adventure-第36章

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r　Adamu　Adam；　or　Lalaperu　there；　or　any　black　boy。　　Then　I　could　give　him　orders；　and　keep　him　penned　away　from　me；　and　men　like　you　would　leave　me　alone；　and　not　talk　marriage　and　'I　want；　I　want。'〃

Sheldon　laughed　in　spite　of　himself；　and　far　from　any　genuine　impulse　to　laugh。

〃You　are　positively　soulless；〃　he　said　savagely。

〃Because　I've　a　soul　that　doesn't　yearn　for　a　man　for　master？〃　she　took　up　the　gage。　　〃Very　well；　then。　　I　am　soulless；　and　what　are　you　going　to　do　about　it？〃

〃I　am　going　to　ask　you　why　you　look　like　a　woman？　　Why　have　you　the　form　of　a　woman？　the　lips　of　a　woman？　the　wonderful　hair　of　a　woman？　　And　I　am　going　to　answer：　　because　you　are　a　womanthough　the　woman　in　you　is　asleepand　that　some　day　the　woman　will　wake　up。〃

〃Heaven　forbid！〃　she　cried；　in　such　sudden　and　genuine　dismay　as　to　make　him　laugh；　and　to　bring　a　smile　to　her　own　lips　against　herself。

〃I've　got　some　more　to　say　to　you；〃　Sheldon　pursued。　　〃I　did　try　to　protect　you　from　every　other　man　in　the　Solomons；　and　from　yourself　as　well。　　As　for　me；　I　didn't　dream　that　danger　lay　in　that　quarter。　　So　I　failed　to　protect　you　from　myself。　　I　failed　to　protect　you　at　all。　　You　went　your　own　wilful　way；　just　as　though　I　didn't　existwrecking　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　natureI　am　frank；　you　seeI　love　you　for　that　too。　　I　love　you　for　all　of　you；　just　as　you　are。〃

She　made　a　moue　of　distaste　and　raised　a　hand　protestingly。

〃Don't；〃　he　said。　　〃You　have　no　right　to　recoil　from　the　mention　of　my　love　for　you。　　Remember　this　is　a　man…talk。　　From　the　point　of　view　of　the　talk；　you　are　a　man。　　The　woman　in　you　is　only　incidental；　accidental；　and　irrelevant。　　You've　got　to　listen　to　the　bald　statement　of　fact；　strange　though　it　is；　that　I　love　you。〃

〃And　now　I　won't　bother　you　any　more　about　love。　　We'll　go　on　the　same　as　before。　　You　are　better　off　and　safer　on　Berande；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　I　love　you；　than　anywhere　else　in　the　Solomons。　But　I　want　you；　as　a　final　item　of　man…talk；　to　remember；　from　time　to　time；　that　I　love　you；　and　that　it　will　be　the　dearest　day　of　my　life　when　you　consent　to　marry　me。　　I　want　you　to　think　of　it　sometimes。　　You　can't　help　but　think　of　it　sometimes。　　And　now　we　won't　talk　about　it　any　more。　　As　between　men；　there's　my　hand。〃

He　held　out　his　hand。　　She　hesitated；　then　gripped　it　heartily；　and　smiled　through　her　tears。

〃I　wish〃　she　faltered；　〃I　wish；　instead　of　that　black　Mary；　you'd　given　me　somebody　to　swear　for　me。〃

And　with　this　enigmatic　utterance　she　turned　away。



CHAPTER　XXICONTRABAND



Sheldon　did　not　mention　the　subject　again；　nor　did　his　conduct　change　from　what　it　had　always　been。　　There　was　nothing　of　the　pining　lover；　nor　of　the　lover　at　all；　in　his　demeanour。　　Nor　was　there　any　awkwardness　between　them。　　They　were　as　frank　and　friendly　in　their　relations　as　ever。　　He　had　wondered　if　his　belligerent　love　declaration　might　have　aroused　some　womanly　self…　consciousness　in　Joan；　but　he　looked　in　vain　for　any　sign　of　it。　She　appeared　as　unchanged　as　he；　and　while　he　knew　that　he　hid　his　real　feelings；　he　was　firm　in　his　belief　that　she　hid　nothing。　　And　yet　the　germ　he　had　implanted　must　be　at　work；　he　was　confident　of　that；　though　he　was　without　confidence　as　to　the　result。　　There　was　no　forecasting　this　strange　girl's　processes。　　She　might　awaken；　it　was　true；　and　on　the　other　hand；　and　with　equal　chance；　he　might　be　the　wrong　man　for　her；　and　his　declaration　of　love　might　only　more　firmly　set　her　in　her　views　on　single　blessedness。

While　he　devoted　more　and　more　of　his　time　to　the　plantation　itself；　she　took　over　the　house　and　its　multitudinous　affairs；　and　she　took　hold　firmly；　in　sailor　fashion；　revolutionizing　the　system　and　discipline。　　The　labour　situation　on　Berande　was　improving。　The　Martha　had　carried　away　fifty　of　the　blacks　whose　time　was　up；　and　they　had　been　among　the　worst　on　the　plantationfive…year　men　recruited　by　Billy　Be…blowed；　men　who　had　gone　through　the　old　days　of　terrorism　when　the　original　owners　of　Berande　had　been　driven　away。　　The　new　recruits；　being　broken　in　under　the　new　regime；　gave　better　promise。　　Joan　had　joined　with　Sheldon　from　the　start　in　the　programme　that　they　must　be　gripped　with　the　strong　hand；　and　at　the　same　time　be　treated　with　absolute　justice；　if　they　were　to　escape　being　contaminated　by　the　older　boys　that　still　remained。

〃I　think　it　would　be　a　good　idea　to　put　all　the　gangs　at　work　close　to　the　house　this　afternoon；〃　she　announced　one　day　at　breakfast。　〃I've　cleaned　up　the　house；　and　you　ought　to　clean　up　the　barracks。　There　is　too　much　stealing　going　on。〃

〃A　good　idea；〃　Sheldon　agreed。　　〃Their　boxes　should　be　searched。　I've　just　missed　a　couple　of　shirts；　and　my　best　toothbrush　is　gone。〃

〃And　two　boxes　of　my　cartridges；〃　she　added；　〃to　say　nothing　of　handkerchiefs；　towels；　sheets；　and　my　best　pair　of　slippers。　　But　what　they　want　with　your　toothbrush　is　more　than　I　can　imagine。　They'll　be　stealing　the　billiard　balls　next。〃

〃One　did　disappear　a　few　weeks　before　you　came；〃　Sheldon　laughed。　〃We'll　search　the　boxes　this　afternoon。〃

And　a　busy　afternoon　it　was。　　Joan　and　Sheldon；　both　armed；　went　through　the　barracks；　house　by　house；　the　boss…boys　assisting；　and　half　a　dozen　messengers；　in　relay；　shouting　along　the　line　the　names　of　the　boys　wanted。　　Each　boy　brought　the　key　to　his　particular　box；　and　was　permitted　to　look　on　while　the　contents　were　overhauled　by　the　boss…boys。

A　wealth　of　loot　was　recovered。　　There　were　fully　a　dozen　cane…　knivesbig　hacking　weapons　with　razor…edges；　capable　of　decapitating　a　man　at　a　stroke。　　Towels；　sheets；　shirts；　and　slippers；　along　with　toothbrushes；　wisp…brooms；　soap；　the　missing　billiard　ball；　and　all　the　lost　and　forgotten　trifles　of　many　months；　came　to　light。　　But　most　astonishing　was　the　quantity　of　ammunition…cartridges　for　Lee…Metfords；　for　Winchesters　and　Marlins；　for　revolvers　from　thirty…two　calibre　to　forty…five；　shot…　gun　cartridges；　Joan's　two　boxes　of　thirty…eight；　cartridges　of　prodigious　bore　for　the　ancient　Sniders　of　Malaita；　flasks　of　black　powder；　sticks　of　dynamite；　yards　of　fuse；　and　boxes　of　detonators。　But　the　great　find　was　in　the　house　occupied　by　Gogoomy　and　five　Port　Adams　recruits。　　The　fact　that　the　boxes　yielded　nothing　excited　Sheldon's　suspicions；　and　he　gave　orders　to　dig　up　the　earthen　floor。　　Wrapped　in　matting；　well　oiled；　free　from　rust；　and　brand　new；　two　Winchesters　were　first　unearthed。　　Sheldon　did　not　recognize　them。　　They　had　not　come　from　Berande；　neither　had　the　forty　flasks　of　black　powder　found　under　the　corner…post　of　the　house；　and　while　he　could　not　be　sure；　he　could　remember　no　loss　of　eight　boxes　of　detonators。　　A　big　Colt's　revolver　he　recognized　as　Hughie　Drummond's；　while　Joan　identified　a　thirty…two　Ivor　and　Johnson　as　a　loss　reported　by　Matapuu　the　first　week　he　landed　at　Berande。　　The　absence　of　any　cartridges　made　Sheldon　persist　in　the　digging　up　of　the　floor；　and　a　fifty…pound　flour　tin　was　his　reward。　　With　glowering　eyes　Gogoomy　looked　on　while　Sheldon　took　from　the　tin　a　hundred　rounds　each　for　the　two　Winchesters　and　fully　as　many　rounds　more　of　nondescript　cartridges　of　all　sorts　and　makes　and　calibres。

The　contraband　and　stolen　property　was　piled　in　assorted　heaps　on　the　back　veranda　of　the　bungalow。　　A　few　paces　from　the　bottom　of　the　steps　were　grouped　the　forty…odd　culprits；　with　behind　them；　in　solid　array；　the　several　hundred　blacks　of　the　plantation。　　At　the　head　of　the　steps　Joan　and　Sheldon　were　seated；　while　on　the　steps　stood　the　gang…bosses。　　One　by　one　the　culprits　were　called　up　and　examined。　　Nothing　definite　could　be　extracted　from　them。　　They　lied　transparently；　but　persistently；　and　when　caught　in　one　lie　explained　it　away　with　half　a　dozen　others。　　One　boy　complacently　announced　that　he　had　found　eleven　sticks　of　dynamite　on　the　beach。　Matapuu's　revolver；　found　in　the　box　of　one　Kapu；　was　explained　away　by　that　boy　as　having　been　given　to　him　by　Lervumie。　Lervumie；　called　forth　to　testif