The sun
warmed it, and the sun rays were pleasant to bask in, for autumn drew
close, and there was a coolness in the shade even at noon. She could
not see the town, but she could mark the low hills behind it. At any
rate, she knew where it lay, and the way back.
So she thought. But the short afternoon fled, and, warned by the low
dip of the sun, she left her nook on the hillside to make her way home.
Though it was near sundown, she felt no particular concern. The long
northern twilight gave her ample time to cover the distance.
But once down on the rolling land, among the close-ranked trees, she
began to experience a difficulty that had not hitherto troubled her.
With the sun hanging low, she lost her absolute certainty of east and
west, north and south. The forest seemed suddenly to grow confusingly
dim and gloomier, almost menacing in its uncanny evening silence. The
birds were hushed, and the wind.
She blundered on, not admitting to herself the possibility of being
unable to find Cariboo Meadows. As best she could, and to the best of
her belief, she held in a straight line for the town. But she walked
far enough to have overrun it, and was yet upon unfamiliar ground.
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