Part 8 (1/2)
And she could not wander about all night
She e of the thicket, to a point where she could see the fire Aembers, whereon sizzled a piece ofSuddenly he looked up, and she gasped--for the firelight showed the features of Roaring Bill Wagstaff
She was afraid of him Why she did not know nor stop to reason But her fear of hiht and the unknown dangers of the forest She turned to retreat In the sa Bill reached to his rifle and stood up
”Hold on there!” he said coolly ”You've had a look at me--I want a look at you, old feller, whoever you are Come on--show yourself”
He stepped sidewise out of the light as he spoke Hazel started to run The crack of a branch under foot betrayed her, and he closed in before she took three steps He caught her rudely by the arht
”Well--for the--love of--Mike!”
Wagstaff drawled the excla crescendo of astonish, and stood looking at her in speechless wonder
CHAPTER VII
A DIFFERENT SORT OF MAN
”For the love of Mike!” Roaring Bill said again ”What are you doing wandering around in the woods at night? Good Lord! Your teeth are chattering Sit down here and get warm It is sort of chilly”
Even in her fear, born of the night, the circumstances, and partly of the man, Hazel noticed that his speech was of a different order fro the past ten days His enunciation was perfect He dropped no word endings, nor slurred his syllables And cast in so odd a mold is the mind of civilized woman that the small matter of a little refinement of speech put Hazel Weir more at her ease than a volume of explanation or protest on his part would have done She had pictured hie cleared hiht was for her co her so roughly in the gloo suddenly cal to do when you don't know timber,” Bill remarked ”And in consequence you haven't had any supper; you've been scared almost to death--and probably all of Cariboo Meadows is out looking for you
Well, you've had an adventure That's worth so Better eat a bite, and you'll feel better”
He turned over the piece of meat on the coals while he spoke Hazel saw that it lay on two green sticks, like a steak on a gridiron It was quite siht of that The meat exhaled savory odors Also, the warood But--
”I'd rather be houess you would--naturally I'll see that you get there, though it won't be easy It's no snap to travel these woods in the dark You couldn't have been so far from the Meadows How did it come you didn't yell once in a while?”
”I didn't think it was necessary,” Hazel adet dark And then I didn't like to”
”You got afraid,” Roaring Bill supplied ”Well, it does sound creepy to holler in the tioes I'vesome utensils out of his pack layout--two plates, knife, fork, and spoons, and laid them by the fire Opposite theBill produced a small tin bucket, black with the se, and made coffee Then he spread a canvas sheet, and laid on that bread, butter, salt, a jar of preserved fruit
”How far is it to Cariboo Meadows?” Hazel asked
Bill looked up froot me,” he returned carelessly ”Probably four or fivein circles myself this afternoon”
”Good heavens!” Hazel exclaimed ”But you know the way?”
”Like a book--in the daytiht in the ti out for yourself”
”I thought men accustomed to the wilderness could always find their way about, day or night,” Hazel observed tartly
”They can--in stories,” Bill answered dryly
He resuested this