The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-28
CHAPTER XIII.
cIoavrne Only Unto Her.

OIO6Nlno OntN OnIO
 "HE made no great Outcry. saw her bend her face forward
 into hrI hands.
 A "Joh1 CowIes of Virginia" she said. "I ail sorry we are lost-''
 l could mnl DO answer save to VOW silently that lived she must be re- turned safely to her home, unhurt body and snUL 1 dared not ponder or: conventions in a case so desperate as I knew ours yet might be. Silently 1 unsaddled the horse and hcbbled it se- curely as l might with the bridle rein. Then 1 spread the saddle blanket for her to sit upon and hurried about for plains fuel. Water we drank from my hat and were somewhat refreshed. Now we had food and water. We needed fire But when I came to fUm- ble in my pockets found not a match.
 "I was afraid of that" she said, catching the meaning of my look.
 In my sheath was a heavy hunting knife. and now. searching about us on the side of the coulee bank. 1 found several fints. hard and white. Then l tore out a bit of my coat lining and moistened 1t a trifle and saturated 1t with powder from my flask. rubbed in until 1t all was dry. This hitter soaked fabric I thought might serve as Under for the spark. So then 1 struck flint and steel and got the strange spark. hidden in the cold stone ages and ages there on the plains. and presently the spark was little flame and then a good fire. and so we were more com fortable.
 We roasted meat now flat on the coals the hest we might. and so we ate with no -alt 10 aid us. The girl be- came tri1P more cheerful. though still distant and quiet. If rose to leave the fire for an instant I saw her eyes following me all the time. 1 knew her fears. though she did not complain. Night came on. The great gray wolves, haunters of the buffalo herds, roared their wild salute to us, savage enough to strike terror to any woman's soul. The girl edged close to me. We spoke but little. Our dangers had not yet made us other than conventional.
 Even as dusk sank upon us all the lower sky went black. An advancing roar came upon our ears. and then a binding wave of rain drove across the surface of the earth. wiping out the day. beating down with remorseless strength and volume as though it would smother and drown us twain in it's deluge-us. the last two human creatures of the world!
 It caught US. that wave of damp and darkness. and rolled over us and crushed us down as we covered. l caught up the blanket from the ground and pulled 1t around the girls shoul- ders. l drew her tight to me as 1 lay with my own back to the storm and hn this and my own body keeping out the tempest from her as much as I could. There was no other fence for her. and , but for this she might perhaps have died; I do not know. I felt her strain at my arms first. then settle back and sink her head under the saddle flap and cower close. like some little schOolfellow. all the curves of her body craving shelter. comfort. warmth. She shivered terribly. I heard her gasp and sob. An. how I pitied her that hour!
 As the rain lessened and the cold in- creased I knew that rigors would soon come upon US. Walk or we die!" I gasped. And so I led her at last low CT down the side of the ravine, where the wind was not so strong.
 With all my soul I challenged my weakness. summoning to my aid that reserve of strength had always known each hour in my life. Strangely 1 felt, how I cannot explain. that she must be saved. that she was I. Strange phrases ran through my brain. I re- membered only one. "Cleaving only unto her. and this in my weakened fra me of body and mind I could not separate from my stern prayer to my own strength, once so ready, now so strangely departed from me.
 To the delirious or the perishing man time has no measuring. l do not know how we spent the night or how long it was. l knew that Auberry would before this time have gone back to fol- low our trail. perhaps starting after us even before night had approached. but now the rain had plotted out all man ner of trails. so rescue from that source was not to be expected. Not even we ourselves could tell where we had wan dered. nor could we. using the best of our wits. as we than had them. do more than vaguely guess where our fellow travellers by that time might be Neither did we know distance nor di rection of any settlement.
 We sat, draggled and weary. bag gard and wSrn by the long strain. Hei skin garments, again wet through clung tight to her figure uncomfort ably. Now and again I could see |. fremor running through her body iron the chill. Yet as l looked at her l could not withhold my homage to heI spirit. She was a splendid creature so my soul swore to me, thoroughbreC as any in all the world. Her chin was high, not drawn down in defeat. caught sight of her small ear. dat to the head. pink with cold. but the ear