The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-01-02

shortened, crawling figures around the now
stationary wagon bulk They were now
apparently making arrangements to camp
for the night But another figure had
been added to the group, and as it stood
perched upon wagon seat laid on the
snow Jack could see its outline was not
bifurcated Ike the Others But even that
general suggestion was not needed; the
little head, the symmetrical curves visible
even at that distance were quite enough to
indicate that it was a woman The easy
smile faded from Jack face, and was
succeeded by a look Of concern and then
of resignation. He had no choice now; he
must go There was woman there, and
that settled it. Yet he had arrived at this
conclusion from no sense of gallantry, nor,
indeed, of chivalrous transport, but as a
matter of simple duty to the sex. He
was giving up his sleep, was going down
a thousand feet of steep trail to offer his
services during the rest of the night as
simply as an Eastern man would have
offered his seat in an omnibus to woman
Having resumed his coat, with b0ttle
of whiskey thrust into his pocket he put
on pair Of India rubber boots reaching
to his thighs, and, catching the blanket
from his bunk, started with an axe and
shovel on his shoulder On his downward
journey. When the distance was half
completed he shouted to the travellers be-
low; the cry was joyously answered By the
three men; he saw the fourth figure, now
unmistakably that of slender, youthful
woman, in cloak, helped back into the
wagon, as if deliverance was now sure and
immediate. But Jack on arriving speedily
dissipated that Elusive hope; they could
only get through the gorge by taking off
the wheels of the wagon, placing the axles
on rude sledge runners of split saplings,
which, with their assistance, he would
fashion in couple of hours at his cabin
and bring down to the gorge. The only
other alternative would be for them to
come to his cabin and remain there while
he went for assistance to the nearest sta
ton, but that would take several hours
and necessitate double journey for the
sledge, if he was lucky enough to find one.
The party quickly acquiesced in Jack 5
first suggestion.
s'Very well, said Jack, ''then there $
no time to be lost; unhitch your horses
and we'll dig hole in that bank for them
to stand in out of the snow" This was
speedily done. ''Now,'' continued Jack,
you Il just follow me up to my cabin; it s
a pretty tough climb, but III want help
to bring down the runners
Here the man who seemed to be the
head of the party-of middle age and a
superior professional type-for the first
time hesitated IT forgot to say there
is lady with US, my daughter he
began, glancing toward the wagon.
II reckoned as much, interrupted
Jack, simply and | allowed to carry her
up myself the toughest part of the way.
She kin make herself warm and conf bic
in the cabin until eve got the runners
ready"
"You hear what our friend says,
Amy?' suggested the gentleman, appealing
to the closed leather curtains of the wagon.
There was pause. The curtain was
suddenly drawn aside, and charming lit
tie head and shoulders, furred to the throat
and topped with bewitching velvet cap,
were thrust out In the obscurity little
could be seen of the girl features, but
there was certain wilfulness and impati-
ence in her attitude Being in the
shadow, she had the advantage of the
others, particularly Jack, as his figure
was fully revealed in the moonlight against
the snow bank Her eyes rested for a
moment on his high boots, his heavy
mustache, so long as to mingle with his
unkempt locks, which fell over his broad
shoulders, on his huge red hands, streaked
with black grease from the wagon wheels,
and some blood, staunched. with snow,
drawn from bruises in cutting out brambles
in the brush, or-more awful than ala
monstrous, shiny specimen gold ring
encircling one of his 6ngers-on the whis-
key bottle that shamelessly bulged from
his side pocket, and then-slowly dropped
her dissatisfied eyelids.
''Why can't | stay here?'' she said,
languidly. 'It's quite nice and comfort
able. -
because we can leave you alone, and
we must go with this gentleman to help
him.
Miss Amy let the tail of her eye again
creep shudderingly over this gentleman
Jack. II thought the-the gentleman
was going to help us, she said, dryly.
"Ncnsense, Amy, you don understand.
This gentleman is kind enough to offer to
make some sledge-runners for us at his
cabin, and we must help him
.'But can stay here while you 90.
am not afraid y
qYes, but you re alone here, and some.
thing might happen.
Nothing could happen, interrupted
Jack quickly and cheerfully. He haC
flushed at first, but he was now consider
ing that the carrying of lady as expen
sively attired and apparently as delicate
and particular as this one, might be some
what difficult. ''There nothin tha
would hart ye here, he continued, ad
dressing the velvet cap and furTed throat
in the darkness, and if there was i
couldn't get at ye, bein so to speak, ii
the same sort o fix as you So you re al
right, he added positively.
Inconsistently enough, the young LADY
did not accept this as gratefully as NIGH
have been imagined but Jack did not SCI
the slight fash of her eye as, ignoring
him, she replied to her father: I'D mucl
rather stop here, papa.
''And," continued Jack, turning ais
to her father, you can keep the Wagon
and the whole gorge in sight from the trai
all the way up. So you can see that every
things all right Why, | saw you from
the first. He stopped awkwardly anc
added, sCome along, the sooner we re off
the quicker the jobs over. -
pray don't delay the gentleman an'
the lob. said Miss Amy, sweetly.
Reassured by Jack last suggestion he
father followed him with the driver and tn
second man of the party, younglsh ant
somewhat undistinctive individual, but t.
whose gallant anxieties Miss Amy respond
ed effusively. Nevertheless, the youns
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