Middletown transcript., 1912-04-27
CHAPTER XII. \
Tour Of Inspection,

had SO splendid a man buried himself
alone in that wilderness? These re
Elections were presently interrupted BY
the temperance of the man him
self.
Have you finished?" he asked, un,
tremendously standing in the door
way as he spoke.
Yes, thank you, and it was very
good indeed"
Dismissing this politeness with q
wave Of his hand, but taking no Other
notice, he spoke again.
IF you will tell me your name" b
Maitland, Enid Maitland" '
Miss Maitland?"
The girl nodded.
"And where you came from, I will
endeavor to find your party and see
what can be done to restore you to
them"
we were camped down that canon
at a place where another brook, a
large one, flows into it, several miles
should think, below the place
where"
She was going to say where you
found me-" but the thought of the way
in which he had found her rushed
over her again; and this time, with
his glance directly upon her, although
it was as cold and dispassionate and
Indifferent as a mans look could well
be, the recollection Of the meeting
to which she had been about to allude
rushed over her with an accompany
ing wave Of color which heightened
her beauty as It covered her with
shame.
She could not realize that beneath
his mask Of Indifference so deliber-
ately worn, the man was as agitated
as she, not so much at the remem-
brance Of anything that had trans
pired, but at the sight, the splendid
picture, Of the woman as she stood
there in the little cabin then. 1t seem
ed to him as if she gathered up in
her own person all the radiance and
light and beauty, all the purity and
freshness and splendor Of the morn
ing, to shine and dazzle in his face.
AS she hesitated in confusion, perhaps
comprehending its cause, he. helped
out her lame and halting sentence.
"I know the canon WELL" he said.
''I think know the place to which
you refer. Is it just above where the
river makes an enormous bend upon
itself?"
''Yes, that is it. In that clearing
we have been camped for two weeks.
MY uncle must be crazy with anxiety
to know what has become of me,
and
The man interposed.
81 will go there directly" he said.
'It is now half after ten. That place
is about seven miles or more from
here across the range, fifteen or twen-
ty by the river. I shall be back by
nightfalL The cabin is your own"
He turned away without another
word.
WAIT" said the woman. 'T 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, l think" returned the man.
There isn't human being, so far as
know, in these mountains"
Except my uncle's party?"
He nodded.
''But there might be another-bear," :"
she added desperately, forcing herself.
Not likely; and they wouldn't come
here IL there were any. That's the
first grizzly 1 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 a rife or gum"
She nodded. He stepped over to
the wall and took down the Winches-
ter which he handed her.
'This one is ready for service, and
you will find a 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 It against an army"
Couldn't I go with your"
"On 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 it without great
suffering.
Il might carry you part of the way," T"
said the man. 81 carried you last
night, but it would be impossible, all
of it."
Promise me that you will be back
by nightfall, with Uncle Bob and"
'I shall be back by nightfall, but I
can't promise that will 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 that
pocket, there is nothing left Of them
now"
But they must have escaped" per-
sisted the girl, fighting down her
alarm at this blunt statement Of possi-
BILE peril. Besides, Uncle Robert and
most Of the rest were climbing one Of
the peaks, and"
"They will be all right, then; but If
I am to find the place and tell them
your story, I must go now"
He turned, and without another
word or a backward glance, scrambled
down the hill. The girl limped to the
brink of the cliff over which he had
plunged and stared after him. She
watched him as long as she could see
him. until he was lost among the