The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-02-03

girls dismayed exclamation, Blake re-
leased his hold and she found herself
standing in a foot or more of mud and
water. The sweat was streaming
down Blake's face. AS he turned
around, he wiped it off with his shirt
sleeves.
do you-can it be, Mr.. Blake, that
he has had a sunstroke?" asked Miss
Leslie
"Sunstroke? No. he's just laid
down. that's all. | thought he had
more sand-confound HIM"
But the sun is so dreadfully hot,
and | have his shade"
"And he's been tumbllng into every
other pool. No; it's not the sun. I've
half mind to let him lie--the paper
legged swell! 1t would no more than
square our aboardship accounts"
Surely, you would not do that, Mr.
Blake! 1t may be that he has hurt
himself in falling"
an this mud d?-bah! But | guess
I'm in for the pack-mule stunt all
around. Now, now; don't yowl, Miss
III Ssoibo' i'u1 Joh Ss'hN = ~@N
pect me to love the snob."
AS he splashed away on the return
trail, Miss Leslie dabbed at her eyes
to check the starting tears.
ooh, dear-Oh, dear!" she moaned
what have l done to be so treated?
Such brute. Oh, dear!-and l am so
thirsty"
In her despair she would have sunk
down where she stood had not the
sliminess of the water repealed her.
She gazed longingly at the trees, in
the fore of which stood a grove Of
stately palms. The half-mile seemed
an insuperahle distance, but the ride
on Blake's back had rested her and
thirst goaded her forward.
Stumbling and slipping she waded
on across the inundated ground, and
came out upon a half.baked mud-fat,
where the walking was much easier.
But the sun was now almost directly
overhead, and between her thirst and
the heat she soon found herself falter-
ing. She tottered on few steps
farther, and then stopped, utterly
spent. AS she sank upon the dried
rushes she glanced around and was
vaguely conscious of a strange, double.
headed figure following her path
across the marsh. All about her be-
came black.
The next she knew Blake was
splashing her head and face with
hrackish water out of the whisky flask
She raised her hand to shield hei
face, and sat up sick and dizzy.
That's it," said Blake. He spoke
in a kindly tone, though his voice was
harsh and broken with thirst. You're
all right now. Pull yourself together
and well get to the trees in a jiffy."
MIR. Winthrope-?"
'I'm here, Miss Genevieve. 1t was
only a wrenched ankle. If l had a
stick, Blake, fancy l could make a
go of it over this drier ground"
And lay yourself up for month
Come, Miss Jenny, brace up for an
other try. It's only quarter-mile
and I've got to pack him."
The girl was gasping with thirst
yet she made an effort, and assisted
! by Blake, managed to gain her feet
She was still dizzy; but as Blake
swing Winthrope upon his back, he
told her to take hold of his arm. Win
thrope held the shade over her head
| Thus assisted, and sheltered from the
direct beat of the sun-rays, she tot
tered along beside Blake, half-uncon
| scious.
Fortunately the remaining distance
lay across a stretch of bare dry
ground, for even Blake had all bu
reached the limit of endurance. SteI
by step he labored on, staggering un
| der the weight of the Englishman ant
| gasping with a thirst which his ex
ertions rendered even greater thar
| that of his companions. But through
the trees and brush which stretched
away inland in a wall of verdure h,
had caught glimpses of broad strean
and the hope of fresh water called ou
every ounce of his reserve strength.
At last the nearest palm was only I
few PAGES distant. Blake clutcheC
Miss Leslie's arm and dragged he
forward with a rush in a final outburs
of energy. A moment later all thre,
lay gasping in the shade. But thu
river was yet another 100 yards dis
tant Blake waited only to regain hi
breath; then he staggered up and wen
on. The others, unable to rise, gazeC
after him in silent misery.
Soon Blake found himself rushinl
through the jungle along a broad trai
+ pitted with enormous footprints: bu
he was so near mad with thirst tha
he paid no heed to the spoor othe
than to curse the holes for the trouble
they gave him. Suddenly the trai
turned to the left and sloped down
low bank into the river. Blind to al
else, Blake ran down the slope anC
dropping upon his knees plunged hi
head into the water.
ITO BE CONTINUEDJ