, 1909-03-18
CHAPTER XIII.
The End Of the World.

ing, which. however, did
not altogether conceal his desire to
be on friendly terms. Having re.
gained her self-control. she RESPONDED
~ This with such tact that by evening
l~ationship, and Blake had lost every
trace of his moroseness The fact
that both were passionately fond OF
music proved an immense help. 1t
gave them an impersonal source OF
mutual sympathy and understanding
common meeting-ground in the
world of art and culture. apart from
hove TIE plane Of their material
q. hts.
Yet for all his enjoyment of the
tiIrs vile knowledge of everything
.e'atinE to music. Blake took care
that their talks and discussions did
not interfere with the activities of
their primitive mode of life. AS soon
as he had finished with the barricade
he devoted himself to his tailoring
and shoe-making; while Miss Leslie,
between her cooking and wood-gather.
ing and daily visits to the cliff for
eggs, had much to occupy both her
thoughts and her hands.
At first every ascent of the cliff was
enhittered by a painful consciousness
of the cairn owe the north edge. For
~tunately it was lot in sight from the
direct path to the headland, and, as
she refrained from visiting IT.. the new
happenings @. her wild life soon thrust
Winthrope and his death out of the
foreground of her thoughts. Each day
she had to nerve herself to meet the
heaks and wings of the despoiled nest
owners; each day she looked with
greater hope for the expected rescue
ship, only to be increasingly disap-
pointed.
But the hours she spent on the cliff
crest after gathering the days supply
of eggs were not spent merely in
watching and longing. The inconven-
fences Of carrying the eggs in a hand
kerchief or in one of the heavy jars
basket-making. Memory, persever-
ance and a trace of inventiveness en-
abled her to produce a small but
serviceable hamper of split bamboo.
Encouraged by this success she
gathered a quantity Of tough, wiry
grass, and wove a hat to take the
place of the fimsy palm-leaf make.
shift. The result was by no means
satisfactory with regard to style. its
shape being intermediate between a
Mexican sombrero and a funnel: but
aside from its appearance, she could
not have wished for a more com
Portable head-cover. Before showing
1t to Blake, she wove a second n for
him, so that they were able to cast
aside the grotesque, palm-leaf affairs
at the same time.
The following morning Blake ap'
peared in an outfit to match her
leopard-ski dress. He had singed of
the hair of the hide out of which he
had made his ~moccasins, and his
hyena-skin trousers quite matched the
bristling stubble on his face.
"Hey, Miss JENNY he hailed
what d. you think Of this for fancy
needlework7"
Splendid! You're the very picture
Of an Argentine vaquero."
"Greaser?-ugh, Let me get bach
to the Weary Willy pants!"
81 mean you are very picturesque
That's 1t, is 1t? Glad I've got
something to call your leopardine
gown that won't make you huffy."
I'VE can at least call our costumes
~serviceable, and mine has proved
much cooler than | expected"
But our new hats beat all for thai
regular sunshades. What do 20,
say?-there's a good breeze Let's
take a hike"
Not to the river! The very though
Of that dreadful snake"
No; just the other way. I've beef
thinking for some time that we oush
to run down to that south headlan'
and take a squint at the coast be
yond. Ten to one it's another stretcf
OF swamps, but"
You think there II . chance w
may find a town."
about one chance In a million
even for a native village. The slav'
trade wiped the niggers on this coast
and | guess those that hit out VI
country ran so hard they haven pee'
able to get back yet
But 1t has been years since TN
slave trade was forbidden"
And they don't sell beer in kansa'
oh. no. I'll bet the dhows sim Sill
oyer from Madagascar when the mooi
Is in the right quarter. AT any rate
n,rgers are mighty scarce or might;
,hv around here, I've kept a watcI
for smoke, snd haven't seen a suf
picion of 1t anywhere. Maybe IN
swamps swing around inland n Gu
- ibis STRIP Of coast, 1t looked ina