The Mena weekly star., 1908-12-17

NO"shi D'iotN you go pOhlHE lutC them. May be snakes here"
 Snakes?-oh," cried Miss Leslie. and she stood shuddering at the dan ger she had already incurred
 The fire had burnt itself out on a bare ledge of rock between them and the baobab. and the clumps of dry brush Jeff standing in this end of the cleft were very suggestive of snakes. now that Blake had called attention 10 the possibility of their presence
 He laughed at his hesitating com panions. Co on. go on! Don't squeal i'll you're bit Most snakes hike out. if you give them half chance. Take stick each of you. and pound the bushes"
 Thus urged. both started to work Hut neither ventured into the thicker clumps When they returned, with large armfuls of sticks and twIgs. they found that Blake had used his glass to light d handful of dry bark, out in the sun, and was nursing it in- to a small fire al the base of the tree. on the side next the cliff
 Now, Miss Jenny" he directed you're 10 keep this going mot too big a fire--understand Same time you can keep on fetching brush to fumi- gate your cat hole. It needs it, all right"
 Will not that be rather too much for Miss Leslie?" asked Winthrope. ,f Ans1 f. brains on the skins. Indian tan, you ow,--or-"
 How can you mention such things before lady?" protested Winthrope
 Beg your pardon, Miss Leslie you see, Pm not much used to ladies com pany. Anyway, you've got to see and hear about these things. And now I'll have to get the strings for Wins bamboo bows Come on, Win. We've got that old tabby to peel. and lot more besides"
 Miss Leslies first impulse was to protest against being left alone, when at any moment some awful venom GUS serpent might come darting at her out of the brush or the crevices in the rocks But her halfparted lips drew firmly together, and after mo ments hesitancy, she forced herself to the task which had been assigned her. The fire, once started, required little attention. She could give most of her time to gathering brush for the fumigation of the leopard den.
 She had collected quite heap of fuel at the entrance of the hollow, when she remembered that the place would first have to be cleared of its accumulation of bones glance at her companions showed that they were in the midst of tasks even more revolting It was certainly disagree able to do such things; yet, as MT. Blake had said, others had to do them. It was now her time to learn. She could see him smile at her hesitation.
 Stung by the thought of his half contemptuous pity. she caught up a forked stick, and forced herself to en- ter the tree-cave. The stench met her like a blow It nauseated and all but overpowered her. She stood for sew eral moments in the center Of the cav ity. sick and faint. Had 1t been even the previous day, she would have run out into the open air.
 Presently she grew little more ac- customed to the stench. and began to rake over the soft, dry mold of Bones who had ever dreamed of such a mess of bones? big bones and little bones and skulls: old bones, dry and almost buried; moldy bones; bones still half-covered with bits of flesh and gristle-the remnants of the leopard family's last meal.
 At last all were scraped out and flung in a heap, three or four yards away from the entrance. Miss Les lie looked at the result of her labor with satisfied glance, followed by a sigh of relief Between the heat and her unwonted exercise, she was great ly fatigued She stepped around to shadier spot to rest.
 With start she remembered the | fire
 When she reached 1t there were only a few dying embers left. She gathered dead leaves and shreds Of fibrous inner bark. and knelt beside the dull coals to blow them into life She could not bear the thought lf hay ing to confess her carelessness to l Blake.
 The hot ashes flew up In her face and powdered her hair with their gray dust: yet she persisted. blowing stead fly until a shred of bark caught the l sparks and fiared up in tiny flame. | A little more, and she had strong fire blazing against the tree trunk.
 She rested short time. relaxing both mentally and physically in the satisfying consciousness that Blake 1 EST 7S l EtVH&H4V <NAI &MXN W1MV9