Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-01-31

Roaring Bill stopped, and she rode
Silk up past the pack horses.
"Where are you taking me?" she de-
handed.
"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. 1 was north of Cariboo
Meadows wi I got lost. How can
we get back to Cariboo Meadows by
going still farther north?"
you're more of q woodsman than
imagined" Bill remarked gently. He
smiled up at her, and drew out his
pipe and tobacco pouch.
She looked at him for a minute.
'Do you know where we are now"
she asked quietly.
He met her keen gaze calmly. 81
do" he made laconic 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
! straight north" she cried. ooh, what
am going to do?"
keep right on going" Wagstaff an
swered.
81 WON'T won't! I" she flashed. I'll
find my own way back. What devilish
impulse prompted you to do such a
| thingf"
you'll have beautiful time of it."
he said dryly, completely ignoring her
| to walk there-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 haze 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 a 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 my camp? And have I mis-
treated you in any manner2 Have I
refused you food, shelter or help?"
my home is in Cariboo Meadows"
she persisted. 81 asked you to take me
there. You led me away from there
deliberately, believe now"
"My trail doesn't happen to lead to
Cariboo Meadows, that's ALL" Roaring
Bill coolly told her. eff you must go
back there, I shan't restrain you in
any way whatever. But I'm for home
myself. And that,"-he came close
and smiled frankly up at her-"is
better place than Cariboo Meadows.
| I've got a little house back in the
woods. There's grub there, and meat
in the forest, and fish in the streams.
| It's home for me. Why should I go
back to Cariboo Meadows? Or your"
"Why should I go with your" she
demanded scornfully.
Because I want you to-" he muir
INJURED.
They matched glances for a second,
/ Wagstaff smiling, she half Mortified.
"Are you clean mad?" she asked an
grily. 81 was beginning to think you
gentleman"
Bill threw back his head and
laughed. Then on the instant he So
bered. "Not a gentleman" he said.
"pm plain man. And lonesome some
times for a mate. as nature has or
dained to be the way of flesh"
sect a squaw, then," she sneered.
''Pve heard that such people as you
do that"
''Not me-" he returned, unruff1ed. 81
want a woman of my own kind"
Heaven save me from that classifi-
cation! !" she observed, with emphasis
on the pronoun.
"Yes?" he drawled. "Well, there's
no profit in arguing the point. Let's
be getting on"
He reached for the lead rope of the
nearest pack horse.
Hazel urged Silk up a step. 'Mr.
Wagstaff," she cried, 81 must go back"
"You can't go back without me-" he
said. "And I'm not travelling that way,
-. thank you"
"Please-oh, please |" she begged for
lornly.'
Roaring Bits face hardened. 81
will not" he said fatty. "Tm going to
nlnrr tho nnnno NM rrnu And III r,Inrr