The Neshoba Democrat., 1912-07-25
CHAPTER XII. (continued).

Hhey go on tour Of inspection.
Il CHAPTER XII. (continued).
a II will go and cook you some break
\ fast while you get yourself ready. If
you have not washed, you'll find a
bucket of water and basin and towel
! outside the door,"
He went through the inner door as
! suddenly as he had come through the
outer one. He was man Of few words,
and whatever social grace he might
once have possessed, and in more IA
\ vorable circumstances exhibited, was
/ not noticeable now. The tenderness
with which he had caressed her the
might before had also vanished.
4 His bearing had been cool, almost
harsh and forbidding, and his manner
twas as grim as his appearance. The
conversation had been brief one, and
Seher opportunity for inspection Of him
consequently limited. Yet she had
Staken him in. He was tall, splendid
gman. No longer young, perhaps, but In
sthe prime of life and vigor. His COM
Splexion was dark and burned browner
Bby long exposure to sun and wind, win
Nter and summer. In spite Of the brown,
Athere was a certain color, a hue Of
shealth in his cheeks. His eyes were
khazel, sometimes brown, sometimes
9gray, and sometimes blue, she after
ward learned. A short thick closely
cut beard and mustache covered the
lower part Of his face disguised but
mot hiding the squareness Of his jaw
Sand the firmness Of his lips.
sA He had worn his cap when he enter
ed, and when he took it off she no
ssticed that his dark hair was tinged
with white. He was dressed in leath-
for wear, but fitting him In way to
give free play to all his muscles. His
movements were swift, energetic and
kgraceful. She did not wonder that he
had 80 easily hurled the bear to one
side and had managed to carry her-no
light weight, indeed!-over what she
Edimly recognized must have been a
horrible trail, which, burdened as he
MAS, would have been impossible to
han of less splendid vigor than he.
gA The cabin was low ceiled, and as
she sat looking up at him, he had tow
Sered above her until he seemed to
all 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
ms he had seized the picture on which
Ssahe had gazed with such interest,
h aroused the liveliest surprise and GU
8riosity in her heart
ss Who was this woman? Why was he
$50 quick to remove the picture from
sher gaze? Thoughts rushed tumultu-
sously through her brain, but she real
ized at once that she lacked time to
Indulge them She could hear him
knowing about in the other room. She
Threw aside the blanket with which
Sshe had draped herself, changed the
Sbai dage on her foot, drew on the
heavy woolen stocking which, of
course, was miles too big for her, but
which easily took in her foot and
v 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 r4agnificence be-
fore her.
\ He had built his cabin on a level
Iiehelf of rock perhaps fifty by hundred
'set in area. 1t was backed up against an
cliff, otherwise the rock
f1SM away in every direction. She d.
y5ned that the descent from the shelf
INTO the pocket or valley spread before
her was sheer, except Off to the
KH5ght, where somewhat gentler &C
kcltvity Of huge and broken boulders
ave practicable ascent-a sort Of
stitanic stairs-to the place perched
''S:1n the mountain side. The shelf was
solutely bare save for the cabin
211 few huge boulders. There were
lew sparse, stunted trees further up
the mountain side above; a few
& dred feet beyond them, however,
be the timber line, after which
e was nothing but the naked
!, low several hundred feet lay a
4 emerald pool, whose edges were
ered BY pines, where it was not
mated w high cliffs. Already the