The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-06
(Contjnued.l

''This rock" she declared, ''is tn very one I leaned against when WI stopped before. I'm certain. We'v' been going in a circle"
 Maybe we were going right, in thu first place. said Caleb. "On the va! out we went up hills an down 'em too. Maybe if we'd kep' on going up ward we'd a come out on the hil above the camp"
 They started once more; going pur
 posely upward this time; groping theil way through the binding mist with out speaking. Gef fA- before them. A step or two farther and they stood on a hilltop. under the stars.
 Desiree sank wearied on the stump O.
 a twin tree, her back against the trunk of the unfelled half. Caleb glanced
 about to locate the camp. His ex.
 clamation of wonder brought the tired girl to her feet.
 l. was no hilltop they stood on. Ii was a tiny island jutting upward out
 tance to either hand rose similar islets
 Above was the cloudless sky. Below
 lav that vast wavelesS deep.
 Its the fog!" cried the girl, finding
 hef voice as the marvel explained it.
 self. Don't you see? It lies low we're above it. It has settled down over everything like white cloud. But some of the hilltops pierce the top of it. We're above the clouds!' she quoted, laughing; her spirits coming back with her returning strength.
 Were above that one, anyhow" as- sented Conover. You're right. But where's the camp?"
 Down there. somewhere" she re- piled, vaguely.
 '.But how can we find t?'' he urged. we don't know which side of this hill it's on. It may be five miles away. If we go down, the chances are million to one we won't strike it. An then we'lf have to wander round all night in that slimY white cloud, like we've been doin' for the past hour. We're up against it, girl.''
 'I wouldr't spend another hour in that mist tr a fortune" she shudder- ed. ''It stifled me: and hideous wooz- zey faces seemed to be peering at us out of it. I could hear invisible things whispering all around us. Ugh!"
 Caleb filled his lungs and shouted across the sea of mist. Again and again he beloved forth his long-drawn halloo. To, anyone on the nearer hill top islands his call. might readily have been heard. But human voice could as readily have penetrated a mountain of cotton-batting as carry sound through that waste of cloud-reek. this. A last shout, a final straining of ears for some answering cry; then Conover turned again to the girl.
 ''They wouldn't hear us hundred yards away" said he: "even if they was awake. We'll have tO,-Why, you're shiverin'!"
 To Desiree the glow of the long climb was giving place to the chill air of the Adirondack autumn night. Her teeth were chattering; but she bravely secuted the idea of discomfort
 Nevertheless. in an instant Caleb had whipped off his thick macintosh and wrapped her in its huge folds. She vainly protested that he must not rob but the cozy comfort of the big garment as well as his fiat refusal to let her remove it soon silenced her objections. Conover had taken charge Of the situation. It was the work of a minute to scratch together an armful of twigs, chips and small boughs, relics of the hewn tree-to thrust under the heap a crumDled letter from his pock- ct, and to set match to the inn promptu fire.
 Then, as the twigs crackled and blazed, he secured the hilltop for larger wood. Half rotted- logs that would shoulder like peat, huge tree branches that must be dragged instead of car ried, to the fire; a bulky length of lumber overlooked when the tree had been cut up and carted away. These and, lesser fuel served in an amazingly short time to turn the sputtering fame-lets into a roaring campfire. Piece after piece of his gathered wood Caleb fed to the blaze; Desiree leaning back. deliciously warm and happy, to encourage the labor. A sec ond journey into the dark and Con- over was back wish more fuel, which he piled in reserve beyond the reach of the flame tongues.
 You work like a veteran woods
 Why wouldn't I?' he puffed, drag ging in a new bunch of long boughs for the reserve pile. 'I had to hustle fires an grub for the section gang, ten months or more. when I was a That's why it seems funny to me that folks should pay big money for a chance of chasin' out to the an doin' tie chores I used to get s1.85 day for. Still. once in a lifetime, it comes in handy to know how.''
 The heat was fierce. Caleb drew back from the fire. mopping his red face. Then he took off his tweed jacket. Crossing to, Desiree. he lifted his macintosh from her shoulders and made her put on the jacket. The lat ter's hem fell to her knees Conover rolled back it's sleeves until her en- yulfed hands were once more visible. Then he spread the macintosh on the ground near the fire; incidentally dis odging Rex from carefully chosen ped.
 "Therep proclaimed the Fighter That's done. Now you've camp bed. l Lay down on that macintosh an I'll wrap you up in it. You won't catch cold, even if the fire dies out. Which | same it won't; for I'm goin' to set up ln' keep it burnin.''
 '1n other words,'' she said with the | tern air of rebuke that he loved, 'I lm going to curl up in all the wraps | here are and go fast to sleep, while l you sit up all night long and keep the | ire going? I think I see myself do- l ng iti" ~
 eff we had lookin' glass along," he | unruffled, you. could As t is, you'll just have to take my word | or it. I'll set back on that stump | where you are now, an I'll have that l Jig trunk to rest my head on- An I'll leep a blamed sight better'n I ever 10 in a Pullman. When I feel cold I'll ,now the fires dyin' down an I'll get ID an tend it, an then go to sleep gain. It's a-''
 You'll do nothing of the sort!" con radicted Desiree. 'Ill--''