Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1909-09-18
CHAPTER xIV-Continued.

At noon, having learned that Win
thrope's condition showed little change,
Blake ate a hearty meal. and at once
set off down the cleft. He did not re-
appear until nightfsll; though at in
tervals Miss Leslie had heard his step
as he came up the ravine with his
loads of thorn-brush.
4 This course of action became the
routine for the following ten days 1t
was broken only by three incidents,
all relating to the important matter of
food supply. WINTHROP had soon
tired of broth, and showed such an in
satiable craving for nocoanut milk
that the stock on hand had become
l, exhausted within the week.
,; The day after, Blake took the rope
ladder, as he called the tangle of
knotted creepers, and went off towards
the north end Of the cleft. When he
returned, little before dark, the
lower part of his trousers was torn to
shreds, and the palms of his hands
were blistered and raw; but he carried
a heavy load of cocoanuts. After
on the far side of the river, he had
found another grove near at hand. in
the little plain, and had succeeded in
reaching the tops of two of the
smaller palms.
Under his directions, Miss Leslie
clarified a bowl of bird fat-goose-
grease, Blake called it-and dressed
his hands. Yet even with the band
ages which she made of soft inner
bark and the handkerchiefs, he was
unable to handle the thorn-brush the
following day Unfortunately for him,
he was not content to sit idle. During
the night he had cut bamboo fishing
pole and heightened Miss Leslie's line
of plated cocoanut-fiber with long
catgut leader. In the afternoon he
completed his outfit with a hairpin
hook and a piece of half-dried meat.
He was back an hour earlier than
usual, and he brought with him a
dozen or more fair-sized fish. His
mouth was watering over the prospec-
tive feast, and Miss Leslie showed her
self hardly less eager for a change
from their monotonous diet. AS the
fish were already dressed, she raked
up the Goals and quickly contrived a
grill of green bamboos.
When the odor Of the broiling fish
spread about In the still air, even Win
thrope shifted and turned over, while
Blake watched the crisping delicacies
with ravenous look. Unable to re-
strain himself, he caught up the
smallest fish, half cooked, and bolted
it down with such haste that he burnt
his mouth. He ran over to the spring
for drink, and WINTHROP cackled
derisively.
Miss Leslie was too absorbed in her
cooking to observe the result Of
Blake's greediness. She had turned
the fish for the last time, and was
about to lift them off the fire, when
Blake came running back, and sent
grill and all flying with a violent kick.
Salt" he gasped-"wheres the
salt? I'm poisoned"
Poisoned"
Poison fish, Don't eat God!-
Where's the salt?'
The girl stared at him. His agony
was so great that beads Of sweat were
rolling down his face. He writhed, and
stretched out quivering hand-"Salt,
quick!-warm water-salt!"
But there's none left! You remem-
Der, yesterday"
Cod" groaned Blake, and for a
moment he sank down, overcome by
a racking convulsion. Then his jaw
.e'osed like a bulldogs, and gritting his
teeth with the effort. he staggered up
and rushed OF down the cleft.
stop! stop, Mr.. Blake! Where are
you going?" screamed the girl
She started to run after him, but
was halted by an outIsIrst of delirious
laughter. Winthrope was sitting up
right and waving his fever-blotched
hands-"Hi. hi! look at i'm run Els