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Show SERIAL? L STORY cvj I INTO THE I 1 PRIMITIVE j ? liByiHl ' !! ROBERT AMES BENtJET V r : : : $8 ': Utustrallcns bj '. X j: RAY WALTERS (Copyright, IWJ, bjr A. C. JlcClurB Co.) SYNOPSIS. The story opens with tho shipwreck of the steamer on which Miss Genevieve Leslie, an American heiress, Lord Win-tliropc, Win-tliropc, an Englishman, unit Tom Dlakc, n brusquo American, woro passengers. The three were tossed upon nn uninhabited uninhab-ited Island and were, tho only ones not drowned. Hlnlo recovered from n drunken drunk-en stupor, ninlec, shunned on the bont, because of his roughness, becamu a hero as preserver of tho helpless pair. The Kngllshinnn wns suing for the band of Miss Leslie, llluke started to awlin hack to tho ship to recover what wns left. Bluko returned safely. Wlnthrope wasted his last mutch on a clgnrette, for which he was scored by Blake. Their first meal was a dead fish. The trio 'sturted a ten mllo hlko for higher land. Thirst attacked at-tacked them. Blako was compelled to carry Miss Leslln on nrcount of wonrl-ness. wonrl-ness. IIu taunted Wlnthrope. They entered en-tered the Jungle. That night was passed roosting high In a tree. Tho next morning morn-ing they descended to the open again. All three constructed lints to shield themselves them-selves from tho sun. They then feasted on coroanuts, tho only procurable food. Miss Leslie showed a liking for TJlnke. but detested his roughness. Led by Ulake they established a home In Borne ollffe Ulake found a fresh water spring. Miss Lesllo faced an unpleasant situation, CHAPTER VIII. Continued. "They'll bo dry In a day or two. Say, Wlnthrope, you might fetch somo of those stones slzo of a ball. I used to bo a fancy pitcher when I was n kid, and we might scaro up a rabbit or something." "I play cricket myself. Hut these stones " "Detter'n a gun, when you haven't Kot tho gun. Como on. We'll go In a bunch, nfter all, In case I need stones." j With duo consideration for Win- ' thropo's anklo not for Wlnthrope ( Blako sot so slow a pneo that tho half- I ' mllo's walk consumed over half an ?S& hour. But his smouldering irritation was soon quenched when they drew k near tho green thicket at tho foot of tho cleft. In tho almost deathlike stillness of mid-afternoon, tho sound i of trickling wntcr came to their ears, I clear nnd musical. "A spring!" shouted Blake. "I guessed right Look at those greon plants nnd grass; there's tho channel whoro it runs out in tho sand and dries up." Tho others followed him eagorly as ho pushed In among tho trees. Thoy saw no running water, for tho tiny rill that trickled flown tho ledges was matted over with vines. But at the foot of tho slopo lay a pool, somo ton yards across, and overshadowed by the surrounding trees. Thero was no undorbrtiBli, and tho ground wns trampled bnro as a floor. "By Jovo," said Wlnthropo; "seo tho tracks! Thero must havo been a drove of sheep about." "Doer, you mean," replied Blako, bonding to oxnmlno tho deepor prints at tho edgo of tho pool. "Theso ain't sheep tracks. A lot of thorn aro argcr." "Could you not uncovor tho brook?" asked Miss Leslie. "If nnlmnls have been drinking hero, ono would prefer cleaner wator." "Sure," assented Blako. "If you're game for a climb, nnd can wait a fow minutes, we'll got It out of tho spring Itself. Wo'vo got to go up anyway, to got at our poultry yard!" "Hero's a placo that looks like a path," called Wlnthropo, who had circled cir-cled about tho edgo of tho pool to tho farther side. ' . Blako ran around bosldo him nnd stared at tho tunnol-llko passngo which ( 0" wound up tho llmestono ledges be- V . . neath tho overarching thickets. "Odd plnco, is it not?" observed Wlnthropo. "Looks llko a fox run, nly larger, you know." i "Toq low for deer, though nnd tholr hoofs would hu.vo cut up tho IVvS?'"" moss and forns more Lot's got a close look." As ho spoke, Blako stooped , nnd climbed a fow yards up tho trail to an overhanging lodge, four or flvo foot high. Whoro tho trail rnn up over , this break In tho slopo tho stono wns bnro of all vegetation. Blako laid his club on tho top of the led go, and was-about was-about to vnult aftor it, when, directly beneath his noso, ho saw tho print of a groat cntllko paw, outlined In dried mud. At tho same Instant, a doep growl aino rumbling down tho "fox run." Without waiting for a second wnrnlng, Blako drow his club to him, nnd crept' back down tho trail. His stealthy movements nnd furtlvo backward back-ward glancis filled his companions with vague terror. Ho himself was hardly less alarmed. "Got out of'Ujo trees Into tho open!" he exclalme'd lh a hoarse whisper, and as they crept away, white with dread of tho unknown danger, ho followed ut their heels, looking backward, his club raised in readlnoss to strike. Onco clear of tho trees, Wlnthrope caught Miss Leslie by the hand and broke into a run. In tholr terror Ihoy paid no hoed to Blake-'s command to stop. Thoy had darted off so unexpectedly unex-pectedly that ho did not overtnko them short of 100 ynrdB. "Hold on!" ho said, gripping Wlnthrope Wln-thrope roughly by the shoulder. "It's safe enough hero, nnd you'll knock out that blnmcd nnklo." "What Is it? What did you seo?" gasped Miss Leslie. "Footprint," mumbled Blake, ashamed of his fright. "A lion's?" cried Wlnthrope. "Not so largo 'bout tho slzo of a puma's. Must bo a leopard's den up thore. I heard a growl, and thought It about time to clear out." "By Jovo, we'd better withdraw around tho point!" "Withdraw your aunty! There's no leopard going to tncklo us out hero In open ground this time of dny. The sneaking iomcat! If only I had a match, I'd show him how wo smoke rat holes." "Mr. Wlnthropo spoko of rubbing sticks to make fire," suggested Miss Leslie. "Make sweat, you mean. But we may os well Iry It now, if we're doing to at all. The sun's hot enough to fry oggs. Wi'U go. back to a shady place and pick ftp sticks on tho way." Though thero wns shade under tho cliff within some 600 feet, they had to go some distnnco to the nearest dry wood a dead thornbush. Hero they gathered a quantity of branches, oven Miss Leslio volunteering to carry a load. All was thrown down in a heap near the cliff, and Blako squnttod besldo it, penknife in hand. Having selected the dryest of tho larger sticks, ho bored a hole In one side nnd dropped In n pinch of powdered bark. Laying the stick In tho full glnro of tho sun, ho thrust a twig into the liolo and began to twirl it between his palms. This Crept" Back Down the Trail. movctnont lie kept up for several minutes; min-utes; but whether ho was unable to twirl tho twig fnst enough or whothor tho right kind of wood or tinder wns lacking nil his 'efforts failed to pro-duco pro-duco a spark. Unwilling to nccept tho failure, Wlnthropo Insisted upon trying In turn, nnd prldo held him to the task until ho was drenched with sweat. Tho result was tho same. "Told you so," Jeered Blako from where ho lay In tho shade. "We'd stand moro chance cracking stones together." to-gether." "But what shall wo do now?" asked Miss Lesllo. "I am boconilng very tired of cocoanuts, and thoro seoms to bo nothing olso around hore. Indeed, I think this Is all such a waste or llmo. If wo hnd wnlked straight along the shoro this morning wo might havo reached a town." "Wo might, Miss Jenny, nnd then, again, wo mightn't. I hnpponod to ovorhnul tho captain's chart Quill-mnno, Quill-mnno, Mozambique that's all for hundreds hun-dreds of miles. Towns on this const are about ns thick as hon's-teoth." "How nhout native vlllngos?" do-mnndod do-mnndod Wlnthropo. "Oh, yes; may bo I'm fool onough to go Into a wild nigger town without n gun. Mnybo I didn't talk with follows fol-lows down on tho Rand." ' "But what shall wo do?" repeated Mies Lesllo, with a littlo frightened catch in hor voice. She wns at last beginning to ronlizo what this rudo. break in hor sheltered, pampered llfo might mean. "What shall wo do? It's It's nbsurd to think of having to Btay In this horrid country for wooka or perhaps months unless somo ship cornea for us!" "Look hore, Miss Lesllo," answered Blake, sharply yot not unkindly; "suppose "sup-pose you Just sit back and use your thinker a bit. If you'ro your daddy's daughter, you'vo got brains somo-whoro somo-whoro down undor the bonrdlng-BC.hool stuff." "What do you mean, sir?" "Now,- don't got huffy, pleaso! It's d question of think, not of pttttl ig on airs. Hero wo aro, worse off thn tho people of tho stono ago. They had fire and flint axes; we've got nothing but our think tanks, nnd ns to lions nnd leopards nnd that sort of thing, It strikes mo wo'vo got about as many on hnnd as they had." "Then you nnd Mr. Wlnthropo should Immediately arm yoursolvcs." "How? But we'll leave that till later. What else?" The girl gazed at tho surrounding objects, her forehead wrinkled in tho effort at concentration. "Wo must hnvo wntor. Think how wo suffored yesterday! Then thoro is-shelter from wild beasts, and food, and " "All right hero undor our hands, If Wo hnd fire. Understand?" "I understand about tho water. You would frlghton tho leopard nwny with tho Are; and if it would do that, it would also keep away tho other animals ani-mals at night. But ns for food, unless wo return for "coconnu's " "Don't glvo It up! Keep your thinker think-er going on the 'side, while I'at tolls us our next move. Now that lie's got tho llro sticks out of his head " "I say, Blake, I wish you would drop that name. It is no harder to say Wlnthropo." "You'ro off, thoro," rejoined Blake. "But look hero, I'll mako it Win, If you figure out what wo ought to do next."- "Heally, Blake, that would not bo half bad. Thoy or they called mo Win at Harrow." "That so? My Englisn cnum wont to Hnrrow Jimmy Scnrbrldgo." "Lord James! your chum?" "Ho started In llko you, sort of toplofty. top-lofty. But he chummed nil right after aft-er I took out a lot of his British starch with a good walloping." "Oh, really now, Blako, you can't expect any ono with brains to bollovo that, you know!" "No; I don't know, you know, and I don't know If you'vo got any brains, you knew. Here's your chnnco to show us. What's Dur next move?" "Really, now, I havo had no experience experi-ence In this sort of thing don't In-torrupt, In-torrupt, pleaso! It seoms to mo that our first concern Is shelter for tho night. If wo should tottirn to your tree nest, wo should also be near tho cocoa palms." "That's one side. Hero's tho other. Bar to wade across sharks and alligators; alli-gators; then swnmpy ground malaria, ma-laria, mosquitoes, thorn Jungle. Guess the hands of both of you aro still soro enough, by their look." "If only I had a pot of cold cream!" sighed Miss Leslie. "IT only I had a hunk of jerked beef!" echoed Blnko. "I say, why couldn't wo chanco It for tho night around on tho seaward faco of tho cliff?" asked Wlnthrope. "I noticed n place where tho ledges overhang almost a cavo. Do you think it probnblo that any wild beast would venture so close to tho sea?" "Can't say. Didn't seo any tracks; so wo'll chanco It for to-night. Next?" "By morning I believe my ankle will bo in such shapo that I could go back for tho string of cocoanuts which wo dropped on the bench." "I'll go myself, to-day, else wo'll havo no supper. Now we're gotting down to bedrock. If those nuts hnvo not boon wnshod away by tho tiuo, we're ilxod for to-night; and for two meals, such as thoy aro. But what next? Even tho rain pools will bo dried up by anothor day or so." "Aro not son-birds good to eat?" inquired in-quired Miss Leslie. "Somo." - "Thon, if only wo could climb tho cllft might thoro not bo another placo?" "No; I'vo looked at both sides. What's more, thnt spotted tomcnt has got n monopoly on our wntor Biipply. Tho river may ho fresh at low tide; but wo'vo got nothing to boll wator In, nnd such bayou stuff is just concentrated con-centrated malaria." "Then we must find wator olso-whoro," olso-whoro," responded Miss Lesllo. "Might wo not succood If wo went on to tho other ridgo?" "That's tho ticket. You'vo. got a headpiece, Miss Jenny! It's too Into to. start now. But first thing to-mor-row I'll tnko a . run down'-1 that way, whilo you two lay around camp and see If you can twist some sort of fish-lino fish-lino out of Toconnut fiber, By braiding braid-ing your hair, Miss Jenny, you can sparo us your hnlr-plns for hooks." '"But, Mr. Bluko, I'm afraid I'd rathor you'd tako us with you. With that dreadful creature so near " "Well, I don't know. Let's seo your foot?" Miss Lesllo glanced at him, and .thrust a slender foot from beneath hor sklr' "Um-m stocking torn; but thosa slippers are tougher than I thought. Most of tho way will be good walking, along the beach. Wo'll leavo tho fishing fish-ing to Pat or bog pardon Win! With his anklo" "By Jove, Blako, I'll chanco tho anklo. Don't leavo' mo bohlnd. . I give you' my word, yo.u'U not havo to lug mo." "Oh, of course, Mr. Wlnthropo must go with us!" '"Fraid to go alono, eh 7? demanded Blake, frowning. His tono stnrtled nnd offended hor; yet all ho saw was a polltoly quizzical lifting of her brows. "Why should I bo nfrald, Mr. Blako?" she asked. Bluko stared at hor moodily. But when she mot his gazo with a confiding confid-ing smile, ho Hushed nnd looked nwny. "All right," ho muttered; "wo'll movo cump together. But don't expect ex-pect me to pack his ludslilp, If wo draw a blank and hnvo to trek back without food or water." CHAPTER IX. The Leopards' Den. VjJ HI LB Ulako mado a successful success-ful fill trip for tho abandoned cocoanuts, his conipnnlona loveled tho stones bononth tho lodges chosen by Wlnthropo, and gnthored enough dried sea-weed along tho talus to soften the hard beds. Soothed by tho monotonous wash of tho sea nmong tho rocks, oven Miss Leslie slept well. Blnko, who had Insisted In-sisted that she should rotaln his coat, was wakened by the chilliness preceding pre-ceding tho dnwn. FIvo minutes lator Ihey started on tholr Journey. Tho starlight glimmered on tho waves nnd shed n faint radlanco over tho rocks. This nnd their knowledgo of the way enabled them to pick a path along the foot of tho cliff without difllculty. Once on tho beach, they swung along nt a smart gait, invigorated invigor-ated by tho cool nlr. Dawn found them half way to their goal. Bluko called n halt when tho first rod streaks shot up tho oastorn sky. All stood waiting until the quickly quick-ly following sun sprang forth from tho sea. Blako's first act wnB to glanco from one headland to the other, estimating esti-mating their relative distances. His grunt of sutlsfuctlon wns lost In Win-thropo's Win-thropo's exclamntlon; "By Jovo, look at the cattle!" (TO 1313 CONTINUED.) |
