The newspaper., 1909-06-25
+ can't squeeze throu u with h

Winthrope.
NO. you won't Climb aboard" re-
piled Blake, and catching up his club
he stopped for Winthrope to mount his
buck AS he rose with his burden
Miss Leslie caught sight OF his coat.
which still lay in a roll beside the
palm trunk.
How about your coat, Mr.. Blake?"
she asked. Should you not put
II on?''
NO; I'm loaded now. Fave to ask
YOU to look after it. You may need
it before morning. anyway. II the
1ews here are like those in Central
America they are d-darned liable to
bring on malarial fever"
Nothing more was said until they
| had crossed the open space between
the palms and the belt of iungl,
1long the river. At other times Win
hroIe and Miss Leslie might have
been Interested in the towering screw
nalms. festooued to the top with
climbers. and in the huge ferns which
they could see beneath the mangroves
in the swampy ground on their left.
Now. however. they were far too con-
cerncd with the question of how they
should penetrate the dense tangle of
thorny brush and creepers which
rose before them like a green wall.
Even Flake hesitated as he released
, Wihihrope and looked at Miss Leslie's
| costume. Her white skirt was of
stout duck; but the fiimsy material of
her waist was ill-suited for rough
usage.
Better put the coat on unless you
want TO come out on the other side in
full evening dress" he said. There's
no use kicking, but wish you'd hap
pened TO have on some sort of jacket
when We got spilled"
is there no path through the thick
et?" inquired Winthrope.
Only the hippo trail. and it don't
go our way. We've got to run our
own line. Here's a stick for your
game ankle"
Winthrope took the half-green
branch which Blake broke from the
nearest tree and turned to assist Miss
Leslie with the coat. The garment
was of such coarse cloth that as Win
thrope drew the collar close about her
throat Miss Leslie could not forero a
| little grimace of repugnance. The
crease between Blake's eyes deepened.
and the girl hastened TO utter an ex-
ulanatory exclamation: Not so
tight. Mr.. Winthrope. please. II
! scratches my neck"
You'd find those thorns a whole lot
worse" muttered Blake.
To be sure: and Miss Leslie fully
appreciates your kindness" interposed
| winihrope
Il do indeed. Mr.. Blake, I'm sure
never could 10 through here withou'
your coat"
That's all right. Got the handker
chief7"
I put 1t in one OF the pockets
'Itll DO to tie up your hair"
Miss Leslie took the suggestion
knotting the big square OF linen over
her FUZZY brown hair.
Blake waited only for her to draw
out the kerchief before he began to
force a way through the jungle Now
and then he beat at the tangled yege
tation with his club. Though he held
70 the lir by which he had len the
thicket. yet all his eTor's TAI ID TO
onen an easy passage for the others
Many OF the thorny branches sprans
back into place behind him. and as
Miss Leslie. who was the first TO fol
low. sought to thrust them aside the
thorns pierced her delicate skin until
her hands were covered with blood.
Nor did Wlnthrope. stumbling and hob
| ling behind her. fare any better.
Twice he tripped headlong into the
brush. scratching his arms and face
Blake took his own punishment as
a matter OF course. though his tougher
and thicker skin made his injuries less
| painful. He advanced steadily along
the line OF bent and broken twigs that
| marked his outward passage. until the
~ .Ckct opened on a strip of grassy
| ground beneath wild fg-tree.
"py Jovei" exclaimed Winthrope.
"a banyani'
"Banyan? Well. II that's British for
n daisy. you've hit IT," responded
Flake. Just take a suuint up here
Eow's that for a roost?"
Winthrope and Miss Leslie stared up
dub ously at the edge OF bed of
reeds gathered in the hollow of one of
the huge flattoned branches at its
junction with the main trunk OF the
banyan. 20 feet above them
III not the mosquitoes poster us
| here among the tree - Ohie-te Win