Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-04-04


in the frying pan to take the place of
bread and when they had finished eat
ing and washed the few dishes, night
shut down black as the pit.
They talked little. Hazel was In the
grip of utter forlornness, moody, wish
full to cry. Roaring Bill bumped on his
side of the fire, staring thoughtfully
into the blaze After a long period of
abstraction he glanced at his watch,
then arose and silently arranged her
bed. After that he spread his saddle
blankets and lay down.
Hazel crept into the covers and quiz
city sobbed herself to sleep. The huge
and silent land appalled, her.
As on the previous night, she wax
ened often and glanced over to the fire.
Roaring Bill kept his accustomed posi-
ton, fiat in the glow. She had no fear
of him now.
Night passed, and dawn ushered in a
clearing sky. Ragged wisps of clouds
chased each other across the blue
when they set out again. Hazel walked
the stiffness out of her muscles before
she mounted. When she did get on
Silk, Roaring Bill increased his pace
He was long-legged and light Of foot.
apparently tireless. She asked no ques-
lions. What was the use? He would
eventually come out somewhere. She
was resigned to wait.
After q time she began to puzzle,
and the old uneasiness came back. The
last trailing banner of cloud vanished,
and the sun rode clear In an opal sky,
smiling benignly down on the forested
land. She was thus enabled to locate
the cardinal points of the compass.
Wherefore she took to gauging their
course by the shadows. And the result
was what set her to thinking. Over
level and ridge and swampy hollow,
Roaring Bill drove straight north In
an undertaking line. She recollected
that the point from which she had lost
her way had lain northeast of Cariboo
Meadows. Even If they had swung
in a circle, they could scarcely be
pointing for the town in that direction.
For another hour Bill held to the
northern line as a needle holds to the
pole. A swift rush of misgiving seized
her.
''Mr. Wagstaffr' she called sharply.
Roaring Bill stopped, and she rode
Silk up past the pack horses.
"Where are you taking me?" she de-
alanded.
"Why, I'm taking you home-or try
ing to-" he answered mildly.
But you're going north.' she de-
clared. you've been going north all
morning. / was north of Cariboo
Meadows when I got lost. How can
we get back to Cariboo Meadows by
going still farther north?"
you're more of a woodsman than ]
imagined" Bill remarked gently. He
smiled up at her, and drew out his
pipe and tobacco pouch.
She looked at him for q minute.
do you know where we are now?"
she asked quietly.
He met her keen gaze calmly. 81
do" he made laconfc answer.
(which way is Cariboo Meadows,
then, and how far is it?" she demand
ed.
General direction, SOUTH" he re-
piled slowly. Fifty miles more or
less. Rather more than less"
"And you've been leading me
am I going to do?"
keep right on going" Wagstaff an
swered.
81 WON'T won'tI'' she flashed. TIL
find my own way back. What devilish
impulse prompted you to do such
thing2"
you'll have beautiful time of it,"
he said dryly, completely ignoring her
last question take you three days
to walk ther@if you knew every foot
OF the way. And you don't know the
way. Travelling in timber is confus-
ing, as you've discovered. You'll never
see Cariboo Meadows, or any other
place, If you tackle it single-handed,
without grub or matches or bedding.
This is a whopping big country. A
good many men have got lost in it
and other men have found their
bones"
He let this sink in while she sat
there on his horse choking back wild
desire to curse him by bell, book and
candle for what he had done, and hold
ing in check the fear Of what he might
yet do. She could not escape the con-
clusion that Roaring Bill Wagstaff was
something of a law unto himself, ca
pable of hewing to the line of his own
desires at any cost. She realized her
utter helplessness, and the realization
left her without words He had drawn
vivid picture, and the instinct Of self
preservation asserted itself.
You misled me-" She found her
voice at last. 'Why?"
did I mislead your" he parted.
weren't you already lost when you
came to nv carnD1 And have 7 mic