'By ROBERT AMES BEMET;V
ILLUoTRAVO.'la BY RAY WALTERS. );M
eo/>rwc*r tso^or ax ml*?u/og * co. _
thrope, Anally, with a last lingering
touch.
“’Ilout time!’’ grunted Illake.
“You'ro fussy as a tailor. Got the
Crept Back Down the Trail.
flask and cigarette case and the
knife?"
All safe, sir—or—all safe, make."
"Then you two follow me slow
enough not to worry that ankle. I
don't want any more of the pack-mule
In mine.”
"Where are we going, Mr. Blake?"
exclaimed Mis- Leslie. "You will not
leave us again!"
"It's only a half mile. Miss Jenny.
There's a break in the ridge. I'm go
ing on ahead to find if it's hard to
edimb."
“But why should be climb?”
"Komi for one thing. You s< e, this
end of the cliff is covered with sea
bird Vnothei thing, 1 expect to strike
a spring."
“Oh, I hope yon do! The ,trr in
j the rain pools is already warm.''
I "They’ll be dry in a day or two.
j Say, Winthrope, you might, fetch some
J of those stones—size of a ball. I used
1 to he a fancy pitcher when I was a
kid, and we might scare up a rabbit or
something.”
"I play cricket myself. But these
stones—”
' Better’n a gun, when you haven't
got the gun. Come on. We’ll go in a
bunch, after all, in case I need stones."
With due consideration for Win
thrope's ankle—not for Winthrope—•
Blake set so slow a pace that the half
mile's walk consumed over half an
hour. But his smouldering irritation
was soon quenched when they drew
near the green thicket at the foot of
the cleft. In the almost deathlike
stillness of mid-afternoon, the sound
of trickling water came to their ears,
clear and musical.
“A spring!” shouted Blake. “I
guessed right Look at those green
plants and grass; there's the channel
where it runs out in the sand and
dries up.”
The others followed him eagerly as
he pushed in among the trees. They
saw no running water, for the tiny
rill that trickled down the ledges was
matted over with vines. But at the
foot of tlie slope lay a pool, some ten
yards across, and overshadowed by (he
surrounding trees. There was no
underbrush, and the ground was
trampled bare as a floor.
"By Jove.” said Winthrope; "see the
tracks! There must have been a drove
of sheep about.”
"Deer, you mean,” replied Blake,
bending to examine the deeper prints
at the edge of the pool. "These ain't
sheep tracks. • A lot of them are
larger.”
“Could you not uncover the brook?”
asked Miss Icslie. “If animals have
been drinking here, one would prefer
cleaner water.”
"Sure,” assented Blake, "If you're
game for a climb, and can wait a few
minutes, we'll get it out of the spting
itself. We’ve got to go up anyway, to
get at our poultry yard!”
"Here’s a place that looks like a
path," called Winthrope, who had cir
cled about tlie edge of the pool to the
farther side.
Blake ran around beside him and
stared at the tunnel-like passage which
wound up the limestone ledges be
neath the overarching thickets.
"Oild place, is it not?” observed
Winthrope. “Looks like a fox run,
only larger, you know.”
"Too low for deer, though—and
their hoofs would have cut up the
moss and ferns more. Let's get a
close look.”
As lie spoke, Blake stooped and
climbed a few yards up the trail to an
overhanging ledge, four or five feet
high. Whore the trail ran up over i
this break in the slope the stone was
bare of all vegetation. Blake laid his
club on the top of the ledge, and was
about to vault after it, when, directly
beneath his nose, he saw the print of
a great catlike paw, outlined in dried
mud. At the same instant a dee])
growl came rumbling down the "fox
run." Without waiting for a second
warning, Blake drew his club to him,
and crept back down the trail. His
stealthy movements and furtive back- |
ward glances filled his companions
with vague terror. He himself was
hardly less alarmed.
"Get out of the trees—into the open!"
he exclaimed in a hoarse whisper, and
as they crept away, white with dread j
of the unknown danger, he followed at
their heels, looking backward, his club
raised in readiness to strike.
Once clear of the trees, Wlnthrope
caught Miss Leslie by the hand and
broke into a run. In their terror they
paid no heed to Blake's command to i
stop. They had darted off so unex
pectedly that he did not overtake them
short of 100 yards.
“Hold on!" lie said, gripping Win
thrope roughly by (lie shoulder. “It's
safe enough here, and you'll knock out
that blamed ankle."
"What Is it? What did you see?"
gasped Miss Leslie.
“Footprint." mumbled Rlake, ashamed
of his fright.
"A lion's?" cried Winthrope.
“Not so largo bout the size of a
puma s. Must be a leopard's den up
there. I heard a growl, and thought it
about time to clear out.”
“Ry Jove, we'd better withdraw
around the point!"
“Withdraw your aunty! There's no
leopard going to tackle us out here in
open ground this time of day. The
sneaking tomcat! If only I had a
match. I'd show him how we smoko
rat holes."
"Mr. Winthrope spoke of rubbing
sticks to make lire," suggested Miss
Leslie.
“Make sweat, you mean. Rut wo
may as well try it now. If we're going
to at all The sun’s hot enough to fry
eggs. We'll go back to a shady place
and pick up sticks on the way."
Though there was shade under the
cltlT within some 1100 feet, they had
to go some distance to the nearest dry
wood—a dead thotnbush. Hero they
gathered a quantity of branches, oven
Miss Leslie volunteering to carry a
load.
All was thrown down in a heap near
the clilf, and Blake squatted beside it,
penknife In hand. Having selected the
di vest of the larger sticks, he bored a
hole in one side and dropped in a
pinch of powdered hark. Laying the
stick In the full glare of the sun, ho
thrust a twig into the hole and began
to twirl it between his palms. This
movement ho kept up for several min
utes; hut whether he was unable to
twirl the twig fast, enough or whether
the right kind of wood or tinder was
lacking all his efforts failed to pro
duce a spark.
Unwilling to accept tins failure,
Winthrope insist* d upon trying In
torn, auu pride Held him to the tasic
until ho was drenched with sweat.
The result was the same.
"Told you so," Jeered Blako from
where he lay in the shade. "We'd
stand more chance cracking stones to
gether."
"But what shall we do now?" asked
Miss Leslie. "I am becoming very
tired of cocoanuts, and there seems to
he nothing else around here. Indeed,
I think this is all such a waste of
time. If we had walked straight along
the shore this morning we might have
reached a town."
"We might, Miss Jenny, and then,
again, we mightn’t. 1 happened to
overhaul the captain's chart- Quill
mane, Mozambique- that's all for hun
dreds of miles. Towns on this coast
are about as thick ns hen's teeth."
"Ilow about native villages?" de
manded Winthrope.
"Oh, yes; maybe I'm fool enough to
go into a wild nigger town without
a gun. Maybe I didn't talk with fol
lows down on the Rand."
"But what shall we do?" repeated
Miss Leslie, with a little frightened
catch in her voice. She was at last
beginning to realize whal this rude
break in her sheltered, pampered life
might mean. "What shall we do? it's
—it’s absurd to think of having to
stay in this horrid country for weeks
or perhaps months—unless some ship
comes for us!"
"Look hero. Miss Leslie." answered
Blake, sharply yet not unkindly; "sup
pose you just sit back and use your
thinker a bit. if you're your daddy's
daughter, you've got brains some
where down under the boarding-school
stuff."
“What do you mean, sir?"
"Now, don’t get huffy, please! It's
a question of think, not of putting on
airs. Here we are, worse off than the
people of the stone age. They had
fire and flint axes; we’ve got nothing
but our think tanks, and as to lions
and leopards and that sort of thing,
it strikes me we've got about as many
on hand as they had.”
"Then you and Mr. Winthrope
should immediately arm yourselves."
"How?—But we'll leave that till
later. What else?"
i no girl gaai. me surrounding
objects, her forehead wrinkled in the
effort at concentration. “We must
have water. Think how we suffered
yesterday! Then there is shelter from
wild beasts, anil food, and—”
"All right here under our hands, if
wo had lire. Understand?”
“I understand about the water. You
would frighten the leopard away with
the fire; and if it would do that, it
would also keep away the other ani
mals at night. Hut as for food, unless
we return for eoeoanuts—”
“Don't give it up! Keep your think
er going on the side, while Pat tells
us our next move. N'ow that he’s got
the fire sticks out of his head—”
“I say, Blake, 1 wish you would
drop that name. It is no harder to say
Wlnth rope.”
“You're off, there,” rejoined Blake.
“But look here, I’ll make it Win, if
you figure out what we ought to do
next."
“Really, Blake, that would not be
half bad. They—er—they called me
Win at Harrow.”
“That so? My English chum went
to Harrow—Jimmy Scarbridge."
“Lord James!—your chum?”
“He started in like you, sort of top
lofty. But he chummed all right—aft
er I took out a lot of his British starch
with a good walloping.”
“Oh, really now, Blake, you can’t
expect any one with brains to believe
that, you know!”
"No; I don't know, you know,—and
I don’t know if you’ve got any brains,
you know. Here's your chance to show
us. What’s our next move?”
“Really, now, I have had no experl
0
once in this sort of thing don't In
terrupt, please! II seems to me that
our first concern Is shelter for the
night. If we should return to your
tree nest, we should also ho near the
cocoa palms."
"That's one side. Here's the other.
Bar to wade across sharks and ulll
gators; then swampy ground —ma
laria, mosquitoes, thorn jungle. Guess
the hands of both of you arc si 111
sore enough, by their look."
"If only t had a pot of cold cream!"
sighed Miss Leslie,
"If only l luid a hunk of jerked
heel!" echoed Blake.
"I say, why couldn't we chance it
for the night around on tho seaward
face of the cliff?" asked VVlnthrope.
"I noticed a place where tho ledges
overhang- almost a cave. Do you
think II prolmhio that any wild beast
would venture so close to the sea?"
‘Van't say. Didn't soo any tracks;
so we’ll chance II for to-night. Next?"
"By morning I believe niy ankle will
be in such shape that I could go hack
for tho string of coooanuts which We
dropped on tho beach.”
"I'll go myself, to-day, else we’ll
have no supper. Now we’ro getting
down to bedrock. If those nuts have
not been washed away by the tide,
we’ro fixed for to night; and for two
meals, such as they are. But what
next? Even th(< rain pools will bo
dried up by another day or so."
"Are not sea-birds good lo eat?" in
quired M Is i I .eslle,
"Some."
"Then, If only we could climb the
cliff-—might there not he another
place?”
No; 1 vo looked nt both Hides.
What's more, Hint spotted tomcat has
gol a monopoly on our water supply.
The river may lie fresh nt low lido;
lint wo'vo got nothing to boil water
in, and such bayou stuff ip just con
rent rated malaria."
"Then we must find water else
where," responded Miss Leslie.
‘ Might Wi succeed if we went on
to I he other ridge?"
"That's the ticket. You’ve got a
headpiece. Alias Jenny! It's too Into
to start, now. But first tiling to-mor
row I'll take a run down that way,
while you two lay around camp and
see If you can twist some sort, of lisle
lino out of cocoanut liber. By braid
ing your hair; .Miss Jenny, you can
spare us your hair-pins for hooks."
"But, Air. Blake, I’m afraid—I’d
rather you’d take us with you. With
* that dreadful creature so near—”
"Well, 1 don’t know. Let’s see your
feet ?"
Aliss Leslie glanced at him, and
thrust a slender foot from beneath her
skirt.
"Dm-rn—stocking torn; but those
slippers are tougher than 1 thought.
Most of the way will be good walking,
along the beach. We’ll leave the fish
ing to Pat—er beg pardon—Win!
With tils ankle—”
"By Jove, Blake, I’ll chance the
ankle. Don't leave me behind. I
"Bitten? Yes, by John Barleycorn!"
give you my word, you'll not have to
lug me."
"Oli, of course, Mr. Wlnthropo must
go with us!"
“’Frnid to go alone, eh?” demanded
Blake, frowning.
Ills lone startled and Offended her;
yet all ho saw was a politely quizzical
lifting of her brows.
"Why should I bo afraid, Mr.
Blake?" she asked,
Blake stared at her moodily. But
when she met his gaze with a con fid
ing smile, he flushed and looked away.
“All right," he muttered; "we’ll
move camp together. But don’t ex
pect me to pack his ludshlp, If we
draw a blank and have to trek back
without food or water."
Continued next week.
Card of Thanks
We wish to thank all our friends
for the most kind help and sym*
pathy during the sickness and
death of our brother and cousin.
J, C. Leach man.
B. F. Lkachman,
T. J. Leaciiman.
Kthei. I) yvenpokt,
Wiu, I*. Day’enpokt
Card of Thanks
We take this means of express
ing our thanks to the many
kind friends and neighbors who
helped care for our dear husband
and father during his sickness and
death. Mrs. Cade and Family
To the Ladies
I am prepared to do all
kinds of 1 lair Work. If
in need of a Switch, Puffs,
Curls, or anything in Hair
Hoods, give me a trial.
•
Mrs. C. McCoy
Phone 370
C. H. flARION
AUCTIONBBR.
Sales conducted in
scientific and busi
nesslike manner
C. H. MARION
Falls City, Nebraska
I). S. HcCarthy
DFMY AND
TRANSFER
Prompt attention given
to the removal of house
hold goods.
PHONE NO. 211
Passenger Trains
South Bound
Tr. lot—St. Couis Mail ami Ex
press .1:23 p. m.
Tr. 106 Kansas City Exp., 3:41 a. m.
Tr. 132 x K. C.loeiil leaves. .7:30 a. in.
Tr 13.x \ Falls City arrives 0:00 p. m.
x Daily except Sunday
North Bound
Tr 103 Nebraska Mail and Ex
press.1:52 p. tn.
Tr. 105—Omaha Express... ,2:23 a. m.
Tr. 137 x < iinaha local leaves 0:16 a.m
Tr. 131 x Falls City local ar
rives.8:45 p.tn.
x Daily exccnt Sunday
l.ocal Frt. Trains Carrying Passengers
North Bound
Tr. IH2x To Atchison .11:10 a.m.
South Bound
Tr. lOlx— To Auburn.1:23 p m.
J. B. VARNER. Agent*
Hides and Purs
Wanted
Highest market prices 1st
house smith of l’eter Freder
ick, sr.
PORTER RANDOLPH
Phone 422
TROWER BROS
/ Sam R. Trower, Harry K. Trower \
and Hen K. Rively
are now associated with
(jeo. R. Parse Livestock
Commission Co.
at the Kansas City Stock Yards
\v lo re they are taking car ■ of and handling
he bu ini huI theii patrons \he Mtfli I
in the past. Our pen location is the same
.t" fat th - ;^» t'% ent> \ears.
Plenty of Yarding Space and Plenty of
Help. t liable** iis t<* ha mile all business to a I
Hettei Ad vantage than evei before*
EDGAR K. MATHERS
ID El N T" I B T
Phones: Nos. 177, 217
Sam i.. Wahl Building
R1 I\ ROBERTS
ID ElN 'T l BTA
Office over Kerr’s Pharmacy
Office Phene 260 Residence Phone 271
Joe in WmTSH
ATTORNEY
Practice in Various Courts.
Collections Attended To.
Notary Public. FALLS CITY
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I -Tin story opens with the
shipwreck of the steamer on which Miss
Genevieve Leslie, an American heiress.
Lord Winthrope, an Englishman, and Tom
Blake, a brusque American, were passen
gers. The three were tossed upon an un
inhabited island and were the only ones
not drowned. Blake recovered from a
drunken stnnor
CHAPTER li -Blake, shunned on the
boat, because of his roughness, became
a hero as preservers of tin- helpless pair.
The Englishman was suing for the hand
of Miss Leslie. Rial e started to swim
hack to the ship to recover what was
left.
CHAPTER ITT. Blake returned safely.
Winthrope wasted his last match on a
cigarette, for which he was scored by
Blake. Their first meal was a dead fish.
CHAPTER IV The trio started a ten
mile hike for hl-'lnr land. Thirst at
tacked them. Blake was compelled to
carry Miss L» sll ■ « i i count of weari
ness. He taunted Winthrope.
CHAPTER V -The.v entered the jun
gle. That night was passed roosting high
o tree
CHAPTER VI -Tin n»*xt morning they
descended to the open again. All three
constructed hats m dd- Id themselves
from the sun. Tiny then feasted on
coeoanuts. tin* only pro- urahle food. Miss
L* she showed a liking foT Blake, but de
teoterf bis roughness
CHAPTER YIT. Led h\ Blake they of
tablished a home in some cliffs. Blake
found a fresh water spring.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Club Age.
T was past two o'clock when
tho sun, striking in where
Blake lay outstretched, be
gan to scorch one of It is legs. He
stirred uneasily, and sat upright. Like
a sailor, he was wide awake the mo
ment he opened his eyes. He stood
up and peered around through the halt
leafless branches.
Over the water thousands of gulls
and terns, boobies and cormorants
were skimming and diving, while
above them a number of graceful frigate
birds—those swart, scarlet-throated pi
rates of tlie air—hung poised, ready to
swoop down and rob the weaker birds
of their fish. All about, the headland
and the surrounding water was life
in fullest action. Even from where
lie stood Blake could hear the
harsh clamor of tho seafowl.
in marked contrast lo this scene the
plain was apparently lifeless. When
Blake rose. a small brown lizard
darted away across tho sand. Other
wise (here was neither sight nor
sound of a living creature. Blake pon
dered this its he gathered his clothes
into the shade and began to dress.
' Looks like the siesta is the a 11
roand style in this God-forsaken hole,"
lie grumbled. “Haven’t seen so much
us a rabbit, nor even one land bird.
May be a drought—no; must be the
dry season— Whee, these things are
hot! I’m thirsty as a shark. Now,
where’s that softy and her ladyship?
'Eraid she's in for a tough time!"
He drew on his shoes with a jerk,
growled at their stiffness, and, club
hi hand, stepped clear of the brush to
look for his companions. The first
glance along the foot of the cliff
showed him Winthrope lying under the
shade of the overhanging ledges, a few
yards beyond the sand beach. Of
Miss Leslie there was no sign. Half
alarmed by this, Blake started for the
beach with his swinging stride. Win
thrope was awake, and on Blake’s ap
proach, sat up to greet him.
"Hello!’’ he called. “Where have
y»v.i been all this time?”
‘ 'Sleep. Where's Miss Leslie?””
"She’s around the point.”
Blake grinned mockingly. “Indeed!
But I fawncy she won't he for long.”
He would have passed on, but Win
trope stepped before him.
"Don’t go out there, Blake,” he pro
tested. “I—ah—think it would lie bet
ter if I went.”
\\ ny . demanded make.
WJnthrope hesitated; but an impa
tient movement by Blake forced an
answer: “Well, you remember, this
morning, telling us to dry our clothes,”
“Yes; I remember," said Blake. “So
yon want to serve ns lady's valet?”
Wlnthrope's plump face turned a
sickly yellow.
“I—all—valet?—What do you mean,
ulr? I protest—I do not understand
you!”'he stammered. But in the midst,
catching sight of Blake’s bewildered
stare, ho suddenly flushed crimson,
and burst out in unrestrained anger:
“You—you bounder—you beastly oad!
Any man with an ounce of decency—”
Blake uttered a jeering laugh—
“Wow! Hark, how the British lion
t t-ro ars when his tail's twisted!”
“You beastiy cad!” repeated the
Englishman, now purple with rage.
Blake’s unpleasant pleasantry gave
place to a scowl. His jaw thrust out
like a bulldog’s, and he bent towards
Winthrope with a menacing,look. For
a moment the Englishman faced him,
sustained by his anger. But there was
n steely light in Blake's eyes that he
could not withstand. Wlnthrope's de
fiant stare wavered and fell. He
shrank back, the color fast ebbing
from his cheeks.
“Ugh!” growled Blake. “Guess you
s on’t blat any more about cads! You
tlamned hypocrite! Maybe I'm not
on to how you've been hanging around
Miss Leslie just because she's an
heiress. Anything is fair enough for
»rn swells. But let a fellow so much
set, and it's perfectly dreadful, you
know!”
He paused for a reply. Wintlirope
only drew back a step farther and
eyed him with a furtive, sidelong
glance. This brought Hlake back to
his mocking jeer. "You'll learn, Pat,
me b’y. There’s lots of tilings'll show
up different to you before we get
through this picnic. For one thing.
I'm boss here—president., congress and
supreme court. Understand?”
“Hy what right, may I ask?” mur
mured Wintlirope.
“Right!" answered Hiake. “That
hasn’t anything to do with the ques
tion—it’s might. Hack in civilized
parts your little crowd has the drop
on my big crowd and runs things to
suit themselves. Hut here we’re sort
of reverted to primitive society. This
lmpi ns to be the Club Age and I'm
the Man with the Rig Stick. See?"
“I myself sympathize with the lower
class, s. Mr. Hlake. Above all, I think
it barbarous the way they punish one
who is forced by circumstances to
at propria to part of the ill-gotten gains
of the rich upstarts Hut do you be
lieve. Mr. Hlake, that brute strength—"
"You bet! Now shut up. Where’re
the cocoanutr.?"
Wintlirope picked up two nuts and
handed them over.
“There were only five,” he ex
plained.
"All light. Iiu no captain ot in
dustry.”
"Ah, true; you said we had reverted
in *-arburi in." n-joined Wlnthrope,
venturing an attempt at sarcasm.
"Lucky for you!” retorted Blake.
“But where's Miss Leslie all this
time? Her clothes must have dried
hours ago.”
"They did. We had luncheon togeth
er just this side of the point.”
"Oh, you did! Then why shouldn't
I go for her?”
“I—I—there was a shaded pool
around the point, and she thought a
dip in the salt water would refresh
her. She went not more than half an
hour ago.”
“So that's it. Well, while I eat you
go and call her—and say, you keep
this side the point. I’m looking out
for Miss Leslie now.”
Wlnthrope hurried away, clenching
his lists and almost weeping with Im
potent rage. Truly, matters were now
very different from what they had
been aboard ship. Fortunately lie had
not gone a dozen steps before Miss
Leslie appeared around the corner of
the cliff. He was scrambling along
over the loose stones of the slope
without the slightest consideration for
his ankle. The girl, more thoughtful,
waved to him to wait for her where
he was.
As site approached, Blake's frown
gave place to a look that made his
face positively pleasant. He had al
ready drained the cocoanuts; now he
proceeded to smash the shells into
small Hits, lhat he might eat the meat,
and at the same time keep ids gaze
on the girl. The cliff foot being well
shaded by the towering wall of rock,
she had taken off his coat and was
carrying It on her arm; so that there
was nothing to mar the effect of her
dainty openwork waist, with its elbow
sleeves and graceful collar and the
filmy veil of lace over the shoulders
and bosom. Her skirt had been washed
clean by the rain, and she had man
aged to stretch it into shape before
drying.
Refreshed bv a nap in the forenoon
and by her salt-water dip, she showed
more vivacity tHan at any time that
Winthrope could remember during
their acquaintance. Her suffering dur
ing and since the storm Had left its
mark in (lie dark circles beneath her
hazel eyes, but ibis in no wise
lessened their brightness; while the
elasticity of her step showed that she
had quite recovered her well-bred ease
and grace of movement.
She bowed and smiled to the two
men impartially. "Good-afternoon,
gentlemen.”
.same to you, Mis3 Leslie! re
sponded Blake, staring at her with
frank admiration. "You look fresh as
a daisy.”
Genial and sincere as was his tone,
the familiarity jarred on her sensitive
ear. She colored as she turned from
him.
"Is there anything new, Mr. Win
thrope?” she asked.
"I'm afraid not, Miss Genevieve. Like
ourselves, Blake took a nap.”
"Yes; but Blake first took a squint
at the scenery. Just see if you’ve got
everything, and fix your hats. We’ll
be in the sun for half a mile or so.
Better get on the coat, Miss Leslie.
It’s hotter than yesterday.”
“Permit me,” said Winthrope.
Blake watched while the English
man held the coat for the girl and
rather fussily raised the collar about
her neck and turned back the sleeves,
which extended beyond the tips of her
fingers. The American’s face was
stolid; but his glance took in every lit
tle look and act of his companions.
He was not altogether unversed in the
ways of good society, and it seemed
to him that the Englishman was some
what overasslduous in his attentions.
“All ready. Blake,” remarked Win