Into the Primitive   By: Robert Ames Bennett

INTO THE PRIMITIVE

By ROBERT AMES BENNET

AUTHOR OF

"For the White Christ," "Thyra," Etc.

With Frontispiece in Colors

By ALLEN T. TRUE

A. L. BURT COMPANY

Publishers New York

Copyright

A. C. McClurg & Co.

1908

Published April 11, 1908

Second Edition, May 9, 1908

Third Edition, Aug. 1, 1908

To the man and to the beast; To the girl, the snake, the blossom; To fever and fire and fear; To hurricane blast and storm within; To bloody fang and venomed tooth; To love, to hate, to pain, to joy, For of such is Life, In the Primitive and out.

By Mr. Bennet

FOR THE WHITE CHRIST. A Story of the Days of Charlemagne.

Illustrations in full color by the Kinneys. Twentieth thousand. $1.50.

A. C. McClurg & Co., Publishers

CONTENTS

I. WAVE TOSSED AND CASTAWAY 11 II. WORSE THAN WILDERNESS 18 III. THE WORTH OF FIRE 29 IV. A JOURNEY IN DESOLATION 40 V. THE RE ASCENT OF MAN 56 VI. MAN AND GENTLEMAN 67 VII. AROUND THE HEADLAND 76 VIII. THE CLUB AGE 87 IX. THE LEOPARDS' DEN 105 X. PROBLEMS IN WOODCRAFT 123 XI. A DESPOILED WARDROBE 139 XII. SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 147 XIII. THE MARK OF THE BEAST 159 XIV. FEVER AND FIRE AND FEAR 174 XV. WITH BOW AND CLUB 191 XVI. THE SAVAGE MANIFEST 201 XVII. THE SERPENT STRIKES 212 XVIII. THE EAVESDROPPER CAUGHT 226 XIX. AN OMINOUS LULL 235 XX. THE HURRICANE BLAST 251 XXI. WRECKAGE AND SALVAGE 263 XXII. UNDERSTANDING AND MISUNDERSTANDING 272 XXIII. THE END OF THE WORLD 284 XXIV. A LION LEADS THEM 299 XXV. IN DOUBLE SALVATION 314

INTO THE PRIMITIVE

CHAPTER I

WAVE TOSSED AND CASTAWAY

The beginning was at Cape Town, when Blake and Winthrope boarded the steamer as fellow passengers with Lady Bayrose and her party.

This was a week after Winthrope had arrived on the tramp steamer from India, and her Ladyship had explained to Miss Leslie that it was as well for her not to be too hasty in accepting his attentions. To be sure, he was an Englishman, his dress and manners were irreproachable, and he was in the prime of ripened youth. Yet Lady Bayrose was too conscientious a chaperon to be fully satisfied with her countryman's bare assertion that he was engaged on a diplomatic mission requiring reticence regarding his identity. She did not see why this should prevent him from confiding in her .

Notwithstanding this, Winthrope came aboard ship virtually as a member of her Ladyship's party. He was so quick, so thoughtful of her comfort, and paid so much more attention to her than to Miss Leslie, that her Ladyship had decided to tolerate him, even before Blake became a factor in the situation.