The Mena weekly star., 1912-05-23
The Chalice
of Courage
CHAPTER XII.
The Log Hut In the Mountains.

The Log 1ut IN the mountains.
what awakened the woman she did
not know; In all probability It was
the bright sunlight streaming through
the narrow window before her. The
cabin was SO placed that the sun did
not strike fairly into the room until
IL was some hours high, consequently
she had her long sleep out entirely un.
disturbed. The man had made no ef.
fort whatever to awaken her. What.
ever tasks he had performed since day
break had been SO silently accomplish.
ed that she had not been aware of
them.
So soon as he could do so, he had left
the cabin and was now busily engaged
In his daily duties outside the cabin
and beyond earshot. He knew that
sleep was the very best medicine for
her. and It was best that she should
not be disturbed until In her own good
time she awoke.
The clouds had emptied themselves
during the night, and the wind had
at last died away toward morning. and
now there was a great calm abroad in
the land. The sunlight was dazzling.
Outside, where the untempered rays
beat full upon the crests of the noun
tains, 1t was doubtless warm. but with
in the cabin 1t was chilly. The fire
had long since burned completely
away, and he had not entered the room
to replenish 1t. Yet Enid Maitland had
lain snug and warm under her blan-
kets. She presently tested her wound
ed foot, by moving 1t gently, and dis
covered agreeably that It was much
less painful than she had anticipated.
The treatment the night before had
been very successful
She did not get up Immediately, but
the coldness of the room struck her SO
soon as she got out OF bed Upon her
first awakening she was hardly CON
scious of her situation; her sleep had
been too long and too heavy, and her
awakening too gradual for any sud
den appreciation of tho new condition.
1t was not until she had stared around
the walls of the rude cabin for some
time, that she realized where she was
and what had happened. When abe
did SO she arose az once.
Her first impulse was to call Never
in her life had she felt such death
like stiffness. Even in the camp al
most always there had been whis-
per of breeze through the pine trees.
or the chatter of water over the rocks
But here there were no pine trees and
no sound Of rushing brook came to
her. It was almost painful. She was
keen to dress and go out Of the house.
She stood upon the rude puncheon
floor on one foot, scarcely able yet to
bear even the lightest pressure upon
the other. There were her clothes on
chairs and tables before the fireplace.
Such had been the heat thrown out by
that huge blaze that brief inspeo-
ton convinced her that everything
was thoroughly dry. Dry or wet, She
must needs put them on, since they
were all she had She noticed that
there were no locks on the doors. and
she realized that the only protection
she had was the sense of decency and
the honor of the man. That she had
been allowed her sleep unmolested
made her the more confident on that
account
She dressed hastily. although 1t was
the work Of some difficulty In view Of
her wounded foot. and of the stiff con-
dition Of her rough, dried apparel
PRESENTLY she was completely clothed
save for that disrobed foot. With tho
Dig clumsy bandages upon 1t, she could
not draw her stocking over It. and even
II she succeeded in that, she could In
no way make shift to put on her boot.
The situation was awkward, the pre-.
dicament annoying. She was wearing
boomers and short skirt for her
mountain climbing, and she did not
know quite what to do She thought Of
tearing up one of the rough. unbleach-
cd sheets and wrapping 1t around her
leg, but she hesitated as to that. 1t
was very trying. Otherwise, she would
nave opened the door and stepped out
into the open air. Now she felt her
self virtually prisoner.
She had been thankful that no one
had disturbed her. but now she wished
Tor the man. In her helpIessness she
thought of his resourcefulness with
eagcrness. The man, however, did not
appear, and there was nothing for her
TO do but to wait for him. Taking one
of the blankets from the bed. she sat
down and drew it across her knees and
took stock of the room.
The cabin was built of logs, the
room was large, perhaps IL by 20 feet,
with one side completely taken up by
The stone fireplace; there were two
outer door. which opened toward the
southwest. The walls were unplaster-
ed save In the. chinks between the
rough hewn logs OF which II was made.
Over the fireplace and around on one
side ran rude shelf covered with
books. She had no opportunity 10 ex-
anime them, although later she would
become familiar with every one OF
them.
Into the walls on the other side
were driven wooden pegs; from some
OF them hung a pair OF snow shoes,
heavy Winchester rife. fishing tackle
and other necessary wilderness para
phernaiia On the puncheon door wolf
and bear skins were spread IN one
corner against the wall again were
piled several splendid pairs Of horns
from the mountain sheep
The furniture consisted o. the single
bed Or berth in which she had slept