The Mena weekly star., 1908-12-17


 one who for the first time is peerIng beneath the surface of things, and sees the naked Realities of Life, the real values. barred of masking conyen- tions It may have been that she was seeking to ponder the meaning of her own existence-that she had caught a glimpse of the vanity and wasteful- ness, the utter futility of her life. At the best. 1t could only have been q glimpse. But was not that enough?
 "Of what use are such people as I?s she cried That man may be rough and coarse-even brute; but he at least does things-Ill show him that can do things, tool"
 She hastened out around the corner of the cliff to the spot where they had spent the night Here she gathered together the cocoanut husks. and seat ing herself in the shade of the over hanging fedges began to pick at the coarse fiber. It was cruel work for her soft fingers, not yet fully healed from the thorn wounds. At times the pain and an overpowering sense of injury brought tears to her eyes, still more often she dropped the work in despair of her awkwardness. Yet al- ways she returned to the task with re- newed energy
 After no little perseverance, she found how to twist the fiber and plait 1t into cord At best it was slow work. ana she did not see how she should ever make enough cord for fish-line. Yet, as she caught the knack of the work and her fingers became more nimble she began to enjoy the novel pleasure of producing something. She had quite forgotten to feel injured. and was learning to endure with pa tience the rasping of the fiber between her fingers, when Winthrope came clambering around the corner of the cliff.
 What is it?" she exclaimed, spring ing up and hurrying to meet him. He was white and quivering, and the look in his eyes filled her with dread.
 Her voice shrilled to scream: Hes dead!"
 Winthrope shook his head.
 Then he's hurt,--he's hurt by that savage creature, and you've run off and left him.
 No, no, Miss Genevieve. must in- sist. The fellow is not even scratched"
 Then why--?"
 Tt was the horror of 1t all It actu ally made me i'll"
 You frightened me almost to death. Did the beast chase you?"
 That would have been better, in way. Really, it was horrible. I'm still sick over it, Miss Genevieve."
 But tell me about 1t. Did you set fire to the bushes in the cleft, as MT. Blake"
 Yes. after we had fetched what we could carry of that long grass--two big trusses It grows 10 or 12 feet tall, and is now quite dry. Part of it Blake made into torches, and we fired the bush all across the foot of the cleft. Really. one would not have thought there was that much dry wood in so green dell. On either side of the Till the grass and brush fiared like finder, and the flames swept up the cleft far quicker than we had ex- pected We could hear them cracking and roaring louder than ever after the smoke shut out our view"
 Surely, there is nothing SO very horrible In that"
 No. oh. no it was not that. But the beast--the leopard, At first we heard one roar: then it was that dreadful snarling and yelling-most awful squallingl The wretched thing came leaping and tumbling down the path, all singed and blinded. Blake fired the big truss of grass. and the brute rolled right into the flames. It was shocking-dreadfu shocking The wretched creature writhed and leaped about till it plunged into the pool. When it sought to crawl out. all black and hideous, Blake went up and killed 1t with his club--crushed in i it's skull Ughl
 Miss Leslie gazed at the unneryed Enelishman with calm scrutiny.
 But why should you feel so about it9" she asked Was It not the beasts life against oursy'
 .But so horrible death"
 s1'm sure MT. Blake would have pre- ferred to shoot the creature had he a gun. Having nothing else than fire, ] I think 1t was all very brave or him. Now we are sure of water and food | Had we not best be going2
 Tt was to fetch you that Blake sent me"
 winthrope spoke with percepuoie stiffness. He was chagrined, not oniy by her commendation of Blake, put hv inc indifference with which she had met his agitation.
 They started at once, Miss Lesie in the lead. As they rounded the polht she caught sight of the smoke stiii rising from the cleft. A little later she noticed the vultures which were streaming down out of the sky rom all quarters other than seaward. lnei. focal point seemed to be the trees a' inc foot of the cleft. A nearer view showed that they were alighting in the tborr bushes on the south border or the wood.
 Of Blake there was nothing to pc seen until Miss Leslie. still m the isad nushed in among the trees. Tnere thev found him crouched beside a enes arn raar inc edge of the pool.