Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-13
CHAPTER XIV.
For Once / Was the Hero.

~ HAVE Lrot mp 10 now upon the
N rcrrr.- ut Maple White Land. but
there was another side "a the sub
A feet tor an that morning we wan
se-e5 among lovely flowers. mostly. a.
/ Observed white or yellow in color
these uefr-. rs our professors explain
u. tho primitive aower shades. In
many places the ground was absolute
" covered with them. and as We walk
n ankle deep ON that wonderful Yield
irr rarart tMe Sent was almost intox-
iaariu- FIJI it~ sweetness and intensity
The homary English bee buzzed every
where around MS Many Of the trees
rDdpr which we passed had their
branches bowed down with fruit. some
AZ which were of familiar sorts. while
other varieties were new. BY observ-
irc which q them were pecked bv the
birds We avoided aU danger OF poison
and added q delicious variety to our
food reserve In the jungle which we
rraverSeI we're numerous hard trOdden
rarhs made hv the wild beasts. and in
the more uarSly places We saw n pro
fusion Of strange footmarks. including
many W the fIuauodon. Once in
grove we observed several OF these
great creatures grazing. and Lord John
with his glass was able 10 report that
they also were spotted with asphalt,
though I'll u different place from the one
which We hal examined in the morn
ing. What This phenomenon meant we
could not imagine.
We saw many small animals such as
rorcurincs scaIy auteater and n
wild r.g plebald IN color ana with
long. curved tusks. once through 4
break I'm the trees, we saw clear
shoulder OF green hill some distance
away. and across this q large dun col
o-ed ANNA. was travelling at q cCusId-
cradle pace. 1t passed 50 swiftly that
We were unable to say what ii was,
but If it We're q deer, rs was claimed
bv Lord John. ii must have been as
large as those UonstrCus Irish elk
which are Stll dug up from time to
time in the boys of my native land.
Ever since the mysterious visit
which had Eeen paid to our camp we
always returned ID il with Some mis-
glviug~. However on this occasion
We found everything in order
It was about tlls time that I had an
Inspiration Ny eyes CHANGED 70 light
upon flc enormous guagIel trunk Of
the ciurEo tree which cast IFS huge
branches over us Surely If It's bole
exceeded that Of all others IFS height
must Nib tile same. If the rim II the
plateau was indeed the highest point,
then Why should this mighty tree not
prove Ia Le warchtOwer which com
marLcd the whole country: Now,
ever since ] ran wild as & lad in Ire
lard ! have been a bold and skilled
tree climber. My comrades might be
my masters on the rocks. but I knew
that I would he supreme among those
branches. Could I only get my legs on
70 the lowest Of the giant oGshoots
then it would be strange indeed If
could not make my way 10 the top.
Ny comrades were delighted at my
idea
"Our young friend" said Challenger.
punching up the red apples OF his
cheeks. lis capa bic of acTobatc eXer-
tons which would be impossible to a
A4dA O- more SDi1Q lADL--t p'NSlDls
Of a more commanding appearance /
applaud his resolution.
BY George. young fellah, you've put
your hand on it, said Lord John, clap
ping me en- the back. How we never
came to think Of it before can't i'm
a-ine There's not more than an hour
Of daylight left. but If you take your
notebook YOU may be able to get some
rough sketch Of the place. II we put
these three ammunition cases under
the branch I will soon hoist you on
10 it."
lie stood on the boxes while l faced
the trunk and was gently raising me
when Challenger sprang forward and
gave NE such a thrust with his huge
hand that he fairly shot me into the
tree. With both arms clasping the
branch, / scrambled hard with my feet
Until I had worked, FIRST my body and
then my knees. on 10 il. There We're
three excellent ofshoots. like huge
Fungs Of ladder, above my head and