, 1911-04-20

INV. ~ ~ sNSt0NOt
and ALL"
Not quite the next thing. Unless
we have exceptional luck, we can
hardly hope to md It for several
days; 1t may take a fortnight, and we
must have some temporary security
first. In the meantime there 10 no
telling what sort Of weather we will
have. It's rather late for these beau
tiful, mild days, I fancy. No, the first
thing to do is to rebuild this fireplace
and bring in q lot of drift wood and
all those birds that were killed last
night by hying against the cliff. When
we have made this hut habitable
against a spell Of 40 below zero wealth
err, such as we're likely to have at any
time. and have accumulated stores of
fuel and food for a few days, then
we'll begin our search. ! had better
get to work At nee I think / can re-
build this fireplace BY myself. VIII
you go and begin carrying in ire
wood. and as many Of those ducks and
geese and looms as you car find there
along the talus?"
She nodded, and turned to leave the
hut. Take the revolver with you"
he called after her.
At that she halted abruptly in the
doorway. Why should I have It any
more thar your" Then. answering his
smile with one Of her own, she added:
Il suppose a well-trained crew doesn't
demand reasons for the captains u.
ders-only-"
There's a perfectly good reason.
I'm working in the shelter, and you
in the open. Besides that, I'm stronger
and I have my sheath knife. II I were
attacked by anything. l could give .
better account Of myself than you
could. You'd better take belt and
holster n all, Inc buckle It right
around your waist"
When Philip finally had his fire.
place rebuilt, in a temporary fashion
which he thought would serve till
greater leisure should allow him to
perfect it, he stepped outside the hut
and looked. first down and hen up
the shore in search for her, and was
disappointed at finding her nowhere
in sight.
She must be dreadfully tired, he
thought, and with that thought decid-
ed to set out to find her. First, how
ever. he transferred the remnants Of
the fire from the fiat stone before the
hut to his newly constructed hearth,
heaped on more wood and noted, with
satisfaction, that his makeshift Chin
ney drew well and did not smoke in
tolerably. He had discovered an empty
cask under a heap Of rubbish in the
storeroom and this he filed with
chunks Of ice and set by the IRE to
melt.
wheeling. glinting. sun-bathed speck
in the amber air. the thrilling, prin-
Cling, winelike air. He had taken to
his wings, upon leaving the hut, SIM
ply because they offered him the
quickest easiest way Of finding Jean
ns.
Suddenly he was flying downward.
as fast as gravity and his great wings
would take him. Drenched with the
sweat of a sudden terror, cleaving the
air 20 fast that the sound Of its whin-
ing rose to a scream through his taut
rigging. Down he slaated, seward
q little, past the end Of the great head
land. Then. with the sudden exertion
Of all his strength, upon n lowered
wing, the other flashing high like the
stroke Of q scimitar. in the curve Of
the shortest possible arc. he shot
landward. pounced. checked. and
alighted not far from the girl.
She had been seated upon a broken
ledge Of rock when he had first caught
sight OF her. She was In act Of
getting to her feet when he alighted.
not q half dozen PAGES away.
She had been pale. but her color
had come back now in . sudden surge
She was breathing unsteadily and her
hands were claspsd against her
breast. "You-you mustn't ny like
that" she said. eff you had been an
eagle, the way you wheeled and came
rushing down out Of the sky would
have terrified me. shut my eyes in
order not to see you killed"
He did not answer her at once, and
she. looking intently into his face.
went on. You know It was danger
GUS. You thought yourself that you
were going to be killed. can see
the horror Of It in o. eyes"
Then he got his breath. You're
safer he questioned unsteadily. you
were in danger. sudden danger. and in
terror at 1t. That vas what frighten-
ed me, that sudden knowledge. 1 came
down. fearing l should be too late"
81 had a fright" she admitted; but
I don't see how you could know. I'm
very sure I didn't cry out"
mo. I heard nothing. nc sound at
all. l Just knew, and SO l came to
you as fast as I could. What was 1t
that frightened your"
Nothing at all. ] imagine. l was
sitting here on the ledge, looking at
that wonderful ky and all at once