Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-23
CHAPTER ..


The way led along what had once
been the embankment Of q railroad.
But no train had run upon 1t for many
years. The forest on either side
swelled up the slopes Of the embank.
ment and crested across it in green
wave Of trees and bushes. The trail
was as narrow as q mans body, and
was no more than wild-animal run.
way. Occasionally a piece Of rusty
iron, showing through the forest mold,
advertised that the rail and the ties
still remained. In one place a ten
inch tree, bursting through at con.
nection, had lifted the end of rail
clearly into view. The tie had evident
ly followed the rail, held to 1t by the
spike long enough for its bed to be
filed with gravel and rotten leaves,
SO that now the crumbling. rotten
timber thrust itself up at curious
slant. Old as the road was. it was
manifest that 1t had been of the mono
rail type.
An old man and boy travelled along
this runway. They moved slowly, for
the old man was very old, touch
of palsy made his movements tremu-
lous, and he leaned heavily upon his
stan. A rude skullcap Of goatskin
protected his head from the sun From
beneath this fell scant fringe Of
stained and dirty-white hair A visor.
ingeniously made from a large leaf.
shielded his eyes. and from under this
he peered at the way Of his feet
on the trail. His beard. which should
be snow.white, but which showed the
same weather wear and camp stain
as his hair, fell nearly to his waist
in a great tangled mass. His arms
and legs. withered and skinny, be-
tokened extreme age, as we'll as did
their sunburn and scars and scratches
betoken long years of exposure to the
elements.
The boy, who led the way, checking
the eagerness of his muscles to the
slow progress Of the elder. likewise
wore single garment ragged-edged
piece of bearskin, with hole in the
middle through which he had thrust
his head. He could not have been
more than twelve years old. Tucked
coquettishly over one ear was the
freshly covered tail Of pig. In one
hand he carried q medium.sized bow
and arrow. On his back was a CULVER
full Of arrows. From sheath hang
ing about his neck on a thong pro-
jected the battered handle of q hunt
ing knife. He was as brown as q
berry, and walked softly. with almost
a catlike tread. In marked contrast
with his sunburned skin were his
eyes-blue, deep blue. but keen and
sharp as a pair of gimlets They
seemed to bore into all about him in
way that was habitual. AS he went
along he smelled things, as we'll, his
distended, quivering nostrils carrying
to his brain an endless series Of mes
sages from the outside world Also,
his hearing was acute. and had been
so trained that it operated automat-
ically.
Suddenly he became alertly tense
Sound, sight, and odor had given him
q simultaneous warning. Ills hand
went back to the old man. touching
him, and the pair stood still. Ahead,
at one side Of the top OF the embark
ment, arose a cracking sound, and the
boys gaze was fixed on the tops of the
agitated bushes. Then a large bear,
Q grizzly, crashed into view, and like
wise stopped abruptly, at sight Of the
humans. He did not like them, and
growled ENORMOUSLY. Slowly the boy
fitted the arrow to the bow, and slow
ly he pulled the bowstring taut. But
he never removed his eyes from the
bear. The old man peered from under
his green leaf at the danger, and stood
as quietly as the boy. For few
seconds this mutual scrutinizing went
on; then. the bear betraying growing
irritability, the boy, with movement
Of his head, indicated that the old
man must step aside from the trail
and go down the embankment. The
boy followed, going backward. still
holding the bow taut and ready They
waited, till a crashing among the
bushes from the opposite side of the
embankment told them that the bear
had gone on. The boy grinned as
he led back to the trail
IA big un, Granser," he chuckled.
The old man shook his head.
"They get thicker every day." he
complained In thin. indispensable
falsetto. who'd have thought I'd
live to see the time when a man would
be afraid Of his life on the way to the
Cliff house? When l was a boy, Ed
win, men and women and little babies
used to come out here from San Fran
cisco by tens Of thousands on nice
day. And there weren't any bears
then. No, SIR They used to pay
money to look at them in cages. they
were that rare"
What is money. Granser?"
Before the old man could answer.
the boy recollected and triumphantly
showed his hand into q pouch under
his bearskin and pulled forth q bat
tered and furnished silver dollar. The
old mans eyes glistened. az he held
the coin close to them.
II can't see," he muttered. you
look and see II you can make out the
date. Edwin"
The boy laughed.
You're = great Granser." he cried
delighted, always making believe
them little marks mean something"
The old man manifested An accus.
. i. q a =. -