Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-12-18
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
They had not far 10 60, but Il WINS
rough climb, and the young mans frs
words were Of apology when, spring
ing 10 the ground, he came back to seize
her horse BY the bit and guide him NJ
the last few feet over an almost per
pendicular mass Of loose gray rock.
Twould have gone round by the trail
II ! had known it was quite so rough;
but we're NIL right now" he said, turn.
ing TO try the door of the rude hut to
which they had come. The horses
were huddled together on q small,
rhomboidal bit Of ground formed ut the
top Of IN old dump pile, which went
crumbling away in n sheer descent far
down among the trees, some of which
had been half buried in the lnva-lilie
flow. At the left yawned the mouth Of
a tunnel about which appeared no sign
Of recent work, while the rough slab
door Of the shanty was fastened by n
chain and paddock so rusted that they
seemed to have been exposed to the
storms Of years. Dy no means daunted
by this obstacle, however, the young
man coolly caught up jagged piece of
rock and in q moment the staple was
broken and the door thrown open.
"If you will just step inside while /
run the horses into the tunnel" he
hastily advised, when he had lifted her
TO the ground. Dorothy needed no
second bidding, but once within the
door she paused, pcering about doubt
fully. II was nothing more than rude
smithy, obviously designed merely for
the sharpening Of drills used in the
tunnel, its floor the bare, brown earth,
lis only equipment n great stone forge
in one corner with an anvil at one side,
4 few empty candle-boxes, small pile
OF wood, and some picks and drills
thrown down with other undistin-
guishable rubbish in one corner.
at is not quite the lap of luxury, but
we might do worse" the stranger smil
ingly observed, rs he came back, car
rying his hat filed with pine cones,
while lie was further laden with an
armful Of broken sticks. "And n fire
will help the looks of things amazingly"
ITO say nothing OF tbs comfort of it,"
Miss Meredith rejoined, her teeth chat
tering us she smiled. '1Iow cold it has
grown."
"That is the worst uf this much
Wanted climate; II has a capacity for
variety. Whea the barometer
gets started on the do.d grade there is
never any telling where it will stop.
The weather is always exceptional, IL
one Is to believe the statements OF the
oldest inhabitants. But there-thut
looks encouraging, doesn't it?" he said,
back and pleasedly surveying
his work, Us tiny spiral Of flame leaped
with suffering eagerness through the
lamp pitchiness of the piled-up cones
IN the forge.
az have seen the fire. am warmed"
he girl smilingly quoted, holding out
Ter hands to the blaze. ut is lovely"
sand now won't you sit down and
make yourself comfortable?" He
urned a candle-box OH end for her as
lie spoke.
"But the box II 80 low and the fire is
o high" she smilingly objected. ~
hould only be warming the tip of my |,
lose, and ! am half frozen"
"Are your lie looked us dismayed
s though he accepted the statement
literally. "Dut Of course you nre. What ,
an do?" lie answered the question (,
Dr. himself by recklessly heaping upon !"
be forge the greater part Of all the dry =
'ood that had been in the hut; from :
'hich he turned to fish out from the
chris in the corner q dusty gunny-
lck, which he held up before him as II a
nbiously measuring Its possibilities. q
1T won't do; It s not half big
,ough," Dorothy exclaimed, divining /.
Is idea with merry laugh. =.
II suppose not; and st Is SO abomin- .
bly, dirty besides" he disgustedly re- =
lined, his laugh by no means so gay as |.
rs, as he threw the thing back where :. =,
had found 1t. "But you ought to -
I've something around you; you will y
I've your death Of cold. am afraid :.
y coat Is Us wet as your DRESS" anx- -
usly.feeling the sleeve. g
sand could not think of taking II II l.,
were not" she decidedly returned. =
lease don't trouble; am doing beau m
fully. II is such glorious Gre" IN
''But still, with all the draughts in IN
Is sieve Of place Oh, say, why IN
MT l put the box up on the forge for or
u, to the windward Of the smoke
}" Suitlng the nction to the words, and
Silly adding a small erection Of sticks
save her feet from contact with the
hes. snow. Miss Meredith. you won't Il
d this half bad, ! promise you.
me-" He confidently held ont his sil
I'd to assist her.
Put eansots- ne girl protested. p