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Show serial"? L3 STORY cj 1 v-v-v.v.v.v.v.'XvX-X-X-X-X'X-;-: ( INTO THE I I PRIMITIVE 1 i By r 1 ROBERT AMES BENNET I : Illustrations bj :j: iji , RAY WALTERS jij . . . . . .."-..."-".-, a (Copyright, l0S, by A. C. McClurtf Co.) CHAPTER I. Wave-Tossed and Castaway. Sl-ll".. J HEbcnnlng was 'at Cape SsjlJ Town, when Blake and fi- Wlnthrope boarded the steamer as fellow pnssongors with Lady Bayroso and her party. This wns a week after WInthropo had arrived on tho tramp Bteamor from India, and hor ladyship had explained ex-plained to Miss Leslie that It was as well for her not to bo too hnsty In accepting his attentions. To bo sure, ho was an Englishman, his dress nnd manners were Irreproachable, and ho was in tho primo of rlponed youth. Yet Lady Dayrose was too conscientious conscien-tious a chaperon to bo fully satisfied with her countryman's bare assertion that ho was engaged on a diplomatic mission requiring rotlconco regarding his Identity. Sho did not see why this should prevent him from confiding in her. Notwithstanding this, WInthropo camo aboard ship virtually ns a member mem-ber of hor ladyship's party. Ho was so quick, bo thoughtful of hor comfort, and paid so much more nttontlon to hor than to Miss Lesllo, that her ladyship lady-ship had decided to tolerato him, even before Blako became a factor in the situation. From tho moment ho crossed the gangway tho American englnoor entered en-tered upon a dally routine of drinking nnd gambling, varied only by attempts to strike up an off-hand acquaintance with Miss Leslie. This was Win-thropo's Win-thropo's opportunity, nnd his clover frustration of what Lady Dayrose termed "that, low bounder's Impudence" Impu-dence" served to Install him in the good graces of her ladyship as well as In the favor of tho American heiress. Such, nt least", was what Wlnthrope Intimated to the persistent englneor with n superciliousness of tone and manner that would have stung oven' a British lackey to resentment. To Blako It was supremely galling. He could not rejoin in kind, and tho slightest attempt at physical retort would have meant Irons and confinement. confine-ment. It was a British ship. Behind Wlnthrope was Lady Bayroso; behind her ladyship, as a matter of course, was all tho despotic authority of the captain. In the circumstances, It was not surprising that tho American drank heavier after each successive goading. Meantime the ship, having touched nt Port Natal, steamed on up tho east coast, Into the Mozambique channel. chan-nel. 0 On tho day of tho cyclone, Blake had withdrawn Into his stntoroom with a number of bottles, and throughout that fearful afternoon was blissfully unconscious of the danger. Even when tho steamer wont on tho roof, ho was only partially roused by tho shock. Ho took a long pull from a quart flask of whisky, placed tho flask with great care in his hip pocket, and lurched out through the open doorway. door-way. The sea was breaking ovor tho steamer In torrents; but betwoen waves Blake was dragged across to tho sldo nnd flung ovor into tho bottom bot-tom of the ono remaining boat. Ho served as a cushion to broak tho fall of Miss Leslie, who was tossed In after him. At tho same tlmo, Wlnthrope, Wln-thrope, frantic with fear, scrambled into the bows and cut looso. She and WInthropo saw tho steamer steam-er slip from tho reef and sink back Into deep water, carrying down In tho vortox the mate and tho few remaining remain-ing sailors. Aftor that all was chaos to them. They voro driven ashoro before be-fore tho terrific gusts of tho cyclone, blinded by tho stinging spoondrltt to all olso but tho hell of breakers and coral reefs In whoso midst they swirled so dizzily. And through It all Blako lay huddled on the bottom boards gurgling blithely of Bplcy zophyrs and swaying hammocks. There camo- the soomlngly final moment mo-ment whon tho boat went spinning stern ovor prow. Half-sobered, Blake opened his eyes and Btared solemnly about him. Ho wns given lltllo time to tnko his bearings. bear-ings. A smother of broken surf came seething up from ono of tho grent breakers, to roll him ovor and scrnpo him a little farther up the muddy shore. There tho Hood deposited him for a momont, until It could gather forco to Bwcop back and drag him down again toward tho roaring sea that had cast him up. Blako objected not to tho danger of being drowned, but to; Interference with his repose. He had reached tho obstlnnto stage. Ho grunted a protest. Again tho flood seethed up tho shore, und rolled him awny from tho danger. This was too much I He sot his Jaw, turned ovor, nnd stnggorod to his feet. Instantly ono of tho terrific wind-blasts struck his broad back and sent him spinning' for ynrds. Ho brought up In a shallow pool, beside a hummock. Undor tho lee of tho knoll lay WInthropo WIn-thropo nnd Miss Leslie. Though conscious, con-scious, both wore draggled and bruised nnd boaten to exhaustion. Thoy wore together becauso thoy had como ashore together. When tho boat capsized, cap-sized, MIbs Lesllo had been flung against the Englishman, and they hnd held fast to each other with tho doB-purato doB-purato clutch of drowning persons. Nolthor of them ovor rocalled how thoy gained tho shelter of tho hummock. hum-mock. Blake, sitting waist-deep In tho pool, blinked nt them benignly with his palo blue eyes, and produced the qunrt flaBk, still a third full of whisky. "I shay, Iron's," ho obsorved, "ha' ono on mo. Won' cos' you shont notta re' shentt" "You fuddled lout!" shouted Wlnthrope. Wln-thrope. "Como out of that pool." "Wassama'or pool? Pool's allrl'I" Tho Englishman squinted through the driving scud at tho Intoxicated man with an anxious frown. In all probability ho felt no commiseration Sleeping the Sleep of the Just and the Drunkard, for the American; but It was no light mnttor to be flung up barohandod on the most unheaUhful and savage stretch of tho Mozambique coaBt, and Blake might bo ablo to help them out of tholr predicament. To leave him In tho pool was therefore not to bo thought of. So soon as ho had drained his bottle, ho would Ho down, and that would bo tho end of him. As any attompt to movo him forcibly was out of tho question, tho situation demanded that WInthropo Justify his Intimations of diplomatic training. After considering consid-ering the problem for sovoral minutes, ho mot It In a way that proved e was at least not lacking In shrewdness and tnct. "See here, Blako," ho called, In another an-other lull between tho shrieking gusts, "tho lady Is fatigued. You'ro tdo much of a gentleman to ask her to como ovor there." It required some moments for this to ponotrato Blako's fuddled brain. After' n futllo attompt to gain hlB feot, ho crawled out of tho pool on all fours, and, with tears In his eyes, pressed his flask upon Miss Leslie. Sho shrank away from him, shuddering, and drew hersolf up In a huddlo of flaccid limbs and limp garments. AVlnthropo, however, how-ever, not only nccopted tho flask, but como near to draining It. Blako squinted at the diminished contonts, hesitated, and cast a glance of maudlin gallantry at Miss Lesllo. Sho lay colled, closer than before, in a draggled heap. Her posturo suggested sug-gested sleep. Blake starod at hor, the flask extended waverlngly fore him. The:) ho brought It to hi Hps, and drained out tho last drop. "Tlmo turn In," ho mumblod, nnd Bprawlod full length in the brackish oozo. Immediately he fell Into a drunken stupor. Wlnthrope, Invigorated by the liquor, roso to his knoes, and poered around. It was impossible to fnco tho scud and spoondrlft from the furious fioa; but to leeward ho cnught a gllmpso of a marsh flooded with bhU wnter, Its reedy vogotntlon beaten flat by tho storm, Ho himself was beaten down by a terrific gust. Panting nnd trumbllng, ho waited Tor the wind to lull, In liopo that he might obtnlu a clcaror view of his surroundings. Before Be-fore he again dared rise to his feet, darkness swept down with troplcnl BUddonness nnd blurrod out-overythlng. Tho effect of tho whisky Boor, passed, nnd WInthropo huddled between be-tween his compnnlons, drenched and exhausted. Though he could hoar Miss Leslie moaning, ho was too mlscrnblo himself to Inquire whether ho could do anything for hor. Presently ho became aware that tho wind wns falling. Tho center of tho cyclone had passed boforo tho ship struck, and they wore now In tho outermost out-ermost circle of tho vast whirlwind. With tho consciousness of this chnngo for the bettor, Winthropo'a foar-rncked norvos relaxed and ho fell Into a heavy sleep. CHAPTER II. Worse Than Wilderness. Gp3p WAIL from Miss Lesllo 'Jjfvi roused tho Englishman out of a dream In which ho hnd been swimming for Ufo across n sea of boiling oil. Ho sat uy nnd gazed about him, half-dazed. The cyclone had been followed by a dead calm, and tho sun, already woll above tho horizon, hori-zon, wns blazing upon them over tho ghiBsy surfaces of the dying swells with flerco heat. WInthropo felt nhout for his hat. It had been blown off whon, nt tho striking stri-king of tho stoamer, ho had rushed tip on dock. As ho remembered, he straightened, nnd looked at his companions. com-panions. Blake lay snoring whero ho had first outstretched hlmsolf, sleeping the sleep of tho Just and of tho drunknrd. Tho girl, however, was already awake. She oat with her hands clasped In her lnp, while tho tears rolled slowly down hor chcoks. "My ah dear MIbs Gonevlevo, what Is tho mnttor?" oxclnlmed Wlnthrope. "Matter? Do you ask, whon wo aro hero on this wretched coast, and may not get away for weekb? Oh, I did bo count on the London season this yearl Lady Dayrose promised that I should be among those presented." "Well, I ah fancy, Lady Bayroso will do no more presenting unless It may be to the heavenly choir, you know." "Why, whnt do you mean, Mr. WInthropo? You told me that sho and the maids had been put in the largest boat" "My dear Miss Genevieve, you must remembor that I am a diplomat. It was all quite sufficiently hnrrowlng, I assure you. Thoy were, Indeed, put Into tho largest boat Beastly muddle! mud-dle! Whllo thoy waited for tho mate to fetch you, tho boat was crushed alongside, and all In it drowned." "Drowned! drowned! Oh, dear Lady Bayroso! And she'd traveled so much oh, oh, It Is horrible! Why did she persuade mo to visit the Capo? It waB only to bo with hor And thon for us to s,tart off for India, when wo might have sailed straight to Englnnd! Oh, It is horrible! horrlblo! And Iny mnld, and all It cannot bo possible!" "Prny, do not excite yourself, my dear Miss Genevieve. Tholr troubles aro all over. Er Gawd has taken them to Him, you know." "But. tho plty of It! To bo drownod so far from homo!" "Ah, If that's all you'ro worrying about! I must say I'd ltko to know how we'll got a snack for breakfast. I'm hungry as a or groom." "Eating! How can you think of eating, Mr. Wlnthrope and all tho others drowned? This sun is becoming becom-ing dreadfully hot. It is unbearable! Can you not put up some kind of an awning?" "Woll, now, I must say, I wns never much of a hand nt such things, and really I can't Imagine what ono could rig up. There might have been a bit of sail In tho boat, but ono can't sco a sign of Jt. I fancy It was smnshod." Miss Lesllo vontured n glance at Blako. Though still lying as ho had sprawled In his drunkenness, thero was a comforting suggestion of power In his broad shoulders and square Jaw. "Is ho still In that condition?" "Must have slept It off by this time, nnd thero's no more In tho flask," answered an-swered WInthropo. Roachlng over with his foot, ho pushed against Blako's back. "Huh! All right," grunted tho sleeper, and sat up, as had WInthropo, half dazed. Then ho stared around him, nnd rose to his foot. "Well, what In boll! Say, this Is damn cheerful!" "I fancy wo aro In a nasty fix. But I say, my man, there Is a woman present, pres-ent, and your language, you know " Blako turned and fixed tho Englishman English-man with a cold stare. "Look horo, you bloomln' lud," ho said, "thero's Just one thing you'nv going to understand, right horo nnd now. I'm not your man, and we're not going to have any of thaf-klnd of blat- tor. Any fool can sco we're In a IH tight hole, nnd wo'ro llko to keep com- mHWJ puny for a whllo probably long as we HHH HHH "Whnt ah may I aRk, do you mean MEl by that?" 101 Blake laughed hnrahly, and pointed , HI from the roof-strewn sen to tho vast III strctchcH of dcsnlnta marsh, Far In- H?l land, across miles of brackish lagoons , U and reedy mud-flats, could bo soon HI groups of scrubby, half-leafless troos; ten or twolvo miles to tho southward a rocky hcndland Jutted out Into tho HH wnter; otherwlso thoro was nothing In VJ Bight but sea and Bwnmp. If It could WtU not proporly bo termed n scn-vlow, It Kl wns at least a very wet landscape. IBB "Fine prospect," remarked Blako, Ml dryly. "Wo'll bo In luck it tho fovor fl don't get tho last of us tnsldo a HI month; nnd as for you two, you'd havo Hi as much show of lasting, n month ns HH a toad with n rnttlosnnke, It It wasn't HH for Tom Blako that's my mime Tom J HH Blake and ns long ns this shindy rtH lasts, you'ro welcomo to call mo Tom 1 fl or Dlako, whlchover stilts. But un- , H dcrstand, wo'ro not going to havo 'IhI any more of your bloody, bloomln' JHH English condescension. Aboard ship B you had the drop on mo, nnd could Hi pile on dog till the cows enmo homo. HH Horo I'm Blako and you'ro Win- H "Believe me, Mr. Blnkc, 1 quite np- H preclnto tho nh situation. And now, JAH I fancy thnt, Instead of wasting HJ lime" H "It's about tlmo you Introduced mo h to the lady," Interrupted Blake, and 11 he stared nt them half defiantly, yet jHfl with n twinkle in his eyes. HI Miss Leslie flushed. WInthropo H swore softly, nnd bit his Hp. Aboard ship, backed by Lady Bayroso and tho HI captain, he had goaded the Amorlcan H nt pleasure. Now, however, tho sit- H untlon was reversed. Both title and, H authority hnd boon Bwopt away by HI tho storm, nnd ho was loft to shift for HJ himself against the man who had , HJ every reason to hate him for his ovor- H bearing Insolonco. Worso still, both he nnd Miss Lesllo were now depen- JHb dent upon tho American, In all prob- EHJ ability for lire Itself. It was a blttor HJ pill and hard to swallow. Blake was not slow to obsorve the Englishman's hesitancy. Ho grinned. "Every dog has his day, nnd I guess HJ this Is mine," he said. "Tako your IhI time, If it comes hard. I can lmaglno HJ it's a pretty stiff doso for your ludahlp. VHJ But why In why in frozen hades an H American lady should object to on In- M traduction to a countryman who's go- UHl Ing to do his level best to save her iHb protty little self from tho hyenas HH well, It beats mo." HH WInthropo flushed redder than tho ' HH HH "Miss Leslie, Mr. Blake," he mur- HH mured, hoping to put an end to tho HhI situation. IhI But yet Blake persisted. Ho bowed, , h1 openly exultnnt. UH "You see, miss," ho said, "I know the HA correct thing qulto ns much as your Ifl swells. I knew nil nlong you were ffl Jenny Leslie. I ran a survoy for your U dear papa when ho was manipulating lH the O. T. railroad, and ho did me out II of my pay." l (TO niC CONTINUED.) HJ |