Show = e t i l CID 1IDrnE mnf1Jll TI I 0 J r D r 7 1 u 0 I I II c7 ou a i r ROBERTa l i ROBERT l IE i it 1 BINN + T I LLWrAIoff IJY RAY WALTlJ OPYRIlIr rot tr Acsiicutac II co + SYNOPSIS The story opens with Urn shipwreck of l the steamer on which Miss QenoUnvo j Leslie nn American heiress Lord Win t rope nn Englishman and Tom Blake i IJru quo American wcro passengers flii three worn tossed upon nn uninhabited uninhab-ited Island and were tho only ours not i irowncd Ulako recovered from a drunk in stupor Blake shunned on the boat I kacauso of his roughness become a hero I ka preserver of the helpless pair Tho f rnRllBlurmn way suing for tho hand of t Him Ixslle Jllako started to Blin hack f o tho ship to recover what was left S IC t Blako roturned safely Winthropo wasted tlI his lost match on a cigarette for which of Ii be was scored by lake Their first meal i t was a dead fish Tho trio started a ten 1 inllo hlko for higher land Thirst at lacked them Blake was compelled to Ii tarry Miss Leslie on account of searl t i I joss Ho taunted WInthrope They en tond tho JunBle That night was passed rooBtlnK high In a tree The next morn 1 ntr they descended to the open npiln ftllhl tftrm t Ml I three constructed hats to shield them 1 selves from tin sun They then feasted t in coeonnuts tho only procurable food I Miss Ixjalln showed a liking for Blake jn 1 bill detested his ronchncss Led by Blake I f they established a home In some cliffs I lake found n fresh water sprit Miss i j tonne faced nn unpleasant situation i I + rImy planned their ciiinpalen Blake re 1 i I tovorcd his surveyors magnifying class r thus Insuring tire lie started a Jungle i mare 3 CHAPTER IX Continued h iv Ip i I Blake picked a path along tho edge I i or tho rill where tho moist vegetation r though scorched had refused to burnt burn-t I i 1 t After tho first abrupt ledge up which h J Blake had to drag his companions the J ascent was easy But as they climbed f around an outjuttlng corner of tho I stoop right wall of tho cleft Illako t muttered a curso of disappointment i 1 Ho could now see that tho cleft did II i < t I not run to tho top of tho cliff but i through It like a tiny box canyon I i fTlio sides rose sheer and smooth as I If9 I i walls Midway at tho highest point of Hi high nbovo the ridge crest Its gigantic 1 trunk filling a third of tho breadth ot p h tho little gorge Unfortunately It stood close to tho left wall 0 Mood I luck for you growled t Blake Why couldnt tho blamod old trco have grown on tho other side Wo might have found a way to climb I It Gues < well havo to smoke out another luipnrd Were no nearer thoso birds nests than wo were yesterday tv yes-terday r Bv Jove look here exclaimed of Wlnttirepc This Is our chanco fort for-t l t if 1 antelope Hero by the spring are fo bamboos real bamboos and only 1a half tho thicket burned II 1 What of them 1 domanded Blake Uows arrows and did you not t agree that they would make knives f r J Umphwell see What Is It Miss m4 l Jenny l Isnt that a holo In tho big tree 1 Looks like It These baobabs arc often hollow t Perhaps that Is where the leopard I tI bud his don added Winthropo Shouldnt wonder Well go and E A see But Mr Blake protested the girl may there not bo other leopards t Ii i f Might have been but Ill bet they i I t lit out with the other Look how tho t troo Is scorched Must havo been t 1 I stacks of dry brush around the holo i f nough to smoke out a fireman Well i to t I took and see If thoy left any soup bones lying around First thought though-t j I heros your drink Miss Jenny t As ho spoke Blake kicked aside n t some smouldering brunches and led fA 1 f1 tho way to the crevice whence tho I ° i spring trickled from the rock into a rF y shallow stone basin When all had t drunk their fill of tho clear cool water yk lt Blake took up his club and walked ii straight across to tho baobab Less t t than 30 steps brought him to tho narrow I i nar-row opening in the trunk of tho huge tree At first he could make out nothing noth-ing in tho dimly lit Interior but the r I t i I fetid catty odor was enough to con t t I vlnco him that he had found the t I 0 if le leopards den lie caught tho vaguo outlines of along t a-long body crouched live or six yards away on tho far sldo of tho hollow d v Ho sprang back his club brandished v to strike But tho expected attack did F i not follow Blake glanced about as Li i though considering the advisability of ° 1 a retreat Winthropo and Miss Leslie r y wore staring at him whitefaced Tho ifs I L sight of their terror seemed to spur l him to daredevil bravado though his A + ° t actions may rather havo been duo to w t realized the of i Q Jt tho fact that ho futility I j night and so rose to tho requirements + j of the situation tho grim need to stand and face the danger Get behind tho bamboos ho 4 rK t t called and as they hurriedly obeyed I L I ho caught up a stono and lung it lu at a t t the crouching boast fl 3 t v Ho heard the missile strike with a i i soft thud that told hIm ho had not d + f missed his mark and ho swung up his t Club iu both hands Given half a + i chance he would smash tho skull of the female as he had crushed her i blinded mate Ono moment after another f 1 an-other passed and ho stood poised for I Jit > tho shock tense and scowling Note Not-e 10 much ns a snarl camo from within The truth flashed upon him h I j Smothered ho yelled The other saw him dart in through t the hole A moment later two limp grayish bodies wero Hung out into tho 3 i open Immediately after Blake reupi r geared dragging tho body of tho moth I er leopard 2 Its all right theyre dbad cried WInthiopo and he ran forward to look It UK bodlos t I a l a 1 d k k Y raCn arwonr V v 11 ii I Vl r41 v I c r 11 1r t j If 1JI k ItI One Moment After Another Passed Miss Leslie followed hardly less curious Arc they all dead Mr Blake she inquired Wiped outwhole family The old cat stayed by her kittens and all smothered together lucky for us Get busy with those bamboos Win Im going to have these skins and tho oooner wo get the cub meat hung up and curing tho better for us Leopard meat again rejoined WInthrope Spring leopard young and tender What more could you ask Get a move on you Can I do anything Mr Blake asked Miss Leslie Hunt a shady spot But I really mean it Well if thats straight you might go on along tho gully and see It theres any place to get to tho top You could pick up sticks on too way back If any aro loft Well have to fumigate this tree hole before wo adopt it for a residence Will It bo long before you finish with yourwith the holies 1o11 now look here Miss Jenny its going to be a mess and I wouldnt mind hauling the carcasses clear down tho gully out of sight If It was to be the only time But its not and you havo got to get used to it sooner or later So well start now I suppose If I must Mr Blake Really I wish to help Good Thats something like Think you can learn to cook See what I did this morning Blake took tho cord of cocoanut fl ber which she hold out to him and tented Its strength Well Ill be blessed ho said This Is something like If you dont look out youll make quite a campmate camp-mate Miss Jenny But now trot along This Is hardly arctic weather and our abattoir dont include a cold storage plant Tho toonor these lamb are dressed tho better CHAPTER X Problems In Woodcraft I T WAS no pleasant sight that met Miss Leslies gaze upon her return The neatest of butchering can hardly bo termed aesthetic and Blake and Win thropo lacked both skill and tools Dot Do-t the penknife and an improvised blade of bamboo they had flayed tho two cubs and haggled off tho flesh The ragged strips spitted on bamboo rods were already scaring in tho fierce sunrays Miss Leslie would have slipped Into the hollow of time baobab with her armful of fagots and brush but Blake waved a bloody knlfo above tho body of tho mother leopard and beckoned tho girl to come nearer Hold on a minute please ho said What did you find out Miss Leslie drew a few stops near and He Stood Poised for the Shocker Shock-er and forced herself to look at the revolting sight She found it still more difllcult to withstand the odor of the fresh blood Winthropo was pale and nauseated The sight of his distress dis-tress caused the girl to forget her own loathing She drew a deep breath and succeeded in countering Blakes expectant look with a halfsmllo How well are you getting aloilg she exclaimed Didnt think you could stand It But youve got grit all right if you are a lady Blake said admiringly Say youll make It yet Now how about the gully There is no place to climb up It runs along like this and then slopes down But there Is a cliff at the end as high as these walls Twenty feet muttered Blake Confound the luck It isnt that Jump off but how in hw are wo going to got up on the cliff Theros nn everlasting lot of omelettes In thoso birds nests If only that bloom Inhows that Win mo b1that bloomln blawsted baobab was on tother side The woods almost soft as punk We could drive In pegs and climb up the trunk There are other trees beyond It remarked Miss Leslie Then maybe we can shin upI up-I fear the branches that overhang tho cliff are too slender to bear any weight And its too Infernally high to climb up to this overhanging baobab limb I say ventured Winthropo if we had an ax now wo might cut up one of the trees and make a ladder Oh yes and if wo had a ladder wo might climb up the cliff But Mr Blake Is there not someway some-way to cut down one of tho trees The tree Itself would be a ladder If It fell In such a way as to lean against the cliff Theres only the penknife answered an-swered Blake So I guess well have to scratch eggs off our menu card Spring leopard for ours Now If you really want to help you might scrapo tho soup bones out of your boudoir and fetch a lot more brush wit lake a big fire to rId tho hole of that cat smellWill Will not the tree burn No these hollow baobabs have green bark on the inside as well as out Funny thing that Wed have to keep a lire going a long 110 to burn through Yet it would burn in tlmo Yes but woro not going to Then why not burn through tho trunk of ono of thoso small trees instead In-stead of chopping It down Ulleck Miss Jenny youve golan gol-an American headpiece Como on Sooner we got the thing started tho better Neither Winthropo nor Miss Leslie was reluctant to leave tho vicinity of tho carcasses They followed close after Blake around the moustrous bole of tho baobab A little beyond it stood a group of slcndor trees whose trunks averaged eight Inches at tho base Blako stopped at the second one which grew nearest to thn seaward sea-ward sldo of the cleft Heres our ladder he said Get some firewood Pound tho bushes though before you go poking into them May be snakes her Snakes1Qhl cried Hiss Leslie and she stood shuddering at the danger dan-ger sho had already Incurred The fire had burnt Itself out cm a bare ledge of rock between them and the baobab and the clumps of dry brush left standing In this end of tho cleft were very suggestive of snakes now that Blake had called attention to the possibility of their presence lIe laughed at his hesitating com lanlons Go on go on Dont squeal till youe bit Most snakes like out If you give them half a chance Take a stick each of you and pound the bushes Thus urged both started to work But neither ventured Into the thicker clumps When they returned with large armfuls of sticks and twigs they found that Blake had used his glass to light a handful of dry bark out In the sun and was musing it Into In-to a small lire at the base of the tree on the side next the cliff Now Miss Jenny ho directed youre to keep this going not too big a flro undoistand Same time you can keep on fetching brush to fumigate fumi-gate your cat hole It needs it all rightWill Will not that bo rather too much for Miss Leslie asked WInthrope Well if shed rather come and rub brains on the skins Indian tan you knowQr How can you mention such things before a lady protested Winthropo Beg your pardon Miss Leslie you see Im not much used to ladles company com-pany Anyway youve got to see and hear about these things And now Ill have to get tho strings for Wins bamboo bows Come on Win Weve got that old tabby to peel and a lot more besides Miss Leslies Brat Impulse was to protest against being left alone when at any moment some awful venomous venom-ous serpent might como darting at her out of the brush or the crevices In the rocks But her ilalf parted lips drew firmly together and after a moments mo-ments hesitancy she forced herself to the task which had been assignee her The fire once started required little attention She could give most of her time to gathering brush for the fumigation of the leopard den She had collected quite a heap of fuel at the entrance of tho hollow when she remembered that tho place would first have to bo cleared of Its accumulation of bones A glance at her companions showed that they were In the midst of tasks even more revolting It was certainly disagreeable disagree-able to do such things yet as Mr Blake had said others had to do them It was now her tlmo to learn She could see him smile at her hesitation Stung by the thought of his hal contemptuous pity she caught up a forked stick and forced herself to enter en-ter the treecave The stench met her like a blow It nauseated and all but overpowered her She stood for sev eial moments In the center of the cav cavity the previous day she would havo run out Into tho open air Presently she grow a little moro accustomed ac-customed to the stench and began to rake over the soft dry mold of the den floor with her forked stick Doneswho had over dreamed of such a mess of bones big bone and little bones and skulls old bones dry and almost burled moldy bones bones still halfcovered with bits of flesh and gristle tho remnants of the leopard familys last meal At last all wero scraped out and flung in a heap three or four yards away from the entrance Miss Leslie Les-lie looked at tho result of her labor with a satisfied glance followed by a sigh of relief Between tho heat and her unwonted exorcise she was greatly great-ly fatigued She stepped around to a shadier spot to rest With a start she remembered the fireWhen When she reached it there were only a few dying embers left She gathered dead leaves and shreds of fibrous Inner bark and knelt beside the dull coals to blow them Into life She could not bear tho thought of hav IIIK to confess her carelessness to Blake TO Bi CONTINUED |