The Winslow mail., 1920-12-24


to have secret regrets that he had
come. But it wasn't that he was dis
appointed in the land that was open
ing up before him. It fulfilled every
promise. His sole reason for regrets
lay in the fact that now the whole
mountain world would know of the
decay that had come upon his people
Perhaps 1t would have been better to
have left them to their traditions.
He had never dreamed that the
fame Of his grandfather had spread
so far. For the first ten miles Dan
listened to stories-legends of a cold
nerve that simply could not be shaken
OF powerful, tireless physique; of
moral and physical strength that was
seemingly without limit. Then, as
the foothills began to give way to the
higher ridges, and the shadow Of the
deeper forests fell upon the narrow,
brown road, there began to be long
gaps in the talk. And soon they rode
in utter silence, evidently both of
them absorbed in their own thoughts.
Dan did not feel oppressed at ALL
He merely seemed to fall into the
spirit Of the woods. and no words
came to his lips. Every mile was an
added delight to him. Not even wine
could have brought brighter sparkle
to his eyes. He had begun to expert
ence vague sort of excitement an
emotion that was almost kin to ex-
tot %ho ek;
movement of the forest life. Once, as
they stopped the car to refill the ra-
diator from mountain stream, Len
nox looked at him with sudden curl
osity. "You are getting a thrill out
of this. aren't you?' he asked wonder
ingly.
1t was a curious tone. Perhaps 1t
was hopeful tone, too. He spoke
as if he hardly understood.
IA thrill I" Dan echoed. He spoke
as man speaks in the presence Of
some great wonder. "Good Heavens
never saw anything like it in my
life"
I'm this very stream" the mountain
eer told him joyously. you may occa-
sionally catch trout that weigh three
pounds"
But as he got back into the car the
look of interest died out of Lennox's
eyes. Of course any man would be
somewhat excited by his first glimpse
Of the wilderness. 1t was not that he
had inherited any of the traits of his
grandfather. It was absurd to hope
that he had. And he would soon get
tired of the silences and want to go
back to his cities. He told his thought
that it would all soon grow old to
him; and Dan turned almost in anger
"You don't know" he said. 81
didn't know myself. how I would feel
about 1t. I'm never going to leave the
hills again."
"You don't mean that"
"But / do" He tried to speak fur
ther, but he coughed instead. "But ]
couldn't If I wanted to. That cough
tells you why, guess"
"You mean to say" Silas Lennox
turned in amaZement. "YOu mean that
you're IA goner? That you've given
up hope Of recovering?"
That's the impression meant to
convey. I've got a little over four
months-though I don't see that I'm
any weaker than 1 was when the doc
tor said had six months. Those
four will take me all through the fall
and the early winter. And hope you
won't feel that you've been imposed
upon-to have dying man on your
hands,"
ut isn't that" Silas Lennox threw
his car into gear and started up the
long grade. And he drove clear to the
top of it and into another glen before
he spoke again. Then he pointed to
what looked to Dan like a brown
streak that melted into the thick
brush. "That was a deer" he said
slowly. "Just a glimpse. but your
grandfather could have got him be-
tween the eyes, Most like as not,
though, he'd have let him go. He
never killed except when he needed
meat. But that-as you say-ain't
the impression I'm trying to convey"
He seemed to be cropping for words.
"What is it, Mr.. Lennox" Dan
asked.
Instead Of being sorry, I'm mighty
glad you've come" Lennox told him.
It's not that 1 expect you to be like
your grandfather. You haven't had
his chance. But it's always the way
Of true men, the world over, to come
back to their own kind to die. That
deer we just saw-he's your people,
and so are all these ranchers that
grub their lives out Of the forests
they are your people, too. And you
couldn't have pleased the old mans
old friends any better, or done more
for his memory, than to come back
to his own land for your last days"
The words were strange, yet Dan
intuitively understood. 1t was as ii