The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-07-28
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1T did not feel SO painful In the
water"
Il helped the best could" inter.
posed Miss Leslie. Il think IL you
could get Mr. Winthrope a crutch-"
''Crutch!" growled Blake. How
long do you think it would take me to
wade through the mud? And look at
that cloud! We're in for a squall.
Here!"
He handed the girl the smaller
string of cocoanuts, flung the other up
the beach and stopped for Winthrope
to mount his back. He then started
OF along the beach at. a sharp trot.
Miss Leslie followed as best she
could, the heavy cocoanuts swinging
about with every step and bruising her
tender body.
The wind was coming faster than
Blake had calculated. Before they had
run 200 PAGES they heard the roar of
rain-lashed water. and the squall
struck them with force that almost
overthrow the girl. With the wind
came torrents of rain that drove
through their thickest garments and
drenched them to the skin within the
first half-minute.
Blake slackened his pace to a walk
and plodded sullenly along beneath
the driving downpour. He kept to the
lower edge of the beach, where the
sand was firmest. for the force of the
Col l21,
and held in check the breakers which
the wind sought to roll up the beach
The rain storm was at its height
when they reached the foot of the
cliffs. The gray rock lowered above
them 30 or 40 feet high. Blake de-
posted Winthrope upon a wet ledge
and Strengthened up to scan the head.
land. Here and there lodges ran more
than halfway up the rocky wall; In
ether places the crest was notched by
deep clefts; but nowhere within sight
did either offer a continuous path to
the summit. Blake grunted with dis.
gust.
It'd take fire ladder to get up this
side," he said. Veil have to try
the other, if we can get around the
point I'm going on ahead. You can
follow, after Pat has rested his ankle
Keep sharp eye out for anything in
the flint line-quartz or agate. That
means fire. Another thing, when this
rain blows over, don't let your clothes
dry on you. I've got my hands full
enough without having to nurse you
through malarial fever Don't forget
he cocoanuts, and If l don't show up
by noon save me some"
He stopped to drink from a pool in
the rock which was overlooking with
the cool, pure rainwater. and started
of at his sharpest pace. Winthrope
and Miss Leslie. seated side by side
IN dripping misery, watched him swing
away through the rain without energy
enough to call out parting word.
Beneath the cliff the sand beach
was succeeded by a talus of rocky
debris which in places slopcd up from
the water 10 or Is feet. The lower
part of the slope consisted of powders
0AAu woeSi-"OAu SSOACS, OScI wulCu Tic
surf, reinforced by the rising tide.
was beginning to break with an angry
roar.
Blake picked his way quickly over
the smaller stones near the top of the
slope, now and then bending to snatch
up fragment that seemed to differ
from the others. Finding nothing but
limestone he soon turned his atten.
ton solely to the passage around the
headland. Here he had expected to
find the surf much heavier. But the
shore was protected by double line
of reefs. SO close in that channel be.
tween did not show a whitecap. This
was fortunate, since in places the talus
here sank down almost to the level OF
low tide. Even a moderate surf would
have rendered farther progress i'm
practicable.
Another 100 PAGES brought Blake to
the second corner of the cliff, which
jutted out in a little point. He clam
bered around it and stopped to sur
vey the coast beyond. Within the last
few minutes the squall had blown
over and the rain began to moderate
its downpour. The sun, bursting
through the clouds, told that the
storm was almost past, and its food
of direct light cleared the view.
CTO BE CONTINUED)