River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-09-10

she felt the amulet about her neck
with nervous. plucking fingers. as
though seeking to read the answer
there Safety lay behind. back along
the trail in the village of the chief
who had SO reluctantly permitted her
to answer the trumped up message
from his neighbor. But she did not
wish safety. She wanted the papers
and civilization. In which direction to
had guided her steps SO far. but she
knew she must make quick choice.
AS though her question was to be
answered for her. she noticed the chat
fer of the monkeys suddenly changing,
observed a wild alarm III their voices,
and, looking up. saw host, an army
of them. huddled close together, then
slipping swiftly in wild disorder from
tree to tree. Lucille felt thrill of
something more than uneasiness COM
ing upon her as she stared into the
blackness to make out the reason for
their alarm. Swiftly she shrank back
before the blazing balls of fire that
heavy wall of vines and creepers.
Again that cracking of twigs, this
time in greater volume. and where be-
fore but one pair Of wild eyes had
stared at her there were now many
eyes She recollected the fires her saw
age frienCs had built of nights that the
jungle beasts might not disturb them
But she had no means of lighting a
fire. She was alone, with nothing to
assist her save her own ingenuity She
retreated slowly. fear hanging upon
her feet, holding her back even as low
growls indicated that her retreat was
observed and would probably be taken
for a sign of fear.
At the sound the trees were shaken
violently by another rush of the little
tree men. 1t gave her an idea instant
ly. Even as the eyes grew miracu-
lousy into long. graceful bodies Lu-
ellie reached up and grasped the thick
walls of creepers dangling from a giant
trunked tree. Came rush so silent
and sure footed she could hear but the
faint pat, pat of the leopard's feet, fol-
lowed by a heavy click of jaws. In
stinctively she drew her feet up under
her and, fear lending impetus to her
movements. clambered swiftly up the
vines until the welcome crotch of the
tree supported her.
Higher and higher she climbed until
the terrifying sight Of the leopards
encircling the tree was shut from her
eyes by the heavy foliage beneath,
climbed until her muscles ached, climb
ed until even the crunching of twigs
beneath failed to reach up to her.
Beneath her swayed the jungle.
Above her fickered myriad Of stars.
Like peepholes in some great theater
curtain they were through which the
master player might watch what was
going on in his world. They thrilled
Lucille with their familiarity. So long
she had been here Ia this jungle she
seemed to have forgo&tSa the existence
of stars. regarded them as old friends.
These same stars that looked down
upon her now were looking down upon
Manila. upon her father, upon her sweet
heart. These same stars were candles
of truth that would not, could not un-
blushingly look upon such disaster as
threatened her being consummated.
And then her eyes were halted, stay
ed in their review of the stars by
the sight of a long, thin spiral OF
smoke rising and reaching up toward
the stars in wispy fragility. 1t came
from miles to the westward. But Lu-
ellie knew that smoke for fire and the
fire to be that lighted by human hands.