Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-06
He Caught Il Up Quickly.

He Caught II Up Quickly.
for wear, but fitting him in a way to
give free play to all his muscles. His
movements were swift, energetic and
graceful. She did not wonder that he
had so easily hurled the bear to one
side and had managed to carry her-no
light weight, indeed!-over what she
dimly recognized must have been a
horrible trail, which, burdened as he
was, would have been impossible to a
man Of less splendid vigor than he.
The cabin was low ceiled, and as
she sat looking up at him, he had tow
cred above her until he seemed to
fill it. Naturally, she had scrutinized
his every action, as she had hung on
his every word. His swift and some
what startled movement, his frowning
as he had seized the picture on which
she had gazed with such interest,
aroused the liveliest surprise and Gu
riosity in her heart.
Who was this woman? Why was he
so quick to remove the picture from
her gaze? Thoughts rushed tumultu-
ously through her brain, but she real
! lied at once that she lacked time to
indulge them. She could hear him
moving about in the other room. She
! threw aside the blanket with which
she had draped herself, changed the
bandage on her foot, drew on the
heavy wooden stocking which, of
| course, was miles too big for her, but
which easily took in her foot and
ankle encountered as they were by
the rude, heavy but effective wrapping.
Thereafter she hobbled to the door
and stood for moment almost aghast
at the splendor and magnificence be-
fore her.
He had built his cabin on a level
shelf of rock perhaps fifty by hundred
Get in area. 1t was backed up against an
overtowering cliff, otherwise the rock
fell away in every direction. She di.
vined that the descent from the shelf
into the pocket or valley spread before
her was sheer, except of to the
right, where a somewhat gentler &C
clivity of huge and broken boulders
gave a practicable ascent-a sort Of
titanic stairs-to the place perched
on the mountain side. The shelf was
absolutely bare save for the cabin
and few huge boulders. There were
few sparse, stunted trees further VI
on the mountain side above; a few
hundred feet beyond them, however
came the timber line, after which
there was nothing but the naked
rock.
Below several hundred feet lay
clear, emerald pool, whose edges wer,
oordered by pines. where 1t was no
dominated by high cliffs Already tn
lakelet was trimmed with ice on tn
shaded side. This enchanting littl
body of water was fed by the meltinl
snow from the crest and peaks, whicl
in the clear, pure sunshine and rar
fed air Of the mountains seemed I
rise and confront her within a stone
throw of the place where she stood.
On one side of the pretty lake i
: the valley, or pocket, beneath, Their
: was little grassy clearing, and Their
| the dweller in the wilderness ha
I built rude corral for the burros. o
> a rough bench by the side of the doc
she saw the primitive conveniences I
which he had alluded. The waite
I vas delightfully."- soft and as it ha
, stood exposed to the suns direct ray
for some time, although the air wa
r exceedingly crisp and cold, it wa
tempered sufficiently to be merel
1 cool and agreeable. She luXuriate
!. In it for a few moments, and viii
she had her face buried in the towe
e rough, coarse, but clean, she heard
4 step. She looked up in time to 81
6 the man lay down upon the bench
e small mirror and a clean comb +
b said nothing as he did so, and she hi
6 no opportunity to thank him befo
y he was gone. The thoughtfulness
the act affected her strangely, and 81
I. was very glad OF g chance to unbra
II her hair. comb 1t out and plat
q again. She bad not a hair pin left,
el course, and all she could do with
was to replait 1t and let II hang up,
Us he shoulders. Her couture would ha
lie looked very strange to civilization, b
5. out there in the mountains, 1t was e.
at inently appropriate.
a. Without noticing details, the mi
q felt the general effect as she limp
IS back into the room toward the tab
lie Her breakfast was ready for her.
was q coarse fare, bacon; a baked !
ST tato, hard tack cr.sped before the ii
or coffee, black and strong, with sugi
le but no cream The dishes match