Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-09-22
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CHAPTER TX.
III 0$h~. H;rl


CHAPTER TX.
Tho Other. Girl.
THE girls voice stirred the be.
numbed youth into action again
and he followed her mcchan.
4 ically, often stumbling against
the trees. slipping and sliding. till ut
last his guide. pitching down sharp
slope. came directly upon wire fence.
GLORY be!' she called. Here Is a
fence, and the cabin should be near.
although see no light, Hello! Tony
No voice replied, and. keeping Way
lands hand. she felt her way along
the fence till it revealed Il gate: then
, she turned toward the roaring Of the
stream. which grew louder as they nd:
vanced. The cabin is near the falls.
that much l know" she assured him.
Then moment later she joyfully cried
out. Here it Isl"
Out Of the darkness a blacker. sharp
er shadow rose. Again she called. but
no one answered. 1.-The ranger is
away" she exclaimed. in a voice Of in
dignant alarm
Lending him toward the middle of
the room. Berrie said: "Stand here till
strike a light" =
As her match famed up Norcross
found himself in rough walled cabin
in which stoodta square cook stove, q
rude table Uttered With dishes. and
three stools made of slabs. 1t was
all very rude. but it had all the value
Of a palace at the moment. Pc,
The girls quick. eye saw much else.
She located an oil lamp. some pine
wood and a corner cupboard. In few
moments the lamp was lit. the stove
ref1lled with fuel and she was stripping
Wayland's wet cont from his back,
cheerily discoursing as she did so.
Here's one of Tony's old jackets. put
that on while I see If can't find some
dry stockings for you. Sit right down
here by the stove: put your feet in the
oven. I'll have fire in jiffy. There.
that's right. Now I'll start~the coffee
pot" She soon found the coffee. but it
was unground. "Wonder where he
keeps his coffee MILL She rummaged
about for few minutes; then gave up
the search. "Well. no matter. here's
the coffee, and here's hammer. One
of the laws Of the trail is this: If you
can't do thing one way. do it an
other. depend on this coffee to brace
you up," she said.
After hanging a blanket over the
broken window, she set, out some cold
meat and half dozen baking powder
biscuits. which she found in the cup
board, and as soon as the coffee was
ready she poured it for him. but she
would not let him leave the fire. She
brought his supper to him and sat be-
side him while he ate and drank.
The hot. strong coffee revived him
physically and brought back little of
his courage. and he said, ''1'm ashamed
to be such a weakling."
''Now. hush." she commanded. It's
not your fault that you are weak. Now.
while am eating my supper you slip
of your wet clothes and creep into
Tony's bunk, and I'll ill one of these
strip cans with hot water to put a,
your feet" ;,
1t was Of no use for him to protest
against her further care: She insisted.
and while she ate he meekly carried
out her Instructions. and from the de-
licious warmth and security of his bed
watched her moving about the stove
till the shadows Of the room became
one with the dusky figures of his sleep.
A moment later, as it seemed. some
thing falling woke him with Il start.
and, looking up:'he found the sun shin
ing and Berrie confronting him with an
anxious face. did waken your she
asked. I'm awfully sorry. I'm trying
to be extra quiet. l dropped pan.
How do you feel this morning."
He pondered this question moment
us it tomorrow or the next week?"
She laughed happily. Its only the
next day.
He laid his hands together and then
felt Of his pulse. Il don't seem to
have temperature. just feel lazy.
limp and lazy. but I'm going to get
up. if you'll just leave the room for a
moment
Don't try it now. Wait till you have
had your breakfast. You'll feel stronger
then"
At this point came again the disturb
ing realization that this night Of strug-
gle and the ministrations of his brave
companion had involved him deeper in
a mesh from which honorable escape
was almost impossible. The rangers
cabin 40 far from being an end OF