The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-07-06
The NEWS DEMOCRATS DAILY STORY
To be published in daily instalments on this page
Z HE
SLAVE SQUADRON
A THRILLING TALE OF ADVENTURE
By HARRY COLLINGWOOD
CHAPTER X.

80 we CROWDED sail and pressed along
with tolerabe rapidity behind the slender
black and almost indistinguishable figure
OF our leader The pursuit, too. was hotly
mainta .lcd. as we could tell by the oo-
casional shouts and the sudden swishings
OF branches at no great distance from US
In the bush; but at length. after a most
wearisome and painful tramp OF fully nine
miles. we got fairly out OF reach of all
these sounds, and finally, at sign from
our deliverer, flung ourselves down in
tho midst OF a thick growth Of ferns at
the foot of "A giant tree and. despite the
increasing anguish of our wounds, soon
went TO sleep.
We awoke at daybreak, to find our
selves alone; our guide OF the previous
night had vanished. We were greatly dis
concerted at this. for We felt that We
should nke TO have done something
though we scarcely knew what-to mark
our appreciation OF her extremely impor-
tant services OF the preceding night Be
sides. somehow, we had both taken the
notion into our heads that In llberatang
US, she had committed an objectionable
sin against her former friends and that
when she crossed the creek and plunged
into the forest with US she was virtually
cutting herself adrift from her own peo-
pie and casting I'm her lot with us. In
which case, If we should succeed In MAX
ing good our escape and finding our way
back 10 the ship, We had little doubt
about our ability TO make such arrange
ments on her behalf as should cause her
to rejoice for the remainder OF her life
at having befriended us. However. Il
seemed as though, having conducted us
TO place OF temporary safety, she had
returned TO the village doubtless hoping
10 escape all suspicion OF having had a
hand In our liberation.
IL was a glorious morning The sun ua,
darting his early beams through the rich
ly varegated foliage. and touching here
and there with gold the giant trunks and
limbs OF the forest trees. The earth
around us was thickly carpeted with long
grass interspersed with dense fern brakes.
and here and there n magnificent clump
OF aloes. their long waxy leaves and deli
cate white blossoms standing out In
strong relief against the blaze OF intense
scarlet or the rich vivid green OF n neigh
boring bush. The early morning air was
cool, pure, and refreshing as Il gently
ianned our fevered temples and waited
TO us thousand delicate perfumes Tho
birds. glancing like living gems between
the clumps of foliage. were saluting each
other blithely as they set out upon their
diurnal quest for food The bees were
already busy among the gorgeous flowers:
butterfiies-more lovely even than the deli
cate blossoms above which they poised
ADOnt
bough TO bough: all nature in fact. was
rejoicing at the advent OF a new day. And
Ill suffering though we were. we could
not but In some measure take part In
the general JOY, as with hearts overflow
Ing with gratitude we remembered that
we had escaped the horrors of the pre-
vious night.
glance or two about us and we
scrambled to our feet intent I'm the arst
ta
water. We had just settled the question
as 10 which direction seemed most prom- |
Lslng Tor the commencement OF our ories. |
when clear musical call floated toward |
us, and looking I'm the direction from
whence IL came we beheld our black rJebe
approaching us, dragging a small dead |
antelope by the heels after her. SO she |
had not abandoned us after all: on the |
contrary, she had probably spent a good |
part OF the night arranging for the cap- |
ture of the creature which was TO furnish |
us with n breakfast
On Joining us she held up her prize for |
our inspection, and then, with a ioyous |
laugh at our approving remarks-at the |
meaning of which she could, of course. |
only make the toughest OF guesses-she |
set 10 work deftly TO clear away and lay |
bare a space upon which to start a fire, |
In which task as soon as we saw that she /
wanted. we assisted her 60 the best of /
our poor ability. This done. she went |
cropping about beneath the trees. appar-
emily I'm search OF something soon re-
turning with two pieces OF dry stick, one
OF which. I noticed had hole I'm H. A |
quantity OF dry leaves and sticks was
next collected. having arranged which TO
her satisfaction. she knclt down and in
serting the pointed end " one stick In |
the hole OF the other. twIrled Il rapidly |
between the palms OF her hands, produce
Ing by the friction thus set up first a
slisHt wreath OF SMOKE and ultimately a !
Tiny flame. which was scarcely communi- I
Gated To the dry leaves, and then gently
tanned by her breath into n blaze. And
In this way a capital fire for cooking pur-
poses was speedily obtained.
In tho mean time Smellie and I had
produced our knives and had undertaken |
TO skin and cut up the animal. some Juicy |
steaks from which were soon spluttering
on pointed sticks before the FIRE The /
cooking operations being thus put In sat-
isfactory progress, our little black friend
borrowed my knife and plunged once more
into the forest depths, to return again