第10章
"No，itisn"t。It"saninvitationtofight。"
"Butwhatthedevildoyouwanttofightwithmefor？"Sheldon"sirritationwasgrowingattheother"spersistence。"I"venoquarrelwithyou。Andwhatquarrelcanyouhavewithme？Ihaveneverinterferedwithyou。Youweremyguest。MissLacklandismypartner。Ifyousawfittomakelovetoher，andsomehowfailedtosucceed，whyshouldyouwanttofightwithme？Thisisthetwentiethcentury，mydearfellow，andduellingwentoutoffashionbeforeyouandIwereborn。"
"Youbegantherow，"Tudordoggedlyasserted。"Yougavemetounderstandthatitwastimeformetogo。Youfiredmeoutofyourhouse，inshort。AndthenyouhavethecheektowanttoknowwhyI
amstartingtherow。Itwon"tdo，Itellyou。Youstartedit，andIamgoingtoseeitthrough。"
Sheldonsmiledtolerantlyandproceededtolightacigarette。ButTudorwasnottobeturnedaside。
"Youstartedthisrow，"heurged。
"Thereisn"tanyrow。Ittakestwotomakearow，andI，forone，refusetohaveanythingtodowithsuchtomfoolery。"
"Youstartedit，Isay，andI"lltellyouwhyyoustartedit。"
"Ifancyyou"vebeendrinking，"Sheldoninterposed。"It"stheonlyexplanationIcanfindforyourunreasonableness。"
"AndI"lltellyouwhyyoustartedit。Itwasn"tsillinessonyourparttoexaggeratethislittletrifleoflove-makingintosomethingserious。Iwaspoachingonyourpreserves，andyouwantedtogetridofme。Itwasallveryniceandsnughere，youandthegirl，untilIcamealong。Andnowyou"rejealous——that"sit，jealousy——
andwantmeoutofit。ButIwon"tgo。"
"Thenstayonbyallmeans。Iwon"tquarrelwithyouaboutit。
Makeyourselfcomfortable。Stayforayear，ifyouwish。"
"She"snotyourwife，"Tudorcontinued，asthoughtheotherhadnotspoken。"Afellowhastherighttomakelovetoherunlessshe"syour——well，perhapsitwasanerrorafterall，duetoignorance，perfectlyexcusable，onmypart。ImighthaveseenitwithhalfaneyeifI"dlistenedtothegossiponthebeach。AllGuvutuandTulagiwerelaughingaboutit。Iwasafool，andIcertainlymadethemistakeoftakingthesituationonitsassumedinnocentface-
value。"
SoangrywasSheldonbecomingthatthefaceandformoftheotherseemedtovibrateandoscillatebeforehiseyes。YetoutwardlySheldonwascalmandapparentlywearyofthediscussion。
"Pleasekeepheroutoftheconversation，"hesaid。
"ButwhyshouldI？"wasthedemand。"Thepairofyoutrappedmeintomakingafoolofmyself。HowwasItoknowthateverythingwasnotallright？Youandsheactedasifeverythingwereonthesquare。Butmyeyesareopennow。Why，sheplayedtheoutragedwifetoperfection，slappedthetransgressorandfledtoyou。
Prettygoodproofofwhatallthebeachhasbeensaying。Partners，eh？——abusinesspartnership？Gammonmyeye，that"swhatitis。"
ThenitwasthatSheldonstruckout，coollyanddeliberately，withallthestrengthofhisarm，andTudor，caughtonthejaw，fellsideways，crumplingashedidsoandcrushingachairtokindlingwoodbeneaththeweightofhisfallingbody。Hepulledhimselfslowlytohisfeet，butdidnotoffertorush。
"Nowwillyoufight？"Tudorsaidgrimly。
Sheldonlaughed，andforthefirsttimewithtruespontaneity。Theintrinsicridiculousnessofthesituationwastoomuchforhissenseofhumour。Hemadeasiftorepeattheblow，butTudor，whiteofface，witharmshangingresistlesslyathissides，offerednodefence。
"Idon"tmeanafightwithfists，"hesaidslowly。"Imeantoafinish，tothedeath。You"reagoodshotwithrevolverandrifle。
SoamI。That"sthewaywe"llsettleit。"
"Youhavegonecleanmad。Youarealunatic。"
"No，I"mnot，"Tudorretorted。"I"mamaninlove。AndonceagainIaskyoutogooutsideandsettleit，withanyweaponsyouchoose。"
Sheldonregardedhimforthefirsttimewithgenuineseriousness，wonderingwhatstrangemaggotscouldbegnawinginhisbraintodrivehimtosuchunusualconduct。
"Butmendon"tactthiswayinreallife，"Sheldonremarked。
"You"llfindI"mprettyrealbeforeyou"redonewithme。I"mgoingtokillyouto-day。"
"Boshandnonsense，man。"ThistimeSheldonhadlosthistemperoverthesuperficialaspectsofthesituation。"Boshandnonsense，that"sallitis。Mendon"tfightduelsinthetwentiethcentury。
It"s——it"santediluvian，Itellyou。"
"SpeakingofJoan——"
"Pleasekeephernameoutofit，"Sheldonwarnedhim。
"Iwill，ifyou"llfight。"
Sheldonthrewuphisarmsdespairingly。
"SpeakingofJoan——"
"Lookout，"Sheldonwarnedagain。
"Oh，goahead，knockmedown。Butthatwon"tclosemymouth。Youcanknockmedownallday，butasfastasIgettomyfeetI"llspeakofJoanagain。Nowwillyoufight？"
"Listentome，Tudor，"Sheldonbegan，withaneffortatdecisiveness。"IamnotusedtotakingfrommenatitheofwhatI"vealreadytakenfromyou。"
"You"lltakealotmorebeforetheday"sout，"wastheanswer。"I
tellyou，yousimplymustfight。I"llgiveyouafairchancetokillme，butI"llkillyoubeforetheday"sout。Thisisn"tcivilization。It"stheSolomonIslands，andaprettyprimitivepropositionforallthat。KingEdwardandlawandorderarerepresentedbytheCommissioneratTulagiandanoccasionalvisitinggunboat。Andtwomenandonewomanisanequallyprimitiveproposition。We"llsettleitinthegoodoldprimitiveway。"
AsSheldonlookedathimthethoughtcametohismindthatafteralltheremightbesomethingintheother"swildadventuresovertheearth。Itrequiredamanofthatcalibre，amancapableofobtrudingaduelintoorderlytwentiethcenturylife，tofindsuchwildadventures。
"There"sonlyonewaytostopme，"Tudorwenton。"Ican"tinsultyoudirectly，Iknow。Youaretooeasy-going，orcowardly，orboth，forthat。ButIcannarrateforyouthetalkofthebeach——
ah，thatgrindsyou，doesn"tit？Icantellyouwhatthebeachhastosayaboutyouandthisyounggirlrunningaplantationunderabusinesspartnership。"
"Stop!"Sheldoncried，fortheotherwasbeginningtovibrateandoscillatebeforehiseyes。"Youwantaduel。I"llgiveittoyou。"Thenhiscommon-senseanddislikefortheridiculousassertedthemselves，andheadded，"Butit"sabsurd，impossible。"
"JoanandDavid——partners，eh？JoanandDavid——partners，"Tudorbegantoiterateandreiterateinamaliciousandscornfulchant。
"Forheaven"ssakekeepquiet，andI"llletyouhaveyourway，"
Sheldoncried。"Ineversawafoolsobentonhisfolly。Whatkindofaduelshallitbe？Therearenoseconds。Whatweaponsshallweuse？"
ImmediatelyTudor"smonkey-likeimpishnesslefthim，andhewasoncemorethecool，self-possessedmanoftheworld。
"I"veoftenthoughtthattheidealduelshouldbesomewhatdifferentfromtheconventionalone，"hesaid。"I"vefoughtseveralofthatsort，youknow——"
"Frenchones，"Sheldoninterrupted。
"Callthemthat。Butspeakingofthisidealduel，hereitis。Noseconds，ofcourse，andnoonlookers。Thetwoprincipalsalonearenecessary。Theymayuseanyweaponstheyplease，fromrevolversandriflestomachinegunsandpompoms。Theystartamileapart，andadvanceoneachother，takingadvantageofcover，retreating，circling，feinting——anythingandeverythingpermissible。Inshort，theprincipalsshallhunteachother——"
"LikeacoupleofwildIndians？"
"Precisely，"criedTudor，delighted。"You"vegottheidea。AndBerandeisjusttheplace，andthisisjusttherighttime。MissLacklandwillbetakinghersiesta，andshe"llthinkweare。We"vegottwohoursforitbeforeshewakes。Sohurryupandcomeon。
YoustartoutfromtheBalesunaandIstartfromtheBerande。
Thosetworiversaretheboundariesoftheplantation，aren"tthey？
Verywell。Thefieldoftheduelwillbetheplantation。Neitherprincipalmustgooutsideitsboundaries。Areyousatisfied？"
"Quite。ButhaveyouanyobjectionsifIleavesomeorders？"
"Notatall，"Tudoracquiesced，thepinkofcourtesynowthathiswishhadbeengranted。
Sheldonclappedhishands，andtherunninghouse-boyhurriedawaytobringbackAdamuAdamandNoaNoah。
"Listen，"Sheldonsaidtothem。"Thismanandme，wehaveonebigfightto-day。Maybehedie。MaybeIdie。Ifhedie，allright。
IfIdie，youtwolookafterMissieLackalanna。Youtakerifles，andyoulookafterherdaytimeandnight-time。IfshewanttotalkwithMr。Tudor，allright。Ifshenotwanttotalk，youmakehimkeepaway。Savvee？"
Theygruntedandnodded。Theyhadhadmuchtodowithwhitemen，andhadlearnednevertoquestionthestrangewaysofthestrangebreed。Ifthesetwosawfittogooutandkilleachother，thatwastheirbusinessandnotthebusinessoftheislanders，whotookordersfromthem。Theysteppedtothegun-rack，andeachpickedarifle。
"BetterallTahitianmenhaverifles，"suggestedAdamuAdam。
"Maybebigtroublecome。"
"Allright，youtakethem，"Sheldonanswered，busywithissuingtheammunition。
Theywenttothedooranddownthesteps，carryingtheeightriflestotheirquarters。Tudor，withcartridge-beltsforrifleandpistolstrappedaroundhim，rifleinhand，stoodimpatientlywaiting。
"Comeon，hurryup；we"reburningdaylight，"heurged，asSheldonsearchedafterextraclipsforhisautomaticpistol。
Togethertheypasseddownthestepsandoutofthecompoundtothebeach，wheretheyturnedtheirbackstoeachother，andeachproceededtowardhisdestination，theirriflesinthehollowsoftheirarms，TudorwalkingtowardtheBerandeandSheldontowardtheBalesuna。
CHAPTERXXVII——MODERNDUELLING
BarelyhadSheldonreachedtheBalesuna，whenheheardthefaintreportofadistantrifleandknewitwasthesignalofTudor，givingnoticethathehadreachedtheBerande，turnedabout，andwascomingback。Sheldonfiredhisrifleintotheairinanswer，andinturnproceededtoadvance。Hemovedasinadream，absent-
mindedlykeepingtotheopenbeach。Thethingwassopreposterousthathehadtostruggletorealizeit，andhereviewedinhismindtheconversationwithTudor，tryingtofindsomecluetothecommon-senseofwhathewasdoing。HedidnotwanttokillTudor。
Becausethatmanhadblunderedinhislove-makingwasnoreasonthathe，Sheldon，shouldtakehislife。Thenwhatwasitallabout？True，thefellowhadinsultedJoanbyhissubsequentremarksandbeenknockeddownforit，butbecausehehadknockedhimdownwasnoreasonthatheshouldnowtrytokillhim。
Inthisfashionhecoveredaquarterofthedistancebetweenthetworivers，whenitdawneduponhimthatTudorwasnotonthebeachatall。Ofcoursenot。Hewasadvancing，accordingtothetermsoftheagreement，intheshelterofthecocoanuttrees。Sheldonpromptlyswervedtothelefttoseeksimilarshelter，whenthefaintcrackofariflecametohisears，andalmostimmediatelythebullet，strikingthehardsandahundredfeetbeyondhim，ricochettedandwhinedonwardonasecondflight，convincinghimthat，preposterousandunrealasitwas，itwasneverthelesssoberfact。Ithadbeenintendedforhim。Yeteventhenitwashardtobelieve。Heglancedoverthefamiliarlandscapeandattheseadimplinginthelightbutsteadybreeze。FromthedirectionofTulagihecouldseethewhitesailsofaschoonerlayingatackacrosstowardBerande。Downthebeachahorsewasgrazing，andheidlywonderedwheretheotherswere。Thesmokerisingfromthecopra-dryingcaughthiseyes，whichrovedonoverthebarracks，thetool-houses，theboat-sheds，andthebungalow，andcametorestonJoan"slittlegrasshouseinthecornerofthecompound。
Keepingnowtotheshelterofthetrees，hewentforwardanotherquarterofamile。IfTudorhadadvancedwithequalspeedtheyshouldhavecometogetheratthatpoint，andSheldonconcludedthattheotherwascircling。Thedifficultywastolocatehim。Therowsoftrees，runningatrightangles，enabledhimtoseealongonlyonenarrowavenueatatime。Hisenemymightbecomingalongthenextavenue，orthenext，torightorleft。Hemightbeahundredfeetawayorhalfamile。Sheldonploddedon，anddecidedthattheoldstereotypedduelwasfarsimplerandeasierthanthisprotractedhide-and-seekaffair。He，too，triedcircling，inthehopeofcuttingtheother"scircle；but，withoutcatchingaglimpseofhim，hefinallyemergeduponafreshclearingwheretheyoungtrees，waist-high，affordedlittleshelterandlesshiding。Justasheemerged，steppingoutapace，ariflecrackedtohisright，andthoughhedidnothearthebulletinpassing，thethudofitcametohisearswhenitstruckapalm-trunkfartheron。
Hesprangbackintotheprotectionofthelargertrees。Twicehehadexposedhimselfandbeenfiredat，whilehehadfailedtocatchasingleglimpseofhisantagonist。Aslowangerbegantoburninhim。Itwasdeucedlyunpleasant，hedecided，thisbeingpepperedat；andnonsensicalasitreallywas，itwasnonethelessdeadlyserious。Therewasnoavoidingtheissue，nofiringintheairandgettingoverwithitasintheold-fashionedduel。Thismutualman-huntmustkeepupuntilonegottheother。Andifoneneglectedachancetogettheother，thatincreasedtheother"schancetogethim。Therecouldbenofalsesentimentaboutit。
Tudorhadbeenacunningdevilwhenheproposedthissortofduel，Sheldonconcluded，ashebegantoworkalongcautiouslyinthedirectionofthelastshot。
Whenhearrivedatthespot，Tudorwasgone，andonlyhisfoot-
printsremained，pointingoutthecoursehehadtakenintothedepthsoftheplantation。Once，tenminuteslater，hecaughtaglimpseofTudor，ahundredyardsaway，crossingthesameavenueashimselfbutgoingintheoppositedirection。Hisriflehalf-leapedtohisshoulder，buttheotherwasgone。Moreinwhimthaninhopeofresult，grinningtohimselfashedidso，SheldonraisedhisautomaticpistolandintwosecondssenteightshotsscatteringthroughthetreesinthedirectioninwhichTudorhaddisappeared。
Wishinghehadashot-gun，Sheldondroppedtothegroundbehindatree，slippedafreshclipupthehollowbuttofthepistol，threwacartridgeintothechamber，shovedthesafetycatchintoplace，andreloadedtheemptyclip。
ItwasbutashorttimeafterthatthatTudortriedthesametrickonhim，thebulletspatteringabouthimlikespitefulrain，thuddingintothepalmtrunks，orglancingoffinwhiningricochets。Thelastbulletofall，makingadoublericochetfromtwodifferenttreesandlosingmostofitsmomentum，struckSheldonasharpblowontheforeheadanddroppedathisfeet。Hewaspartlystunnedforthemoment，butoninvestigationfoundnogreaterharmthananastylumpthatsoonrosetothesizeofapigeon"segg。
Thehuntwenton。Once，comingtotheedgeofthegrovenearthebungalow，hesawthehouse-boysandthecook，clusteredonthebackverandaandpeeringcuriouslyamongthetrees，talkingandlaughingwithoneanotherintheirqueerfalsettovoices。Anothertimehecameuponaworking-gangbusyathoeingweeds。Theyscarcelynoticedhimwhenhecameup，thoughtheyknewthoroughlywellwhatwasgoingon。Itwasnoaffairoftheirsthattheenigmaticalwhitemenshouldbeouttryingtokilleachother，andwhateverinterestintheproceedingsmightbetheirstheywerecarefultoconcealitfromSheldon。Heorderedthemtocontinuehoeingweedsinadistantandout-of-the-waycorner，andwentonwiththepursuitofTudor。
Tiringoftheendlesscircling，Sheldontriedoncemoretoadvancedirectlyonhisfoe，butthelatterwastoocrafty，takingadvantageofhisboldnesstofireacoupleofshotsathim，andslippingawayonsomechangedandcontinuallychangingcourse。Foranhourtheydodgedandturnedandtwistedbackandforthandaround，andhuntedeachotheramongtheorderlypalms。Theycaughtfleetingglimpsesofeachotherandchancedflyingshotswhichwerewithoutresult。Onagrassyshelterbehindatree，SheldoncameuponwhereTudorhadrestedandsmokedacigarette。Thepressedgrassshowedwherehehadsat。Toonesidelaythecigarettestumpandthecharredmatchwhichhadlightedit。Infrontlayascatteringofbrightmetallicfragments。Sheldonrecognizedtheirsignificance。Tudorwasnotchinghissteel-jacketedbullets，orcuttingthemblunt，sothattheywouldspreadonstriking——inshort，hewasmakingthemintotheviciousdum-dumprohibitedinmodernwarfare。Sheldonknewnowwhatwouldhappentohimifabulletstruckhisbody。Itwouldleaveatinyholewhereitentered，buttheholewhereitemergedwouldbethesizeofasaucer。
Hedecidedtogiveupthepursuit，andlaydowninthegrass，protectedrightandleftbytherowofpalms，withoneitherhandthelongavenueextending。Thishecouldwatch。Tudorwouldhavetocometohimorelsetherewouldbenoterminationoftheaffair。
Hewipedthesweatfromhisfaceandtiedthehandkerchiefaroundhisnecktokeepoffthestinginggnatsthatlurkedinthegrass。
Neverhadhefeltsogreatadisgustforthethingcalled"adventure。"Joanhadbeenbadenough，withherBaden-Powellandlong-barrelledColt"s；butherewasthisnewcomeralsolookingforadventure，andfindingitinnootherwaythanbyluggingapeace-
lovingplanterintoanabsurdandpreposterousbush-whackingduel。
Ifeveradventurewaswelldamned，itwasbySheldon，sweatinginthewindlessgrassandfightinggnats，thewhilehekeptclosewatchupanddowntheavenue。
ThenTudorcame。Sheldonhappenedtobelookinginhisdirectionatthemomenthecameintoview，peeringquicklyupanddowntheavenuebeforehesteppedintotheopen。Midwayhestopped，asifdebatingwhatcoursetopursue。Hemadeasplendidmark，facinghisconcealedenemyattwohundredyards"distance。Sheldonaimedatthecentreofhischest，thendeliberatelyshiftedtheaimtohisrightshoulder，and，withthethought，"Thatwillputhimoutofbusiness，"pulledthetrigger。Thebullet，drivingwithmomentumsufficienttoperforateaman"sbodyamiledistant，struckTudorwithsuchforceastopivothim，whirlinghimhalfaroundbytheshockofitsimpactandknockinghimdown。
""HopeIhaven"tkilledthebeggar，"Sheldonmutteredaloud，springingtohisfeetandrunningforward。
AhundredfeetawayallanxietyonthatscorewasrelievedbyTudor，whomadeshiftwithhislefthand，andfromhisautomaticpistolhurledarainofbulletsallaroundSheldon。Thelatterdodgedbehindapalmtrunk，countingtheshots，andwhentheeighthhadbeenfiredherushedinonthewoundedman。Hekickedthepistoloutoftheother"shand，andthensatdownonhiminordertokeephimdown。
"Bequiet，"hesaid。"I"vegotyou，sothere"snousestruggling。"
Tudorstillattemptedtostruggleandtothrowhimoff。
"Keepquiet，Itellyou，"Sheldoncommanded。"I"msatisfiedwiththeoutcome，andyou"vegottobe。Soyoumightaswellgiveinandcallthisaffairclosed。"
Tudorreluctantlyrelaxed。
"Ratherfunny，isn"tit，thesemodernduels？"Sheldongrinneddownathimasheremovedhisweight。"Notabitdignified。Ifyou"dstruggledamomentlongerI"dhaverubbedyourfaceintheearth。
I"veagoodmindtodoitanyway，justtoteachyouthatduellinghasgoneoutoffashion。Nowletusseetoyourinjuries。"
"Youonlygotmethatlast，"Tudorgruntedsullenly，"lyinginambushlike——"
"LikeawildIndian。Precisely。You"vecaughttheidea，oldman。"
Sheldonceasedhismockingandstoodup。"YoulietherequietlyuntilIsendbacksomeoftheboystocarryyouin。You"renotseriouslyhurt，andit"sluckyforyouIdidn"tfollowyourexample。Ifyouhadbeenstruckwithoneofyourownbullets，acarriageandpairwouldhavebeennonetoolargetodrivethroughtheholeitwouldhavemade。Asitis，you"redrilledclean——anicelittleperforation。Allyouneedisantisepticwashinganddressing，andyou"llbearoundinamonth。Nowtakeiteasy，andI"llsendastretcherforyou。"
CHAPTERXXVIII——CAPITULATION
WhenSheldonemergedfromamongthetreeshefoundJoanwaitingatthecompoundgate，andhecouldnotfailtoseethatshewasvisiblygladdenedatthesightofhim。
"Ican"ttellyouhowgladIamtoseeyou，"washergreeting。
"What"sbecomeofTudor？Thatlastflutteroftheautomaticwasn"tnicetolistento。WasityouorTudor？"
"Soyouknowallaboutit，"heansweredcoolly。"Well，itwasTudor，buthewasdoingitleft-handed。He"sdownwithaholeinhisshoulder。"Helookedatherkeenly。"Disappointing，isn"tit？"hedrawled。
"Howdoyoumean？"
"Why，thatIdidn"tkillhim。"
"ButIdidn"twanthimkilledjustbecausehekissedme，"shecried。
"Oh，hedidkissyou!"Sheldonretorted，inevidentsurprise。"I
thoughtyousaidhehurtyourarm。"
"Onecouldcallitakiss，thoughitwasonlyontheendofthenose。"Shelaughedattherecollection。"ButIpaidhimbackforthatmyself。Iboxedhisfaceforhim。Andhedidhurtmyarm。
It"sblackandblue。Lookatit。"
Shepulleduptheloosesleeveofherblouse，andhesawthebruisedimprintsoftwofingers。
Justthenagangofblackscameoutfromamongthetreescarryingthewoundedmanonaroughstretcher。
"Romantic，isn"tit？"Sheldonsneered，followingJoan"sstartledgaze。"AndnowI"llhavetoplaysurgeonanddoctorhimup。
Funny，thistwentieth-centuryduelling。Firstyoudrillaholeinaman，andnextyousetaboutpluggingtheholeup。"
Theyhadsteppedasidetoletthestretcherpass，andTudor，whohadheardtheremark，liftedhimselfupontheelbowofhissoundarmandsaidwithadefiantgrin，-
"Ifyou"dgotoneofmineyou"dhavehadtoplugwithadinner-
plate。"
"Oh，youwretch!"Joancried。"You"vebeencuttingyourbullets。"
"Itwasaccordingtoagreement，"Tudoranswered。"Everythingwent。
Wecouldhaveuseddynamiteifwewantedto。"
"He"sright，"Sheldonassuredher，astheyswunginbehind。"Anyweaponwaspermissible。Ilayinthegrasswherehecouldn"tseeme，andbushwhackedhimintrulynoblefashion。That"swhatcomesofhavingwomenontheplantation。Andnowit"santisepticsanddrainagetubes，Isuppose。It"sanastymess，andI"llhavetoreaduponitbeforeItacklethejob。"
"Idon"tseethatit"smyfault，"shebegan。"Icouldn"thelpitbecausehekissedme。Ineverdreamedhewouldattemptit。"
"Wedidn"tfightforthatreason。Butthereisn"ttimetoexplain。
Ifyou"llgetdressingsandbandagesreadyI"lllookup"gun-shotwounds"andseewhat"stobedone。"
"Ishebleedingseriously？"sheasked。
"No；thebulletseemstohavemissedtheimportantarteries。Butthatwouldhavebeenapickle。"
"Thenthere"snoneedtobotheraboutreadingup，"Joansaid。"AndI"mjustdyingtohearwhatitwasallabout。TheApostleislyingbecalmedinsidethepoint，andherboatsareouttowing。She"llbeatanchorinfiveminutes，andDoctorWelshmereissuretobeonboard。Soallwe"vegottodoistomakeTudorcomfortable。We"dbetterputhiminyourroomunderthemosquito-netting，andsendaboatofftotellDr。Welshmeretobringhisinstruments。"
Anhourafterward，Dr。Welshmereleftthepatientcomfortableandattendedto，andwentdowntothebeachtogoonboard，promisingtocomebacktodinner。JoanandSheldon，standingontheveranda，watchedhimdepart。
"I"llneverhaveitinforthemissionariesagainsinceseeingthemhereintheSolomons，"shesaid，seatingherselfinasteamer-
chair。
ShelookedatSheldonandbegantolaugh。
"That"sright，"hesaid。"It"sthewayIfeel，playingthefoolandtryingtomurderaguest。"
"Butyouhaven"ttoldmewhatitwasallabout。"
"You，"heansweredshortly。
"Me？Butyoujustsaiditwasn"t。"
"Oh，itwasn"tthekiss。"Hewalkedovertotherailingandleanedagainstit，facingher。"Butitwasaboutyouallthesame，andI
mayaswelltellyou。Youremember，IwarnedyoulongagowhatwouldhappenwhenyouwantedtobecomeapartnerinBerande。Well，allthebeachisgossipingaboutit；andTudorpersistedinrepeatingthegossiptome。Soyouseeitwon"tdoforyoutostayonhereunderpresentconditions。Itwouldbebetterifyouwentaway。"
"ButIdon"twanttogoaway，"sheobjectedwithruefulcountenance。
"Achaperone，then——"
"No，norachaperone。"
"Butyousurelydon"texpectmetogoaroundshootingeveryslandererintheSolomonsthatopenshismouth？"hedemandedgloomily。
"No，northateither，"sheansweredwithquickimpulsiveness。
"I"lltellyouwhatwe"lldo。We"llgetmarriedandputastoptoitall。There!"
Helookedatherinamazement，andwouldhavebelievedthatshewasmakingfunofhimhaditnotbeenforthewarmbloodthatsuddenlysuffusedhercheeks。
"Doyoumeanthat？"heaskedunsteadily。"Why？"
"Toputastoptoallthenastygossipofthebeach。That"saprettygoodreason，isn"tit？"
Thetemptationwasstrongenoughandsuddenenoughtomakehimwaver，butallthedisgustcamebacktohimthatwashiswhenhelayinthegrassfightinggnatsandcursingadventure，andheanswered，-
"No；itisworsethannoreasonatall。Idon"tcaretomarryyouasamatterofexpedience——"
"Youarethemostridiculouscreature!"shebrokein，withaflashofherold-timeanger。"Youtalkloveandmarriagetome，verymuchagainstmywish，andgomooningaroundovertheplantationweekafterweekbecauseyoucan"thaveme，andlookatmewhenyouthinkI"mnotnoticingandwhenallthetimeI"mwonderingwhenyouhadyourlastsquaremealbecauseofthehungrylookinyoureyes，andmakeeyesatmyrevolver-belthangingonanail，andfightduelsaboutme，andalltherest——and——andnow，whenIsayI"llmarryyou，youdoyourselfthehonourofrefusingme。"
"Youcan"tmakemeanymoreridiculousthanIfeel，"heanswered，rubbingthelumponhisforeheadreflectively。"Andifthisistheacceptedromanticprogramme——adueloveragirl，andthegirlrushingintothearmsofthewinner——why，Ishallnotmakeabiggerassofmyselfbygoinginforit。"
"Ithoughtyou"djumpatit，"sheconfessed，withanaivetehecouldnotbutquestion，forhethoughthesawaroguishgleaminhereyes。
"Myconceptionoflovemustdifferfromyoursthen，"hesaid。"I
shouldwantawomantomarrymeforloveofme，andnotoutofromanticadmirationbecauseIwasluckyenoughtodrillaholeinaman"sshoulderwithsmokelesspowder。ItellyouIamdisgustedwiththisadventuretom-fooleryandrot。Idon"tlikeit。Tudorisasampleoftheadventure-kind——pickingaquarrelwithmeandbehavinglikeamonkey，insistingonfightingwithme——"tothedeath，"hesaid。Itwaslikeapennydreadful。"
Shewasbitingherlip，andthoughhereyeswerecoolandlevel-
lookingasever，thetell-taleangryredwasinhercheeks。
"Ofcourse，ifyoudon"twanttomarryme——"
"ButIdo，"hehastilyinterposed。
"Oh，youdo——"
"Butdon"tyousee，littlegirl，Iwantyoutoloveme，"hehurriedon。"Otherwise，itwouldbeonlyhalfamarriage。Idon"twantyoutomarrymesimplybecausebysodoingastopisputtothebeachgossip，nordoIwantyoutomarrymeoutofsomefoolishromanticnotion。Ishouldn"twantyou……thatway。"
"Oh，inthatcase，"shesaidwithassumeddeliberateness，andhecouldhavesworntotheroguishgleam，"inthatcase，sinceyouarewillingtoconsidermyoffer，letmemakeafewremarks。Inthefirstplace，youneedn"tsneeratadventurewhenyouarelivingityourself；andyouwerecertainlylivingitwhenIfoundyoufirst，downwithfeveronalonelyplantationwithacoupleofhundredwildcannibalsthirstingforyourlife。ThenIcamealong——"
"Andwhatwithyourarrivinginagale，"hebrokein，"freshfromthewreckoftheschooner，landingonthebeachinawhale-boatfullofpicturesqueTahitiansailors，andcomingintothebungalowwithaBaden-Powellonyourhead，sea-bootsonyourfeet，andawhackingbigColt"sdanglingonyourhip——why，Iamonlytooreadytoadmitthatyouwerethequintessenceofadventure。"
"Verygood，"shecriedexultantly。"It"smeresimplearithmetic——
theaddingofyouradventureandmyadventuretogether。Sothat"ssettled，andyouneedn"tjeeratadventureanymore。Next，Idon"tthinktherewasanythingromanticinTudor"sattemptingtokissme，noranythinglikeadventureinthisabsurdduel。ButIdothink，now，thatitwasromanticforyoutofallinlovewithme。Andfinally，anditisaddingromancetoromance，Ithink……IthinkIdoloveyou，Dave——oh，Dave!"
Thelastwasasighingdove-cryashecaughtherupinhisarmsandpressedhertohim。
"ButIdon"tloveyoubecauseyouplayedthefoolto-day，"shewhisperedonhisshoulder。"Whitemenshouldn"tgoaroundkillingeachother。"
"Thenwhydoyouloveme？"hequestioned，enthralledafterthemannerofallloversintheeverlastingquerythatforeverhasremainedunanswered。
"Idon"tknow——justbecauseIdo，Iguess。Andthat"sallthesatisfactionyougavemewhenwehadthatman-talk。ButIhavebeenlovingyouforweeks——duringallthetimeyouhavebeensodeliciouslyandunobtrusivelyjealousofTudor。"
"Yes，yes，goon，"heurgedbreathlessly，whenshepaused。
"Iwonderedwhenyou"dbreakout，andbecauseyoudidn"tIlovedyouallthemore。YouwerelikeDad，andVon。Youcouldholdyourselfincheck。Youdidn"tmakeafoolofyourself。"
"Notuntilto-day，"hesuggested。
"Yes，andIlovedyouforthat，too。Itwasabouttime。Ibegantothinkyouwerenevergoingtobringupthesubjectagain。AndnowthatIhaveofferedmyselfyouhaven"tevenaccepted。"
Withbothhandsonhershouldersheheldheratarm"s-lengthfromhimandlookedlongintohereyes，nolongercoolbutseeminglypervadedwithagoldenflush。Thelidsdroopedandyetbravelydidnotdroopasshereturnedhisgaze。Thenhefondlyandsolemnlydrewhertohim。
"Andhowaboutthathearthandsaddleofyourown？"heasked，amomentlater。
"Iwell-nighwontothem。Thegrasshouseismyhearth，andtheMarthamysaddle，and——andlookatallthetreesI"veplanted，tosaynothingofthesweetcorn。Andit"sallyourfaultanyway。I
mightneverhavelovedyouifyouhadn"tputtheideaintomyhead。"
"There"stheNongasslacominginaroundthepointwithherboatsout，"Sheldonremarkedirrelevantly。"AndtheCommissionerisonboard。He"sgoingdowntoSanCristovaltoinvestigatethatmissionarykilling。We"reinluck，Imustsay。"
"Idon"tseewheretheluckcomesin，"shesaiddolefully。"Weoughttohavethiseveningalltoourselvesjusttotalkthingsover。I"veathousandquestionstoaskyou。"
"Anditwouldn"thavebeenaman-talkeither，"sheadded。
"Butmyplanisbetterthanthat。"Hedebatedwithhimselfamoment。"Yousee，theCommissioneristheoneofficialintheislandswhocangiveusalicense。And——there"stheluckofit——
DoctorWelshmereisheretoperformtheceremony。We"llgetmarriedthisevening。"
Joanrecoiledfromhiminpanic，tearingherselffromhisarmsandgoingbackwardseveralsteps。Hecouldseethatshewasreallyfrightened。
"I……Ithought……"shestammered。
Then，slowly，thechangecameoverher，andthebloodfloodedintoherfaceinthesameamazingblushhehadseenoncebeforethatday。Hercool，level-lookingeyeswerenolongerlevel-lookingnorcool，butwarmlydroopingandjustunabletomeethis，asshecametowardhimandnestledinthecircleofhisarms，sayingsoftly，almostinawhisper，-
"Iamready，"Dave。"