I
f
SYNOPSIS.
'HAPTER 1 The story opens with the
i Jpwreck of the si-inner nn which Miss
Henevievo Leslie, nn American heiress.
Lord Wlnthrope. an Englishman, and Torn
Llake, a brusque Americ in. were passen
gers. The three were tossed upon an un
inhabited island and were the only ones
not drowned. Blake recovered from a
drunken stupor
CHAPTER II I'.lapc. shunned on the
boat, because of his roughness, became
a hero as preservers of the helpless pair.
Tile Englishman w is suing for the hand
"f Miss Leslie. IMiPc started to swim
i ek to tlie ship to recover what was
left.
"Looks like a mast -nciung up out
H ere. Maybe some of the rigging is
loose.”
"But the sharks! These waters
tvarm with the vile creatures. You
m ist not risk your life!”
"’Cause why? If l do, the babes in
t tie woods will be left without even
1 lie robins to cover them, poor things!
I it cheer up!—maybe tlie mud-hens
v. ,!1 do It with lovely water-lilies.”
'Please, Mr. Blake, do not he so
ijel!” sobbed Miss Leslie, her tears
darting afresh. "The sun makes my
head ache dreadfully, and I have no
lint or shade, and I'm becoming so
II irsty!”
"And you think you’ve only to wait,
t nd half a dozen stewards will come
tunning with parasols and ice water.
Neither you nor Winthrope seem to
ve got your eyes open. Just suppose
you get busy and do something. Win
thrope, chase yourself over the mud.
Mid get together a mess of fish that
hie not too dead. Must be dozens, aft
1he blow. As for you. Miss Jenny, I
guess you can pick up some reeds and
rig a headgear out of this handker
i liief— Walt a moment. Put on my
<nat, if you don't want to be broiled
alive through the holes of that peek-a
boo.”
But I say, Blake—” began Win
11n ope.
Don’t say—do!” rejoined Blake;
anil he started down the muddy shore.
Though the tide was at flood, there
was now no cyclone to drive the sea
above the beach, and Blake walked a
quarter of a mile before he reached
the water’s edge. There was little
surf, and he paused only a few mo
in* nts to peer out across the low
i wells before he commenced to strip.
Winthrope and Miss Leslie had been
watching his movements; now the
gul rose in a little flurry of haste,
and set to gathering reeds. Winthrope
would have spoken, but, seeing her
* Ttibarrassment, smiled to himself, and
I*gun strolling about in search of fish.
It was no difficult search. The
marshy ground was strewn with dead
t * a-creatures, many of which were al
uady shriveling and drying in the
t un. Some of the fish had a familiar
look, and Winthrope turned them over
with the tip of his shoe. He even
w*nt so far as to stoop to pick up a
lajge mullet; but shrank back, re
pulsed by its stiffness and the unnat
uikl shape into which the sun was
w nrping it.
He found himself near the beach,
and stood for half an hour or more
watching the black dot far out in the
w„ter—all that was to be seen of
Tvlake. The American, after wading
off shore another quarter of a mile,
bad reached swimming depth, and was
leading out among the reefs with
steady, vigorous strokes. Half a mile
or so beyond him Winthrope could
now make out the goal for which he
was aiming—the one remaining top
mast of the steamer.
By Jove, these waters are full of
sparks!” murmured Winthrope. star
ing at the steadily receding dot until
11 disappeared behind the wall of surf
which spumed up over one of the outer
reefs.
A call from Miss Leslie Interrupted
tits watch, and he hastened to rejoin
tier. After several failures, she had
contrived to knot Blake’s handkerchief
t< ihree or four reeds in the form of a
JiHie sunshade. Her shoulders were
protected by Blake's coat. It made a
heavy wrap, but it shut out the blis
ter injg sun rays, which, as Blake had
foteseen, had quickly begun to burn
the girl's delicate skin through her
open-work bodice.
Thus protected, she was fairly safe
from the sun. But the sun was by no
means tlip worst feature of the situa
tion. While Winthrope was yet several
: aids distant, the girl began to com
plain to him. “I’m so thirsty, Mr.
Winthrope! Where is there any wa
ter? Please get me a drink at once,
Mr. Winthrope!"
“But, my dear Miss Leslie, there is
no water. These pools are all sea
water. I must say, I'm deuced dry
myself. I can't see why that cad
fhould go off and leave us like this,
v hen we need him most.”
Indeed, it is a shame—Oh, I’m so
thirsty! Do you think it would help
if we ate something?”
Make it all the worse. Besides,
hew could we cook anything? All
these reeds are green, or at least wa
ter-soaked."
“But Mr. Blake said to gather some
fish. Had you not best—"
“He can pick up all he wants. I
shall not touch the beastly things.”
Then I suppose there is nothing to
dr but wait for him.”
“Yes, it the sharks do not get him.”
Mis_s Leslie uttered a . little moan.
and Winthrope, seeing that site was
on the verge of tears, hastened to re
Two or Three Small Fish Lay Faintly
Wriggling on the Surface.
assure her. “Don't worry about him,
Miss Genevieve! He'll soon return,
with nothing worse than a blistered
back. Fellows of that sort are born
to hang, you know.”
“But if he should be—if anything
should happen to him!”
Winthrope shrugged his shoulders,
and drew out his silver cigarette case,
it was more than half-full, and he was
highly gratified to find that neither the
cigarettes nor the vesta matches in the
cover had been reached by the wet.
“By Jove, here's luck!” he ex
claimed, and he bowed to Miss Leslie.
“Pardon me, but if you have no ob
jections—”
The girl nodded as a matter of form,
and Winthrope hastened to light the
cigarette already in his fingers. The
smoke by no means tended to lessen
the dryness of his mouth; yet it put
him in a reflective mood, and in think
ing over what he had read of ship
wrecked parties, he remembered that
a pebble held in the mouth is supposed
to ease one’s thirst.
To be sure, there was not a sign of
a pebble within miles of where they
sat; but, after some reflection, it oc
curred to him that one of his steel
keys might do as well. At first Miss
Leslie was reluctant to try the ex
periment, and only the increasing dry
ness of her mouth forced her to seek
the promised relief. Though it failed
to quench her thirst, she was agree
ably surprised to find that the little
fiat bar of metal eased her craving to
a marked degree.
Winthrope now thought to rig a
shade as Miss Leslie had done, out of
reeds and his handkerchief, for the
sun was scorching his unprotected
head. Thus sheltered, the two
crouched as comfortably as they could
upon the half-dried crest of the hum
mock and waited impatiently for the
return of Blake.
CHAPTER III.
The Worth of Fire.
. <11 ' -I . .... ■ » -f.
HOUGH the sea within the
reefs was fast smoothing
to a glassy plain in the
dead calm, they did not see Blake on
his return until he struck shallow wa
ter and stood up to wade ashore, The
tide had begun to ebb before he
started landward, and though he was
a powerful swimmer, the long pull
against the current had so tired him
that when he took to wading he
moved at a tortoise-like gait.,
“The bloomin’ loafer!” commented
Winthrope. He glanced quickly about,
and at sight of Miss Leslie's arching
brows, hastened to add: “Beg par
don! He—ah—reminds me so much
of a navvy, you know.”
Miss Leslie made no reply.
At last Blake was out of the water
and toiling up the muddy beach to the
spot where he had left his clothes.
While dressing he seemed to recover
from his exertions in the water, for
the moment, he had finished he sprang
to his feet and came forward at a
brisk pace.
As he approached, Winthrope
waved his fifth cigarette at him with
languid enthusiasm, and called out as
heartily as his dry lips would per
mit: “I say, Blake, deuced glad the
sharks didn't get you!”
‘‘Sharks?—bah! All you have to do
is to splash a little, and they haul off.”
“How about the steamer, Mr.
Blake?” asked Miss Leslie, turning to
face him.
“All under but the maintopmast—
curse it!—wire rigging at that!
Couldn’t even get a bolt.”
“A bolt?”
“Not a bolt; and here we are as
good as naked on this Infernal—Hey,
you! what you doing with that match?
Ltfht your clgarelt*—Tight It!— Daffl
! nation!"
I Heedless of Blake's warning cry,
Winthrope had struck his last vesta,
and now, angry and bewildered, he
stood staring while the little taper
burned itself out. With an oath, Blake
sprang to catch it as it dropped from
between Winthrope's fingers. But he
was too far away. It fell among the
damp rushes, spluttered, and flared
out.
For a moment Blake knelt, staring
at the rushes as though stupefied;
then lie sprang up before Winthrope,
his bronzed face purple with anger.
"Where’s your matchbox? Clot any
more?” he demanded.
"hast one, 1 fancy yes; last one.
and there are still two cigarettes. But
look here, Blake, I can't tolerate your
talking so dencedly—"
"You idiot! you—you— Hell! and
every one for cigarettes!"
From a growl Blake's voice burst
into a roar of fury, and sprang upon
Winthrope like a wild beast. His
hands closed upon the Englishman's
throat, and he begnn to shake him
about, paying no heed to the blows
his victim showered upon his face and
body, blows which soon began to les
sen in force.
l'error-stricken, Hiss Leslie put her
hands over her eyes, and begnn to
scream—the piercing shriek that will
unnerve the strongest man. Blake
paused as though transfixed, and as the
half-suffocated Englishman struggled
in his grasp, he flung him on the
ground and turned to the screaming
girl.
"Stop that squawking!” he said. The
girl cowed down. "So; that's better.
Next time keep your mouth shut."
"You—you brute!"
“flood! You’ve got a little spunk,
eh ?"
“You coward—to attack a man not
half your strength!"
“Steady, steady, young lady! I’m
warm enough yet: I've still half a
mind to wring his fool neck.”
"But why should you be ho angry?
What has he done, t hut you—”
"Why—why? Lord! what hasn’t he
done? This coast fairly swarms with
beasts. We've not the smell of a gun;
and now this idiot—this dough-head—
has gone and thrown away our only
chance—fire—and on his measly ciga
rettes!” Blake choked with returning
rage.
Winthrope, still panting for breath,
began to creep away, at the same time
unclasping a small penknife. He was
white with fear; but bis gray eyes—
which on shipboard Blake had never
seen other than offensively supercili
ous—now glinted in a manner that
served to alter the American’s mood.
"That’ll do," he said. "Come here
and show me that, knife."
“I’ll show it you where it will do the
most good,” muttered Winthrope. ris
ing hastily to repel the expected at
tack.
so you ve got a little sand, too,
said Blake, almost good-naturedly.
“Say, that's not so bad. We’ll call It
quits on the matches. Though how
you could go and throw them away—”
“Deuce take it, man! How should I
know? I’ve never before been in a
wreck.”
“Neither have I—this kind. But I
tell you, we’ve got to keep our think
tanks going. It’s a guess if we see to
morrow, and that's no joke. Now do
you wonder I got hot?”
“Indeed, no! I’ve been an ass, and
here's my hand to it—if you really
mean it's quits.”
“It’s quits all right, long as you
don’t run out of sand,” responded
Blake, and he gripped the other's soft
hand until the Englishman winced.
"So; that's settled. I’ve got a hot
temper, but I don't hold grudges. Now,
where’re your fish?”
“I—well, they were all spoiled.”
“Spoiled?”
“The sun had shriveled them."
“And you call that spoiled! We're
like to eat them rotten before we're
through with this picnic. How about
the pools?”
"Pools? Do you know, Blake, I never
watch yju, and then we were 10 an*
tons about you—"
Hlake grunted and turned on his
heel to wade Into the half-drained pool
in whose midst he had been deposited
by the hurricane.
Two or three small lisli lay faintly
wriggling on the surface. As Hlako
splashed through the water to seize
them his foot struck against a living
body which floundered violently and
flashed a brilliant forked tail above the
muddy water. Hlake sprang over the
fish, which was entangled in the
reeds, and with a kick flung it clear
out upon the ground.
\ corypnene; erieu w ininrope,
and lie ran forward to stare at the
gorgeously colored prize.
"t'oryphono?" repeated Blake, fol
lowing his example. "Good to eat?"
"Fine as salmon. This is only a
small one. but—”
"Fifteen pounds If an ounce!” cried
Blake, and he thrust his hand in his
pocket. There was a moment’s si
lence, and Winthrope, glancing up, saw
the other staring in blank dismay.
"What’s up?" he asked.
"Lost my knife."
"When?—in the pool? If we felt
about—•"
"No; aboard ship, or in the surf—"
"Here is my knife."
“Yes; almost big enough to whittle
a match! Mine would have done us
some good."
"It is the best, steel.”
"AH right; let’s see you cut up the
fish.”
"But you know, Blake, I shouldn’t
know how to go about it. 1 never did
such a thing.”
"And you, Miss Jenny? Girls arc
supposed to know about cooking.”
"I never cooked anything in all my
life, Mr. Blake, and its alive—and—
and 1 am very thirsty, Mr. Blake!”
Lord!” commented Blake. "Give
me that knife.”
Though tlie blade was so small, the
American's hand was strong. After
some little haggling, the coryphene
was killed and dressed. Blake washed
both it and liis hands in the pool, and
began to cut slices of flesh from tho
fish's tall.
"We have no lire,” Winthrope re
minded him, flushing at the word.
“That’s true,” assented Blake, in a
cheerful tone, and he offered Win
thrope two of the pieces of raw flesh.
"Here’s your breakfast. The trimmed
piece is for Miss Leslie."
"But it’s raw! Keally, I could not
think of eating raw fish. Could you,
Miss Leslie?"
Miss Leslie shuddered. "Oh, no! —
and I'm so thirsty 1 could not eat any
thing."
"Yon bet you can! replied make.
"Both of you take that fish and go to
chewing. It's the stuff to ease your
thirst while we look for water. Good
Lord!—In a week you’ll be glad to eat
raw snake. Flnnlcky over clean fish,
when you swallow canvas-back all but
raw, and beef running blood, and raw
oysters with their stomachs full of dis
integrated animal matter, to put it
politely. You couldn't tell rattlesnake
broth from chicken, and dog makes
first-rate veal—when you've got to eat
it. I’ve had it straight from them that
knows that over in France they eat
snails and fish-worms. It's all a mat
ter of custom or the style.”
"To be sure, the Japanese eat raw
fish," admitted Wlnthrojje.
"Yes; and you’d swallow your share
of it if you had an invite to a swell
dinner In Tokyo. Go on now, both of
you. It's no joke, I tell you. You’ve
got to eat, if you expect to get to wa
ter before night. Understand? See
that headland south? Well, it's 100 to 1
we’ll not find water short of there, and
If we make It by night, we’ll be doing
better than I figure from the looks of
these bogs. Now go to chewing. That's
it! That's fine, Miss Jenny!"
Miss Leslie had forced herself to
take a nibble of the raw fish. The
flavor proved less repulsive than she
had expected, and Its moisture was so
grateful to her parched mouth that
she began to eat with eagerness. Not
©REAM
You will find it a great satisfaction to do
More Home Baking
You will make biscuit, cake and pastry
clean, fresh and tasty—better every way
than the ready made foods.
Dr Price’s Baking Powder is specially
devised for home use, and makes home
baking easy and a delight. It will pro
tect you from the dread alum baking
powders, which are too frequently found
in the ready made articles, and insure
you food of the highest healthfulness.
to be outdone, Winthrope promptly
followed her lead. Blake had already
cui himself a second slice. After he
had cut more for Ills companions, lie
began to look them over with a close
ness lhat proved embarrassing to Miss
Leslie.
"Here’s more of the good stuff," lie
said. “While you're chewing it, we'll
sort of take stock. Everybody shell
out everything. Here's my outfit
three shillings, half a dozen poker
chips, and not another blessed— Say,
what's become of that whisky flask?
have you seen my flask?’
"Here It Is, right beside me, Mr.
Blake,” answered Miss Leslie. “But
it is empty."
“Might be worse! What you got?
—hairpins, watch? No pocket, I sup
pose?"
"None; and no walch. Kven most
of my pins are gone," replied the girl,
and she raised her hand to her loosely
coiled hair.
"Well, hold on to what you’ve got
left. They may come In for fish
hooks. Let’s see your shoes."
Miss Leslie slowly thrust a slender
little foot Just beyond the hem of her
draggled white skirt.
“Good Lord!” groaned Hlake, "slip
pers, and high heels at that! How do
you expect to walk In those things?”
“I can at leust try,” replied the girl,
with spirit.
“Hobble! Pass ’em over here, Win
nie, my boy."
The slippers were handed over.
Hlake took one after the other and
wreehed off the heel close to Its base.
“Now you’ve at least got a pair of
slippers," he said, tossing them back
to their owner. "Tie them on tight
with a couple of your ribbons, if you
don’t want to lose them In the mud.
Now, Winthrope, what you got beside
the knife?”
Winthrope held out a bunch of long
flat keys and his cigarette case. He
opened the latter and was about to
throw away the two remaining cigar
ettes when Hlake grasped his wrist.
“Hold on! even they may come In
for something. We'll at least keep
them until we need the case."
“And the keys?"
“Make arrow heads. If we can get
fire.”
“I've heard of savages making Are
by rubbing wood.”
“Yes; and we're a long way from
being savages—at present. All the
show we have la to find gome'kind of
quart* or flint, and the sooner we start
to look the better. Got your slippers
tied, Miss Jenny?”
"Yes; 1 think they'll do."
"Think! It's knowing the thing,
j Here, let me look."
The girl shrank back; but Wake
’ stooped und examined first one slipper
and then tIn* other. The ribbons about
hoili were tied in dainty bows. Wake
jo; kod them loose and twisted them
hi :nly over and under the slippers and
nbniit Ihe girl's slender ankles before
k loti Ing the ends.
"There; that's more like. You're
not going to a dance,” he growled.
He thrust the empty whisky flask
■ Into his hip pocket and went back to
pass a sling of reeds through the gillg
of the coryphene.
"All ready now," he called. "Let's
get a move on. Keep my coat closer
about your shoulders, Miss Jenny, and
keep your Hhade up. If you don't want
a sunstroke.”
"Thank you, Blake, I'll see to that,”
said Wlnthrope. "I'm going to help
Miss Leslie along. I’ve fastened our
two shades together, so that they will
answer for both of us."
"How ubout yourself, Mr. Blake?"
Inquired the girl. "Do you not And the
sun fearfully hot?”
"Sure; but I wet my head In the
sea, and here’s another souse.”
As he rose with dripping head from
beside the pool he slung the coryphene
on his back and started off without
further words.
ContiniUHl next ww*k.
Listen,
Mr. Farmer
When in Falls City, and you
feel a spasm of gnawing of
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best place in town to get full
satisfaction for two-bits (25
cents), in a square meal is at
The City Hotel
F. P. SHIELDS, Proprietor
We Carry
the
Stock
Xmas
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We Aim
to
Please
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We sell the famous BALL BAND line of Rubber Goods. Overshoes. Leggings. Rub- Buy yOUT Shoes at a Shoe Store
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FALLS CITY. NEBRASKA
