The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-03-04
CHAPTER Vl.-Continued.

CHAPTER Vl.-Continued.
Along the south side of the cliff the
sea extended in twice rs far as on the
north From the end of the talus the
coast trended off four or five miles to
4be south-southwest In shallow
hight whose southern extremity was
bonnded by a second limestone head
land. This ridge ran inland parallel
10 the first, and from point some lit
tie distance back from the shore was
covered with growth of leatless
trees.
Between the two ridges lay plain,
omen along the shore, but short dis
lance inland covered with a jungle
of tall yellow grass, above which,
here and there, rose the tops of scrub
nv leahess trees and the graceful
crests of slender-shafted palms.
Blake's attention was drawn to the
latter by that feeling of artificiality
which their exotic appearance so often
wakens in the mind of the northern
bred man even after long residence in
the tropics. But in a moment he
turned away with a growl. More of
those darned feather-dusters!" He
was not looking for palms.
The last ragged bit of cloud, with
its showery accompaniment, drifted
past before the breeze which followed
u the squall, and the end of the storm
g was proclaimed by deafening chorus
II of souawks and screams along the
II higher lodges of the cliff. Staring up
a ward, Blake for the first time observed
" that the face of the cliff swarmed with
FL seafowl
That's luck!" he muttered. Guess
81 haven't forgot how to rob nests. Bet
our fine lady'll shy at sucking then
SA raw! All the same, she'll have to II
81 / don't run across other rock than this
F@ poor grill"
E4 He advanced again along the talus
M and did not stop until he reached thu
~ sand beach. There he halted to make
81 careful examination, not only of thu
III loose debris, but of the solid rocl
above. Finding no sign of flint o
l. quartz, he growled out curse ant
backed off along the beach to get
view of the cliff top. From a point
\ little beyond him, outward to the eS
tremity of the headland, he could SCI
q that the upper lodges and the ores
! of the cliff, as well, were fairl
j crowded with seafowl and their nests
ri His smile of satisfaction broadene
y when he glanced inland and saw les
q III than bolf r,i1n distant wnn1p
', cleft which apparently ran UP to tn
20 summit of the ridge. From a poin
near the top a gigantic baobab tire
lowered up against the skyline like
I'd Brobdingnagian cabbage.
oil Say, we may have run for on
md Shade, and no end of grub, and b
Ter the green of those trees, a spring
ced limestone water at that. Next thin!
,r I'll find fint!"
nd He slapped his leg, and both SCUM
nro and feeling reminded him that n
tiy clothes We're drenched.
t NJ Guess Wen wait about that flint
cop ne said and he made for a clump {
i thon scrub little way inland.
iue AS the tall grass did not grow hei
within mile of the shore, there VIZ
nothing to obstruct him. The creepir
ma plants which during the rainy seasc
mad matted over the sandy soil wei
now leaiess and withered by the hei
the dry season. Even the thol
Mcru6 was half bare of leaves.
y Blake walked around the clump
"A ne sfadiest side, and began to stri
M n quick succession one garment aft
oitAt smother was flung across branC
,mes were the sun would strike it. La
)OO0 all, the shoes were emptied of raj
abO fa'er and set out to dry. Without
es II PAUSE, he then gave himself a quic
sut rundown, just sufficient to
sorate the skin without starting Il
lerspiration.
a. physically the man was magnifcei
7" muscles were wiry and compa'
he a'ner than bulky, and as he NOV
md played beneath his white SIX
mo 'igers.
ructu Ai'er the rundown he squatted
cen III neels and spent some time tryi
yer III Oend his palm-leaf hat back in
$ When he had placed this al
= ~ the 7un he found himself
80 ls uHilg to yawn The dry, sultry
made him drowsy A touch w
0sre foot showed him that
as beneath the thorn bush had
p absorbed the rain and offered
surface He glanced around, dr.