Chapter VI--Tempest

by Jack London

　　It was the first time Sheldon had been at close quarters with anAmerican girl, and he would have wondered if all American girlswere like Joan Lackland had he not had wit enough to realize thatshe was not at all typical. Her quick mind and changing moodsbewildered him, while her outlook on life was so different fromwhat he conceived a woman's outlook should be, that he was moreoften than not at sixes and sevens with her. He could neveranticipate what she would say or do next. Of only one thing was hesure, and that was that whatever she said or did was bound to beunexpected and unsuspected. There seemed, too, something almosthysterical in her make-up. Her temper was quick and stormy, andshe relied too much on herself and too little on him, which did notapproximate at all to his ideal of woman's conduct when a man wasaround. Her assumption of equality with him was disconcerting, andat times he half-consciously resented the impudence and bizarrenessof her intrusion upon him--rising out of the sea in a howlingnor'wester, fresh from poking her revolver under Ericson's nose,protected by her gang of huge Polynesian sailors, and settling downin Berande like any shipwrecked sailor. It was all on a par withher Baden-Powell and the long 38 Colt's.

　　At any rate, she did not look the part. And that was what he couldnot forgive. Had she been short-haired, heavy-jawed, large-muscled, hard-bitten, and utterly unlovely in every way, all wouldhave been well. Instead of which she was hopelessly anddeliciously feminine. Her hair worried him, it was so generouslybeautiful. And she was so slenderly and prettily the woman--thegirl, rather--that it cut him like a knife to see her, with quick,comprehensive eyes and sharply imperative voice, superintend thelaunching of the whale-boat through the surf. In imagination hecould see her roping a horse, and it always made him shudder.Then, too, she was so many-sided. Her knowledge of literature andart surprised him, while deep down was the feeling that a girl whoknew such things had no right to know how to rig tackles, heave upanchors, and sail schooners around the South Seas. Such things inher brain were like so many oaths on her lips. While for such agirl to insist that she was going on a recruiting cruise aroundMalaita was positive self-sacrilege.

　　He always perturbedly harked back to her feminineness. She couldplay the piano far better than his sisters at home, and with farfiner appreciation--the piano that poor Hughie had so heroicallylaboured over to keep in condition. And when she strummed theguitar and sang liquid, velvety Hawaiian hulas, he sat entranced.Then she was all woman, and the magic of sex kidnapped theirritations of the day and made him forget the big revolver, theBaden-Powell, and all the rest. But what right, the next thoughtin his brain would whisper, had such a girl to swagger around likea man and exult that adventure was not dead? Woman that adventuredwere adventuresses, and the connotation was not nice. Besides, hewas not enamoured of adventure. Not since he was a boy had itappealed to him--though it would have driven him hard to explainwhat had brought him from England to the Solomons if it had notbeen adventure.

　　Sheldon certainly was not happy. The unconventional state ofaffairs was too much for his conservative disposition and training.Berande, inhabited by one lone white man, was no place for JoanLackland. Yet he racked his brain for a way out, and even talkedit over with her. In the first place, the steamer from Australiawas not due for three weeks.

　　"One thing is evident: you don't want me here," she said. "I'llman the whale-boat to-morrow and go over to Tulagi."

　　"But as I told you before, that is impossible," he cried. "Thereis no one there. The Resident Commissioner is away in Australia.Them is only one white man, a third assistant understrapper and ex-sailor--a common sailor. He is in charge of the government of theSolomons, to say nothing of a hundred or so niggers--prisoners.Besides, he is such a fool that he would fine you five pounds fornot having entered at Tulagi, which is the port of entry, you know.He is not a nice man, and, I repeat, it is impossible."

　　"There is Guvutu," she suggested.

　　He shook his head.

　　"There's nothing there but fever and five white men who aredrinking themselves to death. I couldn't permit it."

　　"Oh thank you," she said quietly. "I guess I'll start to-day.--Viaburi! You go along Noa Noah, speak 'm come along me."

　　Noa Noah was her head sailor, who had been boatswain of the Miele.

　　"Where are you going?" Sheldon asked in surprise.--"Vlaburi! Youstop."

　　"To Guvutu--immediately," was her reply.

　　"But I won't permit it."

　　"That is why I am going. You said it once before, and it issomething I cannot brook."

　　"What?" He was bewildered by her sudden anger. "If I haveoffended in any way--"

　　"Viaburi, you fetch 'm one fella Noa Noah along me," she commanded.

　　The black boy started to obey.

　　"Viaburi! You no stop I break 'm head belong you. And now, MissLackland, I insist--you must explain. What have I said or done tomerit this?"

　　"You have presumed, you have dared--"

　　She choked and swallowed, and could not go on.

　　Sheldon looked the picture of despair.

　　"I confess my head is going around with it all," he said. "If youcould only be explicit."

　　"As explicit as you were when you told me that you would not permitme to go to Guvutu?"

　　"But what's wrong with that?"

　　"But you have no right--no man has the right--to tell me what hewill permit or not permit. I'm too old to have a guardian, nor didI sail all the way to the Solomons to find one."

　　"A gentleman is every woman's guardian."

　　"Well, I'm not every woman--that's all. Will you kindly allow meto send your boy for Noa Noah? I wish him to launch the whale-boat. Or shall I go myself for him?"

　　Both were now on their feet, she with flushed cheeks and angryeyes, he, puzzled, vexed, and alarmed. The black boy stood like astatue--a plum-black statue--taking no interest in the transactionsof these incomprehensible whites, but dreaming with calm eyes of acertain bush village high on the jungle slopes of Malaita, withblue smoke curling up from the grass houses against the graybackground of an oncoming mountain-squall.

　　"But you won't do anything so foolish--" he began.

　　"There you go again," she cried.

　　"I didn't mean it that way, and you know I didn't." He wasspeaking slowly and gravely. "And that other thing, that notpermitting--it is only a manner of speaking. Of course I am notyour guardian. You know you can go to Guvutu if you want to"--"orto the devil," he was almost tempted to add. "Only, I shoulddeeply regret it, that is all. And I am very sorry that I shouldhave said anything that hurt you. Remember, I am an Englishman."

　　Joan smiled and sat down again.

　　"Perhaps I have been hasty," she admitted. "You see, I amintolerant of restraint. If you only knew how I have beencompelled to fight for my freedom. It is a sore point with me,this being told what I am to do or not do by you self-constitutedlords of creation.-Viaburi I You stop along kitchen. No bring 'mNoa Noah.--And now, Mr. Sheldon, what am I to do? You don't wantme here, and there doesn't seem to be any place for me to go."

　　"That is unfair. Your being wrecked here has been a godsend to me.I was very lonely and very sick. I really am not certain whetheror not I should have pulled through had you not happened along.But that is not the point. Personally, purely selfishlypersonally, I should be sorry to see you go. But I am notconsidering myself. I am considering you. It--it is hardly theproper thing, you know. If I were married--if there were somewoman of your own race here--but as it is--"

　　She threw up her hands in mock despair.

　　"I cannot follow you," she said. "In one breath you tell me I mustgo, and in the next breath you tell me there is no place to go andthat you will not permit me to go. What is a poor girl to do?"

　　"That's the trouble," he said helplessly.

　　"And the situation annoys you."

　　"Only for your sake."

　　"Then let me save your feelings by telling you that it does notannoy me at all--except for the row you are making about it. Inever allow what can't be changed to annoy me. There is no use infighting the inevitable. Here is the situation. You are here. Iam here. I can't go elsewhere, by your own account. You certainlycan't go elsewhere and leave me here alone with a whole plantationand two hundred woolly cannibals on my hands. Therefore you stay,and I stay. It is very simple. Also, it is adventure. Andfurthermore, you needn't worry for yourself. I am notmatrimonially inclined. I came to the Solomons for a plantation,not a husband."

　　Sheldon flushed, but remained silent.

　　"I know what you are thinking," she laughed gaily. "That if I werea man you'd wring my neck for me. And I deserve it, too. I'm sosorry. I ought not to keep on hurting your feelings."

　　"I'm afraid I rather invite it," he said, relieved by the signs ofthe tempest subsiding.

　　"I have it," she announced. "Lend me a gang of your boys for to-day. I'll build a grass house for myself over in the far corner ofthe compound--on piles, of course. I can move in to-night. I'llbe comfortable and safe. The Tahitians can keep an anchor watchjust as aboard ship. And then I'll study cocoanut planting. Inreturn, I'll run the kitchen end of your household and give yousome decent food to eat. And finally, I won't listen to any ofyour protests. I know all that you are going to say and offer--your giving the bungalow up to me and building a grass house foryourself. And I won't have it. You may as well considereverything settled. On the other hand, if you don't agree, I willgo across the river, beyond your jurisdiction, and build a villagefor myself and my sailors, whom I shall send in the whale-boat toGuvutu for provisions. And now I want you to teach me billiards."