The Washington times., 1912-08-06
CHAPTER Xxx.
Winthrope's Payment,

Winthrope's Payment.
~ OR q moment that seemed an
- eternity she lay on her bed glar-
ing into the black darkness.
Then the storm burst over the
cleft with a crashing uproar that
brought her to her feet with a shrek.
Her giant tree creaked and strained
under the impact OF the terrific hurri-
cane blasts that came howling through
the cleft like rout Of shrieking fiends.
The peals Of thunder had merged into
one continuous roar, beneath which the
solid led8es of rock Jared and quivered.
The sky was pail of black clouds,
- 1ne 1meshed ~ with a dazzling networtk Of
The girl stood motionless, stunned by
the uproar, appalled, by the binding
glare of the th1nderbolts-yet, even
more Fearful Of the figure which every
flash showed her still lurking beneath
the door. A stick struck with numbing
force against her upraised arm, but she
took no heed. She was unaware Of the
swirl or rain and sticks and leaves that
was driven in through the open en-
OF sudden the door shook free from
It's props and whirled violently around
on its balance bar. There was a Shrek
that pierced, above the shrilling of the
cyclone-a single human shrek.
The girl sprang across the cave.
The heavy door swished up before
edge all but grazing her face. For a
moment it stopped in a vertical po-
sitlon' and, hung quivering, like a
beast about to leap upon its prey:
the act. the girl sprang forward and
shot, one Of the thick bolts into its
socket,
A fierce gust leaped against the
outer face Of the door, and thrust in
upon II, striving to burst~it bodily
from its bearing. The top and the
free side of the bottom bowed in. But
tough. the bamboo like whalebone;
and the shrunken creepers held the
frame together as though the joints
were lashed with wire rope.
Failing to smash in the elastic
stru.ture or to snap the cross bar.
the blast flung itself now against the
top, now against the bottom. in g.
about The white glare streaming in
through the cracks and holes showed
the girl her opportunity. She grasped
another bar, and shot 1t into its sock
back with the shifting of the pres
sure to the top
1t was then a simple matter to
slide the remaining bars into the
ute she had made the door fast.
A heavy spray was beating in upon
her through the chinks Of the frame
shelter in ' a Side side niche. % a Narrow sSVsas as
was the slit above the top of the
door. 1t let in a torrent Of water,
which spouted clear across against
the far wall Of the cave. 1t gushed
down upon her bed, and was already
flooding the cave floor.
She piled higher the cocoanuts that
were stored in her niche, and perched
herself upon the. heap to keep above
the water. But even in her sheltered
corner the eddying wind showered
her with. spray. She waded across for
turned to huddle beneath 1t in the
still misery and terror of hunted
animal that has crept. wounded. into
a hole. .--...
During the first hurricane there had
been companions to whom she could
look for help. and comfort, and she
had been TO degree unaware of the
greatness OF the, danger. But in the
caught more than one glimpse of
rrimeval nature-she Of the bloody
flag-blind. remorseless, insensate-
destroying, ever destroying.
True, this was solid land, while
that other time there had been the
peril of the sea. But now the girl
walls OF her, refuge the hurricane
kelled and shrieked and roared. a
keadless. formless monster. furious
to burst In upon her. At any instant
great tower of living wood, and hurl
her blackened body into the pool on
the cave floor
Once she fancied that she heard
Blake shouting outside the door; but
when she screamed a shrill response,
the blast Knocked her with echoing
shrieks, and she dared not venture to
not shout again.
After a time she began to think that
the sound had been no more than
freak of the shifting wind. Yet the
thought of him, out in the full fury of
the cyclone, served to turn her
thoughts from her own danger. She
prayed aloud for his safety. beseech-
sought to pray even for Winthrope.
hut the vision of that beastly face
rose up before her and she could not
Presently, she. became aware of a
change. The terrific gusts blew with
Yet greater violence. the thunder crash
ed more heavily, the lightning filed the
air with a fame of dazzling white light.
But the rain no longer gushed across
on the spot where her bed had been.
II was entering alta different anrle, and
its force was broken by the bend in the
thick wall of the entrance. After a
time the deluge dashed aslant the en-
cataract of foam.
Another interval. and the driving
downpour no longer struck even the
edge of the opening. The wind was
moved past on one side. The hurricane
was advancing along its course at great
speed. An hour more, and the outer
most rim OF the huge whiri was passing
over the cleft.
Quickly the hurricane-gusts fell away
to gale; the gale became a breeze:
the breeze lulled and died away, stfled
by the torrential rain.
Within the baobab all was again dark
and silent. Utterly exhausted, the girl
had sunk back against the friendly wall
OF the tree, and fallen asleep.
She was awakened by hoarse call;