Evening star., 1928-11-04

WHEN SHE ROUNDED THE CT
picked up something and it whirled
aloft 1t was jenkins hat.
Fred turned to the torn path of the
boulder. He saw where Jenkins had
been, construction of the litter was plain
and, following down, he was able to
! read most of the story. The place
could have little more to tell. The thing
he most wanted to know, however, it
could not tell Was Jenkins dead?
He sped back along the line of marks
he had SO carefully made, thankful for
that care. Eleanor ran to meet him
her face white and drawn. Then came
revulSion of her feeling that was toe
strong. She reached for his arm to
keep from falling and at the call of her
weakness, his own was forgotten.
"I have been so frightened" she said
at last. "Don't--don't leave me again
dear"
Then she realized that Jenkins was
not with him Wide-eyed and startled
she scanned the torn clothes, the dirt
streaked face and hands and the grim
set mouth of the man before her SIS
he-dead?" she asked.
II don't think so. A boulder rolled
down hill and hit him. Here's his hat. y
He held it up, still clutched in his hand
Some one came along with horses and
picked him up either dead or un-
conscious and went on. They wouldn't
have taken him away if he'd been dead.
And, of course, he couldn't have told
them about us. They would not have
gone off without us If he had. I lost
their trail finally. He had killed some
thing, a deer, and they took that. They
had made something to carry him one,
litter probably"
They stood looking at each other in
silence. do you suppose" she asked
at last, that he may come to and tell
them so they can come back?"
That's possible: but we mustn't
count on it. A man struck that way,
particularly If it's his head might stay
unconscious for days and deliriouS for
weeks. In the meantime, Winters COM
ing. If help comes, so much the better.
But we've got to offer odds that it
won't"
I'VE have the horses" she suggested.
He shook his head. "If it were
earlier in the season I'd say yes, let's
chance it. AS it is, the least bungling
would be fatal. We kept no track of
the directions, you know. But here, at
least, we can't starve and we can't
freeze, If we turn to and make the best
of it. Let's assume that we've got to
winter here, and begin to work it out
that way. That means that I've got to
put up some sort of log cabin before
the snow flies The horses we can turn
loose. They'll make for the deeper
valleys, and will probably pull through
Tomorrow We'll take stock of our food
and our clothes. I think we have
enough clothes"
She did not reply. She sat staring
with certain fixity at the forest.
A shadow passed over his face
Well" he demanded, you see that
we've got to put this through, don't
you? And"
did you think so poorly of me.
Fred? I was just thinking; but I'm not
afraid. Only-it-it isn't the place for
having a baby is it?"
The blood left his face and he sat
staring at her stupidity. Then he
flushed, flush of shame. II forgot.
I'm a brute-forgive me, Eleanor
Well have to get out of here. That
makes it different"
II don't think it makes it different,
Fred. 1t might even be best. And"
she added with a smile, II married
my doctor, didn't I?"
"A fine DOCTOR" he said ScoInfully.
without a day of practice 10 his
credit"
She rose. TITS time to put some
supper into you. After that you'll feel
better. Poor Mr.. jenkins. I hope he
gets we'll"
THE next morning Eleanor turned
to her work about the camp as n
matter Of course; and, by the same
token, he turned to clump of straight
young pines, saying, "ThoSe should do
for the cabin. I'll clear a space in the
middle of that clump and build there.
can do it. The only thing I worry
about is the fireplace. That's got to
be u real one"
Make the house big enough" she
put in. WED better move the pro-
visions there from the cache, hadn't
we?"
They turned their attention to the
cache the next morning. He climbed
another, a few of the roof slabs. She
gave cry of delight. why, it's ike
little store We're fixed. Gases of
condensed milk: and here are toma-
toes, cans and cans of them. And
egetables-driedr
And here are some tools--good.-
and nailsp he said Saws, hammer.
square, auger, adze-and what are
these? Oh, wedges-for splitting logs.
Splendid-come on. Let's get to work"
That night he pointed with salts
faction to a pile of neatly trimmed
logs. You will observe" he comment
ed, that the last ones look less as If
1 had chewed them down with nv
teeth. I'm getting the hang of it."
But trouble followed. The wilder
ness was not disposed to give way to
force that lacked skill; and many and
bitter were the setbacks when he
finally attacked the problem of the
cabin itself. He had toiled along a.
the potching, and longer at the fitting,
before he discovered that one corner
Of the cabin was rising faster than the
others.
And so the days went by. Fred
made mistakes, but each time they
were less serious. The walls began to
rise as If by magic, log hugging log in
a way that delighted him. The fire
place rose with the walls. He spent
much time carrying and shaping rocks
for 1t; and these we're set in place,
with clay for plaster.
1t was all very exciting. They for