The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-02-24
CHAPTER Vi.-continued.


How wide is it?" inquired Win
thrope, gazing at his swollen hands.
About 300 yards at high tide May
be narrower at ebb."
Gould you not build a raft?" sug.
gested Miss Leslie.
Blake smiled at her simplicity. "Why
not a boat? We've got penknife."
well, then, l can swim"
Bully for you! Guess. though, wen
try something else. The river is chuck
full of alligators. What you waiting
for, Pat? We haven't got all day to
fool around here
WINTHROP twisted the creeper about
his leg and slid to the ground, doing
all he could to favor his hands. He
found that he could walk without pain,
and at once stepped over beside
Blake's club, glancing nervously
around at the jungle.
Blake jerked up the end Of the
creeper. and passed the loop about
Miss Leslie. Before she had time to
become frightened he swung her over
and lowered her to the ground lightly
as a feather. He followed hand under
hand, and stood for a moment beside
her, staring at the dew-dripping foil
age of the jungle. Then the remains
Of the nights quarry caught his eye,
and he walked over to examine them.
Say, Pat" he called, these don't
look like deer bones. I'd say--yes;
there's the feet-it's a pig"
ANY tusks?" demanded Winthrope.
Miss Leslie looked away. A heap of
bones. however clearly gnawed, is not
a pleasant sight. The skull of the
animal seemed to be missing; but
Blake stumbled upon 1t In tuft of
grass and kicked it out upon the open
ground, Every shred of hide and
gristle had been gnawed from 1t by the
jackals; yet if there had been any
doubt as to the creatures identity
there was evidence to spare in the saw
age tusks which projected from the
Jaws.
"Je-rusalem!" observed Blake; this
old boar must have been something
of scrapper his own self"
I'm India they have been known to
kill tiger Can you knock out the
tusks?"
what for?'
well, you said we had nothing for
arrow points"
Good boy! Well cinch them and
ask questions later"
A few blows with the club loosened
the tusks. Blake handed them over to
Winthrope, together with the whisky
flask and led the way to the half
broken patch through the thicket. A
free use of his club made the path
little more worthy of the name, and
as there was less need of haste than
on the previous evening. Winthrope
and Miss Leslie came through with |
only few fresh scratches. Once on
open ground again they soon gained |
the fallen palms.
At word from Blake, Miss Leslie |
fastened to fetch nuts for Winthrope |
to husk and open, Blake, who had |
plucked three leaves from "A fan palm |
near the edge of the jungle, began to
split long Shreds from one of the |
huge leaves of Il cocoanut palm. This
gave him a quantity of coarse, stiff |
fiber, part of which he twisted in
cord and used to tie one of the leaves
OF the fan palm over her head.
"How's that for bonnet?" he de-
manded
The improvised head-gear bore so
grotesque resemblance to a recent
type of picture hat that Winthrope
could not repress a derisive laugh.
Miss Leslie, however, examined the
bat and gave her opinion without a
sign of amusement Il think 1t is
splendid, Mr. Blake, Ii we must go
out in the sun again, it is just the thing
TO protect one"
Yes. Here's two more I've fixed for
you. Ready yet, Winthrope?"
The Englishman nodded and the
.hree sat down 10 their third feast of
socoanuts. They were hungry enough
At the start, and Blake added no little
even to his own appetite by
l grim joke on the slender prospects
If the next meal, to the effect that if
n the meantime not eaten themselves
hey might possibly find their next
neal within week.
But if we must move, could we not
AXE some OF the nuts with us?" sug-
rested Winthrope.
Blake pondered over this as he ate,
nd when fully satisfied he helped him,
elf up with his club he motioned the
'thers to remain seated
There are your hats and the
trings," he said but you won't need
hem now. I'm going ia take nroS