The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-10-05
chapter q
EXPLORATION

THE escaped menagerie during
The night gave 10 further evi-
denee OF life Ivy and Bowers were
50 tired that a patch Of dry sand
stiII warmed from the heat Of the
sun seemed as soft and COMFORTING
as q feather-bed.
They woke at dawn refreshed and
full Of optimism. They had before
them a whole day in which to build
a shelter and establish themselves.
Bowers even hoped to find a dry
cave. some old volcanic blowhole
near water.
And In this event his hopes were
justified. There were dozens of
cavea In places the volcanic rock
was honeycombed. but one cave was
shallow. another damp. and the
ceiling Of the third was too low.
But that first morning they stayed
there on the point on which they
had landed. and gave :he whole OF
their worldly goods. including the
matches. good drying In the sun.
With a line and one Of the hooks
which he had found In the chart.
room Bowers had a go at fishing,
wadine waist-deep in the lagoon and
using for bait the animals extracted
from certain brightly striped and
speekled littoral shells.
There were plenty Of fish to be
seen. and be might have Jared bet.
ter with a fish-spear. for his baIts
did not prove alluring and he caught
nothing.
He had ished for an hour or
more when a call from ivy drew his
eyes shoreward. and when he saw
that Ivy was obscured from view By
euling whisks OF blue smoke, be
knew that she had managed to
strike a match and start a fire.
He waded ashore with great foam
Ing strides and in a mood OF exulta
tion. Fire spelled all the difference
between health and comfort and
sickness and misery, and he had
had the fear that all the matches
might have been frretrievabIy
spoiled By dampness.
II was pity that they had not
thought to bring pots and pans.
but they hadn't. and emptied cans
and the cleaned halves OF coconuts
would have to serve.
While coffee was making, Bowers
marked down a group of banana
trees. made his way to them through
a dense. almost shouldeS-high under.
growth Of sun-cured watergrass and
presently returned in triumph with
ripe golden fruit for breakfast.
After breakfast they went house
hunting. but first there was a little
argument as to the quality of the
coffee which Ivy had brewed. she
protesting that it would have been
much better II It had been made
with real water instead OF eoconui
water. and Bowers maintaining the
contrary.
They returned first to the river
where they had drunk and bathed
and after repeating these pleasures
and sitting about and chatterins
until they were dry. began to ex
pIore without any special theory OF
system.
BETWEEN shoulders. the little
- valley In which they found
themselves was no more than 9
quarter OF a mile in the widesl
space. They wished 20 find a loca
ton which would provide the follow
Ing particulars: proximity to water
security from wind and rain. and 9
view at all times Of the lagoon and
the open sea beyond.
The shoulders OF the valley where
the rocks showed black and bars
gave promise OF caves. But the
jungle and the underground OF wa
ter-grass were so dense that th'
work of exploration was slow AMI
exhausting.
During that day they discovers
the three caves which have beel
briefly described. But dusk over
took them during the work OF hunt
ing for fourth. and they returned
to their first camp. and for the sec
ond night slept in the open.
The next moring they loaded thei
gear back on the life-raft and witt
Ivy and Helen joy-riding, and Bow
ers wading and Juggling upon
length Of rope, they removed thei