Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-27
CHAPTER XIII-Continued.
They might have found it unhealthful

CHAPTER XIII-Continued.
They might have found it unhealthful
or unsafe
The girl answered absently. for half of
her mind was exploring for the drift Of
Cayley's, and did not find it.
Your father lived here for years." he
went on, land the Walrus people must
have continued living here for good
For certainly the place
hasn't been abandoned very long.
Perhaps" she hazarded. ''tiI,. III
given up hope of a rescue. and SO ..-.It
care to stay on the beach. They might
have found some more convenient place
in the Interior
That's what supposed" he said, but
the theory won't work-for just this rea-
son. They couldn't have built another
house without dismantling this one.
There are no trees on this land to furnish
timber, and there certainly isn't any
bought nails. bolts and hinges. But
those doors swung on hinges last night
and the bolt worked. and, more or less.
the walls and roof kept out the gale. For
this style Of architecture it's in pretty
good repair
The girl was only half sonvinced.
THAT great heap of stones in there, -
she began, doesn't look like good repair
or recent habitation."
mo it doesn't" he rejoined. Its been
made to look as little that way as posi-
BILE. 1t wouldn't have got into that condi-
ton otherwise in hundred years. Come,
let's have look. It's something to hope
for, at any rate"
She followed him little perplexed
ITO hope for?" she repeated question
ingly.
He had already entered the hut, and
did not at once volunteer any further eX-
PLANTATION, but from the shine Of excite
ment she could see in his eyes, 1t was evil
dent that he contemplated something bet
ter than merely holding death at arms
length for a little while.
To the girls eyes there was little about
the interior of the hut to account for
such hope. even though she saw that
all of the things he had said about it
still hinged to their frames. and were
provided with miscellaneous assortment
of catches. 1t was marine hardware, all
of it, evidently from her fathers ship.
the Phoenix. The hunks and shelves
which lined the walls looked perfectly
pearance of the room presented a look of
disrepair. 1t was absolutely unfurnished.
The great heap of smoke-blackened
stones, of various sizes and shapes. and
the hole in the roof above them, attested
that they had once been a fireplace.
From the forlorn aspect of the room the
girl gladly turned her eyes away. and
stood looking at Cayley instead. He had
been sweeping the walls. roof and floor
in a general survey. Now. abrutly, he
up one Of them, rubbed his thumb over 1t
and scrutinized. with an air of consider
able interest. the black smear 1t left:
THAT would account for the drift
wood" he said absently.
At that he might have seen in the
girls face a look Of half-amused impa-
thence, but his abstraction was too deep
for him to notice 1t.
He walked over to one of the side
walls, pulled open what proved to be a
big. solid shutter, revealing glazed win
dow, and, for long while stood there.
unconscious Of the look the girl had
turned upon him. unconscious of his pres
ent surroundings.
Yes, something to hope for. certainly"
He turned away from the window as he
said it, and smiled at her. "A good
hope-a good fighting hope that when the
relief comes back next summer they'll
find you here alive"
IF you say so, I'll believe it," said the
girl, because you told me the truth be-
fore But do you mind telling me why?'
II should have thought of it sooner. l
should have noticed 1t last night. My
guess was right that's ALL This is not
an abandoned hut. Don't you see, 1t S In
almost perfect repair. The hinges on this
H., IL
ly you can see that some one gave tug
at them not long ago In an attempt TO
pull them out. And that patch on the
wall was put on within month. The
men who wrecked this place worked
hastily and showed no great degree Of
ina gination. They hadn't much time,
YOU see, because they couldn't have begun
until they caught their first glimpse of
the yacht. They had finished the job be-
fore they could send party ashore
But why in the world should they do
such thing" the girl protested:
He shook his head. II haven't worked
that out vet, not fully, at any rate.
After all, it's not the question that con-
Germs us"
"I'm still in a maze about it. What did
YOU mean about the driftwOod?'
why, the SCOT on these stones showed
me that They haven't been burning
driftwood in this fireplace They've been
burning coal-or oil. perhaps hadn't
wood collected again out there on the
talus. You remember your father speaks
of having used 1t all? There have been
dozen men living here ever since. and
they didn't need It, So they must have
had some other sort Of fuel.
~.You mean they've got q supply some
He nodded mot only supply of fuel.
but of food, too. You remember your
father also speaks of having his larder
time? Well, these fellows weren't ex-
pecting any relief They must have
stocked their larder, too. OF course. he
went ON a moment later, i realized
vaguely all along that there must be
stores somewhere here on the land be-
cause men were living here. but on the
theory that they had abandoned the
beach and were living In some undiscov-
cred part of the mainland. our chance OF
Hrdirr those stores was almost nothing
at ali. Finding them would be like try
ing to find Point Barrow In a log. But
YOU see, II they kept them here In these
huts. and then hid them when they
caurht sight of the yacht. while they may
be well hidden, they can't be far away.