Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-04-28
CHAPTER V.

gether constituted an inclosure so high
walled as to shut out all sights, save
Itself and patches Of sky, black-veined
with the great oak limbs and mottled
with punches of green leaves.
The moist, cool sides of the long "hol-
low" and the dense canopy of over
hanging leaves, layer above layer. had
prevented the two explorers from feeling
to any noticeable degree the sitting heat
and "unbreatheableness" of the atmos-
phere, as Mr.. Mason put it.
Now that they had reached the very
crest of the ridge" and come upon a
spot of "open" ground, perhaps two or
three acres in extent, in which there were
from some unknown cause but n few
large oak trees widely scattered, they
were suddenly aware that they could run
no longer, and both walked silently and
languidiy toward the large round tent
now quite conspicuous. At the door they
paused, looked in each others faces, and
laughed.
Il m afraid you are an alarmist, Mr..
Mason. See Not drop Of rain has
fallen yet. And there is not even the
most distant mutter of thunder, although
wings, and-but isn't it breaking up be-
fore it can reach usi See what light
space right in the middle OF the cloud.
You can almost see the blue sky through
1t. Now | know you are an alarmist."
She looked round at Mr.. Mason. and
was positive that he had not heard her.
With his yellow straw hat pulled hard
down upon his brown-gray locks-worn
decidedly too long, she thought-he was
standing with face slightly upturned and
his rather heavy, broad chin thrust for
ward in the attitude that is interpreted
TO mean determined resistance or fierce
attack.
His face was pale, or the darkness
made it seem colorless. and his blue eyes
were widely opened as if to take in the
whole scope and meaning of the heavens
without in the least altering that pose of
determined resistance.
Looking at him thus, there came upon
Iizzy Wickly new and strange sense of
great dread of something-she had no
notion what-and with II a compensating
sense of reliance in the strong, determin
ed, defiant man before her.
He even seemed in that instant to be
revealed to her In totally new and i'm
posing phase, as If revealed by the green
ISL glare from the strange, swift cloud
that was now coming down upon them
from the west, with frightful velocity
faintly indicated in the sprays of gray
ish ashen vapor that flew before it like
great gray birds futtering in a wild,
vain agony of terror.
II ,,I into
the tent, and in a moment came backing
out and dragging confused mass Of
heavy two-inch rope and canvas tarpau-
lin after him.
Help me with these" he said in a
low, clear voice; take this end of the
rope and get it out of the tangle, if you
can"
He dropped it at her feet, and once
more plunging into the tent, came out
backward again, carrying this time a
heavy sledge and a mass of large IRON
ringed tent pins
Carrying these with him, dropping a
PHI. here and there, as he ran little
way down the eastern slope Of the hill,
reddish-yellow clay that indicated the
location Oh one Oh lue pllS
a dim perception of his purpose began
10 glow in her mind; and she took tn.
end of the cable and dragged it, uncol-
ing from its tangle like the dun gray SER
pent of the storm. down toward him.
He was already swinging the great
sledge as a child would whirl top ham
mer-driving the long, stout stakes deep
into the firm clay with ponderous strokes
whose heavy sound reverberated up and
down the many convergiDg ravines like
the beating of the wings of the storm
upon it's torn breast.
Even in the silent horror of anticipa-
ton, she could not fail to note the prac-
teal skill and precision of the man. She
saw him seize stake after stake exactly
at the right point with his veined and
muscular left hand just below the iron
ring that encircled the head of the pin;
then with one light tap of the sledge the
stake was standing slanted smartly out
ward, the strong man with fierce, even
vengeful look in his face, was standing
back whirling the heavy hammer in wide,
perpendicular circles, bringing it down
with force that soon sunk the ironed
pin deep in the clay Then a step would
bring him to another pin; and 80 the
process went ON until the pit stood
hedged with strong stakes.
Now, help me with this rope. Miss
Lizzy," he said in the rapid, absorbed
tone that indicates intense mental action.
She did not ask what she must do, as
at other times she certainly would but
she seemed to be able to take her direc-
ton from the gances Of his gllttering
eyes as he moved with surprising rapidity
and strength, drawing the heavy cable
in mysterious knots about pin after pin,
and 80 weaving a network of the strong
rope across the opening of the shallow
pit whose blueish looking floor she could
see eight feet below the edge. Then the
tarpaulin was rapidly drawn two-thirds
of the way across the hole and fastened
by the tying Of many small cords reeved
In close set eyelets along Its edge.
"Now," he said, after taking one rapid
glance at all the surroundings, I'VE have
done all that can be done by human fore