The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1915-10-27

forever"
Having eaten. Tommy rested for
half an hour, took up the heavy bas.
ket, and once more hit the trail. But
now he went slowly and stopped often
to rest. He had seldom been so tired
In his life. and only an overmastering
love and anxiety for Celestia kept him
going.
II was no longer night II wasn't yet
dawn; but that lovely interval between
when in what appears to be pitch
darkness, things become suddenly Wis
ible. Tommy stumbled on, shifting
the heavy basket frequently from
hand to hand.
AS It got to be broad day, he was
careful to make no noise. At any mo-
ment now he might hear sounds of
stilliter and Celestia approaching.
About this time Freddie and Celes-
tia (or rather Freddie alone; for Ce-
lestia merely suffered herself 70 be
led), were trying to find their way
back to the cave. But for once the
luck Of the tenement dweller was at
fault A man brought up on numbered
streets and rectangular city blocks
has no incentive to develop bump
of locality. and at last Freddie. with
cold fear in his heart, admitted to
himself that he was hopelessly lost
shouldn't have said hopelessly; the
mariner has his sextant and compass
to guide him across the waters; the
woodsman has the SUN and the stars,
and the mossy sides OF trees to help
out in intuitive sense Of direction,
and Freddie, feeling in his inside pock-
ct, found to his unmit,gated relief
that he had his pack of cards.
Forthwith he made Celestia sit
down, and he knelt, and having shut
fed his greasy and shabby deck, he
dealt thirteen cards face down In
very accurate circle. Then one by
one, look of faithful expectancy on
his tace. he turned them over.
Twelve of the cards he then gath
cred up and put with the pack. The
thirteenth was the ace of hearts.
This Freddie lifted with reverence
and great care, so as not to change
the direction In which It pointed, until
It reached the level of his eye and he
could sight along It.
A blasted pine standing alone was
the first landmark to which the god
dess of chance directed Freddie the
Ferrett.
Were not lost now" he said, and
he helped Celestia to her feet.
You may call 1t what you please.
The fact remains that Freddie the Fer.
ret had had return of his usual luck
and had hit upon the general direction
of the cave.
From the foot OF the blasted pine he
selected another landmark and pressed
on.
At about this time Professor Stilli-
ter walked from that sleep in which he
had asked this question:
''How will know when It is day?"
He got up and groped about in the
hut until he had located the door. He
opened this and went out. He sat
down in the warm sunshine to think
out plan.
1t was far better that Professor Still
liter should be found than that he
should go through the dangers and
agonies of seeking. Under ordinary
circumstances he knew the region like
the palm of his hand. The cave itself
he could find his way about in as cas-
lily as in his own house, But knowing
things when you see them is very diff
ferent from knowing them when you
can't see them and can only touch
them. What is merely a depression by
day is an abyss by night.
In wooded countries there is moth
ing better than a fire to attract atten-
ton. If any lonely or hungry person
is in sight OF that fire that person will
90 to it, across lakes and mountains,
if necessary.
WELL" he thought, "I'll have to
burn my shelter. II will make just
the big smoke need. And shan't be
much the worse Off It won't look like
a campfire, but like the beginning OF
a forest fire. II ought to bring a
watchman"
The logs of which the hut was built
were thoroughly seasoned and full of
pitch. BY aid of the heap Of old dried
out balsam which had served him for
a pillow during the night Professor
Stilliter succeeded in setting 1t on fire.
His ears told him that the fire was
going to be success, and presently
too, the heat that began to emanate
/ from 1t.
He crawled to little distance and
sat down with his back to the fire. 1t
wasn't likely that anyone would come
/ in less than an hour; 1t might be
many hours before anyone came. But
he was very sure that his fire would
bring someone eventually
Sitting and waiting, now making at
tempts to calculate the passage of
time, and falling signally, now think
ing unhappy thoughts. and now
vengeful, passionate thoughts, he sat
on and on for eternities OF time.