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dissipate the Stygian gloom--the horrid jungle night--that lures forth all the
prowling, preying creatures of destruction.
She found, just before dark, an open meadow-like break in the almost
interminable bush. There was a small clump of trees near the center and here
she decided to camp. The grass was high and thick, affording feed for her horse
and a bed for herself, and there was more than enough dead wood lying about the
trees to furnish a good fire well through the night. Removing the saddle and
bridle from her mount she placed them at the foot of a tree and then picketed the
animal close by. Then she busied herself collecting firewood and by the time
darkness had fallen she had a good fire and enough wood to last until morning.
From her saddlebags she took cold food and from her canteen a swallow of water.
She could not afford more than a small swallow for she could not know how long
a time it might be before she should find more. It filled her with sorrow that her
poor horse must go waterless, for even German spies may have hearts and this
one was very young and very feminine.
It was now dark. There was neither moon nor stars and the light from her fire
only accentuated the blackness beyond. She could see the grass about her and
the boles of the trees which stood out in brilliant relief against the solid
background of impenetrable night, and beyond the firelight there was nothing.
The jungle seemed ominously quiet. Far away in the distance she heard faintly
the boom of big guns; but she could not locate their direction. She strained her
ears until her nerves were on the point of breaking; but she could not tell from
whence the sound came. And it meant so much to her to know, for the battle-
lines were north of her and if she could but locate the direction of the firing she
would know which way to go in the morning.
In the morning! Would she live to see another morning? She squared her
shoulders and shook herself together. Such thoughts must be banished--they
would never do. Bravely she hummed an air as she arranged her saddle near the
fire and pulled a quantity of long grass to make a comfortable seat over which she
spread her saddle blanket. Then she un-strapped a heavy, military coat from the
cantle of her saddle and donned it, for the air was already chill.
Seating herself where she could lean against the saddle she prepared to maintain
a sleepless vigil throughout the night. For an hour the silence was broken only by
the distant booming of the guns and the low noises of the feeding horse and then,
from possibly a mile away, came the rumbling thunder of a lion's roar. The girl
started and laid her hand upon the rifle at her side. A little shudder ran through
her slight frame and she could feel the goose flesh rise upon her body.
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