Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-01-04

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the crahping Ache In Her Limbs.
Night passed, and dawn ushered In
| 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 time she began to puzzle
| and the old uneasiness came back. The
last trailing banner of cloud vanished,
| ald 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
lIeyel 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 Carlboo
Meadows. Even II they had swuns
in 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. WagstaffI" she called sharply.
Roaring I;iiI stopped. ana sae RODE
SIX up past the pack horses.
Where are you taking me?" she de-
naDded.
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 Carboo
| Meadows when I got lost. How can
we get back to Cariboo Meadows BY
| going still farther north?''
you're more of 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 now2'
She asked quietly.
| He met her keen gaze calmly. II
| 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. "oh, what
mn going to dof"..s -.
keep right on going" Wagstaff an
swered.
| II won't-I won'tm she flashed I'll
! find my own way back. What devilish
impulse prompted you to do such q
| thing?"
| ''You'll have beautiful time Of Il"
he said dryly, completely ignoring her
last question. .Take YOU three days
to walk there-if you knew every foot
of the way. And you don't, know the
| way. Travelling In timber lis confusr
ing, as you've discovered. You'l never
see Cariboo Meadows. or any other
| place. if you tackle 1t single-handed,
! without grub or matches or bedding.
| This Is 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 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 Ind drawn
vivid picture, and the instinct of self
! preservation asserted itself,
| "You nisled me- She found her
voice at last. "Why7"
"Did I mislead your" he PARTED.
Weren't You already lost when you
came to my camp7 And have I mis-.
treated You iii any manner? Have !
refused you food shelter or help3"
MY home III ID Carlboo Meadows"
4 she persisted. n asked you to take me
there Won lea ME away from there
\ 3eliherafelv. ! believe now"
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