The Falls City tribune., 1909-01-29

wv haN = u htb vi ITO htNis Will INT
look of a fretful child.
To cover this undiplomatic rude.
ness. Miss Leslie spoke somewhat hur.
riedly. But why should you return
again to the river, Mr., Blake? I'm sure
you are risking the fever; and there
must be savage beasts in the jungle"
That's my business" growled Blake.
lie paused a moment. and added. rath-
er less u~ngraciously: We'll, If you
care, it's this way-l'm going TO keep
ON looking for ore. Give me a little
iron ore, and We'll mighty soon have
a lot of steel knives and arrow-heads
thatll amount to something. How're
we going to bag anything worth while
with bamboo tips on our arrows?
Those boar tusks are a ~fizzle."
$50 you will continue to risk your
life for us? l think that is very brave
and generous, MIR. Blake!"
"How's that?' demanded Blake. not
a little puzzled. lie was fully con.
scious of the risk; but this was the
first intimation he had received or
conceived that his motives were 9TH
err than seltish-"Um-m! So that's the
ticket, Getting generous. eh?"
mot getting-you are generous!
When | think of all you have done
for us! Had 1t not been for you, | am
sure we should have died that first
day ashore"
We'll, don't blame me. | couldn't
have let a dog die that way; and
then, a fellow needs a Man Friday for
this sort of thing. AS for you, |
haven't always had the luck to be
favored with ladies' company"
THANK you, Mr.. Blake. | quite APP
|preciate the compliment. But now, |
must put on supper
Blake followed her graceful move
ments with IN intentness which, In
turn, drew Wi%nthrope's attention to
himself. The Englishman smiled in a
disagreeable manner, and resumed his
work on the bows, with the look of
one mentally ~preoceupied. After sup
per he found occasion to spend some
little time among the bamboos.
When at sunset Miss Leslie with
drew into the baobab, Winthrope
somewhat %offieiously insisted upon
helping her set up her screen in the
entrance. AS he did so, he took the
opportunity to hand her a bamboo
knife, and to draw her attention to
several double pointed bamboo stakes
which he had hidden under the litter.
What is it, she asked, troubled by
his furtive glance back at Blake.
Merely precaution, you know he
whispered. The ground in there Is
quite soft. 1t will be no trouble, l
fancy, to put up the stakes, with their
points inclined toward the entrance"
But why
Not so loud, Miss Genevieyel 1t
struck me that If any one should seek
to enter in the night, he would find
these stakes deucedly unpleasant. BE
careful how you handle them. AS you
see, the sharper points, which are to
be set uppermost, run off into a razor
edge. Put them up now before it
grows too dark. You know how nine
pins are set-that shape. Goodnight
You see, with these to guard the en-
trance, you need not be afraid to go to
sleep at once"
Thank you she whispered, and
began 10 thrust the stakes into the
ground as he had directed.
He had not been mistaken. The
vague doubts and fears which she al
ready entertained would have kept her
awake throughout the night. but
thanks to the sense of security af-
forded by the sword-bayonets of her
silent little sentries, the girl was
soon able to calm herself, and was
fast asleep long before Blake wakeued
Ninthrope.
Immediately after breakfast, Blake
who had spent his watch in grind
ing the edges from a stone and ex.
perimenting with split and bent
twigs-put W~inthrope's keys in the
fire, and began an attempt to shape
them into a knife-blade. To heat the
steel to the required temperature, he
used a bamboo bloWpipe, with his
lungs for bellows.
WINTHROP turned away with an in
different bearing; but Miss Leslie
found herself compelled 10 stop and
admire his dexterous use of his rude
tools.
One after another, the keys we're
welded together, end to end, in a mar.
row ribbon of steel. The thinnest
one, however, was not fastened 10 the
tip until it had been used TO burn a
groove in the edge of a rib, selected
from among the bones which Miss
Leslie had thrown out of the baobab.
The last key was then fastened 10 the
others; the blade ground sharp, tenn
pered, and inserted in the groove.
Finally, pieces of the keyring were fit
ted in bands around the bone, through
notches cut in the ends of the steel
blade. The result was a bone-handled,
b~one-backed knife. with a narrow cut
ting edge of fine steel.
~