But I didn't mind. I missed stays, pretty as you please, and the
_Flibberty_ drifted down on him and fouled him, and we went ashore
together in as nice a mess as you ever want to see. Miss Lackland
transferred the recruits, and the 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 there the whole week and traded for grub with
the niggers. When we got to Tulagi, there she was waiting for us and
scrapping with Burnett. I tell you, Mr. Sheldon, she's a wonder, that
girl, a perfect wonder." Munster refilled his glass, and while Sheldon
glanced across at Joan's house, anxious for her coming, Sparrowhawk took
up the tale. "Gritty! She's the grittiest thing, man or woman, that ever
blew into the Solomons. You should have seen Poonga-Poonga the morning
we 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 and
hear 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
the anchor's down before you get afraid.'" "That's what she said to
me,"
Munster proclai