Show 1 W ang wh III continued 22 fand and she little yet she bed jed close to his side and ans ns about him and lifted ou OUTI to get him upon the blan she ran to her fire and piled and nd piled wood on it until the fla flames mes roared ly and brightened every thing about she ran back to him and knelt again and slipped her hand inside his shirt seeking his heart the deep chest was barely warmer than death the heart stirred only faintly but it did beat she sought the wound brails bullet had made and round it in his side there was wag blood on her hands but she did not notice it now she found where the bullet had entered and where it had torn its way out through his flesh she did not know if any vital organ lay in that narrow span or if any major artery had been severed or if the rifle ball had merely glanced along the ribs and been deflected by them she only knew that he had lost much blood that it must have gushed freely while he strove with swen brodle brodie and that now it must be stopped utterly and then it was that glorias gloria s hands achieved the first really important work they had ever done in her life she tore bits away from her own un der garments and made soft pads over each wound with their butcher knife she cut a long strip from a blanket this she wound about his limp body making a long tight bandage she got the boots off and felt his feet she stooped over them until tor for an instant she laid her cheek against a bare foot it was like ice she recalled how he had ministered to her she heated a blanket and wrapped it about his feet and ankles she heated other blankets and put them about him the canvas at the caves eaves mouth had been torn down she got it back into place to make male it warmer for him she put fresh wood on the fire she hastened the coffee boiling all that she could by placing bits of dry wood close ill about the pot she knelt at kings king s side she got an arm under his shoulders and man aged to lift him a little she rolled up a blanket and put it under his head then she brought the cup of black coffee she spilled more than went into his mouth but she was rewarded by seeing the throat muscles contract as involuntarily he swallowed thus patient and determined and very very gentle with him she got several spoon fuls of coffee down him thereafter she let him lie ile back again while she sought to plan cool thought edly just dhow she must care for him just what she dm cou I 1 do for him there were scraps of food left she began taking careful stock she found a scrap of bread that had been knocked to the floor and kicked aside she picked it up and ano carrying a torch with her began seeking any other fallen morsels in this search she came once to the hole in the floor through which brodie and the others had gone down into gus ingles treas ure chamber and at its side she found something which at this moment was a thousand times more pre clous in her staring eyes than it if it had been so much solid gold it was a great greal hunk of fresh meat instant ly she the knew how it had come here lunghard had killed his heart bear I 1 that was why le he had returned tonight he had brought it here had missed her had hal dropped it here and then she understood now too how he had come so unexpectedly into the low est cave he had gone down through this hole and had known a passageway which led on down she caught up the bear meat carrying it in both arms and hurried back to her fire for herself since her own strength must be kept up she cooked cooled a strip of the meat on the coals As the night wore on since she was deter mined that king should not be chilled her fire consumed a great part of the wood more wood must be brought tonight or in the morning she went to the cave s entrance and looked out the everlasting whisper of the pines that ancient hushed voice which through the countless centuries has never been still save when briefly silenced by the snow which had borne its message to gloria when on that first day she went with mark king into the mountains set chords gibrat ing softly in her bosom insistently it bore a message to her such a message as from now on she would hear in the quiet voices of her little campfire campf lre it was ws the eternal call of the mother earth tl it at one like gloria must hear and barken harken to and understand before she could set firm feet upon the ashes of a vanquished self to rise to the true things of womanhood benny denny and the italian were still alive and might be near that d d not in any way affect the fact that there must be wood brought for king s fire she turned back for the rifle and the rope she saw that king had not stirred that he seemed plunged in adeep a deep quiet sleep she stood over him looking down at him with her ove for him softening her eyes he ile was going to get well if she did her part and her part was so clearly in to give him broth and to keep leep his fire going she did not hesitate and she was not afraid as she went down the cliffs she meant to be mark mar kings king s mate she meant to be lk wort w v of being his mate he had I 1 not he had not been afraid arp man against five he dropped V by jackson gregory copyright by charle charles scribner 8 son sons service down into the lowest cave she like him was of pioneer stock three times that night she made the trip up and down the cliffs bring ing wood at the end though near exhaustion she sank down by the fire for but a few minutes the bear meat was boll ng dg and bubbling she poured off a little of the broth cooled it and then as she had given king the coffee she forced some of the strong soup between his teeth she touched his cheek and dared hope that it was not so icy ley cold she chafed his feet and wrapped them again in a hot blanket and then with all of her covers given to him she drew a coat about hei shoulders and sat down at his side on the edge of his blankets and here throughout the ight n she sat dozing and waking rising again and again to keep the fire burning she started up to find it full day she had been asleep her head against his knee the fire was dying down she jumped up and replenished it sett settling ting the broth back among the coals king lay as he had lain last night his continued coma was like a profound quiet sleep all day long she ministered to him going back and forth tirelessly since love and hope inspired every step she made none of brodies brodie a men had come she felt a strange conal dence that they would not come they were afraid of king hing as jack als are afraid of a lion ron further they did not know that he was wound ed she thought little of them having much else to think of at a little before noon gloria stoop ing over the fire started erect and whirled about kings eyes were open I 1 she ran to him dropping on her knees beside him catching up his hand whispering mark oh mark thank goar godl he looked at her strangely stra ngay there was a puzzled bewildered expression in his eyes he ile strove to move and again looked at her hor with that strange bewilderment ane saw his lips move he wanted to say something to ask something and deserted now by all of that magnificent strength on which he had always leaned was as weak as a baby she gave his hand a last squeeze and hurried bach back to the fire his eyes still shadow filled followed her curl bously she came back to him with cup and spoon this he could under stand he opened his lips for the spoon he accepted what she gave him and when she had finished lay look ing up at her wonderingly mark she whispered we are safe here because because you are so wonder wonderful full you were like a god the bravest noblest best man in all the world I 1 you came in time you saved me mark they had not put hand upon me and I 1 am well and strong now I 1 am going to take care of you you must just lie ile still and get well oh mark his eyes closed again he seemed very faint very weary hushed she sat tense her eyes never moving from his face after a long time he opened his eyes again be he tried again to speak when the words did not come he managed a strange shadowy smile with his bloodless lips and in another moment had sunk again into that heavy sleep that was so like death when next two hours later she again brought his broth he stirred at her touch and awoke this time his eyes cleared swiftly he remembered the other awakening and her words he looked at her long and searchingly and she understood what lay back of that look he was wondering how she managed how she endured to care for them both how without his active aid she withstood hardship and this time she smiled at him I 1 have been dining sumptuously on bear steaks she told him lightly and I 1 have slept and kept warm there has been no one near and the days are fine again it was clear last night the sun has been shining all day now when you youve ve had your own lunch ill tell you anything you want to know only you must not try to talk yet mark not until tomorrow I 1 want you strong and well again you know its lonesome without you she gave him for the first time a whole cup of broth glorying in the certainty that already he was stronger but even yet his weakness was so great that before she had spoken a dozen sentences he was asleep again clearly even to gloria if but a little more blood had ebbed out of the wounded side he would never have awakened clearly to gloria arlum pliant it had been she who had held him back from death she gloria bing king alone had fought the great grim battle hers was the victory 0 king was awake awakening he tried to move his utter weakness like a great weight bearing down upon him held him powerless but his mind slowly freeing treeing itself from the shadows of sleep was suddenly very clear he could turn his head a little it was late afternoon outs de the sun was still shining for a patch of light lay at the side of the canvas flap at first be he did not see glor a but his eyes quested until at last they found her she lay by the fire her head upon her arms sleeping the little huddled body looked weary beyond expression for a long time his haggard eyes 0 0 remained with her she lay on the rocks without a blanket his hand moved weakly there were blankets under him blankets covering him his feet were wrapped in a blanket he looked again at gloria at the fire he saw wood piled near by for many minutes he puzzled the matter in the end it was obvious even to a R man as sick as ring that she must have gone for wood perhaps more than once he closed his eyes and lay very still he knew now that he had been desper abely hurt that wounded his fight with brod erode e had brought him very near a weakness Re akness from blood loss that was pale twin to death and yet he was alive and warm he had had broth and blankets and the fire tire had been kept blazing he managed to slip a hand inside his shirt before his fingers found it he knew that the bandage was there gloria had done all this gloria whom he had struck ever since that blow the one act of his life which he would have given so much to have undone he had been ashamed he had rejoiced in his bat tie tle with the men who had threatened gloria with worse than death rejoiced that in some way he might make reparation but now beginning to understand all that gloria had flone done for him how great were the sacrifices she had made for him lying ancon scions of all she did if it seemed to him that the thing that he had done was a very small thing set in the scales against her own acts he wanted to get up and go to her to put his blankets about her to play the man mans s part and protect and shel ter but he could not so much as raise his voice to call her to him ever since that blow upbraiding him self he had bad said she was only a little terrified girl and you were a brute to her I 1 and now he thought wonderingly after that she has worked for you has nursed you has saved the worthless life in you when she should have let you die again his eyes flew open now they clung to her with a strange look in thein them born of many emotions gloria as though she felt his eyes upon her stirred rose pushed the hair back from her eyes and came quickly j to him and as she came she smiled she went down on her knees beside him film and took his hand in her two and held it tight everything is all right mark and you are better every time you wake his lips strove to frame words she bent close to them and heard his won dering whisper every thing all right 9 yes thank god she whispered back to him everything in all the wide wide world I 1 no he could not understand that she saw perplexity in his eyes now but she did not mean to let him talk yet and it was time tor for broth again but again he was whispering blankets yours yes mark after you have had your nourishment when I 1 need them I 1 but when he had taken his cup of hot broth he slipped off to sleep again and gloria smiling a tender smile sat by her fire watching him as a mother watches a sick baby who the doctor has just told her will live CHAPTER XIV that night gloria listening now to king s breathing now to the crackling of her fire grew restless in her heart was still that newborn new born glad ness in her bosom there was still something singing like the liquid voice of a bird it had sung for the first time when first she had ministered to king when she had understood what loves service was when she had gone down the cliffs for firewood when because of her tireless nursing she had been rewarded by his opening eyes as the hours wore fa on it had grown into a chant triumphant she gloria had been unafraid and unswerving she had saved a mans man s life and that life was mark king kings s I 1 she had made amends she had set her feet un falter angly in a new trail throughout her being she was aglow with the con of one who had gladly done love loves s labor now he she waited only for the hour when again king must have his broth she gave it to him smiled at him commanded him to go back to sleep promising to talk with him in the morning and then when again he breathed with the quiet regularity of one sleeping she went eagerly about her task they must have more meat tomorrow or the next day at latest for the steaks which she had eaten and the strong broths to maintain and rebuild strength in king had cut deeply into their supply and she knew mark kill king well enough to be very certain that the moment be he could summon strength enough ellough to command his tottering body to stand on two legs he would go tw it was for her to be before him fortunately it had not snowed since king made his kill she could follow in the trail he had made and it would lead her unerringly to the spot where he had left the rest of the meat she had everything ready rifle small packet of food knife even matches and strips torn from the sack for her fee down in the gorge clutching her rifle she stood looking listening but there was no man in sight and in the intense determination possessing her she throttled down all fear thoughts ro to BB bic |