he attempted.

"Do you know what I'll do?" she demanded. "I'll find some man in the
Solomons who won't want to protect me."

Sheldon could not conceal the shock her words gave him.

"You don't mean that, you know," he pleaded.

"I do; I really do. I am sick and tired of this protection dodge. Don't
forget for a moment that I am perfectly able to take care of myself.
Besides, I have eight of the best protectors in the world--my sailors."

"You should have lived a thousand years ago," he laughed, "or a thousand
years hence. You are very primitive, and equally super-modern. The
twentieth century is no place for you."

"But the Solomon Islands are. You were living like a savage when I came
along and found you--eating nothing but tinned meat and scones that would
have ruined the digestion of a camel. Anyway, I've remedied that; and
since we are to be partners, it will stay remedied. You won't die of
malnutrition, be sure of that."

"If we enter into partnership," he announced, "it must be thoroughly
understood that you are not allowed to run the schooner. You can go down
to Sydney and buy her, but a skipper we must have--"

"At so much additional expense, and most likely a whisky-drinking,
irresponsible, and incapable man to boot. Besides, I'd have the business
more at heart than any man we could hire. As for capability, I tell you
I can sail all around the average broken captain or promoted able seaman
you find in the South Seas. And you know I am a navigator."

"But being my partner," he said coolly, "makes you none the less a lady."

"Thank you for telling me that my contemplated conduct is unladylike."

She arose, tears of anger and mortification in her eyes, and went over to
the phonograph.

"I wonder if all men are as ridiculous as you?" she said.

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Discussion was useless--he had
learned that; and he was resolved to keep his temper. And before the day
was out she capitulated. She was to go to Sydney on the first steamer,
purchase the schooner, and sail back with an island skipper on board. And
then she inveigled Sheldon into agreeing that she could take occasional
cruises in the islands, though he was adamant when it came to a
recruiting trip on Malaita. That was the one thing barred.

And after it was all over, and a terse and business-like agreement (by
her urging) drawn up and signed, Sheldon paced up and down for a full
hour, meditating upon how m