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About The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1909)
mm - _ W^MT , SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER 1 —T!story opens with the shipwreck of the steamer on which Miss Genevieve Leslie, an Amen*-an heiress. Lord Winthrope, an Englishman, anti Tom Blake, a brusque American, were passen gers. The three were tossed upon an un inhabited Island and were the only ones l.ot drowned. Blake recovered from a i.runkm stupor CHAPTER II — Blake, shunned on the ' oat, because of his roughness became a hero as preservers of the helpless pair. The Englishman was suing for the hand • f Miss Leslie. B! ike started to swim 1 ack to the ship to recover what was left. CHAPTER ill Blake returned safely. Winthrope wasted his last mooli on a igarette. for which he was scored by Bloke. Their first meal was a dead flsh. CHAPTER IV. The trtn started a ten die bike for higher land. Thirst at tacked them. Blake was compelled to • arry Miss Leslie on account of wearl ess. He taunted Winthrope. / V They entered the jun /-e. That night was passed roosting high CHAPTER VI.-The next morning they descended to the open again. All three • onstructed hats to shield themselves from the sun. They then feasted on ocoanuts, the only procurable food. Miss ! eslle showed a liking for Bh 1 e, but de foetAd his roughness « CHAPTER VI l.—Led by Blake they es tablished a home in some cliffs. Blake found a fresh water spring. CHAPTER VIIT. Miss Leslie faced an mpleasant situation. They planned their campaign. CHAPTER IX. -Blake recovered his r irveynr's magnifying glass, thus insur ing file. Tie started a jungle fire, killing large leopard and smothering several • ubs. ' i i \ 1 I ER X -In 11 e leopard's cavern 1'ivy built a small home, Thev gained lie cliff's by burning the bottom of a I ff until It fell against the heights. CHAPTER XI. Tiie trio secured eggs rom Hie cliffs. Miss Leslie’s w lit.- skirt 1 as decided upon as a signal. CHAPTER X IT.—Miss Leslie made a ess from l lie leopard skill. Blake’s ef 1nrts to kill antelopes failed CHAPTER XIII.—Overhearing a eon ersaliun between Blake and Wlnthrope, Miss I estip became f-rio'liteiie.d. CHAPTER XIV—Blake was poisoned iv a iisli. Jackals attacked tiie camp ,ni night, but were driven oft by Gene vieve. Blake returned, after nearly dy fr "Quick!—Into (lie tree!" she called. Still frantic with terror, Wlnthrope struggled to his feet She thrust hint towards the baobab, and followed lagging tiie muss of interwoven ham oos. Emboldened by the retreat of ’heir quarry, the snarling pack in • lantly began to close in. Fortunately hey were loo cowardly to rush at (lice, and fear spurred their intended victims to the utmost haste. Groping • nd stumbling, the two felt their way 0 the baobab, and Miss Leslie pushed Win th rope headlong through the en ranee. \s lie fell, she turned to face •he pack. The foremost beasts were at the car edge of the bamboo framework heir eyes close to the ground In tinct told her that they were crouch ng to leap. With desperate strength tie caught up the canopy before her like a great shield, and drew it in aft or her until the ends of t lie cross 1 ars were wedged fast against tin rides of the opening. Though it seemed to firm, she clung to it with a con vulsive grasp as She felt the pack (■a,Ids fling themselves against th* ( uter side, Bui Hlake had lashed the bamboos • cureiy together, and none of the leasts w;ts heavy enough to snap th* . apple bars. Finding that they could not break down the barrier, they be yan to scratch and tear at. the thatch which covered the frame. Soon a paii • r lean jaws thrust in and snapped . t the girl's skirt. She sprang back with a cry: ' Help! Quick, Mr. Win it rope! They’re breaking through!" Winthrope made no response. She tiooped. and found him lying inert where lie had fallen. She had only Herself to depend upon. A screen ot , harp sticks which she Had made fot he entrance was leaning against 1 lie nner wall, within easy reach To yrasp it and thrust it against the othei * 11amework was the work of an in vtant. Still she trembled, for the eagei leasts had ripped the thatch from the anopy, and their Inthrust jaws made •hort work of the few leaves on her screen. Unaware that even a lion or a liger is quickly discouraged by the i nife like splinters of broken bamboo she expected every moment that tIn ackals would bile their way through r.er frail barrier. She remembered the sharpened stakes of her screen, hidden under the • aves and grass of her bed. She .groped her way across the hollow, and uncovered one of the stakes. In her haste she cut her hand on its ■ azor-like edge. All unheeding, she sprang back towards the entrance. She was none too soon. One of the smaller ;ackals had forced its head and one eg between the bars, and was snug gling to enlarge the opening. Fearful that, the whole pack was about to burst in upon her, the girl grasped the bamboo stake In boih hands, and began stabbing and lung ng at the beast with all her strength The jackal squirmed and snarled and snapped viciously. But the girl was tow frantic. She pressed nearer, and though the while teeth grazed her wrist, she drove home a thrust that changed the beast's snarls into a howl cf pain. Before she could strike Again, it had struggled back out of the hole, beyond reach. Tense and panting with excitement, slh" leaned forward, ready to stab at tile next beast. None appeared, anil presently she became aware that the pack had been daunted by the ex petienco of their unlucky fellow. Their snarls and yells had subsided to whines, which seemed to he coming from a greater distance Still she waited, with the bamboo stake up raised ready to strike, every nerve and muscle of her body tense with the strain. So great was the stress of her fear and excitement, that she had not heed ed the hist gray lessening of the night. Hut now the glorious tropical dawn came streaming out of the east in all its red effulgence. Above and through the bamboo barrier glowed a light such as might have come from a great fire on the cliff lop. Still tense and immovable, the girl stared out up the cleft There was not a jackal in sight. She leaned forward ami peered around, unable to believe such good fortune. Hut the night prowlers had slunk otf in the tirst gray dawn. The girl drew in a deep, shudder ing sigh, and sank back. Her hand struck against Wtnlhrope’s foot. Slip turned about quickly and looked at him. He was lying upon his face. She hastened to turn him upon his side, and to feel his forehead. It was cool and moist. He was last 'asleep aud drenched with sweat. The great shock of his pain and fear and ex citement had broken his fever. With the relief and joy of this dis covery, the girl completely relaxed. Not observing Winlhropes wounds, which had bled little, she sought to force a way out through the entrance. It was by no means an easy task to free the wedged framework, and when, after much pulling and pushing, site at last tore the mass loose, she found herself perspiring no less freely than Winthrope. £>ne was ia,i in ' « nin'-u, ^ ever, to cotlsidei what this might mean. Her first thought was of a tire. She ran (o her rude stone fireplace and raked over the ashes. They were si ill warm, hul them was not a live ember among them. Yet she realized that Winthrope must have hot food when he awakened, and Blake had carried with him Ihe magnifying glass. For a little she stood hesitating. But the defeat of the jackals hud given her courage and resolution such as she had never before known. She returned into the cave, and chose * lie sharpest of her stakes. Having made certain that Winthrope was still asleep, she set off boldly down tin- clett. At the first turn she came upon Blake's thorn barricade. It stretched across the narrowest part of the cleft in an impenetrable wall, 1? feet high Only in the center was a gap, which could have been filled by Blake in less than two hours' work. The girl's eyes brightened. Site herself could gather the thorn-brush and till the gap before night. They no longer need fear the jackals or even the larger beasts of pre\. None the less, they must have fire. Spurred on by ihe thought, she was about to spring through the barricade when she heard the tread of feet on the path beyond She ( touched down, and peered through the tangle ot brush in the edge of the gap. Less than ten paces away Blake was plod ding heavily up the trail. She stepped out before him. ■ You—you' Are you alive?'' she gasped. " Live? You bet your hoots!" came back the grim response "You bet I'm alive—though 1 hud to go .Jonah one bet ter to do it. The whale heaved him up; I heaved up the whale and it took about u hand of sea water to do | it.” "Sea-water?" "Sure ... 1 tumbled over twice on the way. But I made the beach Lord! liow 1 pumped in the briny deep! Guess I won't go into details - but if you think you know anything about seasickness - Whew! Lucky for yours truly, the tide was just start ing out, and the wind off shore. I'd fallen in the water, and Vlie Jonah business laid me out cold. Didu t know anything until the tide came up | again and soused me." "I am very glad you're not dead. But how you must have suffered! You j are still white, and your face is all 1 creased." make attempted a careless mugn. "Don't worry about me. I'm here, 0. K , all that's left,- a little wobbly on my pins, but hungry as a shark But say, what's up with you? You're sweating like a— Good thing, though It'll stave off your spell of fever a while. How'd you happen to be com ing down here so early?” "I was starting to And you.” “Me!" "Not you—that Is. [ thought you were dead. I was going to make cer tain, and to—to get the burning glass." "I 'm 111. I see l.et the fire go out, eli ?" “Do not blame nio, Mr. Blake! I was so ill and worn out, ami I've paid for it twice over, really I have Didn't those awful beasts attack you?" -\: ,iSis? Mow's that?" lie demanded ' "Oh, Imt you must have heard them! ' The horrid things tried to kill us!" she cried, and she poured out a half In coherent account of all that had hap poned since he left. Hlake ii tened Intently, his Jaw thrust out. his eves glowing upon her with a look which she had never he .ore seen in any maths eyes But hU lust continent had nothing to do with her conduct. How s that? -sorry Win got roust ed out of his nice little snooze Why, don't, you know, wed been all alone In our glory by tonight if It hadn't been for those brutes. Hu was In the stupor, and that would have been the end of him If the beast* hadn't stirred him up so lively. I’re heard of such a thing before, but l al ways thought It was a lake. Here you are sweating, too." “I feel much better than yesterday. | 1 did not tell you, but 1 have fell ill for nearly a week." " Ft aid to tell, eli?—and you were so scared over the beasts— Seared! By .Ilminy, you’ve got grit, little wom an! There's two kinds of scaredness. You've goi the Stc^iewall .tackson kind, if anybody asks you, just refer them to Tommy Blake," "Thank you. Mr. Blake But should we not hasten back now to prepare something for Mr. Winthrope?" "Ditto for yours truly. I'm like that j sepulchre you read about w hite out - side, and within nothing hut bare bones and emptiness." CHAPTER XV. With Bow and Club. B 1 i IK tire mis soon re lit, and a 1 ^B . ' iioi of meat set on to stew. -“*■ it had ample time to sim mer. Wiuthrope was wrapped in a life-giving sleep, out of which he did not awoken until evening! while Blake, | unable to wait for the pot to boll, and ; nauseated by the fishy odor of the j dried seafowl, hunted out I lie jerked leopard meat, and having devoured i enough to satisfy a native, fell asleep under a bush. The sun was half down the sky when lie sal up and looked around, wide awake the moment he opened his eyes. Miss Leslie was quietly placing an armful of slicks on the fuel heap beside the baobab. “Hello, Miss Jenny! Hard at it, I see," he called cheerfully. "Hush!" she cautioned. "Mr. Win thrope is still asleep." "Good tiling for him. He'll need alt of that lie can gel." ‘‘Then you think—" “Well, between you and lue, ! don't believe Win was built for the tropics. This fever of his, coming on so soon, wouldn’t have hit nine men in ten half so hard, lie's bound to have another spell in a month oi two, and—" "But cannot we possibly get away from hero before then? Is there no way? Surely, you are so resource ful—” "Nothing doing. Miss Jenny! Give me tools, and I'd engage to turn out a seagoing boat. But as it. is, the only tiling I could do would he to lire hum a log. Thai would take two or three months, and in I lie end we’d have a lop-sided canoe 1 hat'd live about half a second in one of these tropic squalls." Do not the natives sail in canoes?” "Maybe they dox and they make lire by rubbing slieks. We don't.” "But what can we do?" "Take our medicine, and wait for a ship to show up." "But we have no medicine." "Dave no— Say, Miss Jenny, you really ought to have stayed home from boarding school and Kngland long enough to learn your own language. I meant, we've got to take what's com ing to us, without laying down or grouching. Both are the worst things out for malaria." "You mean that we nuisi resign our selves to this intolerable situation— Dial we must calmly sit here and wait until the fever—" "No; I'll take care we don't sit around very much. Well go on the hike, soon as Win can wobble. Which reminds me, I've got a little hike on hand now. I'm going to close up that barricade before dark. Me for a quiet night!” witnoui waiuug lor a repiy, ue iook liis weapons, and swung briskly away down I tie cleft. He returned a few minutes before sunset, with what appeared to lie a large fur bag upon liis back. Miss Leslie was pouring a bowl of broth from the stew pot, and did not notice him until lie sang out 10 her: "Hey, Miss Jenny, spill over that stuff! No more of that in ours!” "It's for Mr. Wintlirope. He lias just awakened," she replied, still In tent on iter pouring. "And you'd kill him with that slop! Heave it over, lie's going to have beef juice.” "Oh! what's that on your back? You've killed an antelope!” "Sure! Bushlmck, I guess they call him. Sneaked up when he was drink ing. and stuck an arrow into liis side. He jumped off a little way, and turned to see what'd bit him. I hauled off and put the second arrow right through his eye, into liis brain. Neatest thing you ever saw.” "You surely are becoming a splendid archer!" Yes; Jim dandy! I could do it again about once in 10,000 shots All the same, I've raked in this peacherino. Trot out your grill and we ll have something fit to eat.” "You spoke of beef juice.” I've a dozen steaks ready to broil. Slap 'em on the fire, and I'll squeeze out enough juice with my fist to do Win lor tonight.” He mad** wood liis assertion, using several of the steaks, which, having; ] lest less than half their juices In the process, were ea en with great rellsti hy Mias I .eslio and himself Witiihrope, alter drinking the sinui- 1 laiing beef Juice and a i|iiatltil\ of hot | watei t in tied oti-i and fell asleep; main «M|,< Hiak" •• as I nr- j wounds None of lie e was si lions of : Itself: but Blake knew the danger of infection in the tropics, and carefully washed out ilie gaslit s before applying the tallow salve which Miss Leslie iuid tried mtt ftotu tlie antelope fat The dressing was completed by torchlight Blake then rolled the sleeper into a comfortable position took the torch from Miss Leslie, and left the cave, pausing at the entrance to mutter a gruff good night 1 lie girl murmured a response, hut watched him anxiously as he pas-ed out, A step beyond the entrance lie paused and turned again In 'he red glare of the torch, his face took on an ex pression that tilled her with fright. Shrouded hy the gloom of the hollow, site drew hack to her bed. and without turning her eyes awaj from him. groped for one of her bamboo stake's. But before she could arm herself, she saw Blake sloop over and grasp with his free hand the mass of inter woven bamboos He straightened Him self, and i lie frame work swung lightly up and over, until it stood on end across the cave entrance. The girl stole around and peered out al hint, He had spread open the antelope skin, and was beginning to slice the meat for drying. Though his forehead was fur rowed, his expression was by no means sinister. Believed at the I thought thai the light must have tie-I reived her, site returned to her bed I and was soon sleeping as soundly as Willi h rope. Blake sitting the greater part of the meat on the drying racks, built a smudge tire beneath, and stretched the antelope skin on a frame. This done, he look his cinh and a small piece of bloody meat, and walked stealthily down the cleft in the ban Bade Quiet as was his approach, it was met b> a warning yelp on the fart her side of the thorny wall, and lie could hear the scurry of fleeing animals He kepi on until the barricade loomed tip before him in the starlight. From cliff to HilT the wall now stretched across the gorge without hole or gap But Blake grasped the trunk of a young date-palm which projected from the barricade near the bottom, and pushed it out. The dis placement of the spiky fronds disclosed Uncertain Whether She Should Feel Relieved or Anxious. (lit! low passage which he had made in the center of the barricade., lie placed the piece of meat on one side, two or three feet from tile hole, and squalled down across from it. with his club bal anced on his shoulder. Half an hour passed-an hour; and still he waited, silent and motionless as a statue. At last stealthy footsteps | sounded on the outer side of lilt' thorn ! wall, and an animal began to creep through the wall, sniffing for ihe bait. Blake waited with the immobility ot an Kskinio The delay was brief With a boldness tin which Blake had not been prepared, the beast i leaped through and seized tile meal. Kven in ihe dim light. Blake could see that lie hud lured an animal larger than any jackal. But tills only served to lend greater force to his blow. As lie struck, he leaped to his'feel. The brute fell as though struck by light ning and lay still. Blake prodded the inert form wurily; then knelt and passed his hands over it. The beusl had whirled about just in lime to meet the descending club, and tlie blow had crushed in its skull, ('buckling at the success of his ruse, lie drew the palm hack into the open ing, and swung his prize over his shoulder. When he came to the lire, a glance showed him that lie had killed a full-grown spotted hyena. In tiie morning, when Miss Leslie appeared, there were two hides stretched on bamboo frames, and the air was dark with vultures streaming down into the cleft near the barricade, Blake was sleeping the sleep of the just, and did not waken until she had built Ihe tire and begun to broil the steaks which he had saved. Again I hey had a least of the fresh antelope meat. But witli repletion came more of fastidiousness, and Blake agreed witli Miss Leslie when she remarked that salt would have added to the flavor. He set off pres ently, and spent half a day on the talus of ihe headland, gathering salt from Ihe rock crannies For the next three days he left the cleft only to gather eggs The great or part of his time* was spent iu tan tting (lie hyena atnl antelope skins. Meantime Miss Leslie continued to nuise Winthrope and to gather lire wood 1'nder lllake's directions, she also puritied the salt b\ dissolving it in a pot of water, and allowing the dir: : t , when the iladfled so lit tion was poured off and evaporated over the tire In one of tIts* earthen ware pans \t tii si M ini hi ' pe had been too weak lo m( up But treated to a lilt oral diet of antelope broth, raw eggs, hot wale:, and eoeottiuit milk, he gained strength fu.-der than Blake had expected On the fourth day Blake sd him to work on the dual rubbing of the new skins; on the fifth, he or dered him lo go for eggs. Milch lo Miss Leslie's surprise, Win thrope started off without a word of protest. All Ills peevish irritability hud gone with (lie fever, and the girl was gratified to see the quiet manner in which he set about a task which seemed an Imposition upon Ills half re gained strength. But the very motive which, seemingly, prevented hint from protesting. Impelled Iter to speak for him. "Mr. Blake!" she exclaimed, "Mr. Winthrope is going off without a word: hui 1 can't endure It! Von have no right to send him on such an er rand. li will kill hint!” Blake met her indignant look with a goiter stare, "What it ii does?" lie said. "Better for him to die In the gallant service of his fellows, than to sit here and rot. I'lit, Win?" "Do not trouble yourself, Miss Genevieve 1 hope I shall pull through all right if not—" ,\o, you shall not! ill go [liyseil. "See here, Miss Leslie," said Hlake, ' somewhat sternly; "who’s got the re-| sponslbillly of keeping yon two alive I for the next month or so? I've been tn the tropics before, and 1 know something of the way people have to live to get out again. I’m trying to do m lies), and I tell you straight, If you won’t mind me. I’m going to make you, no matter liow much it hurts your feelings. You see how nice anti meek Will takes his orders. 1 ex plained matters to liim last, night—" "I assure you, Hlake, you shall have no cause for complaint as to my con duel,” muttered Wlnthrope. "1 should like to observe, however, lliat In speaking to Miss Leslie " "There you are again, with your everlasting talk. Cut it out, and get. busy. To-morrow we all go on a hike to the river." As Wlnthrope started off, Hlake turned to Miss Leslie, with a good natured grin, "You see, it’s tills way, Miss Jen ny " lie began, lie caught her look of disdain, and his face darkened. "Mad, eh? So that’s the racket!" "Mr. Hlake, I will not have you talk to me in that way. Mr. Wlnthrope is a gentleman, but nothing more to me than a friend such as any young wom an—" ‘That settles it! I'll take your word for it. Miss Jenny," broke in Blake, and springing up. lie set about iiis work, whistling Tile girl gazed at his broad hack and erect head, uncertain whether she should feel relieved or anxious, The more slie tlioiiglii the mutter over, the more uncertain she became, anti the more she wondered at her uncertain ty. Could il lie possible that she was becoming interested In a man who. if her ears had not deceived her Hut no! That could not lie possible! Yet what a ring there was to ills voice!—so t lear and tonic after Will ihrope's precise, modulated drawl. And her countryman's firmness! He could he rude if need he; but lie would make her do what tie thought was best for her health. Was it not possible that site had misunderstood his words on the cliff, and so mis judged wronged hlui?—that Win tlirope, so eager to stipulate for her hand— But then Wlnthrope had mote than continued her dread fui conclusions taken from Blake's words. and Winllirope was an Knglisli gentleman She ended in a stale of utter be wilderment. CHAPTER XVI. The Savage Manifest. land without a collapse, tlie following morning, as soon ns (lie dew was dry, iilake called out all hands for the ex pedition. He was in the best of hu mors, and showed unexpected consid eraiion by presenting Winthrope with a cane, which lie had cut and trimmed during the night. Having sent Miss Leslie to lill the whisky flask with spring water, ho dropped three cocoanut shell bowls, a piece of meat and a lump of suit into one of the earthenware pots, and slung all over ills shoulder in the ante lope skin. With his bow bung over the other shoulder, knife and arrows In his belt, and his big club in his hand, lie looked ready for any contin gency. "We'll hit first for the mouth of the river,” he said. "I'm going on ahead, if I'm not in sight when you come up, pick a tree where the ground is dry, and wait.” "But I say, Iilake,” replied Wlu tlirope, "I see animals over in the cop pices, and you should know that I am physically unable—” "Nothing hut antelope," Interrupted iilake. "I’ve seen them enough now to know them twice as far off. And you can bet on i' they’d not be there if any dangerous beast was in smell ing distance.” That is so clever of you, Mr. Make," remarked Miss Leslie "Simple enough when you happ-'n to think of it." responded Make. "Yea; the only tiling you’ve got to look out for's the ticks in the gras-. They'll keep you Interested. They lilt me up In great shape." lie atowied* s' the recollection, nodded by way of emphasis, and was. off like a shot The edge of the plain beneath the did wa- strewn with locks, among which, even with Miss Leslie' - help, Winthrope could pick his way lint slowly l Wore they were* clear ol the rough ground, they siw Make disappear among the man groves. The ticks proved h ss annoying than they had apprehended after Make's warning Hut when they approached Hie mouth of the river, they weto alarmed to hear, above the roar of ttuv surf, loud snorting;, such as could only lie made In large animals Fearful lest Make had roused and angered some forest beast, they veered to the right and ran to hide behind a clump of thorns. Winthrope sank down eg* liausled the moment they reached cover; hut Miss Leslie crept to the far end of the thicket and peered around. "Oh, look here!" she cried it's u whole herd of elephants trying to cross tin' river mouth where we did, and they're being drowned, poor tilings!" ' Klepliunt ■ panted Winthrope, and he dragged himself forward h**stdo her. "Why, so flier-1 are; gulte a drove of the beasts Yet. 1 must say, they* appear smaller—all, yes; see their head> They must be Urn hippos Make saw,” "Those ugly creatures 7 ! once saw some at the zoo Just the same. I'aey will bo drowned Some are light ‘u the surf!" 1 call t Huy, l in Bure, .Mias te'tio vieve, but 1 have an idea that the beusts are quite at home in the w.i ter. I fancy they enjoy surf bathing us keenly as ourselves,” I do believe you are right. Thero Is one going In from the quiet water. Hut look at those funny little ones oil the hacks of the others I" "Must he the baby hippos." replied Wlnthrope, indifferently. "If you please, I'll take a pull at the Mask. I am very d,-y." When he had half emptied the flask, ho stretched out In tin* shade to doze Hut Miss Leslie continued to watch the movements of the snorting hlppoa, amused by the ponderous antics of the grown ones in the surf, ami the comic appearance of the barrel-like infanta as they mounted the hacks of their obese mothers Presently Hlake came out from among the mangroves, and walked across to the beach, a few yards away from the huge bathers. To all ap pearanees, they paid us little attention to him as In* to them Miss Leslie* glanced about at Wlnthrope. He was fast asleep. She waited a few mo ments to see if the hippopotami would attack Hlake, They continued to ig nore him. and gaining courage from their Indifference, she stepped out from behind the thicket, and advanced to when- Hlake was crouched on the beach. When she came up. she saw beside him a heap of oysters, which lie was opening In rapid succession. "Hello! You’re just In time to help,” he called. "Where's Win?” “Asleep behind those bushes " "Worst thing lie could do. Hut lend a hand, and we’ll shuck these oysters before rousting him out. You can rinse those I've opened Fill the pot with water, and put them in to soak” "They look very tempting. How did you chance to find them?” "Saw 'em on the mangrove roots at low tide, first time I nosed around here. Tide was well tip to-day ; but I managed to vet these all right with a little diving. Only trouble, tho skeets most ate me alive." Miss Leslie glanced at her eompan ion's dry clothing, and came hack to the oysters themselve These look very tempting. Do you Ilka them raw?” "Can't say 1 like them much .uty way, as a rule Hut if I did. I wouldn't eat this mess raw " "Yes'” ‘ This must be the dr> season her*, and the river is running mighty clear, lust the same it's nothing more than liquid malaria We'll not eat these oysters till they've been pasteurized," "if the water is so dangerous. I fear we will suffer before we can return” replied Miss Leslie, and she held up the flask. ‘What!'’ exclaimed Blake. "Half gone already'.' That was Winthrope.” "He was very thirsty. Could we not boil a potful of the river water?'' ’ Ves, when the ebb gets strong, If we run too dry. First, though, we’ll make a try for cocoanuts. Let's h!t out for tlie nearest grove now. Thf» main thing is to keep moving.” As lie spoke, Blake caught up the pot and his club and started for the thorn clump, leaving the skin, togeth er with Hie meat and the salt, for Miss Leslie to carry. Winthrope was wakened by a touch of Blake's foot, and all three were soon walking away from the seashore, just within th^ shady border of the mangrove wood At the first fan palm Blake stoppe I to gather a number of leaves, for their palm-leaf hats were now cracked and broken. A little farther on a ruddy antelope, with lyrate horns, leaped out of the bush before them and dashed o(T toward tlie river before Blake could string bis bow. As if in mock cry of liis lack of readiness, a troupft of large green monkeys set up a wild chattering in a tree above the party. "I say, Miss Jenny, do you think you can lug Hip pot, if we go slow? It isn’t far now. "Good for you, little woman! That’il give me a chance to shoot quick.” They moved on again for a hundred yards or more: but thoueh Blake keat |i tontirmed on i>a«e Seven
