adventure-第42部分

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〃Quite。　　But　have　you　any　objections　if　I　leave　some　orders？〃

〃Not　at　all；〃　Tudor　acquiesced；　the　pink　of　courtesy　now　that　his　wish　had　been　granted。

Sheldon　clapped　his　hands；　and　the　running　house…boy　hurried　away　to　bring　back　Adamu　Adam　and　Noa　Noah。

〃Listen；〃　Sheldon　said　to　them。　　〃This　man　and　me；　we　have　one　big　fight　to…day。　　Maybe　he　die。　　Maybe　I　die。　　If　he　die；　all　right。　If　I　die；　you　two　look　after　Missie　Lackalanna。　　You　take　rifles；　and　you　look　after　her　daytime　and　night…time。　　If　she　want　to　talk　with　Mr。　Tudor；　all　right。　　If　she　not　want　to　talk；　you　make　him　keep　away。　　Savvee？〃

They　grunted　and　nodded。　　They　had　had　much　to　do　with　white　men；　and　had　learned　never　to　question　the　strange　ways　of　the　strange　breed。　　If　these　two　saw　fit　to　go　out　and　kill　each　other；　that　was　their　business　and　not　the　business　of　the　islanders；　who　took　orders　from　them。　　They　stepped　to　the　gun…rack；　and　each　picked　a　rifle。

〃Better　all　Tahitian　men　have　rifles；〃　suggested　Adamu　Adam。　〃Maybe　big　trouble　come。〃

〃All　right；　you　take　them；〃　Sheldon　answered；　busy　with　issuing　the　ammunition。

They　went　to　the　door　and　down　the　steps；　carrying　the　eight　rifles　to　their　quarters。　　Tudor；　with　cartridge…belts　for　rifle　and　pistol　strapped　around　him；　rifle　in　hand；　stood　impatiently　waiting。

〃Come　on；　hurry　up；　we're　burning　daylight；〃　he　urged；　as　Sheldon　searched　after　extra　clips　for　his　automatic　pistol。

Together　they　passed　down　the　steps　and　out　of　the　compound　to　the　beach；　where　they　turned　their　backs　to　each　other；　and　each　proceeded　toward　his　destination；　their　rifles　in　the　hollows　of　their　arms；　Tudor　walking　toward　the　Berande　and　Sheldon　toward　the　Balesuna。



CHAPTER　XXVIIMODERN　DUELLING



Barely　had　Sheldon　reached　the　Balesuna；　when　he　heard　the　faint　report　of　a　distant　rifle　and　knew　it　was　the　signal　of　Tudor；　giving　notice　that　he　had　reached　the　Berande；　turned　about；　and　was　coming　back。　　Sheldon　fired　his　rifle　into　the　air　in　answer；　and　in　turn　proceeded　to　advance。　　He　moved　as　in　a　dream；　absent…　mindedly　keeping　to　the　open　beach。　　The　thing　was　so　preposterous　that　he　had　to　struggle　to　realize　it；　and　he　reviewed　in　his　mind　the　conversation　with　Tudor；　trying　to　find　some　clue　to　the　common…sense　of　what　he　was　doing。　　He　did　not　want　to　kill　Tudor。　Because　that　man　had　blundered　in　his　love…making　was　no　reason　that　he；　Sheldon；　should　take　his　life。　　Then　what　was　it　all　about？　　True；　the　fellow　had　insulted　Joan　by　his　subsequent　remarks　and　been　knocked　down　for　it；　but　because　he　had　knocked　him　down　was　no　reason　that　he　should　now　try　to　kill　him。

In　this　fashion　he　covered　a　quarter　of　the　distance　between　the　two　rivers；　when　it　dawned　upon　him　that　Tudor　was　not　on　the　beach　at　all。　　Of　course　not。　　He　was　advancing；　according　to　the　terms　of　the　agreement；　in　the　shelter　of　the　cocoanut　trees。　　Sheldon　promptly　swerved　to　the　left　to　seek　similar　shelter；　when　the　faint　crack　of　a　rifle　came　to　his　ears；　and　almost　immediately　the　bullet；　striking　the　hard　sand　a　hundred　feet　beyond　him；　ricochetted　and　whined　onward　on　a　second　flight；　convincing　him　that；　preposterous　and　unreal　as　it　was；　it　was　nevertheless　sober　fact。　　It　had　been　intended　for　him。　　Yet　even　then　it　was　hard　to　believe。　　He　glanced　over　the　familiar　landscape　and　at　the　sea　dimpling　in　the　light　but　steady　breeze。　　From　the　direction　of　Tulagi　he　could　see　the　white　sails　of　a　schooner　laying　a　tack　across　toward　Berande。　　Down　the　beach　a　horse　was　grazing；　and　he　idly　wondered　where　the　others　were。　　The　smoke　rising　from　the　copra…drying　caught　his　eyes；　which　roved　on　over　the　barracks；　the　tool…houses；　the　boat…　sheds；　and　the　bungalow；　and　came　to　rest　on　Joan's　little　grass　house　in　the　corner　of　the　compound。

Keeping　now　to　the　shelter　of　the　trees；　he　went　forward　another　quarter　of　a　mile。　　If　Tudor　had　advanced　with　equal　speed　they　should　have　come　together　at　that　point；　and　Sheldon　concluded　that　the　other　was　circling。　　The　difficulty　was　to　locate　him。　　The　rows　of　trees；　running　at　right　angles；　enabled　him　to　see　along　only　one　narrow　avenue　at　a　time。　　His　enemy　might　be　coming　along　the　next　avenue；　or　the　next；　to　right　or　left。　　He　might　be　a　hundred　feet　away　or　half　a　mile。　　Sheldon　plodded　on；　and　decided　that　the　old　stereotyped　duel　was　far　simpler　and　easier　than　this　protracted　hide…and…seek　affair。　　He；　too；　tried　circling；　in　the　hope　of　cutting　the　other's　circle；　but；　without　catching　a　glimpse　of　him；　he　finally　emerged　upon　a　fresh　clearing　where　the　young　trees；　waist…high；　afforded　little　shelter　and　less　hiding。　　Just　as　he　emerged；　stepping　out　a　pace；　a　rifle　cracked　to　his　right；　and　though　he　did　not　hear　the　bullet　in　passing；　the　thud　of　it　came　to　his　ears　when　it　struck　a　palm…trunk　farther　on。

He　sprang　back　into　the　protection　of　the　larger　trees。　　Twice　he　had　exposed　himself　and　been　fired　at；　while　he　had　failed　to　catch　a　single　glimpse　of　his　antagonist。　　A　slow　anger　began　to　burn　in　him。　　It　was　deucedly　unpleasant；　he　decided；　this　being　peppered　at；　and　nonsensical　as　it　really　was；　it　was　none　the　less　deadly　serious。　　There　was　no　avoiding　the　issue；　no　firing　in　the　air　and　getting　over　with　it　as　in　the　old…fashioned　duel。　　This　mutual　man…hunt　must　keep　up　until　one　got　the　other。　　And　if　one　neglected　a　chance　to　get　the　other；　that　increased　the　other's　chance　to　get　him。　　There　could　be　no　false　sentiment　about　it。　Tudor　had　been　a　cunning　devil　when　he　proposed　this　sort　of　duel；　Sheldon　concluded；　as　he　began　to　work　along　cautiously　in　the　direction　of　the　last　shot。

When　he　arrived　at　the　spot；　Tudor　was　gone；　and　only　his　foot…　prints　remained；　pointing　out　the　course　he　had　taken　into　the　depths　of　the　plantation。　　Once；　ten　minutes　later；　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　Tudor；　a　hundred　yards　away；　crossing　the　same　avenue　as　himself　but　going　in　the　opposite　direction。　　His　rifle　half…leaped　to　his　shoulder；　but　the　other　was　gone。　　More　in　whim　than　in　hope　of　result；　grinning　to　himself　as　he　did　so；　Sheldon　raised　his　automatic　pistol　and　in　two　seconds　sent　eight　shots　scattering　through　the　trees　in　the　direction　in　which　Tudor　had　disappeared。　Wishing　he　had　a　shot…gun；　Sheldon　dropped　to　the　ground　behind　a　tree；　slipped　a　fresh　clip　up　the　hollow　butt　of　the　pistol；　threw　a　cartridge　into　the　chamber；　shoved　the　safety　catch　into　place；　and　reloaded　the　empty　clip。

It　was　but　a　short　time　after　that　that　Tudor　tried　the　same　trick　on　him；　the　bullets　pattering　about　him　like　spiteful　rain；　thudding　into　the　palm　trunks；　or　glancing　off　in　whining　ricochets。　　The　last　bullet　of　all；　making　a　double　ricochet　from　two　different　trees　and　losing　most　of　its　momentum；　struck　Sheldon　a　sharp　blow　on　the　forehead　and　dropped　at　his　feet。　　He　was　partly　stunned　for　the　moment；　but　on　investigation　found　no　greater　harm　than　a　nasty　lump　that　soon　rose　to　the　size　of　a　pigeon's　egg。

The　hunt　went　on。　　Once；　coming　to　the　edge　of　the　grove　near　the　bungalow；　he　saw　the　house…boys　and　the　cook；　clustered　on　the　back　veranda　and　peering　curiously　among　the　trees；　talking　and　laughing　with　one　another　in　their　queer　falsetto　voices。　　Another　time　he　came　upon　a　working…gang　busy　at　hoeing　weeds。　　They　scarcely　noticed　him　when　he　came　up；　though　they　knew　thoroughly　well　what　was　going　on。　　It　was　no　affair　of　theirs　that　the　enigmatical　white　men　should　be　out　trying　to　kill　each　other；　and　whatever　interest　in　the　proceedings　might　be　theirs　they　were　careful　to　conceal　it　from　Sheldon。　　He　ordered　them　to　continue　hoeing　weeds　in　a　distant　and　out…of…the…way　corner；　and　went　on　with　the　pursuit　of　Tudor。

Tiring　of　the　endless　circling；　Sheldon　tried　once　more　to　advance　directly　on　his　foe；　but　the　latter　was　too　crafty；　taking　advantage　of　his　boldness　to　fire　a　couple　of　shots　at　him；　and　slipping　away　on　some　changed　and　continually　changing　course。　　For　an　hour　they　dodged　and　turned　and　twisted　back　and　forth　and　around；　and　hunted　each　other　among　the　orderly　palms。　　They　caught　fleeting　glimpses　of　each　other　and　chanced　flying　shots　which　were　without　result。　　On　a　grassy　shelter　behind　a　tree；　Sheldon　came　upon　where　Tudor　had　rested　and　smoked　a　cigarette。　　The　pressed　grass　showed　where　he　had　sat。　　To　one　side　lay　the　cigarette　stump　and　the　charred　match　which　had　lighted　it。　　In　front　lay　a　scattering　of　bright　metallic　fragments。　　Sheldon　recognized　their　significance。　　Tudor　was　notching　his　steel…jacketed　bullets；　or　cutting　them　blunt；　so　that　they　would　spread　on　strikingin　short；　he　was　making　them　into　the　vicious　dum…dum　prohibited　in　modern　warfare。　　Sheldon　knew　now　what　would　happen　to　him　if　a　bullet　struck　his　body。　　It　would　leave　a　tiny　hole　where　it　entered；　but　the　hole　where　it　emerged　would　be　the　size　of　a　saucer。

He　decided　to　give　up　the　pursuit；　and　lay　down　in　the　grass；　protected　right　and　left　by　the　row　of　palms；　with　on　either　hand　the　long　avenue　extending。　　This　he　could　watch。　　Tudor　would　have　to　come　to　him　or　else　there　would　be　no　termination　of　the　affair。　He　wiped　the　sweat　from　his　face　and　tied　the　handkerchief　around　his　neck　to　keep　off　the　sti