Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-01-21
ROBERT AMEC BEN

Blake threw away his empty spit and
Leslie to swallow her last mouthful
and then began to chuckle.
What's the joker" asked Win
thrope.
Blake looked at him soiemply.
well now, that was downright
mean of me-" he drawied; after rob-
bling them, to laugh at i'll"
'Robbing who?"
"The buzzards."
You've fed us on leopard meat!
lists disgusting!"
q found 1t filling. Flow about you,
Miss jenny"
Miss Leslie did not know whether to
laugh or to give way to feeling of
nausea. She did neither.
Can we not find the spring of which
you spoke?" she asked Il am thirsty"
We'll. | guess the fire is about burnt
out" assented Blake. Come on; Well
see"
The cleft now had a far different as
pect from what 1t had presented on
their first visit. The largest of the
trees, though scorched about the base.
still stood with unwithered foliage,
little harmed by the fire. But many
of their small companions had been
killed and partly destroyed by the heat
and flames from the burning brush. In
places the fire was yet smouldering.
Blake picked path along the edge
OF the rill. where the moist vegetation,
though scorched, had refused to burn.
After the first abrupt ledge. up which
Blake had to drag his companions, the
ascent was easy. But as they climbed
around an outjutting corner of the
steep right wall Of the cleft Blake
muttered curse of disappointment.
He could now see that the cleft did
not run to the top of the cliff, but
through 1t, like tiny box canyon.
The sides rose sheer and smooth as
walls. Midway, at the highest point OF
the cleft, the baobab lowered high
above the ridge crest, its gigantic
trunk filing third of the breadth OF
the. little gorge. Unfortunately It
stood close to the left wall
Here's luck for you" growled
Blake. why couldn't the blamed old
tree have grown on the other side
We might have found way to climb
1t. Guess we'll have to smoke out
another leopard We're no nearer
those birds nests than we were yes
terday."
"By Jove, look here!" exclaimed
Winthrope. This is our chance for
antelope! Here by the spring are
bamboos-real bamboos-and only
half the thicket burned"
What of them?" demanded Blake.
"Bows-arrows-and did you not
agree that they would make knives?"
"Umph--we'll see What is it, Miss
Jenny?"
isn't that a hole in the big tree?"
Looks like it. These baobabs are
often hollow"
Perhaps that is where the leopard
had his den," added Winthrope.
Shouldn't wonder. Well go and
see"
But, Mr.. Blake" protested the girl,
may there not be other leopards?"
Might have been; but I'll bet they
lit out with the other. Look how the
tree is scorched Must have been
stacks of dry brush around the hole,
'nough to smoke out fireman. Wen
look and see If they left any soup
bones lying around. First, though,
here's your drink, Miss Jenny"
As he spoke, Blake kicked aside
some smouldering branches and led
the way to the crevice whence the
spring trickled from the rock into a
shallow stone basin. When all had
drunk their fill of the clear cool water
Blake took up his club and walked
straight across to the baobab. Less
than 30 steps brought him to the-nar-
row opening in the trunk of the huge
tree. At first he could make out moth
ing in the dimly lit interior; but the