The Fort Sumner review., 1909-11-06
CHAPTER X.-Continued.

CHAPTER x.-Continued.
The hot ashes flew up in her face
and powdered her hair with their gray
dust; yet she persisted, blowing stead
lily until a shred of bark caught the
sparks and flared up in a tiny flame
A little more, and she had a strong
fire blazing against the tree trunk.
She rested a short time, relaxing
both mentally and physically in the
satisfying consciousness that Blake
never should know how near she had
come to failing in her trust
Soon she became aware of keen
feeling of thirst and hunger. She
rose, piled fresh supply of sticks on
the fire, and fastened back through
the cleft toward the spring. Around
the baobab she came upon Winthrope,
working in the shade of the great tree.
The three leopard skins had been
stretched upon bamboo frames, and
he was resignedly scraping at their
inner surfaces with a smooth-edged
stone. Miss Leslie did not look too
closely at the operation.
WneTe 1S-H6! S0e asked.
Winthrope motioned down the
cleft.
q hope he hasn't gone far. I'm half
famished. Aren't you?"
Really, Miss Genevieve, it is odd,
you know. Not an hour since, the
very thought of food"
"And now you're as hungry as | am.
oh, do wish he had not gone off just
at the wrong time!"
"He went to take a dip in the sea.
You know, he got so messed up over
the nastiest part of the work, which
positively refused to do"
whats that beyond the bamboos?
There's something alive!"
pray, don't be alarmed, 1t is-er-
it's all right, Miss Genevieve, | as
sure YOU
"But what is it? Such queer noises,
and | see something alive,"
only the vlutures, if you must
know Nothing else, l assure you"
"Oh!"
ut is all out of sight from the
spring. You are not to go around
the bamboos until the-that is, not
today"
Did Mr.. Blake say that?"
why, yes-to be sure. He also said
to tell you that the outlets were on the
top shelf"
"You mean-?"
His way of ordering you to cook
our dinner. Really, Miss Genevieve,
should be pleased to take your place,
but have been told to keep to this.
1T is hard to take orders from low
fellow-very hard for gentleman,
you know"
Miss Leslie gazed at her shapely
hands. Three days since she could not
have conceived of their being so rough
and scratched and dirty. Yet her dis
gust at their condition was not en-
tirely unqualified
AT least | have something to show
for them," she murmured.
Il beg pardon" said Winthrope.
Just look at my hands-like a serv-
ants! And yet I am not nearly so
ashamed of them as | would have
fancied. Ut is very amusing, but do
you know, / actually feel proud that
! have done something-somethin
useful, / mean
"Usefui?-I caliit shocking, Miss Gen
evieve. 1t is simply vile that people of
our breeding should be compelled to
do such menial work. They write no
end of romances about castways; but
! fail to see the romance in scraping
skins Indian fashion, as this fellow
Blake calls it."
81 suppose, though, we should re
member how much Mr.. Blake is doing
Sr us, and should try to make the
best of the situation"
1T has no best. 1t Is all beastly
muddle," complained Winthrope, and
he resumed his nervous scraping at
the big leopard skin.
The girl studied his face for mo-
ment, and turned away. She had been
crying so hard to forget
He heard her leave, and called after,
without looking us please remem-
her. He said to cook some meat"
She did not answer Having salts
fled her thirst at the spring, she took
one of the bamboo rods, with its haggled
blackening Iieces Of flesh, and re- |