, 1909-01-07
Into The Primitive
Continued from 3rd page)

Sht SS Mo ~ - 2SoA
go into a wild Niger town without
a gun. Maybe / didn't talk with fell
lows down on the Rand"
But what shalt we do?" repeated
Miss Leslie, with q little frightened
catch in her voice. She was at last
beginning to realize what this rude
break in her sheltered, pampered life
might mean. What shall we do? It's
IT'S absurd to think Of having to
stay in this horrid country for weeks
or perhaps months-unless some ship
comes for us!"
Look here, Miss Leslie" answered
Blake, sharply yet not unkindly; sup
pose you Just sit back and use your
thinker a bit. If you're your daddy's
daughter, you've got brains some
where down under the boarding-school
stuff"
What do you mean, sir?"
Nov, don't get huffy, please! It's
q question of think, not of putting on
airs. Here we are, worse off than he
people Of the stone age. They had
fire and flint axes; we've got nothing
but our think tanks, and as to lions
anu iCOpdIub diu thht ooit Va hAao
It strikes me we've got about as many
on hand as they had"
Then you and Mr.. Winthrope
should Immediately arm yourselves"
"How?-But wen leave that till
later. What else?"
The girl gazed at the surrounding
objects, her forehead wrinkled in the
effort at concentration. I'VE must
have water. Think how we suffered
yesterday! Then there is shelter from
wild beasts, and food, and"
"All right here under our hands, II
we had fire. Understand"
81 understand about the water. You
would Brighten the leopard away with
the fire; and If 1t would do that, 1t
would also keep away the other ami
mails at night. But as for food, unless
we return for cocoanuts-'
Don't give it up! Keep your think
er going on the side, while Pat tells
us our next move. Now that he's got
the fire sticks out of his head"
81 say, Blake, / wish you would
drop that name. 1t is no harder to say
Winthrope."
You're off, there" rejoined Blake.
But look here, I'll make it Win, If
you ngure out what we ought to do
next"
Really, Blake, that would not be
half bad. They-er-they called me
Win at Harrow"
THAT so? My English chum went
to Harrow-Jimmy Scarbridge."
Lord James!-your chum?"
"He started in like you, sort of top
lofty. But he chummed all right-aft-
er / took out a lot of his British starch
with a good w%alloping."
"Oh, really now, Blake, you can't
expect any one with brains to believe
that, you know!"
mo; / don't know, you know,-and
/ don't know If you've got any brains,
you know. Here's your chance to show
us. What's our next mover"
Really, now, l lave had no expert
ence in this sort of thing-don't in
terrupt, please! 1t seems TO me that
our first concern is shelter for the
night. II we should return to your
tree nest, we should also be near the
cocoa palms."
That's one side. Here's the other.
Bar to wade across-sharks and ALI.
gators; then swampy ground-ma-
laria, mosquitoes, thorn jungle. Guess
the hands Of both of vol are still
sore enough, by their look"
'If only l had a pot of cold cream
sighed Miss Leslie.
IF only I had a hunk of jerked
beef" echoed Blake.
81 say. why couldn't we chance it
for the night around on the seaward
face Of the cliff?" asked Winthrope.
81 noticed a place where the lodges
overhang-almost a ave. Do you
think 1t probable that any wild beast
would venture SO close to the sea-"
Cant say. Didn't see any tracks;
30 we'll chance 1t for tonight. Next?'
by morning l believe my ankle will
be in such shape that l could go back
for the string of cocoanuts which we
dropped OIL the beach"
'Tn go myself, to-day, else we'll
have no supper. Now we're getting
down to bedrock. II those nuts have
not been washed away by the tide.
we're fixed for tonight; and for two
meals, such as they are. But what
next? Even the rain pools will be
dried up by another day or So"
Are not sea-birds good to eat?" in.
quired Miss Leslie.
Some"
"Then. II only we could climb the
clin-might there not be another
placer"
No: I've looked at both sides.
What's more. that spotted tomcat has
got a monopoly on our water supply.
The river may be fresh at low tide.
but we've got nothing to boil water
in. and such bayou stuff is just con.
eep.rated malaria"
Then we must find water else.
where" responded Miss Leslie.