adventure-第5部分

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hrough　his　dry…baked　body　as　he　finished　reading。　Then　came　the　second　breath　of　the　wind；　an　angry　gust；　as　the　shovels　worked　rapidly；　filling　in　the　sand。　　So　heavy　was　the　gust　that　Sheldon；　still　on　his　feet；　seized　hold　of　his　man…horse　to　escape　being　blown　away。　　The　Jessie　was　blotted　out；　and　a　strange　ominous　sound　arose　as　multitudinous　wavelets　struck　foaming　on　the　beach。　　It　was　like　the　bubbling　of　some　colossal　cauldron。　　From　all　about　could　be　heard　the　dull　thudding　of　falling　cocoanuts。　The　tall；　delicate…trunked　trees　twisted　and　snapped　about　like　whip…lashes。　　The　air　seemed　filled　with　their　flying　leaves；　any　one　of　which；　stem…on　could　brain　a　man。　　Then　came　the　rain；　a　deluge；　a　straight；　horizontal　sheet　that　poured　along　like　a　river；　defying　gravitation。　　The　black；　with　Sheldon　mounted　on　him；　plunged　ahead　into　the　thick　of　it；　stooping　far　forward　and　low　to　the　ground　to　avoid　being　toppled　over　backward。

〃'He's　sleeping　out　and　far　to…night；'〃　Sheldon　quoted；　as　he　thought　of　the　dead　man　in　the　sand　and　the　rainwater　trickling　down　upon　the　cold　clay。

So　they　fought　their　way　back　up　the　beach。　　The　other　blacks　caught　hold　of　the　man…horse　and　pulled　and　tugged。　　There　were　among　them　those　whose　fondest　desire　was　to　drag　the　rider　in　the　sand　and　spring　upon　him　and　mash　him　into　repulsive　nothingness。　But　the　automatic　pistol　in　his　belt　with　its　rattling；　quick…　dealing　death；　and　the　automatic；　death…defying　spirit　in　the　man　himself；　made　them　refrain　and　buckle　down　to　the　task　of　hauling　him　to　safety　through　the　storm。

Wet　through　and　exhausted；　he　was　nevertheless　surprised　at　the　ease　with　which　he　got　into　a　change　of　clothing。　　Though　he　was　fearfully　weak；　he　found　himself　actually　feeling　better。　　The　disease　had　spent　itself；　and　the　mend　had　begun。

〃Now　if　I　don't　get　the　fever；〃　he　said　aloud；　and　at　the　same　moment　resolved　to　go　to　taking　quinine　as　soon　as　he　was　strong　enough　to　dare。

He　crawled　out　on　the　veranda。　　The　rain　had　ceased；　but　the　wind；　which　had　dwindled　to　a　half…gale；　was　increasing。　　A　big　sea　had　sprung　up；　and　the　mile…long　breakers；　curling　up　to　the　over…fall　two　hundred　yards　from　shore；　were　crashing　on　the　beach。　　The　Jessie　was　plunging　madly　to　two　anchors；　and　every　second　or　third　sea　broke　clear　over　her　bow。　　Two　flags　were　stiffly　undulating　from　the　halyards　like　squares　of　flexible　sheet…iron。　　One　was　blue；　the　other　red。　　He　knew　their　meaning　in　the　Berande　private　code〃What　are　your　instructions？　　Shall　I　attempt　to　land　boat？〃　Tacked　on　the　wall；　between　the　signal　locker　and　the　billiard　rules；　was　the　code　itself；　by　which　he　verified　the　signal　before　making　answer。　　On　the　flagstaff　gaff　a　boy　hoisted　a　white　flag　over　a　red；　which　stood　for〃Run　to　Neal　Island　for　shelter。〃

That　Captain　Oleson　had　been　expecting　this　signal　was　apparent　by　the　celerity　with　which　the　shackles　were　knocked　out　of　both　anchor…chains。　　He　slipped　his　anchors；　leaving　them　buoyed　to　be　picked　up　in　better　weather。　　The　Jessie　swung　off　under　her　full　staysail；　then　the　foresail；　double…reefed；　was　run　up。　　She　was　away　like　a　racehorse；　clearing　Balesuna　Shoal　with　half　a　cable…　length　to　spare。　　Just　before　she　rounded　the　point　she　was　swallowed　up　in　a　terrific　squall　that　far　out…blew　the　first。

All　that　night；　while　squall　after　squall　smote　Berande；　uprooting　trees；　overthrowing　copra…sheds；　and　rocking　the　house　on　its　tall　piles；　Sheldon　slept。　　He　was　unaware　of　the　commotion。　　He　never　wakened。　　Nor　did　he　change　his　position　or　dream。　　He　awoke；　a　new　man。　　Furthermore；　he　was　hungry。　　It　was　over　a　week　since　food　had　passed　his　lips。　　He　drank　a　glass　of　condensed　cream；　thinned　with　water；　and　by　ten　o'clock　he　dared　to　take　a　cup　of　beef…tea。　He　was　cheered；　also；　by　the　situation　in　the　hospital。　　Despite　the　storm　there　had　been　but　one　death；　and　there　was　only　one　fresh　case；　while　half　a　dozen　boys　crawled　weakly　away　to　the　barracks。　　He　wondered　if　it　was　the　wind　that　was　blowing　the　disease　away　and　cleansing　the　pestilential　land。

By　eleven　a　messenger　arrived　from　Balesuna　village；　dispatched　by　Seelee。　　The　Jessie　had　gone　ashore　half…way　between　the　village　and　Neal　Island。　　It　was　not　till　nightfall　that　two　of　the　crew　arrived；　reporting　the　drowning　of　Captain　Oleson　and　of　the　one　remaining　boy。　　As　for　the　Jessie；　from　what　they　told　him　Sheldon　could　not　but　conclude　that　she　was　a　total　loss。　　Further　to　hearten　him；　he　was　taken　by　a　shivering　fit。　　In　half　an　hour　he　was　burning　up。　　And　he　knew　that　at　least　another　day　must　pass　before　he　could　undertake　even　the　smallest　dose　of　quinine。　　He　crawled　under　a　heap　of　blankets；　and　a　little　later　found　himself　laughing　aloud。　　He　had　surely　reached　the　limit　of　disaster。　Barring　earthquake　or　tidal…wave；　the　worst　had　already　befallen　him。　　The　Flibberty…Gibbet　was　certainly　safe　in　Mboli　Pass。　　Since　nothing　worse　could　happen；　things　simply　had　to　mend。　　So　it　was；　shivering　under　his　blankets；　that　he　laughed；　until　the　house…　boys；　with　heads　together；　marvelled　at　the　devils　that　were　in　him。



CHAPTER　IVJOAN　LACKLAND



By　the　second　day　of　the　northwester；　Sheldon　was　in　collapse　from　his　fever。　　It　had　taken　an　unfair　advantage　of　his　weak　state；　and　though　it　was　only　ordinary　malarial　fever；　in　forty…eight　hours　it　had　run　him　as　low　as　ten　days　of　fever　would　have　done　when　he　was　in　condition。　　But　the　dysentery　had　been　swept　away　from　Berande。　A　score　of　convalescents　lingered　in　the　hospital；　but　they　were　improving　hourly。　　There　had　been　but　one　more　deaththat　of　the　man　whose　brother　had　wailed　over　him　instead　of　brushing　the　flies　away。

On　the　morning　of　the　fourth　day　of　his　fever；　Sheldon　lay　on　the　veranda；　gazing　dimly　out　over　the　raging　ocean。　　The　wind　was　falling；　but　a　mighty　sea　was　still　thundering　in　on　Berande　beach；　the　flying　spray　reaching　in　as　far　as　the　flagstaff　mounds；　the　foaming　wash　creaming　against　the　gate…posts。　　He　had　taken　thirty　grains　of　quinine；　and　the　drug　was　buzzing　in　his　ears　like　a　nest　of　hornets；　making　his　hands　and　knees　tremble；　and　causing　a　sickening　palpitation　of　the　stomach。　　Once；　opening　his　eyes；　he　saw　what　he　took　to　be　an　hallucination。　　Not　far　out；　and　coming　in　across　the　Jessie's　anchorage；　he　saw　a　whale…boat's　nose　thrust　skyward　on　a　smoky　crest　and　disappear　naturally；　as　an　actual　whale…boat's　nose　should　disappear；　as　it　slid　down　the　back　of　the　sea。　　He　knew　that　no　whale…boat　should　be　out　there；　and　he　was　quite　certain　no　men　in　the　Solomons　were　mad　enough　to　be　abroad　in　such　a　storm。

But　the　hallucination　persisted。　　A　minute　later；　chancing　to　open　his　eyes；　he　saw　the　whale…boat；　full　length；　and　saw　right　into　it　as　it　rose　on　the　face　of　a　wave。　　He　saw　six　sweeps　at　work；　and　in　the　stern；　clearly　outlined　against　the　overhanging　wall　of　white；　a　man　who　stood　erect；　gigantic；　swaying　with　his　weight　on　the　steering…sweep。　　This　he　saw；　and　an　eighth　man　who　crouched　in　the　bow　and　gazed　shoreward。　　But　what　startled　Sheldon　was　the　sight　of　a　woman　in　the　stern…sheets；　between　the　stroke…oar　and　the　steersman。　　A　woman　she　was；　for　a　braid　of　her　hair　was　flying；　and　she　was　just　in　the　act　of　recapturing　it　and　stowing　it　away　beneath　a　hat　that　for　all　the　world　was　like　his　own　〃Baden…Powell。〃

The　boat　disappeared　behind　the　wave；　and　rose　into　view　on　the　face　of　the　following　one。　　Again　he　looked　into　it。　　The　men　were　dark…skinned；　and　larger　than　Solomon　Islanders；　but　the　woman；　he　could　plainly　see；　was　white。　　Who　she　was；　and　what　she　was　doing　there；　were　thoughts　that　drifted　vaguely　through　his　consciousness。　　He　was　too　sick　to　be　vitally　interested；　and；　besides；　he　had　a　half　feeling　that　it　was　all　a　dream；　but　he　noted　that　the　men　were　resting　on　their　sweeps；　while　the　woman　and　the　steersman　were　intently　watching　the　run　of　seas　behind　them。

〃Good　boatmen；〃　was　Sheldon's　verdict；　as　he　saw　the　boat　leap　forward　on　the　face　of　a　huge　breaker；　the　sweeps　plying　swiftly　to　keep　her　on　that　front　of　the　moving　mountain　of　water　that　raced　madly　for　the　shore。　　It　was　well　done。　　Part　full　of　water；　the　boat　was　flung　upon　the　beach；　the　men　springing　out　and　dragging　its　nose　to　the　gate…posts。　　Sheldon　had　called　vainly　to　the　house…boys；　who；　at　the　moment；　were　dosing　the　remaining　patients　in　the　hospital。　　He　knew　he　was　unable　to　rise　up　and　go　down　the　path　to　meet　the　newcomers；　so　he　lay　back　in　the　steamer…chair；　and　watched　for　ages　while　they　cared　for　the　boat。　　The　woman　stood　to　one　side；　her　hand　resting　on　the　gate。　　Occasionally　surges　of　sea　water　washed　over　her　feet；　which　he　could　see　were　encased　in　rubber　sea…boots。　　She　scrutinized　the　house　sharply；　and　for　some　time　she　gazed　at　him　steadily。　　At　last；　speaking　to　two　of　the　men；　who　turned　and　followed　her；　she　started　up　the　path。

Sheldon　attempted　to　rise；　got　half　up　out　of　his　chair；　and　fell　back　helplessly。　　He　was　surprised　at　the　size　of　the　men；　who　loomed　like　giants　behind　her。　　Both　were　six…footers；　and　they　were　heavy　in　proportion。　　He　had　never　seen　islanders　like　them。　They　were　not　black　like　the　Solomon　Island