Bisbee daily review., 1921-12-30
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pier than she had hoped.
 She liked the hours of sober talk in the eveninga Sometimes they would play through the records, and SC well had Bill made his selections that she never tired of them
 She had her lonesome hours. but not so many as she nau expected. When time hung heavy on her hands she would take out one of the old magazines that Bill had brought up t. read on the winter nights.
 She had abundant health The ex- perience seemed to build her up, rather than injure her. Her muscles developed, she breathed deep of the cold mountain air, ard she had more energy than she could easily spend
 She fought away the tendency to grow careless in dress or appearance. She kept her few clothes clean and mended, she dressed her hair as care fully as in her city home.
 Their cabin life was redeemed by their freQ-.ent excursions into the wild. The study of nature was con- stantly more absorbing to the girl.
 In these excursions Virginia learned to use her pistol with remarkable ac- curacy. Her strength increased; she could follow wherever Bill led.
 They did not forget their graver business. Even Virginia kept watch for a track that was not an ainmal track, a blaze on tree net made by the teeth of porcupine or grizzly, a charred cooking rack over the ashes of fire. But as yet they had found no sign of human wayfarers other than themselves.
 Bill never ceased to search for his mine. He looked for blazes, 800; for a sign of an old camp or pile of washings beside a stream. When he found an open stream he would wash the gravel, and it seemed to him he combed the entire region between the two little tributaries of Grizzly river indicated on his map. But with deepening snow search was ever more difficult. Unlike Virginia, he was al most ready to give ur.
 Every day winter strengthened it's shackles.
 Even the rapids of the river had begun to freeze.
 But now the snowshoe frames were done, wrought from tough spruce, and
  stretched across to make the weos. For few days Bill and Virginia had been captives in the cabin, and they held high revels in celebration of their completion. Now they could go forth into the drifts again.
 It did not mean. however, that the time was ripe for them to take their sled and mush into Bradleyburg. The snow was still too soft for long jaunts.
 Come a clear, icy night, and the northern lights were more vivid and beautiful than ever. Bill thought Vir- ginia was watching their display; if he had known the req, subject of her thoughts. he would not have come and stood in the doorway with her.
 Were not the only ones to see It. Virginia told him softly. Somewhere ! think-I feel-that Harold is watch ing it, too. Somewhere over this snow"
 Bill did not answer, and the girl turned to him, in tremulous appeal.
 Wont you find him for me, Bill?" she cried. You are so strong, so capable-you can do anything, any thing you try. Won't you find him and bring him back to me-"
 The man looked down at her, and his face was ashen.
 VIII
 One clear, icy night a gale sprang up in the east, and Virginia and Bill fell to sleep to the sound of its con- plaint. And when Bill went forth for his mornings wood-cuttng he found that his snowshoes did not break through the crust
 The wind had blown and crusted the drifts during the night.
 This permitted him to make dash over to certain stream further down toward the Yuga river in search of any sign of the lost mine.
 When about two miles from the cabin he saw, through rift in the | distant trees, a human trail in the | snow.
 He stood a moment in the drifts. ! torn by an inner struggle.
 All his fondest hopes, his dreams. | all the inner guardians of his own 1 told him to keep his search, ] tC journey on his way and forget | he had seen the tracks. Every desire ' of Self spoke in warning to him.
 But Bill Bronson had a higher law than self. Long ago, in front of the hotel in Bradleyburg, he , had given prorliSe-tO find Harold { 
 He turned and went over to investi- gate the tracks. t-t
 He followed swiftly down the trail, anxious to know his fate at tne inst possible instant. He saw that the trail was fresh, made that mOrnin g: he had every reason to think that ne could overtake the man who had made it within few hours.
 He did not catch un with the tray, eler i'll the snow But shortly after the noon hour his keeu O.us saw visp of smoke drifting through the 1