The Falls City tribune., 1909-01-22
CHAPTER X.
Problems in Woodcraft.

o''O '1O' ~ -
neatest of butchering can hardly be
termed aesthetic; and Blake and Win
thrope lacked both skill and tools. Be
tween the penknife and an improvised
blade of bamboo, they had f1ayed the
two cubs and haggled off the flesh.
The ragged strips, spitted on bamboo
rods, were already soaring in the fierce
sun-rays.
Miss Leslie would have slipped into
the hollow of the baobab with her
armful of fagots and brush; but Blake
waved a bloody knife above the body
of the mother leopard, and beckoned
the girl to come nearer.
Hold on a minute, please" he said.
What did you find out?'
Miss Leslie drew a few steps near
er, and forced herself to look at the
revolving sight. She found it still
more difficult to withstand the odor of
the fresh blood. WINTHROP was pale
tress caused the girl to forget her own
loathing. She drew a deep breath,
and succeeded in countering Blake's
expectant look with a half-smile.
How well are you getting along!"
she exclaimed.
Didn't think you could stand it. But
you've got grit all right, if you are a
lady" Blake said admiringly. Say,
you'll make it yet! Now, how about
the gully"
There is no place TO climb up. 1t
runs along like this, and then slopes
down. But there is a cliff at the end,
as high as these walls"
Twenty feet" muttered Blake.
"Confound the luck. 1t isn't that
iump-off; but how in-how are we
going to get up ON the cliff? There's
an everlasting lot of omelettes in
those birds nests. If only hat bloom
in'-how's that. Win, me b'y?-that
bloomin', blawsted baobab was ON
t'other side. The woods almost soft
as punk. We could drive in pegs,
and climb up the trunk"
There are other trees beyond it,"
remarked Miss Leslie.
"Then maybe we can shin up"
q fear the branches that overhang
the cliff are too slender TO bear any
weight
And it's too Internally high to
climb up to this overhanging baobab
limb"
Il say" yentured WINTHROP, "if we
had an ak, now, we might cut up one
of the trees, and make a ladder"
ooh, yes; and if We had a ladder.
w might climb up the cliff"
But, Mr.. Blake. is there not some
way to cut down one Of the trees?
The tree itself would be a ladder if it
fell in such a way as to lean against
the cliff"
There's only the p%enknife," an
swered Blake. so | guess We'll have
to scratch eggs off our menu caro-
Spring leopard for ours, Now, If you
really want TO help, you might scrape
the soup bones out of your boudoir,
and fetch a lot more brush. It'll take
a big fire to rid the hole of that cat
smell"
will not the tree burn?"
NO these hollow baObabS have
green bark on the inside as well as
out. Funny thing, that! We'd have
TO keep~a fire going a long time to
burn through"
yet it would burn in time?'
yes; but we're not going to"
Then why not burn through the
trunk of one of those small trees, in
stead of %chopping it down."
'By-heck, Miss Jenny, you've got
an American ~headpiece! Come on.
Sooner we get the thing started, the
better"
Neither WINTHROP nor Miss Leslie
vas reluctant to leave the vicinity of
the carcasses. They followed close
after Blake, around the monstrons
bole of the baobab. A little beyond it
stood a group of slender trees, whose
trunks averaged eight inches at the
base. Blake stopped at the second
one, which grew nearest to the sea
ward side of the cleft.
Here's our ladder" he said. Get
some firewood. Pound the bushes,