The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-10-09
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HUNGER sERENADE


HUNGER sERENADE
TsHE Wild pigs. however, we're soon
extsrminated and 50 also the
Gear and the antelope which had
swum ashore from the Boldero. The
monkeys we're watchful and astute.
ThsT also. when they came down
cut u the trees TO drink. posted SEN
tinsls and we're not to be caught
70 Ivy. the varied sounds which q
tiger makes we're a language. and
TIE sounds IN the night told her .
story o. gnawing hunger and bitter
discomfort she acknowledged to
hsrsslf that II had been idIotic not
% ieave. The beasts in their cages to
drown.
TIE time came when she and Bow
ers no longer felt free to roam the
island az VIII Food. OF course. had
10 - sought and gathered. or caught
and fetched. but they began to tore
zee . time when they might have 70
stand . regular siege In their elf
dwelling.
ono dusk the tigers appeared sud
denly In the opening below the front
door and complained that they were
hungry and demanded that some
thing be done about L. During the
alshl they remained In the vicinity
and while their nearness was not
nn immediate threat Il was dlsquiet-
lng and presaged worse things to
coma When dawn broke the tigers
we're sin in the neighborhood and
Bowers remarked:
~It's lucky Tor us that they hunt
N pairs because whenever they are
n the front valley as they are now
Il l. perfectly safe for rs to potter
around In the back valley"
~IE's al my fault said Ivy. ~and
e makes me sick to think what q
tool ! vas"
4 vas a fool too" said Bowers. Il
am stronger than you. And 1 ought
70 hare used force 70 keep you from
opening that cage and letting them
50 tree. II I'd had the rife and had
killed them. woald you be accusing
ne n0w Of breaking a promiseg"
Ivy shook her head. Il am begin
nlng 10 understand lots OF things"
aAa said, that ! never understood
before. would KIN them myself II
ceuld."
Even q & had not been fer the
threat OF the tigers. It would have
occurred 20 them TO make expert
meats IN food storage. Bananas.
they discovered. II sliced sufficient.
u thin could be so dried In the sun
thar they would remain edible and
sustaining. II not very appetizing
foF long time. Guavas and mangoes
could also be dried after a fashion
bat the guavas even when freshly
gathered were barely edible. They.
however. made q store Of such
things and OF course ripe coeonuts
They had most Of the canned things
from the Boldero and also fish
whleh they had dried in the sun.
bat after a few days this began 10
emell 80 unpleasantly that they got
rid Of Il.
~If It weren't for those damned
catz" Bowers said more than once.
we could turn our back valley into
irregular sarden!"
"A Nd more and more he brooded
= over his enforced idleness and
his helplessness. Il was bad enough
20 Be pitted against the ordinary
conditions OF a tropie island. bnt
these conditions could have been in
fnltely bettered by careful planning
and hard work.
He was a strong nan with a good
average brain. and definite gift for
mechanies. and set be saw himself
continually frustrated and worsted
By two creatures who exeelled him
only in strength and in the weapons
which were a part OF them.
If he could mol devise some means
BY which he could get the better of
them. he would not be able to look
himself IN the face.
He became absent-mlnded. and
Ivy ssmOst thought at times that his
love for her was cooling. This was
not the case. he was ashamed be
cause the woman he loved saw bis
helplessDess. aud he was cudgeIing
bis wits to devise some means by
which a naked man may be the
death Of Two naked tigers.
He had an ak still In good eondf
tion bat this. opposed 70 the claws
strength and the swift oYerpower-
Ing weight OF tigers charge, could
not rightly be considered a weapon.
He had IN addition an diversified
poeket-knifs and ire. With ire ne
could turn a tiger and even control
IL % q certain extent but he could
not hope to kin t. On the other
hand, couldn't he? Wasn't fire the
answerg