Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-03-14

to know what has become Oh me-
and,
The man interposed.
q viii go there directly" he SAID.
ut is now half after ten. That place
is about seven miles or more from
here across the range, fifteen or TWEEN
ty by the river. shall be back by
nightfalL The cabin is your own"
He turned away without another
word.
wait" said the woman. Il am
afraid TO stay here
She had been fearless enough before
in those mountains, but her recent ex-
perience had somehow unsettled her
nerves.
"There is nothing on earth to hurt
you, | think" returned tho man.
"Tbere isn't human being, SO far as
/ know, in these mountains"
Except my uncles party?"'
He nodded.
"But there might be another-bear,"
she added desperately, forcing herself.
mot likely; and they wouldn't come
here il there we're any. That's the
first grizzly / have seen in years"
he went on, unconcernedly, studiously
looking away from her. not to add to
her confusion at the remembrance OF
that awful episode which would OBJ
trude itself. on every occasion. you
can use rifle or gun?'
She nodded. TIe stepped over to
the wall and took down the Winches'
.ter which he handed her.
"This one is ready for service, and
you will End @ revolver on the shelf.
There is only one possible way of ac
cess to this cabin; that's down those
rock stairs. One man, one woman, a
child, even, with these weapons could
hold IL against an army"
Couldn't | go with your"
con that foot?"
Enid pressed her wounded foot upon
the ground. 1t was not so painful
| when resting, but she found she could
not walk step on 1t without great
suffering
81 might carry you part Of the way
said the man. Il carried you last
night, but it would be impossible, all
of it,"
"Promise me that you win be bach
by nightfall. with Uncle Bob and"
81 shall be back by nightfall, but
can't promise that l viii bring any
body with me-"
"You mean?'
"You saw what the cloudburst near
ly did for you" was the quick an
swer. 'If they did not get out Of tina
pocket, there is nothing left Of then
now"
But they must have escaped" per
sisted the girl fighting down hel
alarm at this blunt statement Of posi-
BILE peril. Besides, Uncle Robert ant
most Of the rest were climbing one o
the peaks, and" III
"Yhey will be all right, then; but /
, am to find the place and tell then
your story, must go now"
He turned, and without anothe
/ word or q backward glance, scrambled
; down the hill. The girl limped TO TN
brink of the cliff over which he ha'
; plunged and stared after him. Sh
, watched him as long as she could Sc
him, until he was lost among tht
trees. If she had anybody else to dc
3 rend upon. she would certainly hav'
) felt differently toward him; whel
Uncle Robert and her aunt. and II.
], children, and Old ISirkbx and the res
e surrounded her, she cold hate tina
a man in spite Of all lie had done 70
her, but now she stared after him dc
terminedly making his way down tn
mountain and through the trees.
was with difficulty she could restrai
herself from calling him back.
J. The silence was most oppressiy;
+ the loneliness wes frishtfrl- She ha
t been alone before in those mountains
: but from choice; now the fact tina
e there was no escape froRsthem mad
{ the sensation a very different one.
s She sat down and brooded over he
!. situation until she felt that If she di
Q not do something and in some way d
r vert her thoughts she would broa
down again. lie had said that tn
l. cabin and It's contents we're hers. sh
o resolved to insrect them more clos,
o ly, She hobbled back into the greG