The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-03-22

too closely. Curiosity was neither
safe nor necessary. II he aroused tran
sient interest or speculation 1t soon
died away. He vanished into the
mountains and as he came no more
to that place, he was soon forgotten.
Withdrawing from his fellow men
and avoiding their society, this man
was never so satisfied as when alone
in the silent hills. His heart and spirit
rose with every step he made away
from the main travelled roads or the
more difficult mountain trails.
For several days he journeyed
through the mountains, choosing the
Widest and most inaccessible parts
for his going. Amid the canons and
peaks he threaded his way with un-
erring accuracy, ascending higher and
higher until at last he reached the
mountain aerie, the lonely hermitage,
where he made his home. There he
reveled In his isolation. What had
been punishment, expiation, had at
last become pleasure.
Civilization was bursting through
the hills In every direction, railways
were being pushed hither and thither,
the precious metals were being dis
covered at various places and after
them came boards of men and with
them-God save the mark-women;
but his section Of the country had
hitherto been unvisited even by hunt
ers, explorers, miners or pleasure
seekers. He was glad, as he had
grown to love the spot where he had
made his home, and he had no wish to
be forced, like little Joe, to move on.
Once a man who loved the strife,
noble Or ignoble, of the madding
crowd, he had grown accustomed to
silence, habituated to solitude. Winter
and summer alike he roamed the
mountains, delving into every forest,
exploring every hidden canyon, sur
mounting every inaccessible peak; no
storm, no snow, no condition of wind
Or weather daunted him or stopped
him. He had no human companion
ship by which to try his msttle, but
nevertheless over the world of the
material which lay about him he was
a master as he was man.
He found some occupation, too. in
the following Of old Adams Inherit
ance; during the pleasant months of
summer he made such garden as he
could. His profession of mining en-
gineer gave him other employment.
Round about him lay treasures ines
Unable, precious metals abounded in
the hills. He had located them, tested.
analysed, estimated the wealth that
was his for the taking-it was as val
ueless to him as the doubloons and
golden guineas were to Selkirk on his
island. Yet the knowledge that it was
there gave him an energizing sense OF
potential power, unconsciously enorm-
ously fattering to his selfesteem.
Sometimes he wandered to the ex-
treme verge of the range and on clear
days saw far beneath him the smoke
OF great cities of the plains. He
could be master among men as he was
a master among mountains, IL he
chose. On such occasions he laughed
cynically. scornfully, yet rarely did
he ever give way to such emotions.
A great and terrible sorrow was
upon him; cherishing great passion
he had withdrawn himself from the
common lot to dwell upon it. From
a perverted sense of expiration, In q
madness of grief, horror and despair,
he had made himself prisoner to his
ideas In the desert of the mountains.
Back to his cabin he would hasten,
and there surrounded by his living
memories-deathless. yet of the deadi