"\s" in my.cfg on windows

[harry sheng]

mysql-5.6.14-win32 on windows 8.1

basedir=X:\mysql\mysql-5.6.14-win32
datadir=X:\mysql\data\slave

X:\mysql\data\slave\my.cnf
basedir = X:\mysql\mysql-5.6.14-win32
datadir = x:\mysql\data\slave
port = 3306
server_id = 102

start mysql serer from command line:
mysqld --defaults-file=x:\mysql\data\slave\my.cnf

Error:
2014-03-14 10:52:19 17340 [Warning] Can't create test file x:\mysql\data lave\7184077-01.lower-test
2014-03-14 10:52:19 17340 [Warning] Can't create test file x:\mysql\data lave\7184077-01.lower-test
mysqld: Can't change dir to 'x:\mysql\data lave\' (Errcode: 2 - No such file or directory)
2014-03-14 10:52:19 17340 [ERROR] Aborting


If I move everything in X:\mysql\data\slave to X:\mysql\data and update the my.cnf accordingly, then start the server from command line
mysqld --defaults-file=x:\mysql\data\my.cnf

the error above disappears. There must be special handling to "\s" in the my.cnf file.