The state herald., 1920-12-21
BOOK LIBERALIZATION.

CHAPTER I.-Warned by his physician
that he has not more than six months tt
live. Failing sits despondently on parl
bench. wondering where he should spent
those six months. friendly squire
practically decides the matter for him
His blood is pioneer blood. and he decides
to end his days in the forests OF Oregon
Memories of his grandfather and q deeT
love for all things of the wild help hin
in reaching a decision
CHAPTER HIN q large southern Ore.
gon city he meets people who had known
and loved his grandfather. a famous from
tiersman. He makes his home with Sila:
Lennox. a typical westerner. The onl,
other members of the household are Len
nox's son. BILL" and daughter, Snow
bird" Their abode is many miles from
civilization" in the Umpqua divide. and
there Failing plans to live out the shor,
span of life which he has been told is his
His extreme weakness in the face of ever
a slight exertion convinces him that the
doctor had made a correct diagnosis OF
his
Good Lordl" Dan breathed. "If
you make such sudden motions as that
I'll have heart failure. Where are
you going now!"
Back to my watch" she answered,
her tone wholly lacking the personal
uote which men hrve learned to ex-
pect in the voices women. And an
instant later the three OF them saw
her retreating shadow as she vanished
among the pines.
Dan had TO be helped to bed. The
long ride had been too hard on his
shattered lungs; and nerves and body
collapsed an instant after the door
was closed behind the departing girl.
lie laughed weakly and begged their
pardon; and the two men were really
very gentle. They told him It was
their own fault for permitting him to
overdo. LennoY himself blew out the
candle In the big, cold bedroom.
Dan saw the door close behind him.
and he had an instant's glimpse of the
long sweep Of moonlit ridge that
stretched beneath the window. Then.
all at once, seemingly without warn
Ing. II simply blinked out. Not until
the next morning did he really know
why. Insomnia was an old acqualnt-
ance OF Dams, and he had expected to
have some trouble In getting TO sleep.
His only real trouble was waking up
again when Lennox called him TO
breakfast. He couldn't believe that
the light nt his window shade was
really that OF morning.
Good Heavens I" his host exploded.
you sleep the sleep Of the just"
Dan was about to tell him that on
tie contrary he was very nervous
sleeper, but he thought better OF Il.
Something had surely happened to his
Insomnia. The next instant he even
forgot to wonder about It In the reali.
zntion that his tired body had been
wonderfully refreshed. He had no
dread now OF the long tramp up the
ridge that his host had planned.
But first came target practice. In
Dams baggage he had certain very
plain but servicenble sporting rife OF
about thlrty.forty cnlibcr-n gun that
the information department Of the
large sporting-goods storc In Gl,che.
apolis had recommended for his pur-
pose. Except for the few moments In
the store. Dan had never held n rife
In his hands. The hrst shot he hit the
trunk OF ilye.foot pine nt thirty
PAGES.
"But | couldn't very well have
missed Il" he replied TO Lcnnox's
cheer. "You see. | aimed at the mid.
debut Just irnzcd the edge"
The second shot was not so good.
missing the tree altogether. And II
was n singular thing TINT he mined
longer and tried harder on this shot
thnn on the first. The third time he
tried stlll harder. md made by far
the worst shot Of nil.
"whnts the mnttcrf" he demanded.
"rm getting worse NIL the time"
LcnnoS didn't know for sure. But
he mndc n long guess. at might be
beginners luck" hc said, "but I'm In.
clincd TO think you're trying too hard
Tnkc II cnslcr-dcpond more on your
Instincts"
Dams reply wns 10 lift the rife
lightly To his shoulder. glance quickly
along the trigger nnd nrc. The bullc,
struck within one inch Of the center
OF the pine.
For n long second Lcnnox gnzed nj
him In opcn.mouthcd nstonlahmont
MY stars hoyi" he cried nt Inst
"wns ! mistaken In thinking you wer,
born ,cnderfoot-nftcr nllf Cnn I,
be TINT little Of your old grnndfn
TIERS skin hns been pissed down Il
your But you emit do II again"
! But Dan did do II nRnin. II my
thing, the bullet wns n little ncnrci
the center, And then he aimed Mt
more Distant tree.
But the hammer snapped down In
effectively on the brcech. He ,urne,
with lonl, of question