, 1908-12-24

e1t.
CHAPTER HI.--Blake returned safely.
cigarette. for which he was scored by
blake. Their first meal was a dead fish.
CHAPTER Iv.-The trio started a ten
nile hike for higher land. Thirst at
larry Miss Leslie on account Of weari-
hess. He tainted winthrope.
Blake grinned. We'll, 1t is rawther
b nawsty business for YOU honorable
udship. But there's nothing like call
ng things by their right names"
Right names-er-I don't quite
AXE you. I have told you distinctly
ny name is Cecil Winthrope,"
"O-h-h! how lovely!-See-sill, See.
6eal!-Bet they called you Sissy at
school. English chum of mine told me
your schools are corkers for nick
names. What'l we make it-Sis or
sissy"
Il prefer my patronymic, Mr.. Blake
replied Winthrope.
All right, then; we'll make 1t Pat.
that's our choice. l say, Pat. this
uice is the stun for wetness, but 1t
makes a fellow remember his grub.
Where'd you leave that fish,"
Really. / can't just say, but 1t mus
have been where l wrenched my
pnkle."
You cawn't Just say! And what
are we going to eat?"
Here are the cocoanuts."
Bright boy! go to the head Of the
class! Just take some more husk off
hose empty ones"
Winthrope caught up one Of the
nuts. and with the aid OF his knife
stripped it of its husk. At a gesture
rom Blake he laid 1t on the bare
ground and the American burst it
open with a blow of his heel. 1t was
hn immature nut, n the meat proved
O be little thicker than clotted cream.
Blake divided it into three parts. hand
|ng Miss Leslie the cleanest.
Though his companions began with
more restraint, they finished their
shares with equal gusto. Winthrope
needed no further orders to return to
mis- husking. One after another the
nuts were cracked and divided among
he three, until even Blake could not
Bwallow another mouthful of the
luscious cream.
Toward the end Miss Leslie had be-
come drowsy. At Winthrope's urg-
ng, she now lay down for a nap.
Blake's a serving al pillow. She
ell asleep while Winthrope was yet
arranging 1t for her. Blake had
urned his back on her and was staring
noodily at the hippopotamus trail
when Winthrope hobbled around and
Pat down On the palm trunk beside
him.
Il say, Blake he suggested, Il
feel deuced tagged myself. Why not
I'll take a nap?"
And when they awoke. they were
Ill lead men," remarked Blake.
by Jove, that sounds like a joke"
Protested the Englishman. Don't rag
ne now"
"Joke!" repeated Blake. Why.
hats Scripture, Pat, Scripture! Any
way, you'd think it no joke to wake
hp and find yourself going down the
throat of a hippo"
"Hippo?"
Dozens Of them over In the river.
Phouldn't wonder II they've all landed
lnd're tracking me. down by this
line"
But hippopotami are not carnivor'
|us-they're not at all dangerous, un.
ess one wounds them, out in the wa
err"
That may be; but I'm not taking
ehances. They've got mouths like
perm whales-I saw one take a yawn.
mother thing. that bayou is chuck full
%alligators. and a fellow down on
he Rand told me they're like the Cen
ral American gavials for keenness 10
lip a swimmer"
They will not come out ON this dry
and"
Suppose they won't-there're no
pther animals In Africa but sheep,
eh?"
What can We do? The captain
fold me that there are both lions and
eopards on this coast"
Nice place for them. too, around
these trees" added Blake. Lucky
FOR us, they're night-birds mostly
u that Rand fellow didn't lie. He was
p Boer. SO l guess he ought to know"
TO be sure. It's a nasty fix we're
in for tonight. Could we not build
some kind OF q barricadeT"
With a penknifsi Guess Wen roost
in 4 tree"
But cannot leopards climb? 1t
seems to me that have heard
How about lions?"
They cannot; I'm sure OF that"
Then we'll chance the leopards'
Just stretch cut here and nurse that
bnkle of yours. don't want to Do
juggling you all year. I'm ssiAS %
PUNT q likely tree"