“That’s better than letting you risk two-to-one chances on feeding the sharks.”
“But you’d be risking it!”
Blake uttered a short harsh laugh.
“What’s the difference?” He paused a moment; then added, with grim humor, “Anyway, they’ll have earned a meal by the time they get me chewed up.”
“You sha’n’t go!”
“Oh, I don’t know. We’ll see about it to-morrow. There’s a grove of cocoanuts yonder. Come on, and I’ll get some nuts. I can’t see any water around here, and it would be dry eating, with only the flask.”
CHAPTER XXIV
A LION LEADS THEM
The 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 thorn-brush. On the north side a jutting corner of the tall, yellow spear-grass curved out and around, with the point of the hook some 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 arranged the contents of the lunch bag.