The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-04-08
lCopyright, 1911. by ". @. Chapma,

stream with the rest, and it's just pos
sibIe that the searchers may find
them, the body of the bear, too. This
river ends in a deep mountain lake
and / think it is going to snow; it
will be frozen hard tomorrow"
"And they will think me-there?"
II am afraid So"
"And they won't come up here?"
"It is scarcely possible"
"Oh!" exclaimed the woman family
at the dire possibility that she might
not be found.
81 took an empty bottle with me"
said the man, breaking the silence, in
which | had enclosed a paper saying
| that you were here and safe, save
| for your wounded foot, and giving
| direction how to reach the place.
| built/a cairn of rocks in a shell
tered nook in the valley where
your camp had been pitched and left
| the tightly corked bottle wedged On
top of 1t. If they return to the camp
| they could scarcely fail to see it,
But if they don't go back there"
well, it was just chance"
"And If they don't find me?"
You will have to stay here for a
while; until your foot gets well
enough to travel. anyway" returned
| the man, evasively.
But winter is coming on; you said
the lake would freeze tonight and If 1t
| snows?''
at will snow"
The woman stared at him appalled,.
And in that case"
81 am afraid" was the slow reply,
that you will have to stay here"
He hesitated in the face of her white,
still facial winter" he added, des-
perately.
my God" exclaimed the girl,
"alone, with you?"
Miss Maitland" said the man, reso-
lutely, 81 might as well tell you the
truth. can make my way to the set
Elements now or later, but it will be a
i journey of perhaps a week. There will
be no danger to me, but you will have
to stay here. You could not go with
me. If 1 am any Judge you couldn't
possibly use your foot for mountain
journey for at least three weeks, and
by that time we shall be showed in
as effectually as if we were within
the arctic circle. But If you will let
me go alone to the settlement l can
| bring back your uncle, a woman to
keep you company, before the trails
are impossible. Or enough men to
| make it practicable to take you
through the canons and down the
trails to your home again. I could not
do that alone even if you were well
. in the depth Of winter"
i The girl shook her head stubbornly
"a week alone in these mountains
and l should be mad" she said deci
! sively. at isn't to be thought Of"
'It must be thought Of" urged the
, man. "You don't understand. It is
either that or spend the winter here
with me-"
The woman looked at him steadily
"And what have to fear from you? p
she asked.
Nothing, nothing, as God is my
Witness protested the other; 'but
the wor1d?"
"The world" said the woman reflec
lively. II don't mean to say that il
means nothing to me, but it has cause
enough for what it would fain say
now" She came to her decision swift
ly. There Is no help for it," she
continued, 1--WE are marooned"-she
smiled family as she used the ole
word of tropic island and southern
sea-"together. You have shown me
that you are a man and a gentleman
In God and you put my trust. Wher
my foot gets well, if you can teach me
to walk on snow shoes and it is pos
| sible to get through the passes, We
/ will try to get back; If not, we mus
wait"
'The decision is yours" said the
man, land yet 1 feel that I ought tt
point out to you how"
81 see all that you see," she inter
l. rupted. 81 know what is in YOU
l. mind. 1t is entirely clear to me. w,
can do nothing else"
$50 be it. You need have no appre
hension as to your material comfort
| have lived in these mountains for /;
long time. I am prepared for an.
emergency. I pass my time in tn
summer getting ready for the winter
| There is a cave, or recess rather, be
hind the house which, as you see, il