Blacks he must have, and, if Joan were fortunate in getting a
schooner, three months at least must elapse before the first recruits
could be landed on Berande.
A week after the _Upolu's_ departure, the _Malakula_ dropped anchor and
her skipper came ashore for a game of billiards and to gossip until the
land breeze sprang up. Besides, as he told his super-cargo, he simply
had to come ashore, not merely to deliver the large package of seeds with
full instructions for planting from Joan, but to shock Sheldon with the
little surprise born of information he was bringing with him.
Captain Auckland played the billiards first, and it was not until he was
comfortably seated in a steamer-chair, his second whisky securely in his
hand, that he let off his bomb.
"A great piece, that Miss Lackland of yours," he chuckled. "Claims to be
a part-owner of Berande. Says she's your partner. Is that straight?"
Sheldon nodded coldly.
"You don't say? That is a surprise! Well, she hasn't convinced Guvutu
or Tulagi of it. They're pretty used to irregular things over there,
but--ha! ha!--" he stopped to have his laugh out and to mop his bald head
with a trade handkerchief. "But that partnership yarn of hers was too
big to swallow, though it gave them the excuse for a few more drinks.
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