The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-11-22

it up in half that time, but even 50
they would probably suffer not too
great discomfort before he got back.
All these preparations took some lit
tie time. 1t had grown somewhat late
in the morning before he started.
There had been a fierce storm raging
when he first looked out and at her
earnest solicitation he had delayed his
departure until it had subsidized.
His tasks at the corral were at last
completed; he had done what he could
for them both, nothing now remained
but to make the quickest and safest
way to the settlement. Shouldering
the pack containing his axe and gun
and sleeping bag and such provision
as would serve to tide him over I'M
til he reached human habitations, he
set forth. He did not look up to the
hut, indeed he could not have seen II
for the corral was almost directly be.
meath it, but if 1t had been In full view
he would not have looked back, he
could not trust himself to, every In
stinct, every impulse in his soul would
fain drag him back to that hut and to
the woman. 1t was only his will and.
did he but know It, her will that made
him carry out his purpose
He would have saved perhaps ha!l
mile on his journey If he had gone
straight across the lake to the mouth
Of the canon. We are creatures Of
habit. He had always gone around
the lake on the familiar trail and I'm.
consciously he followed that trail that
morning. He was thinking Of her az
he plodded on in mechanical way
while the trail followed the border Of
the lake for time, plunged into the
woods, wound among the pines, at least
reaching that narrow rift in the en-,
circling wall through which the river
flowed. He had passed along the trail
oblivious to all his surroundings. but
as he came to the entrance he could
not fail to notice what he suddenly
saw In the snow.
Robinson Crusoe when he discov.
cred the famous footprint of Man Fri.
day in the sand was not more aston.
ished at what met his vision than
Newbold on that winter morning. For
, there, in the virgin whiteness. were
the tracks of man!
He stopped dead with sudden con.
traction Of the heart. Humanity 9th.
er than he and she in that wilderness1
It could not be! For moment no
doubted the evidence Of his own sen.
SEES. He shook his pack loose from his
shoulders and bent down to examine
the tracks to read If he could their
indications. He could see that some
one had come up the canon, that some
one had leaned against the wall. that
some one had gone on. Where had
he gone?
To follow the new trail was child's
play for him. He ran by the side Il
it until he reached the knoll The
stranger had stopped again, he had
shifted from one foot to another evf.
IDENTIFY he had been looking about him
seeking some one, only Enid Matt
land of course. The trail ran forward
to the edge of the frozen lake. there
the man had put on his snow shoes,
there he had sped across the lake like
Ia
although he had left behind his own
snow shoes, Newbold ran upon his
track. Fortunately the snow crust up.
bore him. The trail ran straight ia
the foot Of the rocky stairs The new.
conner had easily found his way there.
With beating heart and throbbih0
pulse, Newbold himself bounded up
the activity after the stranger, mark.
ing as he did so evidences Of the 9th.
er's prior ascent. Reaching the top
like him he ran down the narrow path
and in his turn laid his hand upon the
door.
He was not mistaken, he heard
voices within. He listened a second
and then flung it open, and as the 9th.
er had done. he entered.
Way back on the trail, old Kirkby
and Robert Maitland. the storm having
ceased, were rapidly climbing up tho
canon. Fate was bringing all the &C.
tors of the little drama within the
shadow of her hand.
(TO BE CONT1NUED.)