Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-27
CHAPTER XVII.
A BLOOD MARKED OAR.

When Guthrie announced to Miss
Colepepper his intention of managing
to lose Henrietta, he was no doubt per-
fectly serious. but he rcckOned without
the sailor woman's natural instinct of
faithfulness to the spoken order of her
captain. Henrietta had been told tc
nursery maid the two young people.
and, inasmuch as she was a sailor, she
stuck grimly to her ordered duty; but,
inasWuCh as she was at the same time
"A woman she had Il kindly feeling for
the lovers, and therefore trudged stolid-
ly along a. far behind them as was con
sistcnt with the duty demands of her
conscience. And by this compromise
she succeeded in the difficult task Of
carrying ont her orders to the satisfac-
ton both of herself and OF her charges.
They found the cave in which Mich
Olas the First had established his inhos-
pitahlo snuggery III exactly the same
condition in which they had left it. so
it was obvious that the burly farmer
had not been there
But | don't think, pronounced
Dolly, "that there's the least likelihood
Of his having followed the shore route
at all. There far too much climbing
hereabout to suit his Ia 70 He'd he
sure to take the easiest path he could
find. So we ought TO stand the best
chance Of finding him by following his
example aud picking out the smooth
bits.
What do you think Henrietta?'
asked Guthrie
well you see, said the woman,
'he told that muddling fool, Tom Jelly,
that he was going poaching, and he
nat rally wouldn't expect to find his
game along the coast So most likely
Ee ; gone inland,
$50 You think we'd better strike in
land too?' .
"Yes, sir and miss do, " SAID Mrs
Jelly.
They took her advice and struck up
into the country, but they found the
going very disagrcrablc, for the ground
was for the most part covered with a
dense scrub of Clinging bastard palm.
Single plants Of this growing in flower
pots make graceful enough ornaments
for an English drawing room, no doubt,
but when they are packed into thick
jungle and fostered by tropical heat
they form a most unpleasant medium
through which to be compelled to press
way. The stalk of each fan leaf is
furnished on either side with sharp
hooks, which point down the hill and
these have way Of taking toll from
the flesh and wearing apparel of the
climber which is, to say the least, irri-
Eating.
The part of the island which they
We're now exploring was made up Of
low hillocks and shallow gullies, and on
all the upper ground this rank scrub
fourished luXnriantly. In the hollows
there was less of it, and its place was
taken by tall, coarse grass which
often grew shoulder high To force a
passage through this and through the
infrequently arched completely over the
searchers' heads, was sultry work
enough, and the burly farmer who had
made il necessary was at the moment
in danger of becoming distinctly un-
popular,
The West Indian sun was blazing in
cloudless sky up above them like a
great furnace of brass, and the gentle
breeze was not strong enough to pene-
trate the dense, leafy covers and give
them relief However, occasionally
they came across projecting knoll of
barren rock, so smooth that tie rains
allowed no soil to collect upon its sur
face, and al such places as these they
found that they could get a refreshing
breath of purer, cooler air.
There doesn't seem to he much in
] the way of sport for friend Cain. OBJ