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Solomons； and the best。 I saw a little of her lines and guess the rest。
She will sail like a witch。 If she hasn't filled with water； her engine will
be all right。 The reason she went ashore was because it was not working。
The engineer had disconnected the feed…pipes to clean out the rust。 Poor
business； unless at anchor or with plenty of sea room。
Plant all the trees in the compound； even if you have to clean out the
palms later on。
And don't plant the sweet corn all at once。 Let a few days elapse
between plantings。
JOAN LACKLAND。
He fingered the letter； lingering over it and scrutinizing the writing in
a way that was not his wont。 How characteristic； was his thought； as he
studied the boyish scrawlclear to read； painfully； clear； but none the less
boyish。 The clearness of it reminded him of her face； of her cleanly
stencilled brows； her straightly chiselled nose； the very clearness of the
gaze of her eyes； the firmly yet delicately moulded lips； and the throat；
neither fragile nor robust； butbut just right； he concluded； an adequate
and beautiful pillar for so shapely a burden。
He looked long at the name。 Joan Lacklandjust an assemblage of
letters； of commonplace letters； but an assemblage that generated a subtle
and heady magic。 It crept into his brain and twined and twisted his
mental processes until all that constituted him at that moment went out in
love to that scrawled signature。 A few commonplace lettersyet they
caused him to know in himself a lack that sweetly hurt and that expressed
itself in vague spiritual outpourings and delicious yearnings。 Joan
Lackland！ Each time he looked at it there arose visions of her in a
myriad moods and guisescoming in out of the flying smother of the gale
that had wrecked her schooner； launching a whale…boat to go a…fishing；
running dripping from the sea； with streaming hair and clinging garments；
to the fresh…water shower； frightening four…score cannibals with an empty
chlorodyne bottle； teaching Ornfiri how to make bread； hanging her
Stetson hat and revolver…belt on the hook in the living…room； talking
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gravely about winning to hearth and saddle of her own； or juvenilely
rattling on about romance and adventure； bright…eyed； her face flushed and
eager with enthusiasm。 Joan Lackland！ He mused over the cryptic
wonder of it till the secrets of love were made clear and he felt a keen
sympathy for lovers who carved their names on trees or wrote them on the
beach… sands of the sea。
Then he came back to reality； and his face hardened。 Even then she
was on the wild coast of Malaita； and at Poonga…Poonga； of all villainous
and dangerous portions the worst； peopled with a teeming population of
head…hunters； robbers； and murderers。 For the instant he entertained the
rash thought of calling his boat's…crew and starting immediately in a
whale…boat for Poonga…Poonga。 But the next instant the idea was
dismissed。 What could he do if he did go？ First； she would resent it。
Next； she would laugh at him and call him a silly； and after all he would
count for only one rifle more； and she had many rifles with her。 Three
things only could he do if he went。 He could command her to return； he
could take the Flibberty…Gibbet away from her； he could dissolve their
partnership；any and all of which he knew would be foolish and futile；
and he could hear her explain in terse set terms that she was legally of age
and that nobody could say come or go to her。 No； his pride would never
permit him to start for Poonga…Poonga； though his heart whispered that
nothing could be more welcome than a message from her asking him to
come and lend a hand。 Her very words〃lend a hand〃； and in his fancy；
he could see and hear her saying them。
There was much in her wilful conduct that caused him to wince in the
heart of him。 He was appalled by the thought of her shoulder to shoulder
with the drunken rabble of traders and beachcombers at Guvutu。 It was
bad enough for a clean； fastidious man； but for a young woman； a girl at
that； it was awful。 The theft of the Flibberty…Gibbet was merely amusing；
though the means by which the theft had been effected gave him hurt。
Yet he found consolation in the fact that the task of making Oleson drunk
had been turned over to the three scoundrels。 And next； and swiftly；
came the vision of her； alone with those same three scoundrels； on the
Emily； sailing out to sea from Guvutu in the twilight with darkness coming
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on。 Then came visions of Adamu Adam and Noa Noah and all her brawny
Tahitian following； and his anxiety faded away； being replaced by
irritation that she should have been capable of such wildness of conduct。
And the irritation was still on him as he got up and went inside to stare
at the hook on the wall and to wish that her Stetson hat and revolver…belt
were hanging from it。
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CHAPTER XVIIIMAKING THE
BOOKS COME TRUE
Several quiet weeks slipped by。 Berande； after such an unusual run
of visiting vessels； drifted back into her old solitude。 Sheldon went on
with the daily round； clearing bush； planting cocoanuts； smoking copra；
building bridges； and riding about his work on the horses Joan had bought。
News of her he had none。 Recruiting vessels on Malaita left the Poonga…
Poonga coast severely alone； and the Clansman； a Samoan recruiter；
dropping anchor one sunset for billiards and gossip； reported rumours
amongst the Sio natives that there had been fighting at Poonga…Poonga。
As this news would have had to travel right across the big island； little
dependence was to be placed on it。
The steamer