The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-21

~ always did sdesPIse conlpany. Hong fiat island surrounded by the calm green tide This innermost arm or is land was so near the mountain that the entrance to it opened into a curySd inner world of green, was narrow and strongly protected. The cove thus formed presented level floor of ten or twelve acres. and it was directly down into this cove that Willock gazed. It looked so peaceful and secure and its openness to the sunshine was so allur ing that Willock resolved to descend the steep wall. To do so at that point was impractieable, but the ridge was unequal and not far to the right sank to low divide, while to the left deep gully thickly set with eedars. e1ns, scrub oaks and thorn trees invited him with its steep but not difficult channel to the ground
 Heres a choice" observed WflIock as he turned toward the divide. Guess I'll 20 by the ffonf and save the back stairs for an emergency The gully was his back stairs. He was begin ming to feel himself rich in architec Hural possibilities. When he reached the plain he was outside of a line of Lhummocks that effectually hid the cove ifrom sight, more Nenectually because of a dense grove of oceans that stood on either side of the grass grown dunes. eQnstead of crossing the barrier he start ed due south for the outer prairie, and when at last he stood midway between the wide jaws of the mountain horse shoe he turned and looked 4ntentIy to- ward tlae-cove
 It was invisible, and his highest hopes were realized. WiIlock now advanced on the cove and found himself pxesently in a snug retreat that would have filled with de light the heart of the, most desperate hlghwaynaan or the most timid desettler.
 No horsemen could enter the cove save by means Of low trench, cut fass by the hand of man in the granite ahill, and as Indian horsemen were the only enemies to be dreaded. his watch lfulness need be concentrated only on that one point Nothing like variety" observed Willock cheerfu1ly. '-This will do capital for my summer home! I'm going to live like lord-wLile I'm living"
 The next day he began asserting the eontents of his granite home, moving Ito the task with cOnscientious slow hess, stopping dozen times to make excursions into the outside world. By ldiligent economy of his working mo- iments he succeeded in covering almost two weeks in the labor of putting his house into order. His bedroom was Inext to the barrfcade that separated ithe long stone excava ton from the bot tom1ess abyss Divided from the bed room by an imaginary line was the storeroom of provisions.
 + In arranging his retreat he had left undisturbed the wagon tongue, which twas for use in making a dugout in the cove.
 l To. this enterprise he was prompted not only by desire to vary his monot- onous days, but to insure safety from possible foes. Should a sku1king sav- age. or, what would be worse, a stray member of the robber band, catch sight of him among the hills the spy would spread the news among his fellows. "A relentless search would be instituted, and, even if Wfllick succeeded in es- gaping. the band would not rest till 1t had discovered his hiding place. If 1hey came the dugout their search would terminate, und his home in the crevice would escape investigation, but if there was no dugoHt to satisfy curi- osity the crevice would most probably be explored
 Transporting the timbers across a mile of ridges and granite troughs was no light work, and ushaa his tools and material were in ths cove the digging of the dugout was protracted because of the closeness of water to the sur face At last he succeeded in excavat= ing the cellar at spot within a few