The Mena weekly star., 1908-12-10

underbrush, and the ground was trampled bare as floor.
 By love" said Winthrope: "see the tracks! There must have been drove of sheep about"
 Deer. you mean" replied Blake bending to examine the deeper prints at the edge of the pool These ain't sheep tracks. A lot of them are larger"
 Could you not uncover the brook ?'' asked Miss Leslie. 'If animals have been drinking here. one would prefer cleaner water"
 Sure assented Blake. 'If yon're game for climb and can wait a few minutes, we'll get 1t out of the spring itself. We've got to go up anyway, to get at our poultry yardi"
 Here's a place that looks like a path called Winthrope, who had cir cled about the edge of the pool to the farther side.
 Blake ran around beside him and stared at the tunnel-like passage which
 
 meath the overarching thickets.
 odd place. is 1t not?" observed Winthrope, Looks like fox run, only larger. you know"
 'Too low for deer. though-and their hoofs would have cut up the moss and ferns more Let's get close look"
 As he spoke, Blake stopped and climbed few yards up the trail to an overhanging ledge, four or five feet high. Where the trail ran mp over this break in the slope the stone was bare of all vegetation. Blake laid his club on the top of the ledge. and was about to vault after it. when, directly great catlike paw. outlined in dried mud At the same instant a deep growl came rumbling down the fox run Without waiting for a second warning. Blake drew his club to him. and crept back down the trail. His stealthy movements and furtive back ward glances filled his companions with vague terror. He himself was hardly less alarmed.
 "Get out of the trees-into the open!" as they crept away white with dread of the unknown danger. he followed at their heels, looking backward, his club raised in readiness to strike.
 Once clear of the trees. Winthrope caught Miss Leslie by the hand and broke into run. In their terror they paid no heed to Blake's command to stop. They had darted off so unex- pectedly that he did not overtake them short of 100 yards.
 Hold on," he said, gripping Win thrope roughly by the shoulder Its safe enough here. and you'll knock out that blamed ankle"
 What is it? What did you seer" gasped Miss Leslie.
 Footprint" mumbled Blake, ashamed of his fright.
 "A lion's?" cried Winthrope.
 Not so large-'bout the size of puma's. Must be a leopard's den up there. I heard a growl, and thought it about time to clear out"
 By love, we'd better withdraw around the point"
 Withdraw your auntyl There's no leopard going to tackle us out here in open ground this time of day. The sneaking tomcat If only I had match, I'd show him how we smoke rat holes"
 ''Mr Winthrope spoke of rubbing sticks to make fire" suggested Miss Leslie.
 Make sweat, you mean But we may as well try 1t now. If we're going to at all The suns hot enough to fry eggs. We'll go back to shady place and pick up sticks on the way"
 Though there was shade under the cliff within some 500 feet. they had to so some distance to the nearest dry 1 dead thornbush. Here they 1 gathered quantity of branches, even 1 Miss Leslie volunteering to carry a load.
 All was thrown down in a heap near 1 he cliff, and Blake squatted beside it, | in hand. Having selected the | iryest of the larger sticks, he bored a hole in one side and dropped in a pinch of powdered bark. Laying the | stick in the full glare of the sun, he | hrust a twig into the hole and began | o twirl it between his palms. This | he kept up for several min ites; but whether he was unable to | the twig fast enough or whether he right kind of wood or finder was | acking all his efforts failed to pro. luce spark.
 Unwilling to accept the failure, Ninthrope insisted upon trying in | urn. and pride held him 10 the task ntil he was drenched with sweat, The result was the same.
 Told you so," jeered Blake from where he lay in the shade. "We'o tand more chance cracking stones to- ether"
 But what shall we do now?" asked Hiss Leslie T am becoming very fred of cocoanuts, and there seems to e nothing else around here Indeed, think this is all such a waste of Ime. If we had walked straight along he shore this morning we might have cached town"
 We might, Miss Jenny, and then, gain, we mightn't happened to verhaul the captains chart-Quili- iane, Mozambique-that's all for hun