The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-03
GO ON WITH THE STORY.

They forced their way through
the evergreen thickets OF the river
bank, walking up. the stream to-
ward the ford. He broke through
the brushy barriers with the might
of his body; he made a trail for
her in the snow. The darkness
deepened around them. The snow
fell ever heavier.
But they conquered at last.
Partly by the feel under his feet,
partly by his woodsman's instinct,
Bill kept to the moose trail that led
from the ford to the cabin. And
the man was swaying. -drunkenly,
when he reached the door.
There are blankets in there,
plenty of EN- he told her. IT'S
my main supply cabin. Spread
some of them out and take off your
wet clothing and get under the
covers. I'll build a fire as fast as
/ can
She turned to obey. She heard
him take down an AK that had been
left hanging on the cabin walls and
heard his step in the snow as he
began to cut INTO kindling some of
the pieces of cordwood that were
heaped outside the door. She I'M
dressed quickly, then lay shivering
between the warm, heavy blankets.
In a moment the man faltered in,
his arms heavy with wood. Then
match cleaned in the gloom. She
watched him feed the fire with
strange, heavy motions.
She dozed eff, then Weakened to
find him sitting on the edge of her
bed, holding q cup of some steaming
liquid. He put his left arm behind
her and lifted her up, then fed her
spoonfuls of the hot liquid. She
didn't know what it was, other than
it contained whisky.
Take some of. it herself" she
told him at last.
He shook his head and smiled-a
wistful yet manly smile that al
most brought tears to her eyes.
In the stress of that first hour
after the disaster of the river,
Lounsbury and Vosper had a
chance to test the steel of which
they were maze.
For the first few seconds Louns-
bury sat upon his horse and simply
stared in mute horror. Then he
half climbed, half fell from the sad
die. and followed by Vosper, started
running down the river bank. I'm
mediately he lost sight of Virginia
and Bill. Almost at once there
after the cold and the darkness got
into his spirit and appalled, him.
They're lost, they're lost" he
cried. There's not a chance on
earth to get 'em out"
Its a death trip. l knew it was
a death trip" Lounsbury moaned.
And what's the use of going far
Their. They haven't a chance on
earth"
1T amt the first this rivers
taken" Vosper told him. and
they never even found their bodies
And we won't find these, now"
LCunsbury replied. What do you
suppose we'd better do?"
Il don't know. What can We
do?"
There's no chance of saving
them. 1t seems to me the wisest
thing for us to do is to go back
and build i big fire-so they can
find their way in if they did get
out"
This they did
''Of course well never find the
bodies" Lounsbury suggested at
last
NO chance, that 1 can see,"
agreed Vosper.
You think-" Lounsbury's voice
wavered, you think-we can get
back all right ourselves?"
Sure. That is, il we start first
thing tomorrow"
They didn't try to sleep. The
snow and the cold made sleep i'm
possible.
At dawn Vosper packed the
horses, slyly depositing portions of
their supplies and equipment in
the evergreen thickets to tighten
his own work.
Then they rode away, these two.
worthy men, back toward the settle
ment.
in Virginia's first moment of
waking the full dreadfulness of her
situation swept her in an instant.
The cabin, she could see, was
rather larger than any of those in
which they had camped on their
journey. 1t was well-chinked and
sturdy, and even had the luxury of
a Window
Bill was stretched on the floor in
the farthest corner of the room.
He gave the impression of having
dropped with exhaustion and fallen
to sleep where he lay.
She resolved not to call him; AMI
in spite of her own misery. her lips
curled in a half-smile.
But she was a woman, and the
thought suddenly came to her that
she was wholly in this mans power,
shielded Only by the blankets
around her, unarmed and helpless
and lost in the forest depths. What
did she know of him? He had been
the soul of respect heretofore, but
now with her uncle on the other
side of the river
Then Bill stirred in his sleep.
She saw his eyes open. And his
r~cf oil II L,