The Glenwood post., 1920-12-25
Your

nous frOnlerSman mad been but
while the elder weighed one hundred
and ninety pounds, bone and muscle,
this man did not touch one hundred
and thirty. Evidently the years had
brought degeneracy to the Failing clan.
LennOx was desOlated by the thought
He helped Dan with his bag to lit
tie wiry automobile that waited be-
side the station. They got into the
two front seats, and moment later
were starting up the long. curved
road that led to the Divide.
During the hour that they were
i, crossing over the foothills, on the way
to the big timber, Silas Lennox talked
a great deal about the frontiersman
, that had been Dams grandfather. A
mountain man does not use profuse
adjectives. He talks very simply and
, very straight, and often there are long
silences between his sentences. Yet
he conveys his ideas with entire clear
: ness.
Dan realized at once that II he
could be, in LennOx's eyes, one-ffth
! Of the man his grandfather had been.
he would never have to fear again the
look of disappointment with which his
= host had greeted him at the station.
But instead of reaching that high
place, he had only-death. He knew
I what his destiny was in these quiet
hills. And IT was true that he began
to have secret regrets that he had
, come. But II wasn't that he was dis
appointed in the land that was open
ing up before him. 1t 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 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 begnn 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
I 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 a vague sort Of excitement, an
; emotion that was almost kin to ex-
ultntlon, over the constant stir and
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 n thrill out
Of this. aren't you7" he asked wonder
ingly.
1t was n curious tone. Perhaps 1t
was a hopeful tone, too. He spoke
as II he hardly understood.
"A thrill r. Dan echoed. He spoke
as man speaks In the presence Of
some great wonder "Good Heavens,
never saw anything like 1t in my
life."
"In this very stream" the mountain
Ger told him joyously, you may occa-
neionnlly catch trout that weigh three
pounds"
But as he got back into the car the
bk Of interest died out Of Lennox's
Eyes. OF course any man would be
Isomewhat excited by his first glimpse
Iof the wilderness. II was not that he
had Inherited any OF the traits Of his
grandfather. II 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
thar 1t would all soon grow old to
him and Dan turned almost In nnger
"You don't know" he said. Il
didn't know myself. how would feel