The Washington times., 1912-07-17
THE TIMES DAILY sERIAE STORY
INTO THE PRIMITIVE
.a.N,t =--By--
ROBERT AMES BENNETT g
Copyright
ROBERT AMES BENNETT
Copyright, 1912. Frank A. Munsey Coz

| O sharp eve out for anything In the
flint line-quartz or agate. That means
| Another thing, when this rain blows
| over, don't let your clothes dry on you.
I've got my hands fun enough without
having hor11s to- to nurse 1s you through fever;
don't show up by noon save me some"
He stopped to drink from a pool in
the rock. which was overnowing with
tne cool rain-water; then he started Off
at his shorpest pace.
Winthrope and Miss Leslie. seated
side by side In dripping misery. watched
him swap through the rain without
energy RrgsatS 70 cal esi c9,n out parting word. %
succeeded ,, by a talus Of rocky debris
which in placed sloped up from the
water ten or fifteen feet. The lower
part OF the slope, consisted of boulders
ana waterworn stones, over which the
surf, REINFORCED by the rising tide, was
beginning to break with an angry roar
Blake picked his way quickly over
the smaller stones near the top of the
slope. now and then bending to snatch
up a fragment that seemed to differ
from the others.
Finding nothing out limestone, he
soon turned his attention solely to the
had expected to find the surf much
heavier. But the shore was protected
by double line Of reefs. 80 close In that
the channel between did not show a
places the talus here sank down almost
to the level of low tide. Even mod
crate surf would have rendered further
progress impracticable.
Another hundred PAGES brought
Blake to the second corner of the cliff
which jutted out in little point. He
clambered around II and stopped to sur
vey the coast beyond.
Within the last few minutes the squall
had blown over, and now the rain be-
n tn tfa he
bursting through the clouds, told that
the storm was almost past, and its flood
of direct light cleared the view,
Along the south side Of the cliff the
the north. From the end Of the talus
the coast trended off four or five miles
to the south-southwest in q shallow
blight, whose southern extremity was
land. This ridge ran inland parallel
to the first, and from a point some lit
tie distance back from the shore was
covered with a growth of leafiess trees.
Between the two ridges lay a plain,
open along the shore. but a short dis
tapce inland covered with Jungle of
tail, yellow grass, above which, here
and ahere. rose the tops of scrubby.
leafiess trees and the graceful crests
Of slender-shafter palms.
Blakes attention was drawn to the
palms by that feeling of artificiality
which their exotic appearance go often
wakens in the mind of the northern
bred man, even after long residence in
the tropics. But in a moment he turned
away. He was not looking for palms.
The last ragged bit of cloud. with It's
showery accompaniment, drifted past
before the breeze, which followed the
proclaimed by a deafening chorus of
squawks and screams along the higher
lodges Of the cliff. Staring upward,
Blake for the first time observed that
the face Of the cliff swarmed with sea-
fowl.
That's luck" he muttered. Guess
l haven't forgot how to rob nests. Bet
our fine lady'H shy at sucking them
don't run across other rock than this
poor girl"
He advanced again toward the taIus
and. did not stop until he reached the
sand beach. There he halted and made
a careful examination, not only OF the
loose debris, but of the solid rock above.
Finding no sign OF flint or quartz, he
growled out a curse, and he backed of
along the beach to get a view OF the
clifr top: From a point little beyond
him outward to the extremity OF the
headland he could see that the upper
ledges and the crest OF the cliff as well
were fairly crowded with sea fowl and
their nests.
His smile of satisfaction broadened
when he glanced inland and saw. less
than half a mile distant. wooded cleft
which apparently ran up to the summit
OF the ridge. From a point near the
top a gigantic baobab tree lowered up
against the skyline like q Brobdingna-
gtan cabbage.
,n"say Say we may haye a run for our
Shade and no end of grub, by the The;
green Of those trees a spring-limestone
flint"
He slapped his leg, and both sound
hix,a ~
clothes were drenched.
Guess we'll wait about that flint"
ne said, and he made for a clump OF
thorn scrub little way inland.
within mile Of the shore, there was
nothing to obstruct him. The creeping
plants, which during the rainy season
mad matted over the sandy soil were
OF the dry, season. Even the thorn
scrub was half bare of leaves.
~ sake axe walked around the clump to
fne In SndSiest Sc Side and began to strip
after another was flung across a
branch where the sun would strike It,
Last of all, the shoes were emptied
OF rainwater and set out to dry.
Without a pause, he then gave him
S Seif qnick, light rub down. just suf-
starting the .perspiration.
Physically the man WAS magnificent
one of natures athletes, trained in
the feld to an iron hardness and en-
durance His muscles were wiry and
compact. rather than bulky, and as he
moved. they played beneath his white
skin with tho smoothness and ease of
a tigers.
After the rundown, he squatted on
his heels, and spent some time trying
to bend his palm-leaf hat back into
shape. When he had placed this also
out in the sun, he found himself be-
ginning to yawn. The dry sultry air
had made him drowsy.
A touch with his bare foot showed
brush already had absorbed the rain
and offered q drv surface. He glanced
around. drew his club nearer, and
stretched himself out for a nap.
A Continuation of This Story Will