The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-08-16
! The Cave Man
G1
] By ALvAH JORDAN GARTH

The lonely, untrailed stretch OF
mountain and forest north of the bor-
der settlement Of Euclid was called
Lands End. When the little hamlet
burned down one night 1t was blotted
Off the map and the final outpost of
civilization became a mining town
fifty miles to the east.
Laura Boyd, a young, pretty widow,
looked to the general hegra as a re-
lief from hard grubbing with no re-
finements. She had married a very
ordinary man who had died leaving
next to nothing. She had remained
at Euclid because she could not very
well get away, patiently accepting the
burdens Of necessity, but all the time
dreaming of a better future and long
ing for books, for companionship in
the real busy, bustllng world.
True to her kindly, helpful nature
she had remained in makeshift shell
ters until nearly all OF the people Of
the settlement had left. Then, with
her sole possessions, comprising
suitcase and horse, formerly her
husbands, she started alone for the
nearest town.
Laura was entirely unfamiliar with
the trail across the hills. However,
she calculated that by closely follow
ing the beaten track made by those
who had preceded her she could not
go far astray.
'Better wait till next week, Mrs
Boyd" suggested a neghbor.
Eyes, and we can all keep together"
submitted another.
Besides, we're due for a storm, I'm
thinking" added weather-wisc old
man.
The predicted storm overlook her
and she had to seek the shelter of a
copse until nightfall. When it ceased
she allowed the horse to follow his
bent The next morning a high wind
prevailed, she was chilled and soaked
to the skin. Between whiles she dis
mounted and rested dealing sparingly
with her meager supply of food. ON
and on went the horse steed and rider
were lost as to location or compass
points.
Another day, another night. Now
they were threading the mazes of
vast forest. The third morning. Laura
awoke from a soggy couch OF fern
and brush to find the horse had wan
dered Off.
When she awolye the next morning
she was weak from lack of food. She
found some wild berries and about
the middle of the afternoon entered
Il narrow glade to discover small
habltatlon As Laura neared it she
discerned that it was built entirely Of
tree bark. It's door was open, she
peered within. The room beyond was
furnished with table, two chairs and
couch. These We're all made of
roughly hewn trees. The covering of
the couch was of deer skin Upon
the table was a dish holding some
cold broiled game. Ravenously hun
CRY, Laura assuaged her appetite with
this food and some wild grapes. Then
her wearied head fell upon her out
stretched arms and she slumbered.
Laura awolle to look up with start.
n NibhNtA idNfh 0NhiAt man SiopN ~
gardlng her with amazement. His at
tire was strange and unique. His coat
was made of woven dried grasses, his
shoes of the skin of some animal, his
cap of braided swamp flags. He sug-
gested the primitive man, cast upon
the resources of nature except that a
respectful courtesy showed in his
g,,t In,
face.
Laura arose, bewlldered. to falter
forth the cause of her desperate situ-
alton In outline, then in detail as her
involuntary host encouraged her re-
cltal He told her his name was Bart
ley Vance, that he had been the soli-
tary tenant of the quaint abode for
two years and showed her a store of
food in a homemade cupboard
81 shall be away long enough TO
cover a hundred miles," he said. Il
must, of course, get you back to civil
ization. You could not stand the jour
ney on foot and when / return will
bring two horses"
If he had been an own brother Bart.
ley Vance could not have been more
thoroughly attentive. lie told some
thing of the reason of his isolation be-
fore he started away at dusk.
81 am writer of books" he said,
"and l have played the original cave
man just for the experience of it and
to gain material for story / had
blocked out / self-exlled myself for
three years with nothing but a stone
hatchet, bows and arrows and fish
hooks l myself made out of shells.
Necessity and ingenuity have provided
me with clothes, furnishings and COM
fort, and as to a grand treasury Of
new ideas, why, am provided for a
long time to come"
When this "cave man" had delivered
Laura safely at the mining town he
fingered there for a week. An mex
plicable charm held him in a thrall he
could not resist Then one day he told
her OF his love. He asked her to bless
and cheer his self-enforced exile for
fhe remaining year, when he planned