, 1909-01-14

lulOl We DCth. MIN AhSt "a hlCh
me hard!"
Il say, Blake. what is 1t? l don't
quite take you. II you would only
"Fire!-fre! Can't you see? We've
got all hell beat! Look here"
He snapped open the slide Of thu
supposed locket, and before either Of
his companions could realize what he
would be about. vas focusing the
lens OF a surveyors magnifying7glass
upon the back of Wi%nthrope's hand.
The Englishman jerked the hand
away
low! That burns!"
Blake shook the glass IN their b.
wildered faces.
Look there." he shouted. there's
fire; there's water: there's birds
eggs and beefsteaks! Here's where we
trek on the back trail. Well smoke
out that leopard in short order!"
You don't mean to say. Blake"
No; I mean to do! Don't worry
You can hide with Miss Jenny on the
point, while / engineer the deal. Fall
in"
The day was still fresh whom they
found themselves back at the foot Of
the cliff. Here arose a heated debate
between the men. W~inthr0pe, stunE
by Blake's jeering words. insisted
upon sharing the attack. though with
no great enthusiasm. Much to Blakes
surprise. Miss Leslie came to the sup
port of the Englishman.
But. Mr.. Blake" she argued, 'you
say 1t will be perfectly safe for w
here. II SO, 1t will be safe for myself
alone"
81 can play this game without him
mo doubt. Yet ii, as you say, you
expect to keep on the leopard with 4
torch. would 1t not be well to have
Mr.. W~inthrope at hand with other
torches. should yours burn yout?"
Yes; II l thought he'd be At hand
after the first scare"
Winthrope started OF almost on 1
run. At that moment he might hau
faced the leopard single-handed. Blake
chuckled as he swung away after hs
victim. Within ten PAGES. however. b.
paused to call back over his shoulder:
Get around the point, Miss JEAN.
and If vol want something to do. try
braiding the cocoanut hber."
Miss Leslie made no Response; but
she stood for some time gazing after
the two men. There was 10 much thai
was characteristic wen in this rear
view. For all his anger and his haste,
the Englishman bore himself with an
air Of well-bred nicely. His trim
erect figure needed only q fresh. suit
to be irr~eproachable. On the other
hand, a careless observer. at first
glance, might have mistaken Blake
with his flannel shirt and shouldered
club, for a hulking NAVY. But there
was nothing of the NAVY in his swing
ing stride or in the resolute poise oil
his head as he came up with Win
thrope.
Though the girl was not given to re-
Election, the contrast between the twe|
could nj but impress her. How well
her OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, uuculturei
but full of brute strength and COURAGE
-titte in with these primitive SUI
ro~undings. Whereas Winthrope-and|
herself
She fell into a kind of disquieted|
brown study. Her eyes had an odd
look, both startled and meditatiye-
such a look as might be expected oil
one who for the first time is peerins
beneath the surface Of things, and
sees the naked Realities of Life, the
real values, barred of masking CONVEX
ions. II may have been that she was
seeking to ponder the meaning OF hsr
W existence-that she had caught a
glimpse Of the vanity and wasteful
ness, the utter futility OF her life. All
the best, 1t could only have been
glimpse. But was not that enough!
"of what use are such people nf'
she cried. That man may be roap
n coarse-evsn . brute; but he y
least does things-In show him thai
l can do things. tool"
b fastened u around the cornel
OF the ciiff to the spot where they nag
spent the night. Here she gatherea
together the cocosnut husks, and sea-
Ing herself In the shade of the over
hanging lodges began to pick at NV
coarse fber. 1t was cruel work ii
her soft fingers, not yet fully healee
from the thorn wounds. Atttimes ns
ain and an overpowsring sense =,
injury brought tears to her eyes; sun
more often she dropped the work "
despair Of her awk~wardness. Yet "
ways she returned to the task with ~
newed energy.
After NO little perseverance,. sn
found how to twist the nber and plat