Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-02-01
CHAPTER IV-continued


killed one uh these days"
Hazel started, but 1t was only Jim
Briggs in the doorway beside her.
II guess you amt much used to see
In that sort of exhibition where you
come from, Miss Weir" Briggs wife
put In over his shoulder. "My land,
it's disgustin'-men fghtln' in the
street where everybody can see EN-
Thank goodness, 1t don't happen very
often. Specially when Bill Wagstaff
amt around You amt shocked. are
you. honeyT
"Why, didn't have time to be
shocked Hazel laughed. "It was
done so quickly"
"If them fellers would leave Bill
alone" Briggs remarked. "there
wouldn't be no fight. But he goes off
like hair-trigger gun, and he'd scrap
dozen quick as one. I'm lookin' to
see his finish one nh these days"
"what a namer Hazel observed.
caught by the appellation Briggs had
first used. us that Roaring Bill over
therer'
That's him-Roarin' Bill Wagstaff," "
Briggs answered. "If he takes n few
drinks, you'll find out tonight how he
got the name. Slngs-just like bull
moose-hear him all over town. Prob
ably whip two or three men before
mornin'."
Ills spouse calling him at that mo-
ment, Briggs detailed no more infor-
nation about Roaring Bill. And Hazel
sat looking across the way with con-
siderable interest at the specimen of
type which hitherto she had encoun-
tered in the pages of fiction-a fight
ing man. what the West called bad
actor" She had, however, no wish
for closer study Of that particular
type. The men of her world had been
altogether different and the few from.
tier specimens she had met at the
Briggs dinner table had not i'm
pressed her with anything except their
shyness and manifest awkwardness in
her presence. The West itself ap.
pealed to her, It's bigness. its nearness
TO the absolutely primeval, but not the
people she had so far met. And SO
she looked at Roaring Bill Wagstaff
over the way, with quite lmpersonal
interest.
He came into Briggs place for sup
per. Mrs. Briggs was her own wait
rrss. Briggs himself sat beside Hazel
She heard him grunt, and saw a milo
look of surprise fit over his counte
nance when Roaring Bill walked II
and coolly took seat But not unit
Hazel glanced at the newcomer did shl
recognize him as the man who hnC
fought in the street. He was looking
straight ut her when she did glanc,
up and the mingled astonishment ant
frank admiration in his clear gra,
eyes made Hazel drop hers quickly {,
her plate. Since Mr.. Andrew Bush
She was beginning to hate men VIII
looked at her that way. And she coul,
not help seeing that many did so look
The next Saturday Hazel went TO
tramp in the afternoon. The fey
walks she had taken had dulled al
sense Of uneasiness in venturing int
the Unfolding forest. She felt that thos
shadowy woods were less sinister tina
man. And since she had always keI
her sense of direction and com
straight to the Meadows whenever sh
went abroad. she had no fear c
thought of losing her way.
To reach her objective point, sh
crossed a long stretch of rolling Ian,
well timbered, dense in parts wit
thickets Of berry bushes. Midway
this she came upon little brook. pur
ing a monotone as 1t crawled ov'
pebbled reaches and bathed the tanglt
roots of trees along its brink. BY tn
she sat a while. Then she idred alon
coming after considerable difficulty
abruptly rising ground. She could n
see the town, but she could mark Il
low hills behind It. At any rate. 81
knew where II lay, and the way bac
SO she thought. But the short afte
noon fed, and. warned by the low
of the sun, she left her nook on Il
hillside to make her way hon
Though II was near sundown. she Il
no particular concern. The lo
northern twilight gave her ample tin
to cover the distance.
But once down on the rolling Lar
among the close-ranked trees, she
gan TO experience a difficulty that h
not hitherto troubled her. With I
sun hanging low. she lost her absolr
certainty Of east and west, north q
south.
she blundered on. not admitting
herself the possibility Of being unal
to find Cariboo Meadows. AS best S
could, and to the best OF her bell
she held in a straight line for the tov
But she walked far enough to ha
overrun II, 9nd was yet upon unfau
lar ground.
The shadows deepened until $
tripped over roots and stones. a
snagged her hair and clothing
branches she could not see in time
fend Off. AS last resort. she turI
straight for the light patch still shC
ing In the northwest. hoping thus
cross the wagon road that ran fr
Soda Creek to the MeadOws-it
west. and she had gone northeast fir
town. And as she hurried, a fear
gan to tug at her that she had pas
the Meadows unknowingly.
Presently II was dark, and darkn
I'm the woods is the darkness of
Dit itself. She found fallen tree,
climbed on 1t to rest and think. Al
what seemed an age she fancied
saw CLEAN far distant in the timl
She watched the spot fixedly,
thought she saw the faint reflection
aillght. That heartened her. She
vunced toward it, hoping that it mi
re the eleam of n ranch window.