Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-02-22

joined Pete with such OF the horses as
he had been abba to drive up. Kirkby, t
taking a thought for the morrow, not
ed that there were four Of them.
enough to pull the wagon If they
could get back to it.
After the first awful deluge Of tho
cloudburst it moderated slightly, but
the hard rain came down steadily, the
wind rose as well, and In spite OF
their oilskins they were soon wet and
cold. 1t was impossible to make a
fire, there was no place for them to
go, nothing to BIO done. They could
only remain where they were and
wait. After half hour OF exposure
to the merciless fury of the storm,
thought came suddenly to Mrs. Matt
land. She leaned over and caught the
frontiersman by his wet sleeve. See
ing that she wished to speak to him,
he bent his head toward her lips.
Enid" she cried, pointing down the
canon She had not thought before OF
the position OF the girl
Kirkby, who had not forgotten her,
but who had instantly realized that he
could do nothing for her, shook his
head lifted his eyes and solemnly
| pointed his finger up to the gray
skies. He had said nothing to Mrs.
Maitland before. What was the use
Of troubling her.
God only kin help her." he cried.
"She's beyond the help Of man."
All, indeed, old trapper, whence
came the confident assurance Of that
dogmatic statement? For as II chanc-
ed, at that very moment the woman
for whose peril your heart was wrung
was being lifted out of the torrent by
a mans hand! And, yet, who shall
say that the old hunter was not right,
and that the man himself, as men Of
old have been, was sent from God?
1T can't be-" began Mrs. Maitland
in great anguish for the girl she had
grown to love.
"Ef she seed the storm an realized
what 1t was, an had sense enough 10
climb up the canon wall" answered
the other "she won't be no worse
off'n we are: eff not"
Mrs. Maitland had only to look
down into the seething cauldron to
understand the possibility Of that IF"
"oh," she cried, "let us pray for her
that she sought the hills"
I've been dom IT, said the old
man grufly.
He had deep vein Of piety In him,
but, like other rich ores, II had to be
mined for in the depths before 1t was
apparent.
By slow degrees the water subsid-
ed, and after long while the rain
ceased, heavy mist lay on the noun.
tains and the night approached with
out any further appearance, of the
yelled sun. Toward evening Robert
Maitland, with the three men and the
three children. Joined the wretched
trio above the camp. Maitland, wild
with excitement and apprehension
had pressed on ahead Of the rest. Il
was a glad-faced man indeed who rar
the last few steps Of the rough way
and clasped his wife in his arms, bu
as he did so he noticed that one was
missing.
Great Cod" he cried, releasing his
wife, where is Enid?"
"She went down the canon early
this mornln' intendin to stay all day.
slowly and reluctantly answered oIt
n K1rkby, an -
He paused there 1t wasn't neces
sary for him to say anything more.
Maitland walked to the edge OF the
trail and looked down into the valley
1t had been swept clean Of the camp
Rocks had been rolled over upon the
meadow land, trunks Of trees tori
up by the roots had lodged against
them. It was a scene Of desolate and
miserable confusion and disaster.
> "Oh. Robert, don't you think shs
may be safer" asked Mrs. Maitland.
There's just chance, / think, thai
she may have suspicioned the storm
an got out Of the canon" suggested
the old frontiersman.
"A slim chance" answered Matt
land gloomily. God. wouldn't hav,
: had this happen for anything OF
earth"
"Nor me. I'd heap ruther II hat
. got me than her." said Kirkby sim
! ply.
|. 81 didn't see II coming" continued
= Maitland, nodding as II Kirkby'i
q statement we're to be accepted as I
I matter Of course, as indeed It was
\ I'VE were on the other slope Of III,
\ mountain until It was almost over
4 head"
"Nuther did I. To tell the truth
was lynn down nappin' wen Pete
we're, who'd been down the canoi
rounding up some Of the critters
came Dustin in on US"
II amt saved but four hosses," SAT-
Pete mournfully, "and there's only on,
burro on the hog back"
I'VE came back as fast as W,
could" said Maitland. 81 pushed OF
ahead, George, Bradshaw and Phillip
are bringing Bob and the girls. W,
must search the canon"
ut can't be done tonight, old man,
said Kirkby.
II tell you We can't wait, Jackl"
We've got to. I'm as willin' to la,
down my life for that young gal a
anybody on earth. but in this yer
mist an as black night as it's goir
to be, We couldn't 90 ten rod withou
KILN ourselves an we couldn't Sc
nothin' noways."
"But she may be in the canon"