The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-11-09
IS $500 E8H81dGf1Ts 1890 BY uou1 Muue7@Rs
CHAPTER XVII.
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 reckoned without
the sailor woman's natural instinct of
faithfulness to the spoken order of her
captain. Henrietta had been told to
nursery maid the two young people.
and, inasmuch as she was a sailor, she
stuck grimly to her ordered duty; but.
inasmuch as she was at the same time
a woman, she had a kindly feeling for
the lovers. and therefore trudged stolid-
~ along as far behind them as was con-
sistent with the duty demands of her
conscience. And by this compromise
she succeeded in the difficult task of
carrying out her orders to the satisfac-
ton both of herself and of her charges.
They found the cave in which Mich
0las the First had established his inhos-
pitable snuggery in exactly the same
condition in which they had left it. So
it was obvious that the burly farmer
had not been there.
"But l don't think, /" pronounced
Dolly. 'sthat there's the least likelihood
Of his having followed the shore route
at all. There's far too much climbing
hereabout to suit his taste He'd be
sure to take the easiest path he could
find. So we ought to stand the best
chance Of finding him by following his
example and picking out the smooth
bits
What do you think. Henrietta p
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
he's gone inland. !"
$50 you think we'd better strike in
land too7"
Eyes, sir and miss. I do said Mrs
Jelly.
They took her advice and struck ur
into the country, but they found the
going very disagreeable, for the ground
was for the most part covsSed 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 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 a 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
were now exploring was made up Of
low hillocks and shallow gullies, and on
all the upper ground this rank scrub
fourished luxuriantly. In the hollows
there was less of it, and its place was
taken by tall, coarse grass which
often grew shoulder high. To force g
passage through this and through the
palm scrub, whose graceful fronds moi
infrequently arched completely over thu
searchers' heads, was sultry worl
enough, and the burly farmer who ha(
made it necessary was at the momen
in danger of becoming distinctly I'm
popular.
The West Indian sun was blazing il
cloudless sky up above them like
great furnace Of brass. and the gentl
breeze was not strong enough to pene
trate the dense, leafy covers and Civ
them relief However, occasionall
they came across projecting knoll G
barren rock. SO smooth that the rain
allowed no soil to collect upon its SUI
face and at such places as these the
found that they could get refreshin
breath of purer, cooler air.
1There doesn't seem to be much i
the way of sport for friend Cain, Oh
served Guthrie during one of the breath
ing halts. Barring sea gulls and sma
green parrots, we haven't seen Twin
thing.
Dolly gave her cheek a hasty smacl
"You forget the mosquitoes, sh
said. 'I'm sure they re very muc
alive. What with them and the san
flies and the other denominations, II
just being walked away with piec,
meal. Can't we get out Of this place
torment?"
''It seems all much of muchness,
said Guthrie. shut over there, to tt
left bit, there's a knoll which, frol
what one may judge from here, shoul
be about the highest point of the islam,
Ivote we go up there and prospect. W
may find, at least a paradise moderate
ly free from mosquitoes
The underground thinned little ,
they neared this slight upland, as thong
the soil were poorer and would not sui
port such rank heritage as grew on IL
lower slopes and in the bosky hollow
between them, and when the climbe
gained the crest their way was impede
by nothing worse than sparse tufts {
grass which rarely reached to the kne
"Hellol" exclaimed Guthrie, as /
stumbled and nearly fell over somethin
lying in the cover just below the tol
most curve of the summit "What hay
we here2'
A fine brown dust which had spurte
out under the influence Of the youn
mans involuntary kick said "wood,
and further examination showed the
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