The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-07-12

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.
Il know the canon WELL" he said.
II think I 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.
Il will 60 there directly" he said.
1T is now half after ten. That place
II about seven miles or more from
here across the range. fifteen OF TWEEN
nightfIL The cabin Is your own"
He turned away without another
word.
WAIT" said the woman. Il 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, think" returned the man.
There isn't a human being. SO far as
I 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
frst grizzly 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 q rife or gum"
She nodded. He stepped over to
the wall and took down the Wiuches-
ter which he handed her.
This one Ia ready for service. and
you will and a revolver on the shelf.
There Is only one possible way of &C
cess to this cabin: that's down those
rock stairs. One man, one woman. q
child. even. with these weapons could
hold II against an army"
Couldn't I go with your"
"On that foot!"
Enid pressed her wounded foot upon
the ground. II was not SO painful
when resting. but she found she could
not walk a step on II without great
suffering.
II might carry you part OF the way"
said the man. II carried you last
night. but 1t would be impossible. all
OF IT,"
Promise me that you will be back
by nightfall. with Uncle Bob and"
II shall be back by nightfall. but
can't promise that I will bring any
body with me-"
You mean?"
you saw what the cloudburst near
ly did for you." was the quick an
swer. III 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 II
am to find the place and tell them
your story. must 90 now"
He turned. and without another
word or q 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
trees. II she had anybody else to de-
pend upon. she would certainly have
felt differently toward him: when
Uncle Robert, and her aunt, and the
children. and old Kirkby. and the rest
surrounded her, she could hate that
man In spite OF all he had done for
her. but now she stared after him de-
terminedly making his way down the
mountain and through the trees. II
was with diniculty she could restrain
herself from calling him back.
The silence was most oppressive.
the loneliness was frightful. She had
been alone before In those mountains.
but from choice: now the fact that
there was no escape from them made
the sensation q very different one.
She sat down and brooded over her
situation until she felt that II she did
not do something and In some way d.
vert her thoughts she would break
down again. He had said that the
cabin and its contents were hers. She
resolved to inspect them more close
ly. She hobbled back into the great
room and looked about her again.
There was nothing that demanded
careful scrutiny. She wasn't quite
sure whether she was within the pro-
prieties or not. but she seized the old
est and most worn of tho volumes on
the shelf II was a text book on min
ing and metallurgy. she observed. and
opening It to the ny leaf. across the
page she saw written In . frm, Wig
Oroua maaculinA hand n namo "V2ll