Bridgeton pioneer., 1915-09-16

or we must take her with us. Whtsh
shall it beg"
Inere was silence for few mo-
ments; then one of the guests said
faintly: Take her along. 1 don't be-
heve she'll be much of an encum-
brance. We can carry her a part of
the time. I'll do my share of it,"
This was echoed with evident reluc-
tance by the others.
You won't carry me-" snapped the
girl, wiping away her tears. "Fve done
a lot Of hunting, and 1 don't ask any
odds Of any one"
well spokenr' exclaimed Hackstaff.
You come right along with us. I'll
vouch for your ability to keep up your
end"
This comforted the girl, though khs
seemed to feel a repugnance at being
the only woman among so many men
and realized that she was not wanted.
She made a faint proposition to re-
turn to her home, but by this time
Hackstaff realized that there was moth
ing for 1t but to take her along and
would not listen to any ether solution
of the problem. With this the others
were sufficiently gallant to accord.
As soon as breakfast was over and
the pack horses loaded the party
mounted horses to proceed to the hunt
ing grounds. Hackstaff was expecting
to help Miss Frank to mount; but, max
ing run, she jumped into the saddle
and was astride her horse before he
was aware of the fact. This start
gave the party confidence, and the men
began to think "the Kid would not be
much of an encumbrance, after all.
In the hunting grounds selected were
bear, deer and other varieties of game
When the first was sighted Hackstaff
motioned the party to defer to the Kid
and so true was her aim that she
brought the animal down with a single
shot. Nothing succeeds like success,
and the name of the Kid was thence
forth changed to Diana.
When night came on the men began
to cut wood for the purpose of max
Ing cabin for Diana, but as soon as
she realized what they were doing she
stopped them.
Il sleep on the ground In my blan-
kets," she said In decisive tone, "and
don't you forget It. l didn't come out
here to put on frills."
No cook had been brought with the
party, Hackstaff having intended to do
the best he could at getting the simple
meals required. Diana took the mat
ter out Of his hands and showed her
self an adept at making savory dishes
out OF the simple stock Of provisions
that had been brought on the pack
horses, and when supper was served
all declared that it was the best meal
they had ever eaten in camp.
Hackstaff was the only man OF the
party who had ever hunted to any ex-
tent the rest being mostly amateurs.
He therefore arranged for their meth
DDS Of hunting, how they should sep
arate and how come together on sig
nal Diana insisted on hunting alone
and during the first day brought In
more game than any other Of the party
except Hackstaff.
One day when Diana was stalking
through wood she heard that deep
growl which comes from bear. Cock.
ing her rifle, she advanced under cov-
er of the bushes In the direction from
which the growl seemed to come.
Reaching place where the trees grew
thinner, she saw Harry Evans, the
youngest member of the party, just
disappearing In the branches of tree.
at the same moment huge grizzly
bear emerged from some underbrush
and numbered toward the tree in
which Evans had taken refuge. Reach.
ing the tree, the animal raised itself on
its hind legs, rested its fore paws on
the tree and looked up at the refugee.
At the same time Diana heard some.
thing strike the gf0nnd. It was Evans
rife. He was SO frightened that he
had dropped it. s~-As>
The bear exposed a side to Diana.
giving her a fine opportunity to put a
bullet behind fore leg, which meant
into the heart. Taking deliberate aim,
she fired, and bruin dropped to the
ground.
Hackstaff was near by and, hearing
the shot, broke through the trees and
brush into the space where all this oc-
CURED just in time to see the shot and
its result. When the bear fell Diana
advanced. Evans remained in the tree.
Diana, seeing that the bear was i'm
movable, pOked him with her foot.
Are you sure he's deadY asked
Evans.
Hackstaff burst into a laugh and
called on the man in the tree to come
down. which he did with some re-
luctance.
This episode placed Diana at the
head Of the party for sportsmanship
and Harry Evans at the foot. The
men had begun by calling Frank the
Kid They now transferred the name
to him.
During the rest Of the hunt Diana
won the name that had been given her.
proving herself the best shot in the
party. Her ride back to the ranch was
triumph, and at the first supper at
the ranch house she was placed at the