The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-11-25

Anu lis nrst uaVOr simply nlle0 him
with delight.
"What is this meat?" he asked.
1--WE certainly tasted II before"
"T'll bet few dollars that you
haven't. If you've lived all your life
in the Middle West" Lennox an
swered. Maybe you've got what the
scientists call an inherited memory of
1t. It's the kind of meat your grand
father used to live on-venison."
Soon after dinner Lennox led him
out of the house for his first glimpse
of the hills in the darkness.
They walked together out TO the
gate. across the first of the wide pas
lures where. at certain seasons. Len
pox kept his cattle; and at last they
came out upon the tree-covered ridge.
The moon was just rising. They could
see 1t casting a. curious CLINT over the
very tips of the pines. But it couldn't
get down between them. They stood
too close. too tall and thick for that.
And for a moment. Dams only sensa-
ton was one of silence.
"You have. to stand still moment,
to really know anything" Lennox told
him.
They both stood still. Dan was as
motionless as that day in the park.
long weeks before. when the squirrel
had climbed on his shoulder. The first
effect was sensation that the silence
was deepening around them. 1t wasn't
really true. 1t was simply that he
had become aware of the little con-
tinuous sounds of which usually he
was unconscious. and they tended to
accentuate the hush of the night. He
knew. Just as all mountaineers know,
that the wilderness about him was
stirring and pulsing with life Some
of the sounds were quite clear-an
occasional stir of pebble or the crack
of twig. and some. like the faintest
twitching of leaves in the brush not
ten feet distant. could only be guessed
at.
"What is making the sounds?" he
asked
He didn't know It, at the time. but
Lennox turned quickly toward him. 1t
wasn't that the question had surprised
the mountaineer. Rather II was the
tone In which Dan had spoken 1t was
perfectly cool, perfectly self-con-
tained.
''rhe one right close is chipmunk.
don't know what the others are; no
one ever does know. Perhaps ground
squirrels. or rabbits. or birds. and
maybe one of those harmless old black
bears who is curious about the house.
And tell me-can you smell any
thing"
Good Lord. Lennox ! can smell all
kinds of things"
I'm glad. Some men can't. No one
can enjoy the woods If he can't smell
Part of the smells are of flowers. and
part of balsam. and God only knows
wbat the others are. They are just
the Wilderness"
Dan could not only perceive the
smells and sounds. but he felt that
they We're leaving an imprint on the
very fiber of his som. He knew one
thing. He knew he could never for
get this first Introduction to the noun
tain night. The whole scene moved
him in strange. deep ways in which
he had never been stirred before; It
left him exuitaHt and. In deep wells OF
his nature far below the usual cur
rents of excitement, . little excited
TOO. ~-,-'.; .-Ii. .t- -t
Then both Of them were startled
out Of their reflections by the clear.
unmistakable sound Of footsteps on
the ridge. Both of them turned. and
Lennox laughed softly in the dark
ness ~Afy daughter he said. n
knew she wouldns be afraid 10 come"
Dan could see only ;Snowbird's out
line at first. just her shadow against
the moonlit hillside. His glasses were
none too good at long range. And
possibly. when she scane within range,
the first thing that he noticed about
her was her Stride. The girls he
knew didn't walk IN quite that free,
strong way She took almost man.
size step; and vet y wasfcurious that
she did not seem ungraceful. Dan had
dlstinct impression that she was
floating down to him on the moonlight
She seemed to come with such unut-
terable smOothness. And then he
heard her call tightly through the
darkness. So sfa 50 % ~
The sound gave him. a distinct sense
Of surprise. Some way. he hadn't as
ISOLATED voice like this with noun
tain girl: he had supposed that there
would he SO many harshening fnfiu-
ences In this wild place. Yet the tone
was as clear and full as a trained
singers. 1t was not high voice; and
yet II seemed simply brimmlng. ms
cup brims with wine. with the rap
lure of life. 1t was self-confident
voice too. wholly unaffected and sin
cere. and wholly without embarrass-
ment.
Then she came close. and Dan saw
the moonlight on her face. And so It
came about, whether in dreams or