The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-11-19
Caught
in the
Wild :
BY Robert
9 Ames Bennett
WNU Service
Copyright by
: Robert Ames Bennett

The short nights were already get
ting longer and darker. When wax
ended by the chill of midnight, Garth
saw Huxby lying on the other side
of the fire hole. The fire had burnt
out. He built new one. AS its small
flame lightened the darkness, he saw
the haf-inch stub of the cigar
clutched in Huxby's fingers.
Before sunrise, Garth was again
awake. He filled the little pot with
ice and set it in the edge of the re-
built fire, then began cooking Carl
bou meat. The others Weakened al
most, too stiff to move. But all man.
aged another big meal of the meat.
To top 1t OF, Garth had Lilith boil a
little tea in the water from the melt
ed ice.
After the hot drink, even Mr.. Ra-
mill managed to hobble down the
now fairly easy slope. The exercise
gradually warmed and relaxed stiff
fened muscles.
The end of long days hike at
last brought the party down the
miles of tundra slopes to the edge of
timberline. There was no trail-none
at least that the city jewellers could
detect. Time and again Hubby de-
clared that Garth was lost no less
utterly than the rest of them; that
he was wandering at random. To
silence the caviler, Garth began fore
telling small landmarks before they
came into view. This at last forced
the engineer to realize that their
guide was following his former trail
through the forest maze as surely as
if it were a beaten path. The most
positive proofs of all were the
mounds of dirt-covered ashes where
Garth had smothered his camp fires
going to the lost valley and return
ing form it to the Mackenzie.
He predicted they would reach ca
noe water on the seventh day. But
during that morning Mr.. Ramill
turned an ankle. Even after much
soaking in cold spring and tight
bandaging by Garth, the sprain held
the millionaire down to slow hob
BILE. An aspen staff enabled him to
travel slowly until the noon meal.
After that the pain overcame him.
He refused to move.
Garth looked doubtfully at the
none too large supply of food that
was left. His pack now weighed lit
tie more than the platinum alloy in
Huxby's wolf-Skin knapSack.
He had allowed everyone to eat
without stint. That had been neces-
sary in order to keep up the strength
of the chechahcoS. But, as he had
fortold, the country was barren of
game. There was none too much
meat left in his pack.
IF you can't carry on, Mr. Ramill,
you'll have to stay here and keep
bathing your ankle in this rill," he
said. 'We're too short of food,
though, to lose any time. The stand
of birch at the stream is so small
that I'll need full three days to
build our canoe The three of you
follow down this brook as soon as
you can"
When he picked up a few pieces
of meant and the rifle, Huxby spoke:
81 should have the gun to protect
Miss RamilL"
There's nothing here to attack
you," Garth replied. "Just possibly,
may find game at the stream"
Gould another pair of hands be
helpful in making the cancer" Lilith
asked.
"Well-yes."
The girl looked at Huxby. He did
not speak or move. She stood up.
dad, you'll be all right with Vivian.
am going to help Alan"
Her father shook his head. "You
should stay here with me. Let Vivi-
an CO."
Hubby rose, frowning. He looked
at Garth with cold rancor. II see no
need for anyone to 60. certainly
cannot permit my fiancee to accom-
pany you." -.
"She might have helped. You'd be
only hindrance," Garth replied.
He swung away at rapid pace.
But behind him he hard the girl
speak sharply: ''Don't be silly, Vivi-
an. Get out of my way"
After that came quick patter OF
moccasins. Garth kept on for some
distance as if he did not hear the
sound. Then he halted behind an al
der thicket to face the girl. She was
so close behind that she almost ran
into him. He smiled into her eager
eyes.
''This is happy surprise, Lilith."
Her eyelids sank, and her cheeks
crimsoned under their coat of pitch
and-grease mosquito dope. 'You
needn't fancy I'm running after you.
lists only because want to get
out of this beastly North country of
yours-and be rid of you, tool"
$50 that's it. Well, you're a good
hater, but you're real sport. You're
game. Tag along, if you wish
He set off again at pace twice as
fast as the best her father had been
able to travel. An occasional snap OF
twig behind him told that the girl
was still following. Yet he did not
once slacken his gait or look back
until, three hours later, the brook
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