The Man of the Forest

ne of the horses, and, opening it, he took out tarpaulin and

rest," he s

ed Helen, though she

o do all you like af

Bo, with a little laugh

expects us to have quite a

ankets, stretched out with a long sigh, and laid her head

g the packs off

hen for once in her life she ex

ou intend to call him?"

course," r

h despite her wea

Vegas cowboy comes along you w

was a rather unu

I could remember you've raved about the West. Now yo

y not been for such a wild, unheard-of jaunt as this. But possibly the West-a living from day to day-was one succession of adventures, trials, tests, troubles, and achievements. To make a place for ot

y but not bulky. The ax rang on the hard wood, reverberating through the forest. A few strokes sufficed to bring down the stub. Then he split it up. Helen was curious to see how he kindled a fire. First he ripped splinters out of the heart of the log, and laid them with coarser pieces on the ground. Then from a saddlebag which hu

m do the same thing twice before since the arrival at Big Spring. It was Roy for whom he was listening a

lies. The bucket looked as if a horse had rolled over it, pack and all. Dale filled it at the spring. Upon returning to the camp-fire he poured water into a washbasin, and, getting down to his knees, proceeded to wash his hands

n her in the company of a remarkable man. That impression baffled her. It did not spring from the fact that he was brave and kind to help a young woman in peril, or that he appeared deft and quick at camp-fire chores. Most Western men were brave, her uncle had told her, and many were roughly kind, and all of them could cook. This hunter was physicall

times," protested Bo, petulant

ar away, Bo," replied H

d an e-normo

tired to eat. And afraid to shut my eyes. They

fore we left hom

! Oh, we've

s. Do you suppose we'll sleep right h

" replied Hel

med Bo, in delight. "We'll see

over. Wouldn't it be a

wered Bo, thoughtfully.

iousness that she and Bo had begun to develop in a new and wild environment. How strange, and fearful, perhaps, to watch that growth! Bo, being younger, more impressionable, with elemental rather than intellectual insti

erect once more and

quized. "An' that's good." Then he t

nd they ate like famished children that had been lost in the woo

ht we'll have

ind?" a

like. But it's well to take wild meat slo

, greedily. "I've he

f Bo's. It was twilight when he began to wash the pots and pans, and almost dark by the time his duties appeared ended. Then he

nute," said Bo. "And I oughtn

eep, and I know I can't s

ed his he

ste

hoof out in the gloom. The forest seemed sleeping. She knew from Bo's eyes, wide and shi

otes comin',"

y gray forms could be descried just at the edge of the circle of light. Soft rustlings of stealthy feet surrounded the camp, and then barks and yelps broke out all ar

anxiety always present in Helen's mind she would have

llow," spoke up Dale.

ry, for presently, clear and cold out of the silence, pea

s that?" w

," replied Dale. "He's high on some rocky ridge back there. He scents us,

t it made her flesh creep and the most indescribable sensatio

oluntarily, quite without unders

of him before, and it seemed to Helen, as he pond

," he replie

e fawns, and everything helpless

r nodded

you love him?"

," returned Dale. "He kills clean. He eats no carrion. He's no

What do you

ip, when killin' a cow or colt, he makes a mess

cougar and a

on or panther, an' a silv

cruel!" exclaimed

've shot wolves fo

t's

run the deer down. Cruel it is, but nature, an' no worse than snow an' ice that starve deer, or a fox that kills turkey-chicks breakin' out of the egg, or ravens that pi

efinition of a hunter, and she believed it was held by the majority of people living in settled states. But the majority might be wrong. A hunter might be vastly different, and vastly more than a tracker and slayer of game. The mountain world of forest was a mystery to almost all men. Perhaps Dale knew its secrets, its life, its terror, its beaut

, turning his ear to the

ing Roy still?"

on the pine-tree that soared above where the girls lay. His action, and the way he looked up at

ive hundred years an' will stand

monarch of that

again,"

n, listening, at once c

't be scared. Reckon we'll be safe. Pines blow down often. But this fellow will stand an

ich she and Bo had removed; and she laid her head close to Bo's. Dal

, an' then just pull the t

's face, just as usual, still, darkly serene, expressing no thought. He was kind, but he was not thinking of these sisters as girls, alone with him in a pitch

' keep the fire goin

of a log dropped upon the fire. A cloud of sparks shot up, and many pattered down to hiss upon the damp

But it died out presently, only to come again, and still stronger. Helen realized then that the sound was that of an approaching storm. Her heavy eyeli

Helen grew amazed, startled. How rushing, oncoming, and heavy this storm-wind! She likened its approach to the tread of an army. Then the roar filled the forest, yet it was back there behind her. Not a pine-needle quivered in the light of the camp-fire. But the air seemed to be oppressed with a terrible charge. The roar augmented till it was no longer a roar, but an on-sweeping crash, like an ocean torrent engulfing the earth. Bo awoke t

se again. Helen lay there, whispering to Bo, and heard again the great wave of wind

he arranged it hoodlike over the saddle. Then, with Bo close and warm beside her, she closed her eyes, and the sense of

t coffee hung in the air. Horses were standing near by, biting and kicking at one another. Bo was sound asleep. Dale appeared busy around the camp-fire. As Helen watched the hunter she saw him pause in his task, turn his ear to listen, a

ducks, but good f

nd his gladness was unmistaka

t hands slapped the straps as he unsaddled. Buckskin was wet with

ode hard," o

pied Helen, who had sat up, with hands

miss. It's

k Bo. That young lady awoke, but was loath to giv

up, disheveled

eyes took in the camp scene to the eff

jacks this mornin

d her boots. Helen got their traveling-bag, and with this they repaired t

hang around camp before t

' shore they lost your trail. Then they spread through the woods, workin' off to the south, thinkin', of course, thet you would circle round to Pine on the south side of Old Baldy. There ain't a hoss-tracker in Snake Anson's gang, thet's shore. Wal, I follered them for

good," de

aldy an' along the two or three trails A

f," muttered Dale, at som

t ai

the north s

't," rejoined

le to my camp an' stay there till you say

lkin' the wisdom

together. If Anson had any eyes for th

he's figgerin' to

on an' hide tracks certain, I'd feel safe from

Then they'll drive back south an' go on to Phenix. Wal, it's muddy weather. Now you break camp quick an' make a plain trail out to thet sheep trail, as if you was travelin' south. But,

ts this camp? He'll track me easy o

d. Your tracks would get washed out even if you did go south. An' Anson would keep on thet way

ht. We'l

led the gir