adventure- 第30部分

〃Please；　no　whipping；〃　Joan　said　in　a　low　voice。　　〃If　whipping　IS　necessary；　send　them　to　Tulagi　and　let　the　Government　do　it。　　Give　them　their　choice　between　a　fine　or　an　official　whipping。〃

Sheldon　nodded　and　stood　up；　facing　the　blacks。

〃Manonmie！〃　he　called。

Manonmie　stood　forth　and　waited。

〃You　fella　boy　bad　fella　too　much；〃　Sheldon　charged。　　〃You　steal　'm　plenty。　　You　steal　'm　one　fella　towel；　one　fella　cane…knife；　two…　ten　fella　cartridge。　　My　word；　plenty　bad　fella　steal　'm　you。　　Me　cross　along　you　too　much。　　S'pose　you　like　'm；　me　take　'm　one　fella　pound　along　you　in　big　book。　　S'pose　you　no　like　'm　me　take　'm　one　fella　pound；　then　me　send　you　fella　along　Tulagi　catch　'm　one　strong　fella　government　whipping。　　Plenty　New　Georgia　boys；　plenty　Ysabel　boys　stop　along　jail　along　Tulagi。　　Them　fella　no　like　Malaita　boys　little　bit。　　My　word；　they　give　'm　you　strong　fella　whipping。　　What　you　say？〃

〃You　take　'm　one　fella　pound　along　me；〃　was　the　answer。

And　Manonmie；　patently　relieved；　stepped　back；　while　Sheldon　entered　the　fine　in　the　plantation　labour　journal。

Boy　after　boy；　he　called　the　offenders　out　and　gave　them　their　choice；　and；　boy　by　boy；　each　one　elected　to　pay　the　fine　imposed。　Some　fines　were　as　low　as　several　shillings；　while　in　the　more　serious　cases；　such　as　thefts　of　guns　and　ammunition；　the　fines　were　correspondingly　heavy。

Gogoomy　and　his　five　tribesmen　were　fined　three　pounds　each；　and　at　Gogoomy's　guttural　command　they　refused　to　pay。

〃S'pose　you　go　along　Tulagi；〃　Sheldon　warned　him；　〃you　catch　'm　strong　fella　whipping　and　you　stop　along　jail　three　fella　year。　Mr。　Burnett；　he　look　'm　along　Winchester；　look　'm　along　cartridge；　look　'm　along　revolver；　look　'm　along　black　powder；　look　'm　along　dynamitemy　word；　he　cross　too　much；　he　give　you　three　fella　year　along　jail。　　S'pose　you　no　like　'm　pay　three　fella　pound　you　stop　along　jail。　　Savvee？〃

Gogoomy　wavered。

〃It's　truethat's　what　Burnett　would　give　them；〃　Sheldon　said　in　an　aside　to　Joan。

〃You　take　'm　three　fella　pound　along　me；〃　Gogoomy　muttered；　at　the　same　time　scowling　his　hatred　at　Sheldon；　and　transferring　half　the　scowl　to　Joan　and　Kwaque。　　〃Me　finish　along　you；　you　catch　'm　big　fella　trouble；　my　word。　　Father　belong　me　big　fella　chief　along　Port　Adams。〃

〃That　will　do；〃　Sheldon　warned　him。　　〃You　shut　mouth　belong　you。〃

〃Me　no　fright；〃　the　son　of　a　chief　retorted；　by　his　insolence　increasing　his　stature　in　the　eyes　of　his　fellows。

〃Lock　him　up　for　to…night；〃　Sheldon　said　to　Kwaque。　　〃Sun　he　come　up　put　'm　that　fella　and　five　fella　belong　him　along　grass…cutting。　Savvee？〃

Kwaque　grinned。

〃Me　savvee；〃　he　said。　　〃Cut　'm　grass；　ngari…ngari　｛4｝　stop　'm　along　grass。　　My　word！〃

〃There　will　be　trouble　with　Gogoomy　yet；〃　Sheldon　said　to　Joan；　as　the　boss…boys　marshalled　their　gangs　and　led　them　away　to　their　work。　　〃Keep　an　eye　on　him。　　Be　careful　when　you　are　riding　alone　on　the　plantation。　　The　loss　of　those　Winchesters　and　all　that　ammunition　has　hit　him　harder　than　your　cuffing　did。　　He　is　dead…　ripe　for　mischief。〃



CHAPTER　XXIIGOGOOMY　FINISHES　ALONG　KWAQUE　ALTOGETHER



〃I　wonder　what　has　become　of　Tudor。　　It's　two　months　since　he　disappeared　into　the　bush；　and　not　a　word　of　him　after　he　left　Binu。〃

Joan　Lackland　was　sitting　astride　her　horse　by　the　bank　of　the　Balesuna　where　the　sweet　corn　had　been　planted；　and　Sheldon；　who　had　come　across　from　the　house　on　foot；　was　leaning　against　her　horse's　shoulder。

〃Yes；　it　is　along　time　for　no　news　to　have　trickled　down；〃　he　answered；　watching　her　keenly　from　under　his　hat…brim　and　wondering　as　to　the　measure　of　her　anxiety　for　the　adventurous　gold…hunter；　〃but　Tudor　will　come　out　all　right。　　He　did　a　thing　at　the　start　that　I　wouldn't　have　given　him　or　any　other　man　credit　for　persuaded　Binu　Charley　to　go　along　with　him。　　I'll　wager　no　other　Binu　nigger　has　ever　gone　so　far　into　the　bush　unless　to　be　kai…　kai'd。　　As　for　Tudor〃

〃Look！　　look！〃　Joan　cried　in　a　low　voice；　pointing　across　the　narrow　stream　to　a　slack　eddy　where　a　huge　crocodile　drifted　like　a　log　awash。　　〃My！　　I　wish　I　had　my　rifle。〃

The　crocodile；　leaving　scarcely　a　ripple　behind；　sank　down　and　disappeared。

〃A　Binu　man　was　in　early　this　morningfor　medicine；〃　Sheldon　remarked。　　〃It　may　have　been　that　very　brute　that　was　responsible。　A　dozen　of　the　Binu　women　were　out；　and　the　foremost　one　stepped　right　on　a　big　crocodile。　　It　was　by　the　edge　of　the　water；　and　he　tumbled　her　over　and　got　her　by　the　leg。　　All　the　other　women　got　hold　of　her　and　pulled。　　And　in　the　tug　of　war　she　lost　her　leg；　below　the　knee；　he　said。　　I　gave　him　a　stock　of　antiseptics。　She'll　pull　through；　I　fancy。〃

〃Ughthe　filthy　beasts；〃　Joan　gulped　shudderingly。　　〃I　hate　them！　I　hate　them！〃

〃And　yet　you　go　diving　among　sharks；〃　Sheldon　chided。

〃They're　only　fish…sharks。　　And　as　long　as　there　are　plenty　of　fish　there　is　no　danger。　　It　is　only　when　they're　famished　that　they're　liable　to　take　a　bite。〃

Sheldon　shuddered　inwardly　at　the　swift　vision　that　arose　of　the　dainty　flesh　of　her　in　a　shark's　many…toothed　maw。

〃I　wish　you　wouldn't；　just　the　same；〃　he　said　slowly。　　〃You　acknowledge　there　is　a　risk。〃

〃But　that's　half　the　fun　of　it；〃　she　cried。

A　trite　platitude　about　his　not　caring　to　lose　her　was　on　his　lips；　but　he　refrained　from　uttering　it。　　Another　conclusion　he　had　arrived　at　was　that　she　was　not　to　be　nagged。　　Continual；　or　even　occasional；　reminders　of　his　feeling　for　her　would　constitute　a　tactical　error　of　no　mean　dimensions。

〃Some　for　the　book　of　verse；　some　for　the　simple　life；　and　some　for　the　shark's　belly；〃　he　laughed　grimly；　then　added：　　〃Just　the　same；　I　wish　I　could　swim　as　well　as　you。　　Maybe　it　would　beget　confidence　such　as　you　have。〃

〃Do　you　know；　I　think　it　would　be　nice　to　be　married　to　a　man　such　as　you　seem　to　be　becoming；〃　she　remarked；　with　one　of　her　abrupt　changes　that　always　astounded　him。　　〃I　should　think　you　could　be　trained　into　a　very　good　husbandyou　know；　not　one　of　the　domineering　kind；　but　one　who　considered　his　wife　was　just　as　much　an　individual　as　himself　and　just　as　much　a　free　agent。　　Really；　you　know；　I　think　you　are　improving。〃

She　laughed　and　rode　away；　leaving　him　greatly　cast　down。　　If　he　had　thought　there　had　been　one　bit　of　coyness　in　her　words；　one　feminine　flutter；　one　womanly　attempt　at　deliberate　lure　and　encouragement；　he　would　have　been　elated。　　But　he　knew　absolutely　that　it　was　the　boy；　and　not　the　woman；　who　had　so　daringly　spoken。

Joan　rode　on　among　the　avenues　of　young　cocoanut…palms；　saw　a　hornbill；　followed　it　in　its　erratic　flights　to　the　high　forest　on　the　edge　of　the　plantation；　heard　the　cooing　of　wild　pigeons　and　located　them　in　the　deeper　woods；　followed　the　fresh　trail　of　a　wild　pig　for　a　distance；　circled　back；　and　took　the　narrow　path　for　the　bungalow　that　ran　through　twenty　acres　of　uncleared　cane。　　The　grass　was　waist…high　and　higher；　and　as　she　rode　along　she　remembered　that　Gogoomy　was　one　of　a　gang　of　boys　that　had　been　detailed　to　the　grass…cutting。　　She　came　to　where　they　had　been　at　work；　but　saw　no　signs　of　them。　　Her　unshod　horse　made　no　sound　on　the　soft；　sandy　footing；　and　a　little　further　on　she　heard　voices　proceeding　from　out　of　the　grass。　　She　reined　in　and　listened。　　It　was　Gogoomy　talking；　and　as　she　listened　she　gripped　her　bridle…　rein　tightly　and　a　wave　of　anger　passed　over　her。

〃Dog　he　stop　'm　along　house；　night…time　he　walk　about；〃　Gogoomy　was　saying；　perforce　in　beche…de…mer　English；　because　he　was　talking　to　others　beside　his　own　tribesmen。　　〃You　fella　boy　catch　'm　one　fella　pig；　put　'm　kai…kai　belong　him　along　big　fella　fish…hook。　　S'pose　dog　he　walk　about　catch　'm　kai…kai；　you　fella　boy　catch　'm　dog　allee　same　one　shark。　　Dog　he　finish　close　up。　　Big　fella　marster　sleep　along　big　fella　house。　　White　Mary　sleep　along　pickaninny　house。　　One　fella　Adamu　he　stop　along　outside　pickaninny　house。　You　fella　boy　finish　'm　dog；　finish　'm　Adamu；　finish　'm　big　fella　marster；　finish　'm　White　Mary；　finish　'em　altogether。　　Plenty　musket　he　stop；　plenty　powder；　plenty　tomahawk；　plenty　knife…fee；　plenty　porpoise　teeth；　plenty　tobacco；　plenty　calicomy　word；　too　much　plenty　everything　we　take　'm　along　whale…boat；　washee　｛5｝　like　hell；　sun　he　come　up　we　long　way　too　much。〃

〃Me　catch　'm　pig　sun　he　go　down；〃　spoke　up　one　whose　thin　falsetto　voice　Joan　recognized　as　belonging　to　Cosse；　one　of　Gogoomy's　tribesmen。

〃Me　catch　'm　dog；〃　said　another。

〃And　me　catch　'm　white　fella　Mary；〃　Gogoomy　cried　triumphantly。　〃Me　catch　'm　Kwaque　he　die　along　him　damn　quick。〃

This　much　Joan　heard　of　the　plan　to　murder；　and　then　her　rising　wrath　proved　too　much　for　her　discretion。　　She　spurred　her　horse　into　the　grass；　crying；　…

〃What　name　you　fella　boy；　eh？　　What　name？〃

They　arose；　scrambling　and　scattering；　and　to　her　surprise　she　saw　there　were　a　dozen　of　them。　　As　she　looked　in　their　glowering　faces　and　noted　the　heavy；　two…foot；　hacking　cane…knives　in　their　hands；　she　became　suddenly　aware　of　the　rashness　of　her　act。　　If　only　she　had　had　her　revolver　or　a　rifle；　all　would　have　been　well。　　But　she　had　carelessly　ventured　out　unarmed；　and　she　followed　the　glance　of　Gogoomy　to　her　waist　and　saw　the　pleased　flash　in　his　eyes　as　he　perceived　the　absence　of　the　dreadful　man…killing　revolver。

The　first　article　in　the　Solomon　Islands　code　for　white　men　was　never　to　show　fear　before　a　native；　and　Joan　tried　to　carry　off　the　situation　in　cavalier　fashion。

〃Too　much　talk　along　you　fella　boy；〃　she　said　severely。　　〃Too　much　talk；　too　little　work。　　Savvee？〃

Gogoomy　made　no　reply；　but；　apparently　shifting　weight；　he　slid　one　foot　forward。　　The　other　boys；　spread　fan…wise　about　her；　were　also　sliding　forward；　the　cruel　cane…knives　in　their　hands　advertising　their　intention。

〃You　cut　'm　grass！〃　she　commanded　imperatively。

But　Gogoomy　slid　his　other　foot　forward。　　She　measured　the　distance　with　her　eye。　　It　would　be　impossible　to　whirl　her　horse　around　and　get　away。　　She　would　be　chopped　down　from　behind。

And　in　that　tense　moment　the　faces　of　all　of　them　were　imprinted　on　her　mind　in　an　unforgettable　pictureone　of　them；　an　old　man；　with　torn　and　distended　ear…lobes　that　fell　to　his　chest；　another；　with　t