The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1914-11-26
CHAPTER !.

DS0b VOsvOs
CHAPTER l.
A 2psek In the Sky.
Il was Marta who first saw the spsek
tn the sky. Her outcry and her bound
from her seat At the teatable brought
her mother and Colonel Wsstsriins
after her onto the lawn. whsre they
became motionless figures, screening
their eyes with their hands. The new.
ct and most wonderful thing in the
world 1t the time was this speck ap
pearing above the irregular horisOn Of
the Brown range. In view Of . land
scape that centuries Of civilization had
esFtilised and cultivated and formed.
At the base Of the range ran . line
Of white stone posts. placed BY intse.
nationA commissions Of surveyors to
the nicely of an inchs variation. In
the very direction Of the speck's flight
Q spur Of foothills extended into the
plain that stretched away to the Gray
range, distinct at the distance of
thirty miles in the bright afternoon
light. Faithful 70 their part In refus-
ing to climb. the white posts circlsd
Ground the spur. hugsing the levels.
In the lap Of the spur was La Tir.
the old town. and on the other side
of the boundary lay South La Tir. the
new town. Through both ran the dusty
ribbon of Q road. drawn straight across
the plain and over the glistening
thread Of . river. On its way to the
pass Of the Brown range It skirted the
garden Of the Gallands. which rose In
terraces to seventeenth-century
house overlooking the old town from its
eatskirts. They were such town. such
. road, such . landscape ~ you may
sss ON many European frontiers. The
Christian people who lived in the rs-
gion were like the Christian people
you know II you look for the realities
ok humAn nature under the surfacs dif.
fsrsnces Of language and habits.
Beyond the house rose the ruins Of .
castle. it, tower still intact. Marta Al
ways referred to the castle as the
baron; for In her girlhood she had .
way Of personifying all inanimate
things. II the castle walls were GOV.
cred with hoar frost, she said that the
baron was shivering; II the wind tore
around the tower. she said that the
baron was groaning over the demo-
cratic tendencies Of the time. On such
. summer afternoon Is this. the baron
was growing old gracefully. At peace
with his enemies.
Centuries older than the speck in
the sky was the baron; but the pass
road was many more, countless more,
centuries older than he. 1t had been
. trail for tribes long before Roman
legions won q victory in the pass.
which was acclaimed an imperial tri-
umph. To hold the pass was to hold
the range. All the blood shed there
would make a red river, inundating the
plain.
beside the old baron, we are par
venus" Marta would say. And what
. parvenu the baron would have been
to the Roman aristocrat!"
"Our family is old enough-none
older in the province!" Mrs. Galland
would reply. Marta, how your mind
does wander! I'd get headache jus,
contemplating the things you are able
to think Of in FIVE minutes"
The first Galland had built house
on the land that his king had given
him for one Of the most brilliant feats
OF arms in the history of the pass.
Even the. tower. raised to the glory
of an older family whose descendants
II any survived. were unaware Of thei,
lineage. had become known as the
Galland tower. The Gallands were
rooted in the soil of the frontier; the,
were used to having wars hot breath
blow past their door; they were al
home in the language and customs O.
two peoples; theirs was a peculiar ira
dition, which Marta had absorbed will
her first breath. Town and plain ant
range were the first vista of landscap,
that she had seen; doubtless the,
would be the last.
One or two afternoons a week Col
onel Hedworth Westerling, commando
of the regimental post of the Grays o,
the other side Of the white posts
stretched his privilege of crossing tn,
frontier and appeared for tea at tn,
0allands. 1t meant a pleasant hall
hour breaking long walk. a relic
from garrison surroundings. and II
view Of the order, received that morn
ing. this was to be a farewell call.
He had found Mrs. Galland an agree
able reelection Of an aristocratic past
The daughter had what he define,
vaguely - girlish piQuancy. He .foun,
It amusing to try to answer her ur
usual questions; he liked the variet,
Of her inventive mind, with its fashe
q Downright mAtter-of-factness.
Not until tea was served did he mar