The Mena weekly star., 1909-01-21

Ilso Lcslit udu II into the baobab and Blake had gone of down the cleft for more salt. He did not return until after the others were asleep. Miss Leslie had gone without her supper, or had eaten some of the food stored within the tree.
 When. late the next morning, she finally left her seclusion Blake was no- where in sight. Ignoring Winthrope's attempts to start conversation, she hurried through her breakfast. and. having gathered supply of food and water, went to spend the day on the headland.
 Evening forced her to return to the cleft. She had emptied the water flask by noon, and was thirsty. Win thrope was dozing beneath his can opy, which Blake had moved some yards down towards the barricade. Blake was cooking supper.
 He did not look up, and met her at tempt at pleasant greeting with an inarticulate grunt. When she turned to enter the baobab. she found the opening filtered with bamboos and green creepers and pieces of large branches with charred ends. On either side. midway through the entrance. a vertical row of holes had been sunk through the bark of the tree into the soft wood
 What is thise" she asked. Are you planning a porch?"
 Maybe" he replied. But why should you make the holes so far in? know so little about these matters. but l should have fancied the holes would come on the front of the tree"
 You'll see in day or two
 How did you make the holes? They look black, as though"
 Burnt 'em, of course--hot stones That was so clever of you."
 He made no response.
 Supper was eaten in silence. Even Winthrope's presence would have been a relief to the girl; yet she could not go to waken him, or even suggest that her companion do so. Blake sat throughout the meal sullen and stolid and carefully avoided meeting her gaze. Before they had finished. twi. light had come and gone. and night was upon them. Yet she fingered for . last attempt.
 -'Good-night. friend" she whispered.
 He sprang up as though she had struck him and blundered away into the darkness.
 In the morning 1t was as before. He had gone of before she wakened. She fingered over breakfast; but he did not appear. and she could not endure Winthrope's suave drawl She went for another day on the headland
 She returned somewhat earlier than on the previous day. As before. Win. thrope was dozing in the shade. But together a heap of rubbish. His hands were scratched and bleeding. To the girls surprise. he met her with a cheerful grin and a clear, direct glance.
 Look here" he called.
 She stepped around the baobab and stood staring The entrance. from the ground to the height of l2 feet. was walled up with mass of thorny branches, interwoyen with yet thorn fer creepers.
 How's that for . front door?" he demanded
 'Dcor?"
 Yes"
 But it's so big. I could never move it.
 "A child could Look" He grasped a projecting handle near the bottom of the thorny mass The lower half of the door swung up and outward the upper half in and downward. See. it's balanced on crossbar in the middle. Come on in
 She walked after him in under the now horizontal door He gave the in ner end light upward thrust, and the door swung back in its vertical circle until 1t again stood upright in the l opening. From the inside the girl could see the strong framework to which was lashed the facing of the thorns. It was made of bamboo and strong pieces of branches, bound to | gether with tough creepers
 Pretty good grating. eh'" remarked Blake. When those green creepers dry, they'll shrink and hold tight as iron clamps. Even now nothing short l of a rhinoceros could walk through when the bars are fast See here"
 He stepped up to the novel door and slid several socketed crossbars until their outer ends were deep in the holes in the tree trunk, three on eact side
 "iiow's that for set of bolts?" he demanded
 Wonderful. Really. you are very very cleverl But why should you gS to ar this trouble. when the barri cade--"
 Well, you see, it's best to be on the safe side