The evening world. Newspaper, January 9, 1915, Page 9

nad faa ht) aaa 5 ash Sgt ae i ~ ne. Saturday! Janu The Adventures of Two Men And a Girl on a Desert Island BY ROBERT AMES BENNET} LOVE INSURANC eremed te bave eddied 14, booms so 3 can hardly os ey Ee wt Hf : é [ i | 1 iF i + i # Bay j she E days? been chummy comrades? Of course you've it the worst of the deal. I kn not much on to hear it whe I'm trying to giv what it means to a IN the morning she found Blake ecraping energetically at tte inner surfaces of @ pair of raw hyena ekins. “Bo you've killed more game!” she iS |p) aclaimed. a lady like you. Maybe it isn't “Game? No; hyenas. 1 hated to ite to tell you all this, but it's! {waste good polson on the brutes; but just what I feel, and I never did Bothing else showed up, and I need a mount to shucks as a liar.” ” ‘I believe I understand you, Mr. cp lon fle Elm ee nereig Blake, and I really feel highly. ‘com- "Was it not dangerous—great beasts pimented.” Uke these?” "No, you don't, any such tiing, “Not even enough to make it inter- Soe See IOy teh ged - iS fos esting. I ‘had oll to- papa’ *9 writh that confounded lion whon the “ope you'd cut me cold." should if you continued to be 80 Moon came up, if he hadn't sneaked rude. Have you no regard for my off into és feelings? But here we are, talking “A Hon?” nonsense, when we should be go- “Yes, Didn't you hear him? The '"S"— ‘ “Ie & nonsense he broke in. Skuiking brute prowled around for «wot does life mean, anyway? Here ours before the moon rose, when it we can be true friends and comrades, ‘wes pitch dark. It was mighty lone- real, free, living people. It can’t be . ome, with him yowling down by the that you want to go back to all those pool. Half a chance, and I'd given Soclety shams, after you've seen real life! As for me, what ha hhim something to yowl about. But it by gang back to the everlasting ‘Wasn't any use firing off my arrowain grind? I don't mind work; but when the dark, and, as I said, he sneaked 4 man has nothing ahead to work for ft before” grind, grind til your head wove stale a ing your goes le ‘Tom—Mr. Blake!—you must not and all the world looks black, then oisk your life!” there's no choice but throw up your “Don't you worry about me I've job and go on a drunk, if you want! fearned how to look out for Tom to keep from a gun accident. Blake, And sb he just bank on it you don't understand it. But that's | Fm going to out for Miss Jenny what I've had to go through, time! too!’ and again. Do you wonder I like to! le wet to work bull & hut, for fancy an everlasting picnic here, with She inspected the task, a Httle partner whe wouldn't let me: fnally: come within shouting distance of her | ining little bungalow. But in the land of lavender and! bes tread you Cay ~a-boos? ave a raised floor. «Mr. Blake, really you are most un- ave tue ve io! vt scoala not be s0—eo ungrate- after all your kindness. I—we Porch over your doo should certainly be glad to number » It to stuff up the hole. You've you among our frien Uitle enough sir aa it ts.” But thet 7°"prink and ail, oh" ere’s of “A man of your will power has no Pressing. First, there's the bar- need. whatever je. By the time that’s done, those hahit.” wpestel rey: s0 Sune + hyena skins will be cured enough to “Course not, if he's got anything in fuse. I've got to have new trousers sight worth while. Guess, though, my @0on, and new. shoes, too.’ folka must have been poor white I can do the sewing, if you will trash. I never could go after money eut the pattern. just for the fun of the game. No “No; I'll take a stagger at it my- family, no friends, no—what-you-call- first. I'd rather you'd go egging. jt?—culture—- hat's the use? I ou need to run around more, to keep have a fair head for figures, it all short order that, with a skin sail and ia ” the mathematics that I know I've had 4n outrigger, will do fairly well to “T feel quite well now, and I am to catch hot off the bat. It's true I coast along the side reefs—barri.g wing so strong! The only thing grubbed my C. E. out of a corres- squalls. Worst thing is that it’s ail ; a 4 it ee $2 # a E : t i A nt. now, like a sensible girl. It’s ime to hit the trail.” He drew himself free, and without | ; : 1 2 i ii 2 s < 5 i Z When he had fetched hi ib walked back past the girl, with his eyes averted. ‘Come on," be muttered. scarlet ‘in the girl's cheeks swept over her whole face in a burn- ing wave, which ebbed slowly and lett colorieas. ot withou it a bac! Bhe gasved about with a bewildered look at the palme and the barren ride and the fiery tidal wave of flame. Her gaze came back to Blake, and she followed him. ft hort distance she found tietoalt out of the sheltering lee of the ; ty i } to gain iu is s i i caf 3 & H ay i I 52 : | i 2 i ebFaa? £68 I i 2 i f p ef tie H ~ | Now and then there &@ pause, and the grass tops swayed Snly to ¢! down-puffs of the heightening gale. At such moments the two grew rigid, watching and waiting in breathless: suspense. They could see, tinctly as though there had been no screening grass, the baleful eyes of the hu at and the shaggy forebody as the beast stood still and glared out at them. ‘Then the sinuous wave would start on again around the grass border, and Blake would draw in a deep breath and mutter @ word of encouragment to the girl: “Look, now—the dirty sneak! Trying to give us the creeps, ls he? I'll cree) him! ‘Fraid to show his pretty mug!” Blake's face darkened and he turned to stare inland along the ridge. She had filcked him on the raw, and he thought that she had done so intentionally. “You think I haven't tried—that I've been shamming!” he burst out bitterly, ‘You're right. There's the one chance—— But I couldn't you until the cade was fin! and it's been only a few Ss since—— All the same, I oughtn't to've waited a day. I'll etart it to- morrow.” “What? Start what?” “A catamaran. I can rig one up in i He caught his bat, which was drag- ging past in a downward eddy of the wind, and weighted it with a cocoa- nut. He wedged another nut between his knees, bent over it, tearing at th husk. It took him only a fe ments to strip the fibre from ay gouge open the germ hi Id out the nut and glanc: meet her smile of acceptance. She was staring past him, her eyes wide with ¢error, and the color fast receding from her face. “What in— Another snake?" he demanded, twisting warily about to glare at the ground behind him. in the grass!" she ‘It looked out at me with ie ii i i i : showing in his eyes, bristling, no longer with sheer brute fury; irawn back from the ole: his nostrils distended and his forehead wrinkled like angry mastiff. His look was ferocious than that of the beast he faced. All the primeval in him wae roused, He was become @ man of the Cave Age. He Went to meet death, his mind and body aflame with flerce just to kill. The lion stilled his roars, and crouched aa {f to epring, enarling i é Hi } i 2 § iz 2 ge 3 § 2 R H i i Fi i 8 H B rete iste j a E ? 5 E Pr i f i ity Ei: + | this Cea ant heat!" lAfter all if only we ean stave off the fever. Another rea- ‘son I want you to go for eggs is that can take your time about it and jae ‘a look-out for steamers.” “Then you think?”"—— “Don't screw up your hopes to ‘We've little show of being oat on a coast I figure that rong hoes it’d be high time for me e cabling a ship to run up from Natal, or drown from Zanzibar, to look around for jettison, cetera.” Cam sure papa will offer a big re- “Second the motion! I've a sort of fdea I wouldn't mind coming in for @ reward myself. “You? Oh, ¥ be sure. is generous, and he to Pal will be grateful to any one who"— 5 think I mean his dirty money!” ‘broke in Blake, hotly. Her confusion told him th..t he had mot been mistaken. His face, only a moment since een oe: pleasant, flies Penile rose _ Norsiedly and e clef i areal” he called “Not going for eggs now, are you it reply. ‘Be ae ea, Mins Jenny! Don't T ask you to excuse me, Mr. that sufficient?” fficient? It's enough to sive a fellow a chill! Come now: don't go off mad. You know I've a quick temper, Can't you make allowances? "You've—you've no right to 160k 80 angry, even if I did misund tand you. You misunderstood m¢ She » Zeught berself up with a halt s The following morning Blake ared in an, outfit match Feopara in dress. Hi off t a! skin trousers qu! ling etubble on hig face. ey, Miss Jenny!” he hatled; xa think of this for fancy needlework?” waplendia) seaire Oe ntine van ott naar T—uaht Let me get back to the Weary Willy pants! 3 “I m you are very picturesque. “That's it, @ it? Glad I've got gamething to call your leo) rdine sown that won't make you huffy.’ “We-can at least call our costumes »merviceable, and mine has proved mich cooler than I expected.’ “But our new ee bene 08 & r suneshades. ray kar @ good breeze—— her his the ry picture river! The very of thi ‘ euer vat the other way. I've been thinking for some time that we ought to run down to that south headland and take a squint at the coast beyond. Ten to o nother stretch of owa b myou think there {9 a chance we \d a town mak yout one chance in a million, even for a native villag e ‘Mid-morning found the explorers at ot the ridge. Blake ted gerous ondence school, but a fellow has to ave an all-round, crack-up educa- tion to put him where it’s worth ‘ou still have t#me to work up. ty-seven! I showjd have sht—— What a hard'life you must have hi “Hard work? Well, I suppose Pan- ama did do for me some. But it wasn't so much that. Few fellows could hit up the pace I've set and come out at all.” “I do not understand.” “Just what you might expect of a fellow in my fix—all kinds of gamble eet and drink and—the rest of 1 Miss Leslie looked away, visibly @istressed. She had not been reared after the French method. Young as she was, she had fluttered at. will ‘bout the borders of the garden of ice, knowing well that the gaudy blossoms were lures to entice one into the pitfall. Yet never before had ghe caught so clear a glimpse of the slimy depth “That's it rowled Blake. “Throw me down cold, just because I'm square enough to tell you straight out. You make me tired! I'm not one of the work-ox sort, thi all the year roun: out of their brains. I've got to cut loose from the infernal grind once in while, and barring a chance now nevef been thing but a spree——' i 80 dreadfully shock- ing, Mr. Blake! “And then, like all other little hyp- ocrites, you'll go and marry one of those swell dudes who's made that sort of thing his business, and every- body knows it, but it’s all politely un- derstood to ‘ve been done sub rosa, so it’s all right, because he knows how to part hia name in the middle Mr, Blake! re! » please stop, You don't know how cruel you “Cruel? Suppose I told you about the millionaire cur that—— Oh, now, don't Please don’t cry, Mies Jenny! feelings for the world! I didn't mean anything out of the way, really I didn’t! It's only that when I get to thinking of—of things, it sets me half crazy. And now, can't you see how It's going to be ten times worse for me after—with you so altogether beyond me’—— He stopped short, flushed, and stammered lamely, “I— I didn’t mean to say that She looked down, no less embar- rassed. “Please let us talk of something el she murmured. “It has been such a pleasant morning, until you until we began this silly discussion.” “All right, all right! Only mop up the dewdrops, and we'll turn on the wun machine. I réally didn't mean to rip out that way at al. But, you ser, the thing’s been rankling in me ever since we came aboard ship at the Cape, and Winthrope and Ledy Bayrose had my seat changed ao I couldn't see you: Not that I hold anything against them now"—— “Mr. Blake, I suppose you know that this African coast is particularly dan- for women. far I have es- the fever. But you longer irs) pttack ts ea ts ese whether the nearest up the coast or down. “And you can think of going and leaving me all alone here!” “That's better than létting you risk two-to-one chances on feeding the sharks..’ “But you'd be risking it!” Blake uttered a short, rah laugh. “What's the difference?” He pause: @ moment, then he added, with grin humor, “Anyway, they'll have earned @ meal by the time they get me chewed up.” ‘We'll see about ‘@ grove of co- on, and I'll get I can't see any water around here, and it would ary eating, with only the flask.” CHAPTER XX. A Lion Leads Them. HE palm grove stood under the lee of the ridge on a stretch of Bare ground. Other than seaward the open space was hemmed in by grass jungle, interspersed with clumps of thornbruah. On the north aide a jutting corner of the tall, yel- low spear-grass curved out and around, with the point of the hook gome fifty yards from the palms. Elsewhere the distance to the jungle was nearly twice as far. Blake dropped the bag and his Weapons, flung down his hat and started up a palm shaft. The down- pointing bristles of his skin trousers aided his grip. Though the lofty crown of the palm was swaying in the wind, he reached the top and was down again before Miss Leslie had @rranged the contents ‘of the lunch bag. “Guess you're not extra hungry,” he remarked. She made no response. “Mad, eh? Well, toss me the little knife. Mine has got too good a meat edge to spotl on these husks.” “It was very kind of you to cllmb for the nuts, and the wind blow! so hard up there,” she said, as she handed over the penknife. “I am nat angry. It i» only that I feel tired and depressed. I hope I am not going to be"—— “No; you're not going to have the after you eat and rest, is Hore; drink this cocoa milk. LA until, with the sat: fying of hie first keen bung: again became observant. “Say, that won't do!" he exclaimed. “Look at your bowl, You haven't aipbied enough to keep a mouse valive.” pe i sea dy7 gi natber, aut, Til be “Snake?—that far off?” “No, no!—a morster—a huge, fierce “Beast?” echoed Blake, grasping his bow and arrows, ‘Where is he? Maybe only one of these African buf- faloes. How'd he look?—horns?” “I—I didn’t see any. It was all shaggy, and yellow like the grass, and terrible eyes—Oh!" The girl's ecream was met by a ferocious, snarling roar, so deep and prolonged that the air quivered and the very ground seemed to shake. “God!—a Mon!" oried Blake, the hair on his bare head bristling like a startled animal's. He turned squarely about toward the ridge, his bow half drawn. Had the Hon shown himself then, Blake would have shot on the instant. Ax it was, the beast remained behind the screening border of grass, where he could watob his intended quarry with- out being seen in turn, The delay gave Blake time for reflection. He spoke sharply, as it were bit- ing off his words: “Hit out, I'll stop the byiffer.” “I can't.{ Oh, I'm afraid!" Again the hidden beast gave voice his mighty rumbling challenge. Still he did not appear, and Blake attempted a derisive jeer: ‘He: there, louder! We've not rug yet! It's all right, little woman. The skulking sneak is trying to bluff us. Fraid to come out if we don't stam- pede. He'll make off when he finds we don't scare. Lions never tackle men in the daytime. Just keep cool a while. He'll” —- “Look!—there to the right!--T saw him again! He's creeping around. See the grass move!” “That's only the wind. It eddies down. God! He 1s stalking around. Trying to take us from behind— curse him! He may get me, but I'll get him too—the dirty areak!! The blood had flowed back into Blake's face, and showed on each cheek in a@ little red patch Als broad chest rose and fell slowly to deep respirations; his eyes glowed Nke balls of white hot steel He drew his bow a little tauter and wheeled to keep the arrow pointed at the slight wave in the grass which marked the steatthy move- ments of the Hon, Miss Tesile, more terri*-4 with every added moment ©: suspense, cringed around, that she might kee him between her and the hidden beast, Minute after minute dragged by. Only a man of Blake's obstinate, sullen rament could have withstood the strain and kept cool. Even he found the impulse to leap up and run all but irresistible. Miss Leslie crouched be- hind him, no more able to run than & mouse with which a cat had been Playing. Once they caught a glimpse of the sinuous, tawny form gliding among the leafless stems of a thorn clump. Blake took quick alm; but the out- Unes of the beast were indistinct and He hesitated, and the sway’ ~ , animal that he had hunted reare to meet bis attack in thie strange - Not until the beast had circled half around the glade did his purpose flash upon Blake. With the wariness of all savage hunters, the animal bad marked out the spur of jungle on the north side, where he could creep closer to his quarry before leaping from cover. “The jamned sneak!"’ Blake. “You there, Jenny She could not speak, but be heard ber gasp. 4 “Brace up, little woman! Where's your grit? You're out of this deal, anyway. He'll.choke to death swal- lowing me—— But say; couldn't you manage to shin up # palm, twenty 4 hang on for @ couple growled “1—can't move—I am"—— “Make a try! It'll give me @ run for my money. I'll take the next ele- vator after you. That'll bring the #t Iaipa nd we while he’ Some; make @ spurt! he turn, and getting ep.” “I can't—Tom—there 1s no need that both of us—— You climb up”—— He turned about as the meaning of her whisper dawned upon him. Her eyes were shining with the ecstasy of self-sacrifice. It was only the glance of an instant; then he was again facing the jung! 40d! You think I'd do that!" She made no reply. There was a pause. Blake—crouched on one knee, tense and alert—waited until the sin- ister wave was advancing into the joint of the incurved jungle. Then 1 spoke, in a low, even ton ‘eol if my glaas is there. Her, @and reached around and pressed against the fob.pocket which he had sewn in the belt of his ekin trousers. “Right. Now slip my club up un- der my elbow—big end. Lick on the nose'll stop a dog or a@ bull. It's a orn th e'thrust the club under his right bird , and he gripped it @rainst his At that moment the lion bounded from cover, with @ roar like a clap of thunder, ‘Blake sprang erect. ‘Th beast checked himself in the act of leaping and crouched with his great paws outstetched, every hooked claw thrust out, ready to tear and mangle, bluffer out on the hot-foot. view the scener; In two or three bounds he could have ber leaped upon Blake and crushed him with a alngle stroke of his paw. As he rose to repeat his deafening roar it seemed to Blake that he stood higher than a horse—that his mouth gaped wide as the end of a hogs- head. And yet the beast stood hes!- tating, restr: by brute dread of the unknown. Never before had any up manner, “Lie flat!" commanded Blake; “lle flat, and don't move! I'm going to call his bluff. Keep still till the poi- son gets in ite work. I'll keep him busy as long as Ican. When it's over hit out for home along the beach. Keep inside the barricade, and watch all you can from the cliffs, Might Mght @ fire up there nights, There's ire to be @ steamer before long”——— “Tom!” she cried, struggling to her er But he did pot loot 4. pause or around. ‘Ho wes begiaaiag to cycle alow to MOH 5, Slated ing with rage and un unaccustomed to the Sistine eee ly though he follow: e man’s movement, his snarls deepening {ato aor at the slightest change of at- ude, In his blind animal rage, Blake hed forgotten that the p PA, hie late- e might catch Suddenly lion half rose and stretched forward, Coney A ‘There was an uneasy Kage | note in his growls. Blake let the club atip from beneath his arm, and drew his bow until the arrow-head tay upon his thumb, Hi: outstretched arm was rigid as So tense and alert we a that he knew he could home both arrows, and still have ve to swing his club before the beast upon him, A puff of wind struck against bis back and swept on to the nostrils of the lion, laden with the odor of man. The beast uttered a short, startled roar, and whirling about, leaped away into the jungle eo coke that Blake’ anew Ramied past a full yard behind. rrow was on the swing man go and let you know, before back am “Bui we" — Going now to pile uD w cliff for a bea ing I'll etart lac¥euard—fo you'hear?”* Weckaverd ie brave. The way at terrible beast”—— —to’ve let ought to treat a woman—but le!” Tom, why net, if ‘Tm on the re, In the morn- aking that catama- “Nol” be retorted harshly. van, he 4 from his fob, and flipped it ready for use. If the tion had behind the sheltering grass he was too cowardly to charge ‘Within a minute the jun- ler was a wall of roaring 0. ‘The grass, long since dead, and bone-dry with the days of tropical sunshine since the cyclone, flared up before the wind like gunpowder. Even against the wind the fire ate its way along the ground with fearful rapidity, trailing behind it an up: whirling vortex of smoke No living creature could hi through that belt of ft A wave of fierce vent @taggering back, scorched and biis- tered. There was no exultance {n his bearing. For the moment all thought of the lion was swallowed up in @ of his own work. He stared at the hell of leaping, roaring flames from th his upraised arm. To the nor' sparks and lighted wisps of grass driven by the gale had already fired the jungle half way to the fur- ther ridge. Step by step Blake drew back. His heel struck ag@*net something soft. He looked down and saw Mise Leslie lying on the sand, white and She had fainted, overcome by durable heat. Th have stupefied him as wel at her, dull eyed, wonder- an dead. Hie brain sprang over to where ik Iny beside tne remnants of the lunch, He was dashing the last drops of the tepid water in her face when she moaned ang her eyelids began to flutte lung down the flask and met, Ry ys here. We bad & sustiivhe! Le that + Spay ete Se ye aa opie Se ang oh Four lite! itt if a ship never ine Sy. CM ag ywtully . tha’ thake hands on ft, Hke two rea! “the struck frantically at bis out- stretched bi “No, you shall not— You shall not and leave me, risk T can't bear to think of Stay with me, Tom—dear! Even turned resolutely, #0 ee not to r blushing face. Leslie,” he sald ‘don't make it Let's be grautbie, ome now, Miss and, “Keep dway—I hate you!” she cried. Before ning up the ‘he could epeak she was run- cleft. CHAPTER XXI. In Double Salvation. EN, an hour or more after dawn the next morning, the girl slowly drew open her door and came out of the cave, Blake was nowhere in sight. She sighed, vastly relieved, and hastened across to bathe her flushed face in the spring. Stopping every fow moments to listen for his @tep down the cleft, ebe gathered up i i g 3 5 Ai. Be, isi ae i t it to we'd got sha’ i “"Tain't fatr! I—I can't “The man I love!" ghe He crushed her to arms. “My little be repeated, to her hair. She enugsied bis shoulder, small voice, ‘I-—I that ship captains btm tn his grea! .-maney people, “But I haven't evea a job Sui he deman ded, ant te’ ) bs her face closer ‘ and replied in @ wappose