Middletown transcript., 1912-04-13
CHAPTER TX.

jplete consciousness Of her situation
came to her. The surprise was yet
too great, she saw things dimly
through a whirl Of driving rain, Of a
rushing mighty wind, Of seething
sea Of water, but presently 1t was all
plain to her again. She had caught
no fair view Of the man who had shot
the bear as he splashed through the
creek and tramped across the rocks
and trees down the canon, at least
she had not seen him full face, but
she recognized him Immediately. The
thought tinged with color for mo-
ment her pallid cheek.
IT fell into the torrent" she said
feebIy, putting her hand to her head
and striving by speech to put aside
that awful remembrance.
"You didn't fall in," was The an
swer, at was a cloudburst, you were
caught in It,"
81 didn't know"
"Of course not, how should your"
"And how came 1 here"
'T was lucky enough to pull you
out"
did you jump into the food for
me?"
The man nodded.
That's twice you have saved my
life this day" said the girl, forcing
herself, womanlike, to the topic that
she hated.
'It's nothing" deprecated the 9th
.er."
''It may be nothing to you, but 1t is
a great deal to me-" was the answer.
"And now what is to be done?"
1--WE must get out Of her at once" "
said the man. "You need shelter,
food, fire. Can you walk?"
'T don't know"
LET me help you" He rose tc
his feet, reached down to her, took
her hands in the strong grasp Of his
own and raised her lightly to her feet
in an efrortless way which showed his
great strength. She did not more
than put the weight Of her body
slightly on her left foot when a spasm
of pain shot through her, she swerved
and would have fallen had he not
caught her. He sat her gently on the
rock.
my foot" she said piteously: Il
don't know what's the matter with it. |"
Her high boots were tightly laced,
spf course, but he could see that her
left foot had been badly mauled or
!sprained; already the slender ankle
was swelling visibly. He examined it
swiftly a moment. 1t might be
sprain, it might be the result Of some
violent thrust against the rocks, some
,whirling tree trunks might have
caught and crushed her foot, but
there was no good in speculating as
to causes, the present patent fact was
that she could not walk; all the rest
was at that moment unimportant.
This unfortunate accident made him
the more anxious to get her to a
place Of shelter without delay. It
would be necessary to take of her
boot and give the wounded member
proper treatment. For the present
the tight shoe acted as a bandage,
which was well.
When the man had withdrawn him.
self from the world, he had inwardly
resolved that no human being should
ever invade his domain or share his
solitude, and during his long sojourn
in the wilderness his determination
had not weakened. Now his coming
desire was to get this woman whom
fortune-good or ill!-had thrown
upon his hands to his house without
delay. There was nothing he could
do for her out there in the rain.
Every drop Of whiskey was gone, they
were just two half-drowned, sodden
bits Of humanity cast up on that
rocky shore, and one was a helpless
woman.
"Do you know where your camp
is?" he asked at last.
He did not wish to take her to her
own camp, he had a strange instinct
of possession in her. In some way he
felt he had obtained a right to deal
with her as he would, he had saved
her life twice, once by chance, the
other as the result Of deliberate and
heroic endeavor, and yet his honor
and his manhood obliged him to offer
to take her to her own people If he
could. Hence the question, the an
swer to which he waited so eagerly.
TITS down the canon. I am one Of
Mr. Robert Maitland's party"
The man nodded, he didn't know
Robert Maitland from Adam, and he
cared nothing about him.
How far DOWN." he asked.
II don't know, how far is 1t from
here to where you-where-where-
we"
about mile," he replied, quickly
fully understanding her reason for
faltering.
"Then think 1 must have come at
least five miles from the camp this
morning."
1T will be four miles away, then"
said the man.
The girl nodded.
II couldn't carry you that far" he
murmured half to himself; "T question
II there is any camp left there any
way. Where was it, down by the wa,
ter's edge"
YES"
Every vestige will have been
swept away by that, look at It," he
pointed over to the lake.
''What must we do?" she asked In
stantly, depending upon his greater
strength, his larger experience, his
masculine force.
T shall have to take you to my
camp"
'Ts it far?"
"About a mile or mile and half
from here"
'T can't walk that far"
mo, l suppose not. You wouldn't
be willing to stay here while went
down and hunted for your camp?"
The girl clutehed at him.
Il couldn't be left here for mo-
ment alone, she said IN sudden fever
of alarm. 4 never was afraid be-
fore. but now
aAiI right be said gently batting