The Garland globe. [volume] (Garland, Utah) 1906-191?, 1910-02-26

arm
q prefer TO nolp you" she replied.
Come on" called Blake, and he
splashed out into the water
The others followed within arms
length, nervously conscious of the
rows of motionless reptiles on the
mud-hat, not 100 Yards distant
In the center of the bar, where the
water was a trile over knee-deep,
some large creature came darling
downstream beneath the surface and
passed with a violent swirl between
Blake and his companions. At Miss
Leslie's scream, Blake whirled about
and iabbed with his club at the sup
posed alligator.
Where's the brute? Has he got
you?" he shouted.
mo, no; he went by" gasped Win
thrope. There he Isl"
long bony snout, fringed on either
side by a row of lateral teeth, was
flung up into view.
"Sawfish," said Blake, and he waded
on across the bar without further COM
ment.
Miss Leslie had been on the point
of fainting. The tone of Blake's voice
revived her instantly.
There were no more scares. A few
minutes later they waded out upon
stretch of clean sand on the south
of the river. Before them the beach
Ny in flattened curve, which at the
Co hap 20. lnr nd
appeared to terminate at the foot of
the towering limestone cliffs of the
headland. A mile or more inland the
river jungle edged in close to the
cliffs; but from there to the beach the
forest was separated from the wall of
rock by little sandy plain, covered
with creeping plants and small palms
The greatest width of the open space
was hardly more than a quarter of a
mile.
Blake paused for a moment at high
tide mark, and Winthrope instantly
squatted down to nurse his ankle.
81 say, Blake" he said, cant you
find me some kind of a crutch? 1t is
only few yards around to those
trees"
Good Lord! you haven't been fool
enough to overstrain that ankle Yes.
you have. Dammit why couldn't you
tell me before?"
1T did not feel so painful in the
water"
81 helped the best could" inter,
posed Miss Leslie Il think if you
could get Mr. Winthrope a crutch-"
"Crutch!" growled Blake. How
long do you think 1t would take me to
wade through the mud? And look at
that cloud! We're in for a squat.
Here!"
He handed the girl the smaller
string of cocoanuts, flung the other up
the beach and stopped for Winthrope
to mount his back. He then started
off along the beach at a sharp trot.
Miss Leslie followed as best she
could, the heavy cocoanuts swinging
about with every step and brusing her
tender body.
The wind was coming faster than
Blake had calculated. Before they had
run 200 PAGES they heard the roar of
rain-lashed water and the squat
struck them with a force that almost
overthrow the girl. With the wind
came torrents Of rain that drove
through their thickest garments and
drenched them to the skin within the
first half,minute.
Blake slackened his pace to a walk
and plodded sullenly along beneath
the driving downpour. He kept to the
lower edge of the beach, where the
sand was firmest, for the force of the
falling deluge beat down the waves
and held in check the breakers which
the wind sought to roll up the beach.
The rain storm was at its height
when they rC'ched the fc Vt of the
cliffs. The lay rock towesAd above
them 80 or 80 ect high Blake de,
posted Winthrope upon a wet ledge
and Strengthened up to scan the head.
land. Here and there lodges ran more
than halfway up the rocky wall; in
other places the crest was notched by
deep clefts; but nowhere within sight
did either offer a continuous path to
the summit. Blake grunted with dis.
gust.
IT'D take fire ladder to get up this
side" he said Wen have to try
the other. II We can get around the