The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 123: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE BRUTE, THE LADY, AND I. streams lay between, I could only con- jecture. By climbing one of those hills, it might be that we could form some idea. But the first step I decided was the question of food and rest. Miss Norcross was im no condition for a long march without both. The latter was easily obtained, but the former? ‘There were fish, no doubt, in the pond, and game in the forest beyond question; but to capture either without gun or rod was a problem that I racked my brain to solve, But necessity is a famous sharpener of the wits, and an idea came to me. f turned to Brute Flanagan, He might as well save me unnecessary labor. “Tf you will get more wood, [I will see what I can do about procuring food,” I suggested. He gave me a sour glance as much as to say, “‘ Get it yourself,’’ but went off in search of it without comment. Presently he returned with great, green limbs that a farmer’s boy would know would not burn. But Brute Flanagan was no farmer’s boy. He was the product, or by-product, of an urban civilization. I saw that he would be of little use in the woods. I said nothing, but gathered an armful of dry sticks myself. When I returned the girl was nursing the smoking fire back to life, and Brute Flanagan sat looking sullenly on. I could never see the two together without sym- bolizing them as Beauty and the Beast. The girl was bareheaded and her dark tresses shone as though she had but that moment laid down her brush. The smoke had brought the tears to her eyes, and her exertion color to her cheeks. She seemed some beautiful, healthy child playing with its first bonfire. I threw dry wood on the fire. Brute looked indifferently on. : “When are we going to beat it outa here?” he growled. “That is what we must decide,” I answered shortly. I had determined to get along with the fellow without friction if it were possible. 8A The 113 ‘Not much to decide,” he retorted. “ Ought to be a trolley or railroad over - the hill.” I glanced at the girl. eyebrows ever so slightly. “ Have you any idea of how many miles we traveled last — EF asked curiously. “No,” he answered. “ Heard you say we were over the lake, but they have She raised her trolleys and trains in the Dominion as — well as the States, you know.” I shrugged my shoulders. There was little use arguing with such a man. I would state our situation as I saw it, and he could do as it pleased him. I was satisfied that the girl would see the reasonableness of it, at least. ‘We were struck by a tornado, as you know, and it blew us out over the lake. How far it carried us I don’t know, and it makes very little difference anyway; for it apparently passed us along to a good, stiff gale that kept us going until, as } figure it, we were some hundreds of miles ito the Province of Quebec and nearer Hudson Bay or St. James’s Bay, at least, than we are to the lake. Here it dropped us.” The girl’s eyes, resting on mine as I spoke, had grown more serious as F pro- ceeded, yet I could see that she agreed © with me. ‘“ Now,” I continued, turning to Flana- gan, ““if you expect to stroll over the nearest hill and ride home im a parlor-ear, I fear you are going to be considerably disappointed.” Brute Flanagan looked sullenly down at the fire. 7 “Well,” he challenged, “since you know so much, what are you going te do about it?” I overlooked the offensiveness of his tone, knowing that its object anyway was partly to conceal his ignorance. “In the first place I think we ought not to start to-day, on the lady’s account,” I answered. ‘* Better to let her rest while you and FE go out and get food and Teok the country over.” CORMICGLOOOKS €or