The Water Valley Progress
PUBLISHED WEEKLY.
WATER VALLEY. MISSISSIPPL
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(Copyright, IMS, by A. C. McClure * Co.)
SYNOPSIS.
The story' opens with the shipwreck of
the stesmer on which Miss Genevieve
Leslie, an American heiress. Lord Win
thrope. an Englishman, and Tom Biake.
a brusque American, were passengers.
The three were tossed upon an uninhab
ited isiand and were the only ones not
drowned. Blake recovered from a drunk
en stupor. Blake, shunned on the boat,
because of ids roughness, became a hero
as preserver of the helpless pair. The
Englishman was suing for tiro hand of
Miss Leslie. Blake started to swim back
to the ship to recover what was left.
Blake returned safely. Winthrope wasted
his last match on a cigarette, for which
he was scored by Blake. Their first meal
was a dead fish. The trio started a ten
mile hike for higher land. Thirst at
tacked them. Blake was compelled to
carry Miss Leslie on account of weari
ness. He taunted Winthrope. They en
tered the Jungle. That night was passed
roosting high in a tree. The next morn
ing they descended to the open again.
CHAPTER VI.—Continued.
"How wide is it?” inquired Win
thrope, gazing at his swollen hands.
"About 300 yards at high tide. May
be narrower at ebb.”
"Could you not build a raft?” sug
gested Miss Leslie.
Blake smiled at her simplicity. “Why
not a boat? We've got a penknife.”
"Well, then, I can swim.”
"Bully for you! Guess, though, we'll
try something else. The river is chuck
full of alligator^. What you waiting
for, Pat? We haven’t got all day to
fool around here."
Winthrope twlsl’d the creeper about
his leg and slid to the ground, doing
all he could, to favor his hands. Hat
found that he could walk without pain,
and at once stepped over beside
Blake’s club, glancing nervously
around at the jungle.
Blake jerked up the end of the
creeper, and passed the loop about
Miss Leslie. Before she had time to
become frightened he swung her over
and lowered her to the ground lightly
as a feather. He followed, hand under
hand, and stood for a moment beside
her, staring at the dew-dripping foli
age of the jungle. Then the remains
of the night's quarry caught his eye,
and he walked over to examine them.
“Say, Pat,” he called, “these don’t
grotesque a resemblance to a recent
type of picture hat that Winthrope
could not repress a derisive laugh.
Miss Leslie, however, examined the
hat and gave her opinion without a
sign of amusement. "1 think it is
splendid, Mr. Blake. If we must go
out in the sun again, it is just the thing
to protect one.”
"Yes. Hero's two more I've fixed for
you. Ready yet, Winthrope?”
The Knglishman nodded, and the
three sat down to their third feast of
cocoanuts. They were hungry enough
at the start, and Blake added no little
keenness even to his own appetite by
a grim joke on the slender prospects
of the next meal, to the effect that if
in the meantime not eaten themselves
they might possibly find their next
meal within a week.
"But if we must move, could we not
take some of the nuts with us?" sug
gested Winthrope.
Blake pondered over this as he ate.
and when fully satisfied he helped him
self up with his club he motioned the
others to remain seated.
"There are your hats and the
strings," he said, "but you won't need
them now. I'm going to take a pros
pect along the river, and while I’m
gone, you can make a try at stringing
nuts on some of this leaf fiber.”
“But, Mr. Blake, do you think it's
quite safe?” asked Miss Leslie, and
she glanced from him to the jungle.
"Safe?” he repeated. “Well, noth
ing ate you yesterday, if that’s any
thing to go by. it's all I know
about it."
He did not wait for further protests.
Swinging his club on his shoulder he
started for the break in the jungle
which marked the hippopotamus path.
The others looked at each other, and
Miss Leslie sighed. “If only he were
a gentleman!” she complained.
Winthrope turned abruptly to the
cocoanuts.
CHAPTER VII.
Around the Headland.
T was mid morning before
Blake reappeared. He came
from the mangrove swamp
where it ran down into the sea. His
trousers were smeared to the thigh
with slimy mud; but as he approached
the drooping brim of his palm-leaf hat
failed to hide his exultant expression.
“Come on!" he called. “I’ve struck
It. We’ll be over in half an hour.”
“How's that?" asked Winthrope.
> 1 uiiiJini
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Stopped to Survey the Ceeet Beyond.
had the question occurred to him. It
was enough for hln. that the sand was
smooth and hard a a race track.
Presently the pat ty came to the end
of the spit, where he river water rip
pled over the sapd with the last
feeble out-suck of the ebb. On their
right they had a sweeping view of the
river, around the flank of the man
grove screen, lllake halted at the
edge of the water and half turned.
"Close up,” he said. "It's shallow
enough; but do you see those logs
over on the mud-bank'.’ Those are al
ligators.”
"Mercy—and you expect me to wade
among such creatures?" cried Miss
Leslie.
"I went almost across an hour ago
and they didn't bother me any. Come
on! There's a wind in that cloud out
seaward. Inside half an hour the
surf’ll be rolling ut> on this bar like
all Niagara."
"If we must, w^ must. Miss Gene
vieve," urged Winthrope. "Step behind
me and gather up your skirts. It's
best to keep one’s clothes dry in the
tropics."
The girl blushed, and rctaiued his
arm.
‘T prefer to Help you," she replied.
“Come on!" called Blake, and he
splashed out Into the water.
The others followed within arm's
length, nervously ^conscious of the
rows of motionless reptiles on the
mud-flat, not 100»vafds distant.
In the center of the bar, where the
water was a trifile over knee-deep,
some large creature came darting
downstream beneath the surface and
passed with a violent swirl between
Blake and his companions. At Miss
Leslie’s scream, Bgike whirled about
and jabbed with his club at the sup
posed alligator. J
“Where’s the brkite? Has he got
you?” he shouted.
"No. no; he went'by!” gasped Win
thrope. “There he b!”
A long bony snoift, fringed on either
side by a row of lateral teeth, was
flung up Into view. \
“Sawfish!” said fiffeke, and he waded
on across the bar without further com
ment.
Miss Leslie had Men on the point
of fainting. The tape of Blake’s voice
revived her instanBy.
There were no njbre scares. A few
minutes later they (waded hut upon a
stretch of clean dpnd on the south
of the river. Befope them the beach
lay In a flattened durve, which at the
far end hooked shaPidy to the left and
appeared to termiifete at the foot of
the towering limestone cliffs of the
headland. A mile hr niore inland' the
river jungle eda^Mntlose to the
cliffs; btft from tjtyra WTlie beach “the
forest was separated from the wall of
rock by a little sandy plain, covered
with creeping plants and small palms.
The greatest width of the open space
was hardly more than a quarter of a
mile.
Blake paused for a moment at' high
tide mark, and Winthrope instantly
squatted down to nurse Ms ankle.
“I say, Blake," he said, “can’t you
find me some kind of a-crutch? It Is
only a few yards artaind to those
trees." , If
“Good Lord! you haven't been loot
enough to overstrainjhat ankle— Yes,
you have. Dammit v-Why couldn’t yog
tell me before?"
“It did not feel an painful in the
water.” ^
“I helped the bealT! could,” inter
posed Mias Leslie. think if you;
---
point. I'm going on ahead. You can
follow, after Pat has rested hU ankle.
Keep a sharp eye out for anything in
the flint line—quartz or agate. That
means fire. Another thing, when this
rain blows over, don't let your clothes
dry on yon< I’ve got my hands full
enough without having to nurse you
through malarial fever. Don't forget
the cocoanuts, and If I don’t show up
by noon save me some.”
He stooped to drink from a pool in
the rock which was overflowing with
the cool, pure rainwater, and started
ofT at his sharpest pace. 'Winthrope
and Miss Leslie, seated side by side
in dripping misery, watched him swing
away through the rain without energy
enough to call out a parting word.
lleneath the cliff the sand beach
was succeeded by a talus of rocky
debris which In places sloped up from
the water 10 or 15 feet. The lower
part of the slope consisted of bowlders
and water-worn stones, over which the
surf, reinforced by the rising tide,
was beginning to break with an angry
roar.
make picked his way qulokly over
the smaller stones near the top ot the
slope, now and then bending to snatch
up a fragment that seemed to differ
from the others. Finding nothing but
limestone he soon turned his atten
tion solely to the passage around the
headland. Here he had expected to
find the surf much heavier. But the
shore was protected by a double line
of reefs, so close in that channel be
tween did not show a whitecap. This
was fortunate, since in places the talus
here sank down almost to the level ot
low tide. Even a moderate surf would
have rendered farther progress im
practicable.
Another 100 paces brought Blake to
the second corner of the cliff, which
jutted out in a little point. He clam
bered around it and . stopped to sur
vey the coast beyond. Within the last
few minutes the squall had blown
over and the rain began' to moderate
its downpour. The sun, bursting
through the clouds, told that the
storm was almost past, and its flood
of direct light cleared the view.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
SHOPPING IN FRANCE IS EASYl
Saleswomen Are Remarkably Adept at
Their Business.
That the saleswomen In European
shops are wonderfully quick-witted has
often been noted. This Is especially
true of the French. Many of them,
without understanding English, will In
terpret correctly the Comments Ameri
cans make aside when examining
goods, simply by studying their ges
tures and facts? expressions. ' "Ofrce HR
Brussels we were looking at gloves.
To my certain knowledge the sales
woman was wholly unacquainted with
the English language. My companion
said privately to me: “I am afraid
these gloves will spot.” “O, no,
madame,” the saleswoman Instantly
interrupted, In French, "they win
never spot at ail."
In Beulogne-sur-Mer, at a shop for
men’s furnishings, I asked, for dress
shirts. A very bright young woman
gave me a quick, sharp glance, and
then brought some specimens. They
bore no distinguishing marks as to
slse. “Is there some man hero who
can take my measure?” 1 asked. "That
ts not necessary, sir,” she replied,
very sweetly. “Are you sure these
will fit me?" “Perfectly.” “But
how can you tell?” I argued, uncon
vinced. “Why, air,” she explained Is
surprise at my doubt, “I looked at
you.” 80 I took the shirts to my
room and tried them on, and surely
enough, they were the beat fit I ever
had.—Travel Magaslne.
A TEXAS CLERGYMAN
Speak* Out for the Benefit of SuffeN
Ing Thousand*.
Rev. G. M. Gray, Baptist clergy*
man, of Whltesboro, Tex., says:
sour years ago I
suffered misery with
lumbago. Every
movement was one
of pain. Doan’s Kid
ney Pills removed
the whole difficulty
Jw after only^a short
time. Although I do
not like to have my
name used publicly.
i luttiiw an exceyuoD
In this case, bo that other sufferers
from kidney trouble may profit by my
experience.”
Sold by all dealers. SO cents a bos.
Foster-Milburn Co.. Buffalo, N. T.
. SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS.
wffisass**—iu n^-wuimii
Gimlet—Fibbs claims to have caught
• catfish weighing 50 pounds down
in the creek, does he? Well, it’s safe
to say he’s lying to the extent of about
40 pounds.
Hammer—Not if he hears you say It.
Women in Postal Service.
The distinction ot first appointing a
woman postmaster does not belong to
America, nor is the employment Of
women in the postal service a new
idea. As early as 1548 a woman post
master was appointed to look after
the mails of Braine le Comte, an Im
portant town of France. In the try
ing times of the Thirty Years' War,
the principal office in the postal serv
ice of Europe was held by a woman,
Alexandrine de Rue. From 1628 to
1646 she was in charge of the mails
of the German empire, the Nether
lands, Burgundy and Lorraine. She
was known as a master general of the
mails. In America, Elizabeth Harvey
was the first to hold a place in the
postal department She bad charge
'of the letters in TtmsmuuUi^. Hr, -In
the beginning of the seventeenth cen
tury. A half century afterward Lydia
Hill was .placed in charge of the post
office in Salem, Mass.
Rough on Rats, unbeatable exterminator
Rough on Hen Lice, Nest Powder, Me.
Rough onBedbugs, Powder or Lilt'd, Me.
Rough on Fleas, Powder or Liquid. 28.
Rough on,Roaches, Pow’d, 15c. Juic’d Ate.
Rough on Moth and Ants, Powder, IBs.
Rough on Skeeters, agreeable tpjuedle.
E8.Wells. Chemist Jersey Ctty.M. J.
Singular and Plural.
Whenever she gets to thinking how
much they’re in debt it affects her
nerves." "Huh! the way It affects
her husband is singular." "How sin
gular?" “Just singular, it affects his
‘nerve.’ He tried to-borrow a hundred
from me today.”—Catholio Standard
and Times. J
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