Evening star., 1921-10-09

she corrected. Then she waited, her
| wits IN chaos.
IT started for Miiiineton. over the
mountain: lost my way"
..3y "Mhy - didn't t you go by the roadT'
That's a lie! It amt: And don't
% who % are re- yous" ' o. i she Seu heard herself
way with me?'
The man leaned suddenly forward.
You mean to tell me you don't
"A lumberjack. maybe. who's lost
his way like myself?"
His expression changed abruptly.
what you luggin' this for" He
INDICATED the revolver.
For protection"
from what?"
l wild things"
There amt no wild things in these
mountains this time O. year; they're
showed up, and you know it."
7 just felt safer to have it along.
TO TO. protect you from men toiks'
| There are no men in these noun
| tains I'm afraid of" She made the
declaration with pathetic bravado.
| His eyes narrowed.
II think I better kill you." he de:
cided. you've seen me; you'll tell
you? You'd only tell"
| He sprang up with snarL Point
ing the revolver from his hip. he
drsT back 81 the hammer: - u,,,
crazy? Don't you know how to treat
a woman-in distress?"
| Distress. hell! You know who
be. And don't care whether, you're
a woman or not, I amt goin' to be
| took-you understand"
i O nj 7 nd
She said 1t in such way that he
/ eased the hammer back into place
and lowered the gun. For the mo-
| ment again she was safe. In response
to her terrible need, some Of her
latent Yankee courage came now to
making all this rumpus about" she
| told him in as Indifferent a voice
| as she could command. II don't see
| why you should want to kill a friend
who might help you-if you're really
in need of help"
he muttered after a moment.
you're not far from there. How
long have you been on the road?"
None of your, business"
Have you had any food?"
'If you'll put up that gun and let
me get of this snowshoe and pack.
| I'll share with you some of the food
have"
this gun. Go ahead and fix your
| foot, and let's see what you got for
| grub" The man resumed his seat.
She twisted up her tangled hair
replaced her toque and united the
dangling snowshoe.
Outside a tree creaked in the frost
He started in hair-trigger fright
Creeping to the window. he peered
1 n a he nd h q k
! ct. Convinced that 1t was nothing
he returned to his seat by the table.
| Its too bad we couldn't have a
fire." suggested the woman then. I'D
make US something hot" The stove
was there, rusted but still service
able; available wood was scattered
around. But the man shook his bull
let head
After trying time unfastening the
frosted knots of the ropes that had
she emptied it on the table. She
kept her eye, however, on the gun
He had disposed of it by thrusting i,
into his belt. Plainly she would never
recover 1t without a struggle. And
she was in no condition for physical
conflict.
You're welcome to anything ]
have" she told him.
Little you got to say about It! II
you hadn't given 1t up. I'd took II
away from you. So what's the differ.
ence?
You stay here in front where I car
see you"
She obeyed. watching him make
what poor meal he could from the
| contents of her bag.
| The silence was broken only by the
noises of his lips as he ate ravenous-
ly. Outside. not thing stirred in
| that snow-bound world. Not a sound
| Of civilization reached them. They
! were a man and woman in the primal
in civilization and yet a million miles
| from it.
| 1.-The candles going out" she an
| nounced. "Is there another?"
| "There1l be light enough for what
| I got to do," he growled.
| Despite her effort to appear indif-