Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-06-11
CHAPTER I.-fcontinued.1


Entering the main room. he led her
gently to one of the chairs near the
table and Immediately thereafter light
ed the fire which he had taken the
precaution to lay before his departure
1t had been dark in the cabin, but the
fire soon filed 1t with glorious light.
She watched him at his task and as
he rose from the hearth questioned
him:
Now tell me-" she began. you
found"
First your supper, and then the
story" he answered, turning toward
the door Of the other room.
No pleaded the girl, cant you
see that nothing is of any Importance
to me but the story? Did you find the
camp?"
Il found the place where 1t had
been"
Where It had been!"
There wasn't single vestige of 1t
left. That whole pocket, / knew it
well. had been swept clean by the
flood"
But Kirkby. and Mrs. Maitland
and
They weren't there"
Did you search for them?"
Certainly"
But they can't have been drowned"
she exclaimed piteously.
"Of course not" he began reassur-
1ngly. "Kirkby is a veteran of these
mountains and"
But do you know him % queried the
girl in great surprise.
Il did once" said the man, flushing
darkly at his admission. 81 haven't
seen him for five years."
So that was the measure of his iso-
lation. thought the woman, keen for
the slightest evidence as to her COM
panion's history, of which, by the way,
he meant to tell her nothing.
''Well?" she asked. breaking the
pause
"Kirkby would certainly see the
cloud burst coming and he would take
the people with him in the camp up on
the hogback near 1t. 1t is far above
the flood line; they would be quite safe
there"
And did you look for them there?"
81 aid. The trail had been washed
out, but scrambled up and found I'M
disputed evidence that my surmise
was correct. l haven't a doubt that
all who were In the camp were saved"
Thank God for that" said the girl.
greatly relieved and comforted by his
reassuring words. And Robert Matt
land and the rest on the mountain,
what do you think OF them2"
II am sure that they must have
escaped. too. 1 dont shink any of
them have suffered more than thor
ough drenching in the downpour and
that they are all safe and perhaps on
their way to the settlements now"
But theg wouldn't go back without
searching for me, would they?" cried
the girl
Certainly not. l suppose they are
searching for you now"
well then"
Wait" said the man. You start
ed down the canon. you told every
body you were going that way. They
naturally searched in that direction,
they hadn't tie faintest idea that you
were going up the river.
No." admitted Enid, that is true.
! did not tell anyone. / didn't dream
of going up the canon when l started
out in the morning, it was the result
OF a sudden impulse"
God bless that" burst out the
man, and then he checked himself,
flushing again darkly.
What had he been about to say?
The question flashed across his own
mind and into the woman's mind at
the same time when she heard the
incompleted sentence: but she. too,
checked the question that rose to her
lips.
"This is the way figure it," con-
tinued the man hurriedly to cover UP
his confusion. They fancy them
selves alone in these mountains,
which. save for me. they are; they be-
lievc you to have gone down the can
on. Kirkby with Mrs. Maitland and
the others waited on the ridge until
Mr.. Maitland and his party Joined
them. They couldn't have saved very
much 10 eat or wear from the camp,
they were miles from settlement;
they probably divided into two parties.
the larger with the woman and chill
dreE. started for home. the second
went down the canon searching for
your dead body,"
And had it not been for you" cried
the girl. impulsively. they had found
It."
God permitted me to be of service
to you" answered the man, simply.
Il can follow their specuiations exact