The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1915-06-30

At the sight Of II great compassion
welled in her heart for the lonely,
wounded man who had saved her life
ind then staggered. bleeding. toward
the savage wilderness from which he
had come. IL seemed to her that some
where out there he was calling to her
now and that she must go.
She did not call the attention Of the
others to her discovery, and presently
they all returned to the veranda. where
their plans for the morrow's depart
ure. The girl interposed no objections.
Barney was delighted to see that she
was apparently as anxious to return
home as he was to have her: he had
feared a fat refusal.
Barney. had wanted to get buffalo
bull before he left. and when one of
the Waziri warriors brought word that
morning that there was splendid
herd q few miles north of the ranch
Victoria urged him to accompany the
other men upon the hunt.
| III dtteuu tO Tue Ddldnce OF Lne
packing" she said There's not the
slightest reason in the world why you
shouldn't So.'
And so he went. and Victoria busted
herself in the gathering together Of
the odds and ends Of their personal
belongings.
All morning the household was alive
with its numerous duties, but after
luncheon, while the heat of the day
was greatest. the bungalow might have
been entirely deserted for any sign Of
life that there was about it. Lady
Greystoke was taking her siesta, as
were practically all of the servants.
Victoria Custer had paused in her
work to gaze out Of her window toward
the distant hills far to the south. At
her side, nosing his muzzle into her
palm. stood one Of Lord Greystoke's
great wolf hounds, Terkoz. He had
taken a great fancy to Victoria Custer
from the first and whenever permitted
to do so remained close beside her.
The girls heart filed with a great
longing as she looked wistfully out to-
ward the hills that she had so feared
before. She feared them still. yet some
thing there called to her.
She tried to fight against the mad
desire with every ounce Of her reason.
but she was fighting against an unrea-
soning instinct that was far stronger
than any argument she could bring to
bear against II.
Presently the hounds cold muzzle
brought forth an idea in her mind. and
with it she cast aside the last SEM
blance Of attempted restraint upon her
mad desire Selling her rifle and am
munition belt, she moved noiselessly
into the veranda.
There she found q number of leashes
hanging from peg. One of these she
snapped to the hounds collar. Unseen
she crossed the garden to the little
patch of bushes where the dried blood
was. Here she gathered up some Of
the brown stained earth and held 1t
close to TerkOz's nose; then she put
her finger to the ground where the
trail of blood led toward the south.
Here, TerkOz" she whispered
The beast gave low growl as the
scent of the new blood filed his nos
trils and, with nose close to the ground,
started off, tugging upon the leash, in
the direction of the mountains upon
the opposite side of the plain.
Beside him walked the girl. Across
her shoulder was slung a modern big
game rifle. and In her left hand swung
the stone tipped spear Of the savage
mate she sought.
What motive prompted her act she
did not even pause to consider. The
results she gave not the slightest
thought. 1t seemed the most natural
thing in the world that she should be
seeking this lonely, wounded man. Her
place was at his side. He needed her
that was enough for her to know.
She was no longer the pampered, pet
ted child Of an effete civilization. That
any metamorphOsis had taken place
within her she did not dream, nor Is 1t
certain that any change had occurred,
for who may say that 1t is such far
step from one incarnation to another
however many countless years Of man
measured time may have intervened7
Darkness had fallen upon the plain
and the jungle and the mountain, and
still Terkoz forged ahead. nose to the
ground, and beside him moved the slen-
der figure Of the graceful girl.
Now the roar of a distant lion came
family to her ears. answered. quite
close, by the moaning Of another-a
sound that is infinitely more weird and
terrifying than the deeper throated
challenge. The cough Of the leopard
and the uncanny laughter Of hyenas
added their evidence that the night
prowling carnivora were abroad.
The hair along the wolf hounds spine
stiffened in little ridge of bristling
rage. The girl unslung her rife, shift
ing the leash to the hand that carried
the heavy spear of the troglOdyte, but
she was unafraid.