The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-04-28

vulsive grasp as she felt the pack
leaders fling themselves against the
outer side.
But Blake had lashed the bamboos
securely together and none of the
| beasts was heavy enough to snap the
supple bars. Finding that they could
| not break down the barrier, they be-
| gan to scratch and tear at the thatch
which covered the frame. Soon pair
| of lean jaws thrust in and snapped
at the girls skirt. She sprang back,
with cry: Help, Quick, Mr. Win
thrope They're breaking through.
Winthrope made no response. She
stopped, and found him lying inert
where he had fallen. She had only
herself to depend upon. A screen of
sharp sticks which she had made for
| the entrance was leaning against the
inner wall within easy reach. To
grasp it and thrust it against the other
framework was the work of an in
! stant.
Still she trembled, for the eager
|
canopy, and their inthrust jaws made
short work of the few leaves on her
screen. Unaware that even a lion or a
tiger is quickly discouraged by the
knife-like splinters of broken bamboo,
she expected every moment that the
jackals would bite their way through
her frail barrier.
| hn hn
stakes of her screen, hidden under the
leaves and grass of her bed. She
groped her way across the hollow
and uncovered one of the stakes. In
her haste she cut her hand on its
razor.like edge. All unheeding, she
sprang back towards the entrance. She
was none too soon. One of the smaller
iackals had forced its head and one
leg between the bars, and was strug-
Cling to enlarge the opening.
Fearful that the whole pack was
about to burst in upon her, the girl
grasped the bamboo stake in both
hands, and began stabbing and lung
ing at the beast with all her strength.
The iackal squirmed and snarled and
| NlClOuSlys buJ INC gil w dS
now frantic. She pressed nearer, and
though the white teeth grazed her
wrist, she drove home a thrust that
changed the beasts snarls into howl
of pain. Before she could strike
again, it had struggled back out OF
the hole, beyond reach.
Tense and painting with excitement
she leaned forward, ready to stab al
the next beast. None appeared and
presently she became aware that the
pack had been daunted by the ex
perience of their unlucky fellowsTheil
snarls and yells had subsided tc
whines, which seemed to be coming
from a greater distance. Still sh'
waited, with the bamboo stake up
raised ready to strike, every nerv,
a and muscle of her body tense with thu
u strain.
So great was the stress of her fea
. and excitement that she had not heed
!. ed the first gray lessening of tn
" night. But now the glorious tropica
dawn came streaming out of the cas-
in all its red effulgence. Above an
u through the bamboo barrier glowed
IT light such as might have come fror
! great fire on the cliff top. Still
( tense and immovable. the girl stare
e out up the cleft. There was not
J. ackal in sight She leaned forwar
y and peered around, unable to believ
II such good fortune. But the nigh
l. providers had skunk off in the frs
70 gray dawn. q
80 The girl drew in deep, shuddeI
- ing sigh, and sank back. Her ham
struck against Winthrope's foot. Sh
- turned about quickly and looked a
% him. He was lying upon his face. Sh
q hastened to turn him upon his side
> and to feel his forehead. 1t was coo
-, and moist He was fast asleep AM
6 drenched with sweat. The grea
a shock of his pain and fear and ez
h citement had broken his fever.
With the relief and joy of this dis
covery, the girl completely relaxed
60 Not observing Winthrope's wounds
- which had bled little, she sought t
" force a way out through the entrance
:, 1t was by no means an easy task t
" free the wedged framework, and wher
:, after much pulling and pushing, sh
= at last tore the mass loose, she foun
, herself perspiring no less freely tha
- Winthrope.