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After another prolonged scrutiny, Kennan shook his head. "Blamed if I can see anything so indisputable as to leave conjecture out." "The tail," his wife gurgled. "Surely the natives do not bob the tails of their dogs. Do they, Johnny? Do black man stop along Malaita chop 'm off tail along dog." "No chop 'm off," Johnny agreed. "Mister Haggin along Meringe he chop 'm off.
Nothing mattered now. His troubles were at an end. He could lie down and take care of himself and proceed to get well. The Jessie had arrived. His partner was on board, vigorous and hearty from six weeks' recruiting on Malaita. He could take charge now, and all would be well with Berande. Sheldon lay in the steamer-chair and watched the Jessie's whale-boat pull in for the beach.
The full moon rose over Malaita and shone down on Berande. Nothing stirred in the windless air. From the hospital still proceeded the moaning of the sick. In the grass-thatched barracks nearly two hundred woolly-headed man-eaters slept off the weariness of the day's toil, though several lifted their heads to listen to the curses of one who cursed the white man who never slept.
"And they say the screw you pay him is bigger than mine or the British Resident's?" "I'm afraid it is," Grief admitted. "You see, and no offence, he's really worth it. He spends his time wherever the trouble is. He is a wizard. He's the one who got me my lodgment on New Gibbon. He's down on Malaita now, starting a plantation for me." "The first?"
"A title for a book," she cried. "Or, better yet, 'Gold-Hunting Among the Head-Hunters. My! wouldn't it sell!" "And now aren't you sorry you became a cocoanut planter?" he teased. "Think of investing in such an adventure." "If I did," she retorted, "Von Blix wouldn't be finicky about my joining in the cruise to Malaita." "I don't doubt but what he would jump at it."
But this is my jurisdiction, partly, and I have made a fool of myself in it completely. I shall remain and help get things straight again." At Guvutu, Grief sent full instructions to McTavish by a recruiting ketch which was just starting for Malaita.
You went your own wilful way, just as though I didn't exist wrecking schooners, recruiting on Malaita, and sailing schooners; one lone, unprotected girl in the company of some of the worst scoundrels in the Solomons. Fowler! and Brahms! and Curtis! And such is the perverseness of human nature I am frank, you see I love you for that too. I love you for all of you, just as you are."
They brought Santa Cruz boys to the New Hebrides, New Hebrides boys to the Banks, and the head-hunting cannibals of Malaita to the plantations of New Georgia. From Tonga to the Gilberts and on to the far Louisiades his recruiters combed the islands for labour. His keels plowed all ocean stretches.
He was even homesick for the slavery under Fanfoa. So he ran away. He struck back into the bush, with the idea of working southward to the beach and stealing a canoe in which to go home to Port Adams. But the fever got him, and he was captured and brought back more dead than alive. A second time he ran away, in the company of two Malaita boys.
It is said as the most wonderful put of the tale that over her body he gave way to an outburst of sombre and violent grief. His luck left him, too, very soon after. He lost his ship on some rocks off Malaita, and disappeared for a time as though he had gone down with her. He is heard of next at Nuka-Hiva, where he bought an old French schooner out of Government service.
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