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Show 7SE R I AL STORY CJ r. . Tumiim iiimii hi 1 um f ' v-v-v-'.v.v.v.'.'.v.v.'.y, fUfTOTHEl I PRIMITIVE I 1 .;. :;: I I By I 1 iji ROBERT AMES BENNET .-. :: : :: : Illustrations by j:- : RAY Walters lt!s ii : HI '.V.V.V. V.V.V.V.V.-.V.-.V.V.V.V.V.V.' B ' .INI 4 4 4 4 4 4 . . . VJ " I (Copyright, 190.1, bjr A. U. McClurg Co.) SYNOPSIS. The atory opens with tho shipwreck of tho' stenmcr on which Miss Genevieve Leslie, an American heiress, ati1 Wlnthropo, Wln-thropo, nn Englishman, and Tom IJlnke, a brusquo American, wero passengers. Tho threo wero tossud upon nn uninhabited uninhab-ited Island nnd were' tho only ones not drowned. Blake recovered from a. drunken drunk-en stupor. Blako, shunned on tho boat, because of his roughness, beenmo n hero as preserver of tho helpless pnlr. Tho Englishman wns suing for the hand of Miss Leslie, lilnko, started to swim back to ,tho ship to recover what was left. Uhiko returned safely. Wlnthropo wasted his last nmtch on a cigarette, for which ho was scored by Blake. Their ilrst meal was n dend llsh. CHAPTER III. Continued. "To bo sure, tho. Japaneso eat raw fish," admitted "Wlnthropo. "Yos; and you'd swallow your Bharo of It if yo.tihnd air Invito to a swell dinner in Tokyo, po on now,, both of you.' 'It's no Joke, I tell you. Youjvo got to cat, If "you expect to get to water wa-ter before - hlghU Understand"? Seo that headland .south? Well, It's 100 tol we'll not find wntor short of there, nnd If we make It by night, we'll bo doing hotter than I figure from tho looks of theso bogs. Now go to chowlng: That's it! That's fine, Miss Jenny!" Miss Lesllo had forced herself to take a nibble of tho raw fish. Tho flavor proved less repulsive than 'sho hnd expected, and Its molsturo was bo grateful to hor parched mouth that sho began to eat with eagerness. Not to be outdone, Wlnthropo promptly followed her lead. Blako had already cut himself a second slice. After he had cut moro for his companions, he began to look them over with a closeness close-ness that proved ombarrasslng"to Miss Lesllo. a "Horo's moro of' tho good stuff," he said. "While you're chewing it, wq'11 sort of tako stock. Everybody shell out everything. Hero's my outfit threo shillings, half a dozen poker chips, and not nnother blessed Say, what's become of that whisky flask? have you seen my flnsk? "Hero It Is, right besido me, Mr. Blako," answered Miss Lesllo. "But It is ompty." "Might be worso! What you got? hairpins, watch? No pockot, I suppose?" sup-pose?" "None; and no watch. Even most of my pins are gone," replied tho girl, and she raised hor hand to her loosely colled hair. "Well, hold on to what you've got left. They may como in for fishhooks. fish-hooks. Lot'g seo your shoes." Miss Leslie slowly thrust a slender little foot Just beyond tho hem of her draggled whlto skirt. "Good Lord!" groaned Blako, "slippers, "slip-pers, and high heols at that! How do ou expect to walk In thoso things?" "I can at least try," replied tho girl, with spirit. "Hobble! Pass 'em over horo, Winnie, Win-nie, my boy." Tho slippers wero handed over. Blako took ono after tho other and wrcched off tho heel close tp Us base. "Now you'vo at least got a pair of slippers," ho said, tossing them back to their owner. ."Tie them on tight! with a couplo of your ribbons, If you don't wnnt to lose them In tho mud.) Now, Wlnthropo, what you got beside-, tho knife?" Wlnthropo held,out a bunch of lonj?'. fiat keys and his- cignrotto caso. Ho opened tho latter1 and was about tp; throw away tho two remaining clgnr cttes whon lllaka grasped his wrist. "Hold on! .oven"' they may como lh; for something. Wo'll at loast keep, , them until wo need tho case." " "And tho koys?" ' ."Make arrow-heads, if wo can. gel; nro:- . -; , ... . . r "I'vo .heard of savage- making flrg. by rubbing wood." "Yos; and wo'ro,;V Idrig' way from bolng savages at present. 'All the', show wo ha-vo Is to find some kind pf' quartz or flint, and tho sooner we start to look tho bettor. Got your slippers tied, Mtss Jenny?" .. ' . . v ; "Yos; I think thoy!.U !do;" ? f "Think-! It's', kftgwlng 'tho'. thing Hore. lot mo look." " ' i ' ' - The girl shrank back; ibut-Blako , stooped and cxnmlncu first ono sllppiir and then tho oilier. The ribbons about both wero tied In dainty bows. Blako Jerked them loose nnd twisted them firmly ovor and imdar tho slippers and about tho girl's slender ankles before knotting tho cuds. "Thero; that's moro like. You'ro not going to a dance," ho growled. Ho thrust tho ompty whisky flask Into his hip pocket nnd wont back to pass a sling of reeds through tho gills of tho corypheno. "All ready now," ho called. "Lot's got a move on. Koop my coat closer about your shoulders. Miss Jenny, nnd keep your shndo uys If you don't want a sunstroke." "Thank you, Blake, I'll bco to that," said Wlnthropo. "I'm going to holp .Miss Lesllo nlong. I've fastened our two Bhndos togothor, bo that they will answer for both of us." , . "How about' yoursolf, Mr. Blnko?" Inquired tho .girl. "Do you not And tho sun fearfully, hot?" "Suro; but I wet my head in the j sea, nnd here's nnother souse." As ho rose .with dripping hend from i bcsldo.tho pooUio slung the coryphonq on his back mid startod off without further words. ' CHAPTER IV. A Journey In Desolation. r t'ii?131!! OltNING was well advanced ll. M nnd tho sun beat down upon tho threo with nlriiost overpowering over-powering fierceness?' Tho heat 'would have rendered their thirst unendurable hnd' not Blake hackpd on for thorn bit after bit of tho moist corypheno flesh. In a tempcrnto cllmnto ten miles ovor firm ground Is a pleasant walk for ono accustomed to tho exercise. Quito a different matter is ton miles across mud-lints, covered with a tan-glo tan-glo of reeds and rushes, nnd frequently dipping into salt marsh and oozo. Be-foro Be-foro they had gono a mllo Miss Leslie would have lost hor slippers had it teas.- IA i I ' a Stopped, Utterly Spent. not been for Blnko's forethought in tying them so socurely. Wlthjn a lit-tlo lit-tlo moro than thrbo miles tho girl's strength began to fall. "Oh, Blake,' called Winthrope, for , tho Amorlcnn was soma yards in the lend, "pull up a bit on that knoll. Wo'll have to rest a whllo, I fancy. Miss Lesllo Is nbout pegged." ""What's that?" demanded Blako, "We're not half-way yet!" Wlnthropo did not reply. It was all ho could do to drag tho girl up on tho hummock. Sho sank, half-fainting, upon tho dry reeds, and ho 'sat down beside hor to protect .her with the shade. Blako stared at tho miles of swampy flats which yet lay between them and tho outdutting headland ol gray rock. Tho baso of tho cliff was screened by n belt of trees; but the . nonfest clump of green did not look more thnn a mllo nenrer than the headland. ' "Holt! " muttered Blnke, despondently. despondent-ly. "Not oven a short four mllos, Mush and sasslety jglrls!" Thouglr he spoko to hlmsolf tho others heard htm. Miss Leslie flushed and would hayp risen had not Wlnthropo Wln-thropo put his hand on lier arm. "Could you' hot rf) on and bring bnck n flask of water for Miss Lesllo?" ho n,sked. "By that tlmo sho will bo .reated." ' : . ., "No; I don't fotch back any flasks of wator. Sho's going 'when I go; or you can como on (to suit ybursolyos." . "Mr.. Blako, you ypu won't go and leaVo mo. horo! If you havo a sister if your mother " .... . '. "Slip died of drink, and, bpth my .tora.'dld worso.',r ; ' u ft. . "My God, man! jjo, yqu, moan 'to say you'll abandon a'holpldss young girl?" "Not a bit Jiloro, helpless than ,we.ro my sisters whon yoj5fflcUt folks' guar-dlanB guar-dlanB of law and order Jugged mo for 'tho winter ictfu'so .1 dldh'ti havo'.in rjol ai)d turned both crla,ilnto tlin titrnnt 'r.'-',' ' ,;. '-'onto -tho street; If you know what thnt fneansropo onlyC nnd tho othor 17. Talk about holpless young girls Damnation!" Miss Lesllo cringed bnck as though sho had been struck. Blako, however, Boomed to havo vented his anger In tho curse, for whon ho ngnln spoko there wns nothing more thnn Impatience Impa-tience In his tono. "Como on, now; got aboard. Wlnthropo couldn't lug you a hnlf-mllo, nnd long's It's tho only way don't bo all day nbout It. Hero, Wlnthropo, look to tho flsli." "But, my dear follow, I don't qulto take your Idea, nor doos Miss Lesllo, I fancy," vonturcd Wlnthropo. "Well, wo've got to got to wator or dlo; nnd ns tho lady can't wnlk sho's going on my back. It's a caso of havo-to.'' "No! am not I am not! I'd Booncr die!" "I'm afraid you'll ( find that easy enough later on,- Miss Jonrty. Stand by, Wlnthropo, to holp -her up. ,Do you hear? .Tako tho knlfo nnd fish and lend n hand." ' There was n note In Blnko's volco .that nolthor Wlnthropo nor Miss Lesllo Les-llo dared disregards Though scarlot with mortification, she pormltted herself her-self to bo taken pick-a-back upon Blnko's broad shoulders and meekly obeyed " his command to clasp her hands about ills throat Yet oven at that moment, such. are tho inconsls-tonclcs inconsls-tonclcs of human nature, sho could hot but admire tho ease with which ho rose tinder her weight. Now that ho no longer hnd tho slow pace of tho girl to, consldor, ho advanced ad-vanced at his natural gait, the quick, tireless stride of an American railroad surveyor. His foot, trained to swamp travel In Louisiana and Pannma, seemed to find tho firmest ground as by lnstlqct, nnd whether on tho half-dried half-dried mud of tho hummocks or In tho nnkle-deop wntor of tho bogs, they folt their way without slip or stumble. Wlnthropo,. though burdened only with the half-cnten corypheno, tdllod along behind, greatly troubled by tho mud and tho tungled rooils, and now nnd thqn flung down by spmo unlucky misstep. .Ms, modish suit, already much damaged by tho salt wator, was soon smeared afrosh with a coating of greenish slime. His ono consolation was that Blako, after- Jcoring nt his first tumblo,. paid no moro attention to him. On tho other hand, ho was cut by "tho seeming Indlfforenco of-Mlsa Leslio. Intent on his own misery, ho failed to consider that the girl might bo ..suffering far greater discomfort and humiliation. Moro thnn'threo' miles had been covered cov-ered 'heforo Blalo stopped on a hummock. hum-mock. Rolenslng .Miss Leslie, ho stretched out on tho dry crest of tho knoll and called for a bIIco of .tho fish. At his urging tho others took a few motithfulB, although their, throats wero bo parched that oven tho moist flesh afforded scant relief. Fortunately for thorn all, Blako, had been-thoroughly trained to enduro thirst. Ho rested less' than ten minutes; then taking Miss Lesllq up again like n rag doll, ho swung away nt a gobd paco. Tho trees wero loss than half a mile distant when ho halted for, tho. second tlmo. Ho would havp gono to them without a pause, though his muscles mus-cles wore quivering with exhaustion, had not Miss Lesllo chnncod to look around nnd discover that "Wlnthropo was no longer following them. For tho Inst mllo ho had been lagging farther nnd farther behind, nnd now ho had suddonly dlsappearedi At tho girl's dismayed exclamation, Blako released re-leased his hold and sho found herself standing In n foot or moro of mud and water. Tho sweat was streaming, down Blnko's face. As ho turned around, ho wiped It off with his shirt-slcoves. shirt-slcoves. "Do you can It bo, Mr. Blake, that ho has had a sunstroke?" asked Miss Leslie. "SunBtroko? No; ho's Just laid down, that's all. I thought ho had moro sand confound him!" "But tho sun Is so drendfully hot, and I have his shado." "And ho's been tumbling Into ovory other pool. No; U'b not tho. sun. I've half a mind to let him Ho tho paper-legged paper-legged swell! It would .no moro thnn squriro our aboard-shlp accounts." "Surely, you would not do that, Mr. Blako! It may bo that ho has hurt himself In falling." "In this ityid? balij But I guess I'm In for tho'1 pack-mule stunt all arouiid. Now,.n6w; don't yowl, Miss Joniiy. Im going. But you can't ex-pcctjno, ex-pcctjno, to loyo tho snob:" . e -t As ho splashed away on tho return trail, MIsb Lesllo dabbed at he,r oyos to check tho starting tears. ' , "Oh, dear Oh, dear!" she moaned; ?'whnt hayeI dpno to, bo so. treated?' .Such a brute. Oh, dear! and'l am so thirsty!" . 'Iii her despair, sho .would have sunk down where sho stqod hail not tho sllmlire,8B,v of; l'o wirter'' repelled : her. .Slibgazed l'onuMgly at tlio tr,ees,'ln tho foro of which stood a grove .of otatoly palms. The hnlf-mllo Boomed an Insuporablo '.dlstaitco; hut tho rldo on Blako'sjfj bnc) hadvre.stod, hpr and thirst g"o'aded her forward. .St'iftnuUnfl vailll slliipJnjjVsho:; wad.odi' orinitTrossfhe .lnundiitd'roun&nhd jcajnq.out iippn .hrilfJjaked mud-flat, Vhorq .tho walking wturmuch'oaslor, ' ,'. .''," ' ' ,. . '' ."it But tho ,sun wns now nlmost directly . oyorhead, and betweon her thirst and1 tho hont sho soon found herself faltor-lng, faltor-lng, Sho tottorod on a few Bteps farther, and then stopped, utterly spent. As sho sank upon tho dried 'M rushes sho glanced around and was vaguely conscious of n strnnge, double- headed flguro following hor path across tho marsh. All about her bo- camo black. Tho next sho know Blako was splashing hor head nnd faco with brackish wator out of tho whisky flask. Sho raised hor hand to shield hor faco, and snt up, Rick and dizzy. "That's It!" Bald Blnko. Ho spoko In n kindly tono, though his volco was harsh and broken with thirst. "You'ro . all right now. Pull yourself togethor, - nnd wo'll got to tho trees in a Jiffy." "Mr. Wlnthropo?" "I'm hero, Miss Gonovievo. It wns only a wrenched ankle. If I had n stick, Blnko, I fancy I could mnlco a go of it' over this drior ground." "And lay yoursolf up for n month. Come, Miss Jenny, brnco up 'for an-othor an-othor try. It's only a quarter-mtlp, and I've got to pndk him." The girl Was gasping with thirst; .. yet sho.mndo nn effort, and, nsslstcd by Blnko, mahnged to gain her foot. -Sho wub still dizzy; but ns Blako -swing Wlnthropo upon his back, ho , told her to tako hold of his arm. Win thropo hold th6 shndo over hor head. Thus assisted, and sheltered from tho ' direct bent of tho Btm-rays, sho tot-tered tot-tered along beside Blake, hnlf-uncon-sclaus. Fortunately 'tho remaining dtstnnco lny across a "stretch of baro dry ground, for oVon Blnko had all but reached tho limit of endurance. Stop by step ho labqred on, stnggorlng un-dor un-dor tho weight of tho Englishman and gasping with a thirst which his ox- 'H orllons rendered even greater than 'H thnt of his comiuinlons. But through the trees and brush which stretched away Inland In a wall of vorduro ho . had caught gllmpsos of a broad stream and tho hopo of fresh water called out ovory ounco of his rcsorvo strength. . a At Inst tho nenrest palm was only a ' .few pnecs dlstnnt. Blako clutched Miss Leslie's arm nnd dragged hor . forward with a rush In a final outburst of energy. A moment later all' throo "B lay. gasping In tho shado. But tho river was yet another 100 yards dls- tant. Blako waited only to regain his '" breath; then ho staggered up and went 'H on. -TJie others, unablo to rlso, gazed aftor him in silent misery. Soon Blnke found himself rushing through tho Junglo along a broad trail pitted with enormous footprints; - but - 4H ho was so near mad with thirst that lie paid no heed to tho spoor other - than to curso tho holes for tho troublo they gavo him. Suddonly tho trail turned to tho left nnd sloped down n low bank Into tho rlvpr. Blind to nil else, Blako ran down tho slope nnd dropping upon his knees plunged his head Into tho wator. (TO B13 CONTINUED.) |