，andhalfadozenofhisfellowswrangledtoexplain。
"Thereareonlytwoorthreemore，"JoansaidtoSheldon，"andthenwe"redone。Butyouhaven"ttoldmethatyouarenotangry。"
Sheldonlookedintohercleareyesasshefavouredhimwithadirect，untroubledgazethatthreatened，heknewfromexperience，toturnteasinglydefiantonaninstant"snotice。Andashelookedatheritcametohimthathehadneverhalf-anticipatedthegladnessherreturnwouldbringtohim。
"Iwasangry，"hesaiddeliberately。"Iamstillangry，veryangry——"henotedtheglintofdefianceinhereyesandthrilled——
"butIforgave，andInowforgivealloveragain。ThoughIstillinsist——"
"ThatIshouldhaveaguardian，"sheinterrupted。"Butthatdaywillnevercome。ThankgoodnessI"moflegalageandabletotransactbusinessinmyownright。Andspeakingofbusiness，howdoyoulikemyforcefulAmericanmethods？"
"Mr。Raff，fromwhatIhear，doesn"ttakekindlytothem，"hetemporized，"andyou"vecertainlysetthedrybonesrattlingformanyaday。ButwhatIwanttoknowisifotherAmericanwomenareassuccessfulinbusinessventures？"
"Luck，"mostallluck，"shedisclaimedmodestly，thoughhereyeslightedwithsuddenpleasure；andheknewherboy"svanityhadbeentouchedbyhistrifleoftemperedpraise。
"Luckbeblowed!"brokeoutthelongmate，Sparrowhawk，hisfaceshiningwithadmiration。"Itwashardwork，that"swhatitwas。
Weearnedourpay。Sheworkedustillwedropped。Andweweredownwithfeverhalfthetime。Sowasshe，forthatmatter，onlyshewouldn"tstaydown，andshewouldn"tletusstaydown。Myword，she"saslave-driver——"Justonemoreheave，Mr。Sparrowhawk，andthenyoucangotobedforaweek"，——shetome，andmestaggerin""roundlikeadeadman，withbilious-greenlightsflashinginsidemyhead，an"myheadjustbustin"。Iwasallin，butIgavethatheaverightO——andthenitwas，"Anotherheavenow，Mr。Sparrowhawk，justanotherheave。"An"theLordlumme，thewayshemadelovetooldKina-Kina!"
Heshookhisheadreproachfully，whilethelaughterdieddowninhisthroattolong-drawnchuckles。
"HewasolderthanTelepasseanddirtier，"sheassuredSheldon，"andIamsuremuchwickeder。Butthisisn"twork。Letusgetthroughwiththeselists。"
Sheturnedtothewaitingblackonthesteps，-
"Ogu，youfinishalongbigmarsterbelongwhiteman，yougoNot-
Not——Hereyou，Tangari，youspeak"malongthatfellaOgu。HefinishhewalkaboutNot-Not。Haveyougotthat，Mr。Munster？"
"Butyou"vebrokentherecruitinglaws，"Sheldonsaid，whenthenewrecruitshadmarchedawaytothebarracks。"ThelicensesfortheFlibbertyandtheEmilydon"tallowforonehundredandfifty。
WhatdidBurnettsay？"
"Hepassedthem，allofthem，"sheanswered。"CaptainMunsterwilltellyouwhathesaid——somethingaboutbeingblowed，orwordstothateffect。NowImustrunandwashup。DidtheSydneyordersarrive？"
"Yoursareinyourquarters，"Sheldonsaid。"Hurry，forbreakfastiswaiting。Letmehaveyourhatandbelt。Do，please，allowme。
There"sonlyonehookforthem，andIknowwhereitis。"
Shegavehimaquickscrutinythatwasalmostwoman-like，thensighedwithreliefassheunbuckledtheheavybeltandpassedittohim。
"IdoubtifIeverwanttoseeanotherrevolver，"shecomplained。
"Thatonehaswornaholeinme，I"msure。IneverdreamedIcouldgetsowearyofone。"
Sheldonwatchedhertothefootofthesteps，wheresheturnedandcalledback，-
"My!Ican"ttellyouhowgooditistobehomeagain。"
Andashisgazecontinuedtofollowheracrossthecompoundtothetinygrasshouse，therealizationcametohimcrushinglythatBerandeandthatlittlegrasshousewastheonlyplaceintheworldshecouldcall"home。"
"AndBurnettsaid，"Well，I"llbedamned——Ibegyourpardon，MissLackland，butyouhavewantonlybrokentherecruitinglawsandyouknowit，""CaptainMunsternarrated，astheysatovertheirwhisky，waitingforJoantocomeback。"Andsaysshetohim，"Mr。Burnett，canyoushowmeanylawagainsttakingthepassengersoffavesselthat"sonareef？""Thatisnotthepoint，"sayshe。"It"sthevery，precise，particularpoint，"sayssheandyoubearitinmindandgoaheadandpassmyrecruits。YoucanreportmetotheLordHighCommissionerifyouwant，butIhavethreevesselsherewaitingonyourconvenience，andifyoudelaythemmuchlongerthere"llbeanotherreportgointotheLordHighCommissioner。"
""I"llholdyouresponsible，CaptainMunster，"sayshetome，madenoughtoeatscrap-iron。"No，youwon"t，"saysshe；"I"mthechartereroftheEmily，andCaptainMunsterhasactedundermyorders。"
"WhatcouldBurnettdo？Hepassedthewholehundredandfifty，thoughtheEmilywasonlylicensedforforty，andtheFlibberty-
Gibbetforthirty-five。"
"ButIdon"tunderstand，"Sheldonsaid。
"Thisisthewaysheworkedit。WhentheMarthawasfloated，wehadtobeachherrightawayattheheadofthebay，andwhilstrepairsweregoingon，anewrudderbeingmade，sailsbent，gearrecoveredfromtheniggers，andsoforth，MissLacklandborrowsSparrowhawktoruntheFlibbertyalongwithCurtis，lendsmeBrahmstotakeSparrowhawk"splace，andstartsbothcraftoffrecruiting。
Myword，theniggerscameeasy。Itwasvirginground。SincetheScottishChiefs，norecruiterhadevereventriedtoworkthecoast；andwe"dalreadyputthefearofGodintotheniggers"
heartstillthewholecoastwasquietaslambs。Whenwefilledup，wecamebacktoseehowtheMarthawasprogressing。"
"Andthinkingwewasgoinghomewithourrecruits，"Sparrowhawkslippedin。"Lordlumme，thatMissLacklandain"tneversatisfied。
"I"lltake"emontheMartha，"saysshe，"andyoucangobackandfillupagain。""
"ButItoldheritcouldn"tbedone，"Munsterwenton。"ItoldhertheMarthahadn"talicenseforrecruiting。"Oh，"shesaid，"itcan"tbedone，eh？"andshestoodandthoughtafewminutes。"
"AndI"dseenherthinkbefore，"criedSparrowhawk，"andIknewatwunstthatthethingwasasgoodasdone。"
Munsterlightedhiscigaretteandresumed。
""Youseethatspit，"shesaystome，"withthelittleripplebreakingaroundit？There"sacurrentsetsrightacrossitandonit。Andyouseethembafflin"littlecat"s-paws？It"sgoodweatherandafallingtide。Youjuststarttobeatout，thetwoofyou，andallyouhavetodoismissstaysinthesamebafflingpuffandthecurrentwillsetyounicelyaground。""
""Thatlittlewashofseawon"tmorethanstartasheetortwoofcopper，"saysshe，whenMunsterkicked，"Sparrowhawkexplained。
"Oh，she"snogreenun，thatgirl。"
""ThenI"llrescueyourrecruitsandsailaway——simple，ain"tit？"
saysshe，"Munstercontinued。""Youhanguponetide，"saysshe；
"thenextisthebighighwater。Thenyoukedgeoffandgoaftermorerecruits。There"snolawagainstrecruitingwhenyou"reempty。""Butthereisagainststarving"em，"Isaid；"youknowyourselfthereain"tanykai-kaitospeakofaboardofus，andthereain"tacrumbontheMartha。""
"We"dallbeenprettywellonnativekai-kai，asitwas，"saidSparrowhawk。
""Don"tletthekai-kaiworryyou，CaptainMunster，"saysshe；"ifIcanfindgrubforeighty-fourmouthsontheMartha，thetwoofyoucandoasmuchbyyourtwovessels。Nowgoaheadandgetagroundbeforeasteadybreezecomesupandspoilsthemanoeuvre。
I"llsendmyboatsthemomentyoustrike。Andnow，good-day，gentlemen。""
"Andwewentanddidit，"Sparrowhawksaidsolemnly，andthenemittedaseriesofchucklingnoises。"Welaidover，starboardtack，andIpinchedtheEmilyagainstthespit。"Goabout，"
CaptainMunsteryellsatme；"goabout，oryou"llhavemeaground!"
Heyelledotherthings，muchworse。ButIdidn"tmind。Imissedstays，prettyasyouplease，andtheFlibbertydrifteddownonhimandfouledhim，andwewentashoretogetherinasniceamessasyoueverwanttosee。MissLacklandtransferredtherecruits，andthetrickwasdone。"
"Butwherewassheduringthenor"wester？"Sheldonasked。
"AtLanga-Langa。Ranupthereasitwascomingon，andlaidtherethewholeweekandtradedforgrubwiththeniggers。WhenwegottoTulagi，thereshewaswaitingforusandscrappingwithBurnett。
Itellyou，Mr。Sheldon，she"sawonder，thatgirl，aperfectwonder。"
Munsterrefilledhisglass，andwhileSheldonglancedacrossatJoan"shouse，anxiousforhercoming，Sparrowhawktookupthetale。
"Gritty!She"sthegrittiestthing，manorwoman，thateverblewintotheSolomons。YoushouldhaveseenPoonga-Poongathemorningwearrived——Sniderspoppingonthebeachandinthemangroves，war-
drumsboominginthebush，andsignal-smokesraisingeverywhere。
"It"sallup，"saysCaptainMunster。"
"Yes，that"swhatIsaid，"declaredthatmariner。
"Ofcourseitwasallup。Youcouldseeitwithhalfaneyeandhearitwithoneear。"
""Upyourgranny，"shesaystohim，"Sparrowhawkwenton。""Why，wehaven"tarrivedyet，muchlessgotstarted。Waittilltheanchor"sdownbeforeyougetafraid。""
"That"swhatshesaidtome，"Munsterproclaimed。"AndofcourseitmadememadsothatIdidn"tcarewhathappened。Wetriedtosendaboatashoreforapow-wow，butitwasfiredupon。Andeveryonceandawhilesomenigger"dtakealongshotatusoutofthemangroves。"
"Theywasonlyaquarterofamileoff，"Sparrowhawkexplained，"anditwasdamnednasty。"Don"tshootunlesstheytrytoboard，"
wasMissLackland"sorders；butthedirtyniggerswouldn"tboard。
Theyjustlayoffinthebushandpluggedaway。ThatnightweheldacouncilofwarintheFlibberty"scabin。"Whatwewant，"saysMissLackland，"isahostage。""
""That"swhattheydoinbooks，"Isaid，thinkingtolaughherawayfromherfolly，"Munsterinterrupted。""True，"saysshe，"andhaveyouneverseenthebookscometrue？"Ishookmyhead。"Thenyou"renottoooldtolearn，"saysshe。"I"lltellyouonethingrightnow，"saysI，"andthatisI"llbeblowedifyoucatchmeashoreinthenight-timestealingniggersinaplacelikethis。""
"Youdidn"tsayblowed，"Sparrowhawkcorrected。"Yousaidyou"dbedamned。"
"That"swhatIdid，andImeantit，too。"
""Nobodyaskedyoutogoashore，"saysshe，quickaslightning，"
Sparrowhawkgrinned。"Andshesaidmore。Shesaid，"AndifI
catchyougoingashorewithoutordersthere"llbetrouble——
understand，CaptainMunster？""
"Whoinhell"stellingthis，youorme？"theskipperdemandedwrathfully。
"Well，shedid，didn"tshe？"insistedthemate。
"Yes，shedid，ifyouwanttomakesosureofit。Andwhileyou"reaboutit，youmightaswellrepeatwhatshesaidtoyouwhenyousaidyouwouldn"trecruitonthePoonga-Poongacoastfortwiceyourscrew。"
Sparrowhawk"ssun-reddenedfaceflamedredder，thoughhetriedtopassthesituationoffbydiverslaughingsandchucklingsandface-
twistings。
"Goon，goon，"Sheldonurged；andMunsterresumedthenarrative。
""Whatweneed，"saysshe，"isthestronghand。It"stheonlywaytohandlethem；andwe"vegottotakeholdfirmrightatthebeginning。I"mgoingashoreto-nighttofetchKina-Kinahimselfonboard，andI"mnotaskingwho"sgametogoforI"vegoteveryman"sworkarrangedwithmeforhim。I"mtakingmysailorswithme，andonewhiteman。""Ofcourse，I"mthatwhiteman，"Isaid；forbythattimeIwasmadenoughtogotohellandbackagain。"Ofcourseyou"renot，"saysshe。"You"llhavechargeofthecoveringboat。Curtisstandsbythelandingboat。Fowlergoeswithme。
BrahmstakeschargeoftheFlibberty，andSparrowhawkoftheEmily。
Andwestartatoneo"clock。"
"Myword，itwasatoughjoblyingthereinthecoveringboat。I
neverthoughtdoingnothingcouldbesuchhardwork。Westoppedaboutfiftyfathomsoff，andwatchedtheotherboatgoin。Itwassodarkunderthemangroveswecouldn"tseeathingofit。D"yeknowthatlittle，monkey-lookingnigger，Sheldon，ontheFlibberty——
thecook，Imean？Well，hewascabin-boytwentyyearsagoontheScottishChiefs，andaftershewascutoffhewasaslavethereatPoonga-Poonga。AndMissLacklandhaddiscoveredthefact。Sohewastheguide。Shegavehimhalfacaseoftobaccoforthatnight"swork——"
"Andscaredhimfittodiebeforeshecouldgethimtocomealong，"
Sparrowhawkobserved。
"Well，Ineversawanythingsoblackasthemangroves。Istaredatthemtillmyeyeswerereadytoburst。AndthenI"dlookatthestars，andlistentothesurfsighingalongthereef。Andtherewasadogthatbarked。Rememberthatdog，Sparrowhawk？Thebrutenearlygavemeheart-failurewhenhefirstbegan。Afterawhilehestopped——wasn"tbarkingatthelandingpartyatall；andthenthesilencewasharderthanever，andthemangrovesgrewblacker，anditwasallIcoulddotokeepfromcallingouttoCurtisinthereinthelandingboat，justtomakesurethatIwasn"ttheonlywhitemanleftalive。
"Ofcoursetherewasarow。Ithadtocome，andIknewit；butitstartledmejustthesame。Ineverheardsuchscreechingandyellinginmylife。Theniggersmusthavejustdivedforthebushwithoutlookingtoseewhatwasup，whileherTahitiansletloose，shootingintheairandyellingtohurry"emon。Andthen，justassudden，camethesilenceagain——allexceptforsomesmallkiddiethathadgotdroppedinthestampedeandthatkeptcryinginthebushforitsmother。
"AndthenIheardthemcomingthroughthemangroves，andanoarstrikeonagunwale，andMissLacklandlaugh，andIkneweverythingwasallright。Wepulledonboardwithoutashotbeingfired。
And，byGod!shehadmadethebookscometrue，fortherewasoldKina-Kinahimselfbeinghoistedovertherail，shiveringandchatteringlikeanape。Therestwaseasy。Kina-Kina"swordwaslaw，andhewasscaredtodeath。AndwekepthimonboardissuingproclamationsallthetimewewereinPoonga-Poonga。
"Itwasagoodmove，too，inotherways。ShemadeKina-Kinaorderhispeopletoreturnallthegearthey"dstrippedfromtheMartha。
Andbackitcame，dayafterday，steeringcompasses，blocksandtackles，sails，coilsofrope，medicinechests，ensigns，signalflags——everything，infact，exceptthetradegoodsandsupplieswhichhadalreadybeenkai-kai"d。Ofcourse，shegavethemafewsticksoftobaccotokeepthemingoodhumour。"
"Sureshedid，"Sparrowhawkbrokeforth。"Shegavethebeggarsfivefathomsofcalicoforthebigmainsail，twosticksoftobaccoforthechronometer，andasheath-knifeworthelevenpenceha"pennyforahundredfathomsofbrandnewfive-inchmanila。ShegotoldKina-Kinawiththatstronghandonthegooff，andshekepthimgoingallthetime。She——hereshecomesnow。"
ItwaswithashockofsurprisethatSheldongreetedherappearance。Allthetime，whilethetaleofhappeningatPoonga-
Poongahadbeengoingon，hehadpicturedherasthewomanhehadalwaysknown，cladroughly，skirtmadeoutofwindow-curtainstuff，anundersizedman"sshirtforablouse，strawsandalsforfootcovering，withtheStetsonhatandtheeternalrevolvercompletinghercostume。Theready-madeclothesfromSydneyhadtransformedher。Asimpleskirtandshirt-waistofsomesortofwash-goodssetoffhertrimfigurewithahintofelegantwomanhoodthatwasnewtohim。Brownslipperspeepedoutasshecrossedthecompound，andheoncecaughtaglimpsetotheankleofbrownopen-workstockings。
Somehow，shehadbeenmademanytimesthewomanbythesemereextraneoustrappings；andinhismindthesewildArabianNightsadventuresofhersseemedthriceaswonderful。
AstheywentintobreakfasthebecameawarethatMunsterandSparrowhawkhadreceivedasimilarshock。Alltheirairofcamaraderiewasdissipated，andtheyhadbecomeabruptlyandimmenselyrespectful。
"I"veopenedupanewfield，"shesaid，asshebeganpouringthecoffee。"OldKina-Kinawillneverforgetme，I"msure，andIcanrecruittherewheneverIwant。IsawMorganatGuvutu。He"swillingtocontractforathousandboysatfortyshillingsperhead。DidItellyouthatI"dtakenoutarecruitinglicensefortheMartha？Idid，andtheMarthacansigneightyboyseverytrip。
Sheldonsmiledatriflebitterlytohimself。ThewonderfulwomanwhohadtrippedacrossthecompoundinherSydneyclotheswasgone，andhewaslisteningtotheboycomebackagain。