New-York tribune., 1910-07-24
IN TWO PARTS-Part ii.

s,,ch a s,1lenlv satisfied q told you So HAD he
not thoroughly lost his patience alte w. l.
,sness croD out those awful midnight hours III that
house of mystery in the trolling hills OF southern oaS
katchewan would never have happened
This is not an automobile story but must say that
7 cannot understand why lnanlnlate thing ike an
automobile can always manage to chooSe te lost III
convenient environment in which to have case OF acute
;d;eeston or appendicitis and of all lonely spots OF
ali inaccessible places of all temper trying conditions
nothing surely ever matched those IN which loufo
myself late one July afternoon.
On every side rose bilowng, rounded hills rcny EN-
erald green while the winding valley OF the george
showed here and there cumps OF tall timber an o'ook
thai was ideal to one who loves land for itself but was
as inhospitable as the heart of the Sahara 1tSe so l
as | was concerned. 800
Now though | cannot hear a sound. | long ago
learned the look that always accompanies the use OF
Language when anything goes wrong with the 1nSideS
of an automobile So when saw that expression SET
Ting on Wells face, before he cambered sunny
from behind the wheel decided to flee his vicinity
and aimlessly headed for the highest hl about hil1
mile distant
inexharstibe fund of surprises; but aStonshment
was complete when reached the crest OF the hllI 10
see long low struggling ranchhouSe with huge barns,
corrals. and various Outbudlngs lying Snugiy III the
lee of another hill which perhaps. two miles away.
In the clear atmosphere of the plans dist anCeS are very
deceptive. And 1t was there that eected 70
pass the night relying upon the open handed hoSp-
taty of the country, which is both truly western as
well as English.
Yet. when Wells and were once more Downing doAs
in the automobile found that so far as reaching that
particular haven, it might have sunk into the earth
There not much as coWpath leadlrg from Iit
valley road anywhere within miles OF where we had
been halted bv the blowout. There not much
as column of smoke stray dog to indicate tIlat
human beings had their home anywhere in those NILS
That comfortable ranchhOuse, those huge barns those
great corrals, might have been but halllcinaton or
mirage. Back and forth striving to md some
fantest trail-and all the time that SNUG told you
so look grew as much OF Wells faCe as was FlSole
below his goggles.
Run to the top of that hill there, | said at
length when could stand his supercllous satisfaction
no longer. | did not what happened to the ma
chine, so long managed to prove that was right
am sure we can see it from there; for cannot be
far beyond where it seemed to be when saw it.
Wells gr1Inted cynicaly yanked at one OF the levers,
and with a slow, careful turning out into the grass we
began climb the slope.
F'We, I'll be shot into Conshohockenl" exclaimed
Wells as we topped the hill; for there lying spread
out at our feet, the ranch that we had been
vainly seeking.
CAN YOU make the run down the hi? | asked.
~ Wells nodded Curtly, the machine gave Jerk, and
bumpv and dzzilv we rolled down the slope, turned
in the gate and stopped neatly before the open door.
| knew from a word he uttered and from the ex-
preston in his eyes when he out that we were un-
welcome guests.
This amt a tavern he said ungracously in
spouse to an inquiry By Wells. We don't trip
pers stoppin' off How'd ynu get along this
wav?" he ended s1spicously
Il the ranch from the )p of hill, said, and
came across country hoping to find shelter over
night
I'VE don't run a tavern he insisted dull spark
of anger growing in his eyes.
But can't you take in just for the night? Our
machine is crippled and it is SO near dark we don't
want to go on.
OF course We'll take you in" said woman, appear
ing suddenly the threshold. And such queer figure
of a woman she was, clad in complete cowboy cos
tune even to snaps, and topping 1t all her grlzzed