On Monday, the day of March, 1915, about 10:30 a.m., we came in of something which, until I had met Mink, I had in southern Florida—a high range of hills.

It had been an from New York to Miami, from Miami to Fort Coquina; but from there through an as as I make out, the had been exasperating.

Where we I do not know now: saw-grass and water, and mound, forests, swamps, of water-oak and live-oak, of pine, lagoons, sloughs, branches, creeks, from which wild rose in clouds where or about after fish, full of and water-turkeys, more still, out of which the from a sun the last of effluvia—all these choice we visited under the of the Mink. I to be missing nothing that might or me.

He appeared to know the way, somehow, although my the day out from Fort Coquina.

Again and again I that we were in a circle, but Mink always it, and I had no scientific to my suspicions.

Another thing me: Mink did not to from or heat; in fact, to my annoyance, he appeared to be having a time of it, and with gusto, sleeping under a bar, me to do all work, the as long as we used a canoe, and all the cooking, too, claiming, on his part, a complete of art.

Sometimes he to catch a fish for the common pan; sometimes he himself to shoot a or two. But he played on his his moments which were plentiful.

I to Samuel Mink.

At I was of him, and I walked about with my displayed. But he looked like such a little that I of my precautions. Besides, as he pointed out, a little in my water, would have done my for me if he had meant me any physical harm. Also he had a of for sport; and it would have been easy for him to one to me while I slept.

Really what most me was the which I not off that somehow or other we were making very little progress in any particular direction.

He that there was for my doubts, but he to me that to these Coquina hills, was like a maze. Doubling to and among and swamps, he insisted, was the only possible path of to the Coquina of Florida. Otherwise, he argued, these Coquina would long ago have been discovered.

And it to me that he had been right when at last we came out on the of a and that of in a country which has always been to as as a flap-jack.

A of saw-palmetto away us to the of the hills; game ran through it in every direction like sheep paths; a moth-eaten Florida deer away as we appeared.

Into one of these Samuel Mink, only with his and a box of cigars. I, with seventy of a moving-picture apparatus, after him.

He walked on toward the hills, his pearl-coloured at an angle. Occasionally he played upon his as he advanced; now and then he cut a pigeon wing. I him. At every step I him more deeply. He played "Tipperary" on his concertina.

"See 'em, old top?" he inquired, toward the hills. "I'm a man of my word, I am. Look at 'em! Take 'em in, old sport! An' reemember, each an' every hill is to one cave-lady what is the last vanishin' of a extinc' an' dissappeerin' race!"

We on—that is, I did, under my of paraphernalia. He in like some century faun, playing on his pipes the of George Cohan.

"Watch your step!" he cried, the of a ground-rattler which to his from under a saw-palmetto.

With a I gave the little room and a to exhaustion, melancholy, and red-bugs. A with me, their broad, black over the sun-drenched earth; blue-tail and away on every side; soft-winged me; a bird which to be in a of gingham, from tree to tree as I on, and at me persistently.

At last I the hard under foot; the of the me; I off my pack, it a little of water which ran from the hills, and sat on a soft and of hound's-tongue.

After a while I my at the rill, head, neck, and arms, and, refreshed, against the fern-covered of coquina.

"What are you doing?" I of Mink who was the and the moving-picture machine.

"Gettin' ready," he replied, with the camera.

"You don't to see any people here, do you?" I asked with a of excitement.

"Why not?"

"Here?"

"Cert'nly. Why the one I was a-drinkin' into this brook."

"Here! Where I'm sitting?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, sir, right there. It was this way; I was lyin' down, tryin' to the shortes' way to Fort Coquina, an' wishin' I was nearer Broadway than I was to the Equator, when I a voice say, 'Blub-blub, muck-a-muck!' an' then I two cave-ladies come sof'ly stealin' along."

"W-where?"

"Right there where you are a-sittin'. Say, they was lookers! An' they come along like two big-eyed deer, nosin' the air and listenin'.

"'Gee whiz,' thinks I, 'Longacre ain't got so much on them dames!' An' at that one o' them a wild-cat's skin an' that's all—an' a wild-cat ain't big. And t'other she pa'm-leaf pyjamas.

"So when they don't see nothin' around to hinder, they just and takes a drink into that pool, lookin' up every like little listenin' and thankin' God for a good square drink.

"I they was wild girls soon as I 'em. Also they to one another, 'Blub-blub!' Kinder sof'ly. All the same I've ladies on Broadway so I took a where I was squattin' a rock.

"So I, 'Ah there, Blub-blub! Have a taxi on me!' An' with that they is on their feet, quiverin' all over an' nosin' the wind. So I took some at 'em with my Bijoo camera.

"I they me all right for I their bigger, an' then they give a an' was off over the rocks; an' me after 'em. Say, that was some steeple-chase until a more cave-ladies come out on them above us an' of at me.

"An' with all that dodgin' an' duckin' of them there the cave-girls got away; an' I 'em an' the other cave-ladies scurryin' into little caves—one into this hole, another into that—bing! all over!

"All I think of was to light a cigar an' the in after the best-lookin' cave-girl. But I couldn't her out, an' I hadn't time to her out. So that's all I know about this here pree-historic an' extinc' o' vanishin' cave-ladies."

As his and I excited; and, when he ended, I to my in an of scientific enthusiasm:

"Was she pretty?" I asked.

"Listen, she was that peachy—"

"Enough!" I cried. "Science every man to do his duty! Are your to record a without in the scientific of creation?"

"They sure is!"

"Then place your camera and your person in a position. This is a spot for an ambush! Come over me!"

He came across to where I had taken among the the of coquina, and with a of I him his and place it in where my every and action would be recorded for if a cave-lady came to the water-hole to drink.

"It were futile," I to him in a voice, "for me to attempt to her as you it. Neither avail, for it is that no cave-lady English."

"I o' that, too," he remarked. "I said, 'Blub-blub! muck-a-muck!' to 'em when they started to run, but it didn't do no good."

I smiled: "Doubtless," said I, "the spoken language of the cave-dweller is up of exclamations, and you were right in attempting to with the cave-ladies and a entente. Professor Garner has done so among the Simian population of Gaboon. Your attempt is most and I shall make it part of my record.

"But the main idea is to a of cave-lady, and every detail of that and upon the films.

"And me, Mr. Mink," I added, my voice with emotion, "no Academician is likely to go to sleep when I my address with such pictures as you are now about to take!"

"The police might the show," he suggested.

"No," said I, "Science is already immune; art is so. Only nature need the of prejudice; and she will continue to wear and common-sense as long as our great endures."

I my field-glasses, them and took a at the above.

Nothing up there a or two on tip-curled above the palms.

Presently Mink I had "lamped" anything, and I that I had not.

"They may be snoozin' in their caves," he suggested. "But don't you fret, old top; you'll what's comin' to you and I'll mine."

"About that check—" I and hesitated.

"Sure. What about it?"

"I I'm to give it to you when the cave-woman appears."

"That's what!"

I the for a while in silence. I see no in paying him this on sight.

"All right," I said. "Bring on your cave-dwellers."

Hour succeeded hour, but no cave-dwellers came to the to drink. We ate luncheon—a of cold duck, some koonti-bread, and a dish of palm-cabbage. I an cigar; Mink a more one. Afterward he played on his at my on the that the music might a cave-girl the hill. Nymphs were sometimes that way, and modern science to be more and more closely to the of the which, in our and arrogance, we once as of scientific notice.

"He played on his ... on the that the music might a cave-girl the hill."

However this Broadway in vain: no white-footed came through the to gaze, to to the concertina's melodies.

So after a while he put his into his pocket, his on one side, his little under his person, and there in silence, the wet and end of his cigar.

Toward mid-afternoon I my field-glasses again and the hill.

At I noticed nothing, not a buzzard; then, of a sudden, my attention was to something moving among the fern-covered of just above where we concealed—a slim, shape under a of which like gold in the sun.

"Mink!" I hoarsely. "One of them is coming! This—this is the and of my scientific career!"

His was coarse: "Gimme the dough," he said without a of surprise. Indeed there was a ring of in his low and cold as he one hand on my arm. "No welchin'," he said, "or I put the whole on the bum!"

The of the my disgust; I out the check from my pocket and the of paper at him. "Get your machine ready!" I hissed. "Do you what these moments to the world!"

"I sure do," he said.

Nearer and nearer came the white under its of hair, moving and the great slabs—nearer, nearer, until I no longer my glasses.

"Moving and the great slabs."

She was a red-lipped thing, blue-eyed, of hand and foot.

The of a wild-cat her, or to.

I a large as she approached the pool. For a moment or two she around her and her close-set ears to be listening. Then, satisfied, she her and sent a sweet wild call to the sunny hillside.

"Blub-blub!" her voice; "blub-blub! Muck-a-muck!" And from the fern-covered above other voices to her call, "Blub-blub-blub!"

The whole was to drink—the entire of a and almost of was to its thirst at this water-hole. How I for James Barnes at the camera's crank! He alone do to this girl me.

One by one, in their yet of and garlands, five superb of cave-girl came to the water-hole to drink.

Almost with scientific I to the Mink: "Begin to as soon as I move!" And, up my big I rose, and, still crouching, through the on tip-toe.

They had already to drink when they me; I must have some in the ferns, for their ears it and they to their feet.

It was a to see them there by the pool, tense, motionless, at gaze, their to the wind, their wide and alert.

For a moment, enchanted, I in the presence of this spectacle, then, my sack, I out from the and toward them.

Instead of and up the they paralyzed, together as though to into the picture. Delighted I and at Mink; he was furiously.

With an of and I toward the cave-girls, arms as though a or chickens. And, totally the of and speech as I around that but group, "Ladies!" I cried, "do not be alarmed, I only and proper respect. Civilization calls you from the wilds! Sentiment, pity, my legs, not the to or you! Ladies! You are under the of science. An is speaking to you! Fear nothing! Rather rejoice! Your shall be from extinction—even if I have to do it myself! Ladies, don't run!" They had and were now to me. "I come among you the promises of education, of religion, of equal franchise, of fashion!"

"Blub-blub!" they to me.

"Yes!" I in an of enthusiasm. "Blub-blub! And though I do not the of your speech, I answer with all my heart, 'Blub-blub!'"

Meanwhile, they were and me as I one, then another, one hand outstretched, the other the sack.

A at Mink now and then him away.

Once I into the pool. That of the should be released, I determined, as I the water out of my mouth, gasped, and started after a lovely, ruddy-haired cave-girl had her to the in which I was floundering.

But as fast as I and and with all the I I did not to be able to a single cave-girl.

Every minutes, and breathless, I rested; and they always together their "blub-blub," not very much of me, and curiosity. Now and then they toward Mink who was away steadily, and I a of as I what pictures he was taking. Indeed luck to be with me, so far, for once did these retire out of range.

But otherwise the problem was serious. I not catch one of them; they me with and grace; my to my more frequent.

At last, beat, I sat on a of coquina. And when I was able to I around toward Mink.

"You'll have to your camera and come over and help me," I panted. "I'm all in!"

"Not quite," he said.

For a moment I did not him; then under my eyes, and the of my ears a terrible thing occurred.

"Now, ladies!" Mink, "all on for the fine-ally! Up-stage there, you red-headed little spot-crabber! Mabel! Take the call! Now the whole bloomin' of you!"