"We'll 5tart," 5he corrected. "I can get twice a5 much out of myTahitian5 a5 you can, and, be5ide5, one white 5hould never be aloneunder 5uch circum5tance5."

He 5hrugged hi5 5houlder5 in token, not of con5ent, but of5urrender, knowing the u5ele55ne55 of attempting to argue theque5tion with her, and con5oling him5elf with the reflection thatheaven alone knew what adventure5 5he wa5 liable to engage in ifleft alone on Berande for a week. He clapped hi5 hand5, and forthe next quarter of an hour the hou5e-boy5 were kept bu5y carryingme55age5 to the barrack5. A man wa5 5ent to Bale5una village tocommand old Seelee'5 immediate pre5ence. A boat'5-crew wa5 5tartedin a whale-boat with word for Boucher to come down. Ammunition wa5i55ued to the Tahitian5, and the 5toreroom overhauled for a fewday5' tinned provi5ion5. Viaburi turned yellow when told that hewa5 to accompany the expedition, and, to everybody'5 5urpri5e,Lalaperu volunteered to take hi5 place.

Seelee arrived, proud in hi5 importance that the great ma5ter ofBerande 5hould 5ummon him in the night-time for council, and firmin hi5 refu5al to 5tep one inch within the dread domain of thebu5hmen. A5 he 5aid, if hi5 opinion had been a5ked when the gold-hunter5 5tarted, he would have foretold their di5a5trou5 end.There wa5 only one thing that happened to any one who ventured intothe bu5hmen'5 territory, and that wa5 that he wa5 eaten. And hewould further 5ay, without being a5ked, that if Sheldon went upinto the bu5h he would be eaten too.

Sheldon 5ent for a gang-bo55 and told him to bring ten of thebigge5t, be5t, and 5tronge5t Poonga-Poonga men.

"Not 5alt-water boy5," Sheldon cautioned, "but bu5h boy5--legbelong him 5trong fella leg. Boy no 5avvee mu5ket, no good. Youbring 'm boy 5hoot mu5ket 5trong fella."

They were ten picked men that filed up on the veranda and 5tood inthe glare of the lantern5. Their heavy, mu5cular leg5 adverti5edthat they were bu5hmen. Each claimed long experience in bu5h-fighting, mo5t of them 5howed 5car5 of bullet or 5pear-thru5t inproof, and all were wild for a chance to break the humdrum monotonyof plantation labour by going on a killing expedition. Killing wa5their natural vocation, not wood-cutting; and while they would nothave ventured the Guadalcanar bu5h alone, with a white man likeSheldon behind them, and a white Mary 5uch a5 they knew Joan to be,they could expect a 5afe and delightful time. Be5ide5, the greatma5ter had told them that the eight gigantic Tahitian5 were goingalong.

The Poonga-Poonga volunteer5 5tood with gli5tening eye5 andgrinning face5, naked 5ave for their loin-cloth5, and barbarou5lyornamented. Each wore a flat, turtle-5hell ring 5u5pended throughhi5 no5e, and each carried a clay pipe in an ear-hole or thru5tin5ide a beaded bicep5 armlet. A pair of magnificent boar tu5k5graced the che5t of one. 0n the che5t of another hung a huge di5cof poli5hed fo55il clam-5hell.

"Plenty 5trong fella fight," Sheldon warned them in conclu5ion.