Out of the Primitive

that it was less than thirty yards out when the castaways came flying ou

g up and waved h

!" he joyously hailed them

uted back the man, "Well, of all

more caution. Without stopping to ask her permission, the man caught u

ough. Swing rou

h the blushing girl upraised on his broad shoulder. Lord James again lifted his cap. His bow cou

n," he remonstrated. As Blake lifted her in over the stern, he deftly unfolded the silk dustcoat and held it open

e we-" stamme

stupid of me not to've brought a hat or parasol. But I

had slipped on the coat and seated herself, the crimson blushes that had flooded her tanned cheeks were fast subsidin

so kind as to go forward, I'll take the tiller. Tom, old man!

Blake, his eyes harden

ot to go back to the c

aboard

protested the girl. "We

anded. "And wi

d and begrimed little hand

board. I've got to go back, I tell you. We didn't stop for anything. There's a jarful of mud and so forth that we sure can't leave to

you think it best-

and a glow in her beautiful hazel eyes that caused him to glance quickly from her to his friend. Blake was already turning about to w

ames quietly seated himself beside the girl, an

f you but knew my delight over having

ur first name. Wait! I remember now. One day soon after we were cast ashore-th

o that's where you

I was going to say, Tom remarked that

n? He me

remark with you, Lord James. He had told me to try to think how we were to find food for

rd James. "Then he, too,

ut some terrible sight. Her voice sank to a whisper: "

pause, he asked in a tone of profound s

k!" she cried, shudd

e that told him how much she had undergone and the strength of character she had gaine

been through all this, with his example to uplift me out of my helplessness and inefficiency. Believe me, Lord Avonda

e protested. "Anything

w vastly different wer

suddenly shunted you

surprise, I assure y

had hop

ce that checked his

-About the others, if I may ask-that is, if it's not too painful fo

lasped together almost convulsively. But she me

st, when the ship crashed on the reef. They ran back to fetch me, but before they could rush me across, a wave

he ex

and Tom and I were flung into the one remaining boat. Winthrope cut the rope before the

of you left! The boat b

the lagoon. The first I knew, I was behind a little knoll with Winthrope. Tom was near-in a pool. He-he crawled out. It was nearly dark. We were all so beaten and exhausted that we slept until morning. When we awo

aters swarm with sharks. Th

o you believe he'd fear the

y one. Knocked about with him, half 'ro

s to strangers-rough, almost uncouth. Yet even that frightful morning-it was among the swamps, ten miles or more up the coast. He carrie

joke about

ts and snakes and the fever-he saved us from all. Yet he had nothing to begin

wiftly under the dark coat of tan that covered th

ated, amazed and disqu

ssible! It can

ed. "If you but knew the half-

eing lowered for the rescued lady. She pointed up at it, and met the reproachful, half-dazed glance of her companion with a look of compassionate re

s true, his real self!"

board with me. Hasten

r your

erity that astonished him, and seated herse

idity. Those above at the tackle hastened to obey. As she was swu

I am all right now. Even if he is r

. But as her little moccasined feet cleared the bulwarks and Meggs himself

nywhere in sight. They skirted in along the rocky slope of the cliff foot to where it curved away into the

oked with the dried mud and rubbish of a recent flood from the ravine. The wash had obliterated all tracks below; but there were traces of a trai

ravine had been barricaded with a twelve-foot boma of thorn scrub. It was a fence high enough and strong enough to

ible! impossible! American or not, she's a lady-thoroughbred! He's a true stone, but in the rough-uncut, unpolished! A girl of her breeding-He's worth it, 'pon my word, he is; t

"Hello, there! That you, Jimmy? Thought it about time you were due. What you doing?-telli

arrow passage under the thorny wall. As he straightened up on the in

y! to think you beat 'em to it! I figured ten to one odds that it was a tramp chartered by Papa Leslie

my fingers you're mashin

his eye up and down the sinewy rag-and-skin-cl

after six weeks on this beastly coast! How'

e lid. "See those little beauties?-No! hands off! Good Lord! those're my arrow tips, soaking in snake poison! A scratch wou

now!" exclaim

w big as my leg. Struck at her as she bent to pick an am

in his convulsed face and dilated eyes. If he could be so overwrought by the mere remembrance of a danger that she had escaped, he must love her, no

ve, heh?"

and added, "Not the first, though, nor the last.

er style of fine raiment. Fur trousers not good form in this climate, y'know. You picked up that shirt at a remnant

ve the contrary effect from that

led. "Go aboard with her

don't take you at all

lis

ttered Blake. "Come on up the canon. I've thought it all out-just what must be done.

m to stay ne

and quickly reappeared, dragging at the butt of the date palm. "There, me lud; the