Chapter XVIII--Making the Books Come True -

by Jack London

　　Several quiet weeks slipped by. Berande, after such an unusual runof visiting vessels, drifted back into her old solitude. Sheldonwent on with the daily round, clearing bush, planting cocoanuts,smoking copra, building bridges, and riding about his work on thehorses Joan had bought. News of her he had none. Recruitingvessels on Malaita left the Poonga-Poonga coast severely alone; andthe Clansman, a Samoan recruiter, dropping anchor one sunset forbilliards and gossip, reported rumours amongst the Sio natives thatthere had been fighting at Poonga-Poonga. As this news would havehad to travel right across the big island, little dependence was tobe placed on it.

　　The steamer from Sydney, the Kammambo, broke the quietude ofBerande for an hour, while landing mail, supplies, and the treesand seeds Joan had ordered. The Minerva, bound for Cape Marsh,brought the two cows from Nogi. And the Apostle, hurrying back toTulagi to connect with the Sydney steamer, sent a boat ashore withthe orange and lime trees from Ulava. And these several weeksmarked a period of perfect weather. There were days on end whensleek calms ruled the breathless sea, and days when vagrant wispsof air fanned for several hours from one direction or another. Theland-breezes at night alone proved regular, and it was at nightthat the occasional cutters and ketches slipped by, too eager totake advantage of the light winds to drop anchor for an hour.

　　Then came the long-expected nor'wester. For eight days it raged,lulling at times to short durations of calm, then shifting a pointor two and raging with renewed violence. Sheldon kept aprecautionary eye on the buildings, while the Balesuna, in flood,so savagely attacked the high bank Joan had warned him about, thathe told off all the gangs to battle with the river.

　　It was in the good weather that followed, that he left the blacksat work, one morning, and with a shot-gun across his pommel rodeoff after pigeons. Two hours later, one of the house-boys,breathless and scratched ran him down with the news that theMartha, the Flibberty-Gibbet, and the Emily were heading in for theanchorage.

　　Coming into the compound from the rear, Sheldon could see nothinguntil he rode around the corner of the bungalow. Then he saweverything at once--first, a glimpse at the sea, where the Marthafloated huge alongside the cutter and the ketch which had rescuedher; and, next, the ground in front of the veranda steps, where agreat crowd of fresh-caught cannibals stood at attention. From thefact that each was attired in a new, snow-white lava-lava, Sheldonknew that they were recruits. Part way up the steps, one of themwas just backing down into the crowd, while another, called out byname, was coming up. It was Joan's voice that had called him, andSheldon reined in his horse and watched. She sat at the head ofthe steps, behind a table, between Munster and his white mate, thethree of them checking long lists, Joan asking the questions andwriting the answers in the big, red-covered, Berande labour-journal.

　　"What name?" she demanded of the black man on the steps.

　　"Tagari," came the answer, accompanied by a grin and a rolling ofcurious eyes; for it was the first white-man's house the black hadever seen.

　　"What place b'long you?"

　　"Bangoora."

　　No one had noticed Sheldon, and he continued to sit his horse andwatch. There was a discrepancy between the answer and the recordin the recruiting books, and a consequent discussion, until Munstersolved the difficulty.

　　"Bangoora?" he said. "That's the little beach at the head of thebay out of Latta. He's down as a Latta-man--see, there it is,'Tagari, Latta.'"

　　"What place you go you finish along white marster?" Joan asked.

　　"Bangoora," the man replied; and Joan wrote it down.

　　"Ogu!" Joan called.

　　The black stepped down, and another mounted to take his place. ButTagari, just before he reached the bottom step, caught sight ofSheldon. It was the first horse the fellow had ever seen, and helet out a frightened screech and dashed madly up the steps. At thesame moment the great mass of blacks surged away panic-strickenfrom Sheldon's vicinity. The grinning house-boys shoutedencouragement and explanation, and the stampede was checked, thenew-caught head-hunters huddling closely together and staringdubiously at the fearful monster.

　　"Hello!" Joan called out. "What do you mean by frightening all myboys? Come on up."

　　"What do you think of them?" she asked, when they had shaken hands."And what do you think of her?"--with a wave of the hand toward theMartha. "I thought you'd deserted the plantation, and that I mightas well go ahead and get the men into barracks. Aren't theybeauties? Do you see that one with the split nose? He's the onlyman who doesn't hail from the Poonga-Poonga coast; and they saidthe Poonga-Poonga natives wouldn't recruit. Just look at them andcongratulate me. There are no kiddies and half-grown youths amongthem. They're men, every last one of them. I have such a longstory I don't know where to begin, and I won't begin anyway tillwe're through with this and until you have told me that you are notangry with me."

　　"Ogu--what place b'long you?" she went on with her catechism.

　　But Ogu was a bushman, lacking knowledge of the almost universalbeche-de-mer English, and half a dozen of his fellows wrangled toexplain.

　　"There are only two or three more," Joan said to Sheldon, "and thenwe're done. But you haven't told me that you are not angry."

　　Sheldon looked into her clear eyes as she favoured him with adirect, untroubled gaze that threatened, he knew from experience,to turn teasingly defiant on an instant's notice. And as he lookedat her it came to him that he had never half-anticipated thegladness her return would bring to him.

　　"I was angry," he said deliberately. "I am still angry, veryangry--" he noted the glint of defiance in her eyes and thrilled--"but I forgave, and I now forgive all over again. Though I stillinsist--"

　　"That I should have a guardian," she interrupted. "But that daywill never come. Thank goodness I'm of legal age and able totransact business in my own right. And speaking of business, howdo you like my forceful American methods?"

　　"Mr. Raff, from what I hear, doesn't take kindly to them," hetemporized, "and you've certainly set the dry bones rattling formany a day. But what I want to know is if other American women areas successful in business ventures?"

　　"Luck, 'most all luck," she disclaimed modestly, though her eyeslighted with sudden pleasure; and he knew her boy's vanity had beentouched by his trifle of tempered praise.

　　"Luck be blowed!" broke out the long mate, Sparrowhawk, his faceshining with admiration. "It was hard work, that's what it was.We earned our pay. She worked us till we dropped. And we weredown with fever half the time. So was she, for that matter, onlyshe wouldn't stay down, and she wouldn't let us stay down. Myword, she's a slave-driver--'Just one more heave, Mr. Sparrowhawk,and then you can go to bed for a week',--she to me, and mestaggerin' 'round like a dead man, with bilious-green lightsflashing inside my head, an' my head just bustin'. I was all in,but I gave that heave right O--and then it was, 'Another heave now,Mr. Sparrowhawk, just another heave.' An' the Lord lumme, the wayshe made love to old Kina-Kina!"

　　He shook his head reproachfully, while the laughter died down inhis throat to long-drawn chuckles.

　　"He was older than Telepasse and dirtier," she assured Sheldon,"and I am sure much wickeder. But this isn't work. Let us getthrough with these lists."

　　She turned to the waiting black on the steps, -

　　"Ogu, you finish along big marster belong white man, you go Not-Not.--Here you, Tangari, you speak 'm along that fella Ogu. Hefinish he walk about Not-Not. Have you got that, Mr. Munster?"

　　"But you've broken the recruiting laws," Sheldon said, when the newrecruits had marched away to the barracks. "The licenses for theFlibberty and the Emily don't allow for one hundred and fifty.What did Burnett say?"

　　"He passed them, all of them," she answered. "Captain Munster willtell you what he said--something about being blowed, or words tothat effect. Now I must run and wash up. Did the Sydney ordersarrive?"

　　"Yours are in your quarters," Sheldon said. "Hurry, for breakfastis waiting. Let me have your hat and belt. Do, please, allow me.There's only one hook for them, and I know where it is."

　　She gave him a quick scrutiny that was almost woman-like, thensighed with relief as she unbuckled the heavy belt and passed it tohim.

　　"I doubt if I ever want to see another revolver," she complained."That one has worn a hole in me, I'm sure. I never dreamed I couldget so weary of one."

　　Sheldon watched her to the foot of the steps, where she turned andcalled back, -

　　"My! I can't tell you how good it is to be home again."

　　And as his gaze continued to follow her across the compound to thetiny grass house, the realization came to him crushingly thatBerande and that little grass house was the only place in the worldshe could call "home."

　　"And Burnett said, 'Well, I'll be damned--I beg your pardon, MissLackland, but you have wantonly broken the recruiting laws and youknow it,'" Captain Munster narrated, as they sat over their whisky,waiting for Joan to come back. "And says she to him, 'Mr. Burnett,can you show me any law against taking the passengers off a vesselthat's on a reef?' 'That is not the point,' says he. 'It's thevery, precise, particular point,' says she and you bear it in mindand go ahead and pass my recruits. You can report me to the LordHigh Commissioner if you want, but I have three vessels herewaiting on your convenience, and if you delay them much longerthere'll be another report go in to the Lord High Commissioner.'

　　"'I'll hold you responsible, Captain Munster,' says he to me, madenough to eat scrap-iron. 'No, you won't,' says she; 'I'm thecharterer of the Emily, and Captain Munster has acted under myorders.'

　　"What could Burnett do? He passed the whole hundred and fifty,though the Emily was only licensed for forty, and the Flibberty-Gibbet for thirty-five."

　　"But I don't understand," Sheldon said.

　　"This is the way she worked it. When the Martha was floated, wehad to beach her right away at the head of the bay, and whilstrepairs were going on, a new rudder being made, sails bent, gearrecovered from the niggers, and so forth, Miss Lackland borrowsSparrowhawk to run the Flibberty along with Curtis, lends me Brahmsto take Sparrowhawk's place, and starts both craft off recruiting.My word, the niggers came easy. It was virgin ground. Since theScottish Chiefs, no recruiter had ever even tried to work thecoast; and we'd already put the fear of God into the niggers'hearts till the whole coast was quiet as lambs. When we filled up,we came back to see how the Martha was progressing."

　　"And thinking we was going home with our recruits," Sparrowhawkslipped in. "Lord lumme, that Miss Lackland ain't never satisfied.'I'll take 'em on the Martha,' says she, 'and you can go back andfill up again.'"

　　"But I told her it couldn't be done," Munster went on. "I told herthe Martha hadn't a license for recruiting. 'Oh,' she said, 'itcan't be done, eh?' and she stood and thought a few minutes."

　　"And I'd seen her think before," cried Sparrowhawk, "and I knew atwunst that the thing was as good as done."

　　Munster lighted his cigarette and resumed.

　　"'You see that spit,' she says to me, 'with the little ripplebreaking around it? There's a current sets right across it and onit. And you see them bafflin' little cat's-paws? It's goodweather and a falling tide. You just start to beat out, the two ofyou, and all you have to do is miss stays in the same baffling puffand the current will set you nicely aground.'"

　　"'That little wash of sea won't more than start a sheet or two ofcopper,' says she, when Munster kicked," Sparrowhawk explained."Oh, she's no green un, that girl."

　　"'Then I'll rescue your recruits and sail away--simple, ain't it?'says she," Munster continued. "'You hang up one tide,' says she;'the next is the big high water. Then you kedge off and go aftermore recruits. There's no law against recruiting when you'reempty.' 'But there is against starving 'em,' I said; 'you knowyourself there ain't any kai-kai to speak of aboard of us, andthere ain't a crumb on the Martha.'"

　　"We'd all been pretty well on native kai-kai, as it was," saidSparrowhawk.

　　"'Don't let the kai-kai worry you, Captain Munster,' says she; 'ifI can find grub for eighty-four mouths on the Martha, the two ofyou can do as much by your two vessels. Now go ahead and getaground before a steady breeze comes up and spoils the manoeuvre.I'll send my boats the moment you strike. And now, good-day,gentlemen.'"

　　"And we went and did it," Sparrowhawk said solemnly, and thenemitted a series of chuckling noises. "We laid over, starboardtack, and I pinched the Emily against the spit. 'Go about,'Captain Munster yells at me; 'go about, or you'll have me aground!'He yelled other things, much worse. But I didn't mind. I missedstays, pretty as you please, and the Flibberty drifted down on himand fouled him, and we went ashore together in as nice a mess asyou ever want to see. Miss Lackland transferred the recruits, andthe trick was done."

　　"But where was she during the nor'wester?" Sheldon asked.

　　"At Langa-Langa. Ran up there as it was coming on, and laid therethe whole week and traded for grub with the niggers. When we gotto Tulagi, there she was waiting for us and scrapping with Burnett.I tell you, Mr. Sheldon, she's a wonder, that girl, a perfectwonder."

　　Munster refilled his glass, and while Sheldon glanced across atJoan's house, anxious for her coming, Sparrowhawk took up the tale.

　　"Gritty! She's the grittiest thing, man or woman, that ever blewinto the Solomons. You should have seen Poonga-Poonga the morningwe arrived--Sniders popping on the beach and in the mangroves, war-drums booming in the bush, and signal-smokes raising everywhere.'It's all up,' says Captain Munster."

　　"Yes, that's what I said," declared that mariner.

　　"Of course it was all up. You could see it with half an eye andhear it with one ear."

　　"'Up your granny,' she says to him," Sparrowhawk went on. "'Why,we haven't arrived yet, much less got started. Wait till theanchor's down before you get afraid.'"

　　"That's what she said to me," Munster proclaimed. "And of courseit made me mad so that I didn't care what happened. We tried tosend a boat ashore for a pow-wow, but it was fired upon. And everyonce and a while some nigger'd take a long shot at us out of themangroves."

　　"They was only a quarter of a mile off," Sparrowhawk explained,"and it was damned nasty. 'Don't shoot unless they try to board,'was Miss Lackland's orders; but the dirty niggers wouldn't board.They just lay off in the bush and plugged away. That night we helda council of war in the Flibberty's cabin. 'What we want,' saysMiss Lackland, 'is a hostage.'"

　　"'That's what they do in books,' I said, thinking to laugh her awayfrom her folly," Munster interrupted. "'True,' says she, 'and haveyou never seen the books come true?' I shook my head. 'Thenyou're not too old to learn,' says she. 'I'll tell you one thingright now,' says I, 'and that is I'll be blowed if you catch meashore in the night-time stealing niggers in a place like this.'"

　　"You didn't say blowed," Sparrowhawk corrected. "You said you'd bedamned."

　　"That's what I did, and I meant it, too."

　　"'Nobody asked you to go ashore,' says she, quick as lightning,"Sparrowhawk grinned. "And she said more. She said, 'And if Icatch you going ashore without orders there'll be trouble--understand, Captain Munster?'"

　　"Who in hell's telling this, you or me?" the skipper demandedwrathfully.

　　"Well, she did, didn't she?" insisted the mate.

　　"Yes, she did, if you want to make so sure of it. And while you'reabout it, you might as well repeat what she said to you when yousaid you wouldn't recruit on the Poonga-Poonga coast for twice yourscrew."

　　Sparrowhawk's sun-reddened face flamed redder, though he tried topass the situation off by divers laughings and chucklings and face-twistings.

　　"Go on, go on," Sheldon urged; and Munster resumed the narrative.

　　"'What we need,' says she, 'is the strong hand. It's the only wayto handle them; and we've got to take hold firm right at thebeginning. I'm going ashore to-night to fetch Kina-Kina himself onboard, and I'm not asking who's game to go for I've got every man'swork arranged with me for him. I'm taking my sailors with me, andone white man.' 'Of course, I'm that white man,' I said; for bythat time I was mad enough to go to hell and back again. 'Ofcourse you're not,' says she. 'You'll have charge of the coveringboat. Curtis stands by the landing boat. Fowler goes with me.Brahms takes charge of the Flibberty, and Sparrowhawk of the Emily.And we start at one o'clock.'

　　"My word, it was a tough job lying there in the covering boat. Inever thought doing nothing could be such hard work. We stoppedabout fifty fathoms off, and watched the other boat go in. It wasso dark under the mangroves we couldn't see a thing of it. D'yeknow that little, monkey-looking nigger, Sheldon, on the Flibberty--the cook, I mean? Well, he was cabin-boy twenty years ago on theScottish Chiefs, and after she was cut off he was a slave there atPoonga-Poonga. And Miss Lackland had discovered the fact. So hewas the guide. She gave him half a case of tobacco for thatnight's work--"

　　"And scared him fit to die before she could get him to come along,"Sparrowhawk observed.

　　"Well, I never saw anything so black as the mangroves. I stared atthem till my eyes were ready to burst. And then I'd look at thestars, and listen to the surf sighing along the reef. And therewas a dog that barked. Remember that dog, Sparrowhawk? The brutenearly gave me heart-failure when he first began. After a while hestopped--wasn't barking at the landing party at all; and then thesilence was harder than ever, and the mangroves grew blacker, andit was all I could do to keep from calling out to Curtis in therein the landing boat, just to make sure that I wasn't the only whiteman left alive.

　　"Of course there was a row. It had to come, and I knew it; but itstartled me just the same. I never heard such screeching andyelling in my life. The niggers must have just dived for the bushwithout looking to see what was up, while her Tahitians let loose,shooting in the air and yelling to hurry 'em on. And then, just assudden, came the silence again--all except for some small kiddiethat had got dropped in the stampede and that kept crying in thebush for its mother.

　　"And then I heard them coming through the mangroves, and an oarstrike on a gunwale, and Miss Lackland laugh, and I knew everythingwas all right. We pulled on board without a shot being fired.And, by God! she had made the books come true, for there was oldKina-Kina himself being hoisted over the rail, shivering andchattering like an ape. The rest was easy. Kina-Kina's word waslaw, and he was scared to death. And we kept him on board issuingproclamations all the time we were in Poonga-Poonga.

　　"It was a good move, too, in other ways. She made Kina-Kina orderhis people to return all the gear they'd stripped from the Martha.And back it came, day after day, steering compasses, blocks andtackles, sails, coils of rope, medicine chests, ensigns, signalflags--everything, in fact, except the trade goods and supplieswhich had already been kai-kai'd. Of course, she gave them a fewsticks of tobacco to keep them in good humour."

　　"Sure she did," Sparrowhawk broke forth. "She gave the beggarsfive fathoms of calico for the big mainsail, two sticks of tobaccofor the chronometer, and a sheath-knife worth elevenpence ha'pennyfor a hundred fathoms of brand new five-inch manila. She got oldKina-Kina with that strong hand on the go off, and she kept himgoing all the time. She--here she comes now."

　　It was with a shock of surprise that Sheldon greeted herappearance. All the time, while the tale of happening at Poonga-Poonga had been going on, he had pictured her as the woman he hadalways known, clad roughly, skirt made out of window-curtain stuff,an undersized man's shirt for a blouse, straw sandals for footcovering, with the Stetson hat and the eternal revolver completingher costume. The ready-made clothes from Sydney had transformedher. A simple skirt and shirt-waist of some sort of wash-goods setoff her trim figure with a hint of elegant womanhood that was newto him. Brown slippers peeped out as she crossed the compound, andhe once caught a glimpse to the ankle of brown open-work stockings.Somehow, she had been made many times the woman by these mereextraneous trappings; and in his mind these wild Arabian Nightsadventures of hers seemed thrice as wonderful.

　　As they went in to breakfast he became aware that Munster andSparrowhawk had received a similar shock. All their air ofcamaraderie was dissipated, and they had become abruptly andimmensely respectful.

　　"I've opened up a new field," she said, as she began pouring thecoffee. "Old Kina-Kina will never forget me, I'm sure, and I canrecruit there whenever I want. I saw Morgan at Guvutu. He'swilling to contract for a thousand boys at forty shillings perhead. Did I tell you that I'd taken out a recruiting license forthe Martha? I did, and the Martha can sign eighty boys every trip.

　　Sheldon smiled a trifle bitterly to himself. The wonderful womanwho had tripped across the compound in her Sydney clothes was gone,and he was listening to the boy come back again.