The newspaper., 1909-09-03

flask by noon, and was thirsty. Win
thrope was doing 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 a pleasant greeting with an
inarticulate grunt. When she turned
to enter the baobab, she found the
opening Uttered 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 this?" she asked Are
you planning a porch?'
Maybe" he replied.
But why should you make the holes
SO far in? l know SO little about these
matters. but ] 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
relief to tie 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
q 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
winthrbpe's suave dra~l She went
for another day on the headland.
She returned somewhat earlier than
on the previous day. As before. Win
thrope was doing m the shade. But
Blake was under the baobab. rakinx
together a heap OF rubbish. His hands
were scratched and bleeding To the
girls surprise. he met her with q
cheerful grin and a clear. direct glance.
Look here" he called.
She stepped around the baobab and
stood staring The entrance. from the
sround TO the height OF IL feet. was
walled up with a mass OF thorny
branches. inter~oven with yet thorn
Ter creepers.
-How's that for front door, he
demanded
Door
Yes"
But it's so big. L 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 a crossbar in the
middle. Ce=.-e on in"
She walked after him in under the
now horizontal door. He gave the in
ner end a light upward thrust. and the
door swung back in its vertical circle
until 1t again stood upright in the
opening. From the inside the girl
Coulu see lnt strong framework 10
which was lashed the facing OF the
thorns. II 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
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 each
side
"How's that for a set OF boltse' he
demanded
Wonderful, Really. you are very.
very clever, But why should you go
to all this trouble, when the barri-
cade-"
Well. you see. it's best to be on the
safe side
But it's absurd for you to go to all
this needless work Not that do not
appreciate your kind thought for my
safety. Yet look at your hands,"
Blake fastened to put his bleeding
hands behind him.
Go and wash them at once. and I'll
put on a dressing"