The newspaper., 1909-07-09
IContlnued from page threel

moss and ferns more. Let's get
close look"
AS he spoke, Bake stopped and
climbed few yards up the trail to an
overhanging ledge, four or five feet
high. Where the trail ran up over
this break in the slope the stone was
bare of all vegetation. Blake laid his
club on the top of the ledge, and was
about to vault after 1t, when, directly
beneath his nose, he saw the print OF
a great catlike paw. outlined in dried
mud. At the same instant deep
growl came rumbling down the fox
rum" Without waiting for second
warning, Blake drew his club to him.
and crept back down the trail. His
stealthy movements and furtive back
ward .glances filled his companions
with vague terror. He himself was
hardly less alarmed.
"Get out of the trees-into the open!"
he exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. and
as they crept away. white with dread
of the unknown danger. he followed at
their heels. looking backward, his club
raised in readiness to strike.
Once clear of the trees. Winthrope
caught Miss Leslie by the hand and
broke into a run In their terror they
paid no heed to Blake's command to
stop. They had darted of so unex-
pectedly that he did not overtake them
short of 100 yards.
Hold on" he said. gripping Win
thrope roughly by the shoulder. It's
safe enough here. and you'll knock out
that blamed ankle"
What is 1t? What did you see7"
gasped Miss Leslie.
Footprint" mumbled Blake. ashamed
OF his fright.
"A lion's?" cried Winthrope.
Not so large-'bout the size OF a
puma's. Must be a leopard's den up
there. heard a growl. and thought II
about time to clear out"
by Jove. we'd better withdraw
around the point"
Withdraw your aunty! There's no
leopard going TO tackle us out here in
open ground this time OF day. The
sneaking tomcat, II only | had a
match. I'd show him how We smoke
rat holes"
MI EpbfAf VI Ahbbihb
sticks to make fire" suggested Miss
Leslie.
Make sweat. you mean. But we
may as well try II now. II were going
to at all The suns hot enough TO fry
eggs. Wen 20 back TO a shady. place
and pick up sticks on the way"
Though there was shade under the
cliff within some 600 feet. they had
TO go some distance to the nearest dry
wood-a dead thornbush. Here they
gathered a quantity OF branches. even
Misc Leslie volunteering to carry a
load.
All was thrown down In a heap near
the clif. and Blake squatted beside II.
penknife in hand. Having selected the
dryest OF the larger sticks. he bored a
hole in one side and dropped In a
pinch OF powdered bark. Laying the
stick in the full glare OF the sun. he
thrust a twig into the hole and began
to twirl It between his palms. This
movement he kept up for several min
utes; but whether he was unable TO
twirl the twig fast enough or whether
the right kind Of wood or finder was
"hihE All by fhpiAH iHh'h W li'-
iuce q spark.
Unwilling fo accept the failure
~ ihrore irs'sfed unon trying In
turn. and pride held him to the task
until he was drenched with sweat.
The result was the same.
Told you So" jeered Blake from
where he lay In the shade. Wed
e'and more chance cracking stones to-
ge her"
but what shall we do now?" asked
Miss Leslie. Il am becoming very
tired OF cocoanuts. and there seems to
ne nothing else around here. Indeed.
think this is all such a waste OF
time. If we had walked straight along
the shore this morning we might have
reached a town"
I'VE might, Miss Jenny. and then.
again. we mightn't. | happened TO
overhaul the captains chart-Quili-
name, Mozambique-thats all for hun
dreds of miles. Towns on this coast
are about as thick as hen's-teeth."
How about native villages?" de-
manded Wlnthrope.
"Oh, yes: maybe I'm fool enough to
go into n wild niger town without
a gun. Maybe I didn't talk with fel-
lows down on the Rand"