The Winslow mail., 1920-12-24

MS pleasure. ana ne signed Ine wire
with his full name: Dan Failing, with
Henry in the middle, and "III" at
the end.
He usually didn't sign his name in
quite this manner The people of
Gitcheapolis did not have particular
ly vivid memories of Dams GRANDPA
ther But it might be that legend
of The gray, straight frontiersman who
was his ancestor had still survived in
these remote Oregon wilds. The use
of the full name would do no harm.
Instead of hurting, it was positive
inspiration The Chamber of Com
merce of the busy little Oregon city
was not usually exceptionally inter-
ested in stray hunters that wanted
boarding place for the summer. It's
business was finding country homes
for orchardists in the pleasant river
valleys. But it happened that the re-
cipient of the wire was one of the old
est residents, a frontiersman himself,
and it was one of the traditions of the
Old West that friendships were not
soon forgotten. Dan Failing had
been a legend in the old trapping and
shooting days when this man was
young So it came about that when
Dams train stopped at Cheyenne, he
found a telegram waiting him:
ANY relation to Dan Failing Of the
Umpqua divide?"
Dan had never heard Of the Ump-
qua divide, but he couldn't doubt but
that the sender of the wire referred
to his grandfather He wired in the
affirmative. The head of the Chamber
of Commerce received the wire, read
it, thrust it into his desk, and in the
face of really important piece of
business proceeded to forget all about
it. Thus it came about that, except
for one thing, Dan Failing would have
probably stepped off the train at his
destination wholly unheralded and un-
met. The one thing that changed his
destiny was that at meeting of a
certain widely known fraternal order
the next night, the Chamber Of Com
merce crossed trails with the Frontier
in the person of another old resident
who had his home in the farthest
reaches Of the Umpqua divide. The
latter asked the former to come up
for few days shooting-the deer be-
ing fatter and more numerous than
any previous season since the days of
the grizzlies.
'"Too busy, I'm afraid" the Cham
Der of Commerce had replied. "But
Lennox-that reminds me. Do you
remember old Dan Failing?"
Lennox probed back into the years
for single instant, Strengthened out
all the kinks of his memory in less
time than the wind straightens out
the folds Of a flag, and turned most
exclaimed. II should say l do" The
middle-aged man half-closed his pierc-
ing, gray eyes.
Listen, Steele" he said, II saw Dan
Failing make bet once. ! was just
kid, but wake up in my sleep to
marvel at it. We had a full long
glimpse of black-tail bounding up
long slope. 1t was just spike-buck,
and Dan Failing said he could take
the left-hand spike off with one shot
from his old Sharpe's. Three Of us
bet him-the whole thing in less than
two seconds. With the next shot,
he'd get the deer. He won the bet
and now if ever forget Dan Failing.
I want to die"
you're just the man I'm looking
for. then. You're not going out till the
day after tomorrow"
mo"
"On the limited, hitting here tomor-
row morning. there's grandson of
Dan Failing. His name is Dan FAIL
ing. too, and he wants to go up to your
place to hunt. Stay all summer and
pay board"
Lennox's eyes said that he couldn't
believe it was true. After a while his
tongue spoke, too. "Good Lord" he
said. II used to foller Dan around
like old Shag, before he died, followed
Snowbird. Of course he can come.
But he can't pay board"
1t was rather characteristic of the
mountain men-that the grandson of
Dan Failing couldn't possibly pay
board. But Steele knew the ways of
cities and Of men, and he only smiled
He WON'T come, them" ne explained.
Anyway, hive that out with him at
the end of his stay. He wants fish
ing. and you've got that in the North
fork. Moreover, you're a thousand
miles back"
"Only one hundred, If you must
know. But Steele-do you suppose
he's the man his grandfather was be-
fore him-that all the Failings have
been since the first days of the Ore
gon trail? If he is-well, my hats
Off to him before he steps off the
train."
The mountaineers bronzed face was
earnest and intent in the bright lights
of the club. Steele thought he had