New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-12-24

the sun, and The flesh vas So lean thai
the c~heekbOneS showed plainly. The
mouth was straight but yet 1t was
neither savag n0r cruel. Ii was sim
ply determined.
LeHnOX came up with a Hight. silent
tread and extended his hand. You're
Dan Failing'S grandson, aren't your
he asked. I'm Silas LcnnOx, who
used TO know him when he lived on
the Divide. You are coming to spend
the >ummer and fall on my ranch"
The immediate result Of these
words. besides relief, was to set Dan
wondering how the old mountaineer
had recognized him. He wondered if
h" had any physical resemblance TO
ms grandfather, But this hope was
shot 10 earth at once. His telegram
had explained about his malady, and
of course the mouutaineer had picked
him out simply because he had the
mark Of the disease on his face. As
he shook hands, he tried his best to
read the mountainecr'S expression. 1t
was all too plain: nm u%ndeuiable look
of disappointment.
The truth was that even in spite of
all the Chamber of Commerce head had
told him, Lenuox had stlll hoped TO
find some image Of the elder Dan
Failing in the face and body of his
grandson. Because of the thick
glasses, LennoX could not see the
young mans eyes; but he didn't think
1t likely they We're at all like the eyes
with which the elder Failing saw his
way through the wilderness at night.
or course he was tail, just as the fa-
nous fronticrSman had 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 ~degenrracy to the Failing elan.
Lennox was desOlatcd by the thought.
lie helped Dan with his bag to a lit
tie wiry automobile that waited he
side the station. They got into the
two front seats, and n moment later
were starting up the long, curved
rond that led to the Divide.
During the hour that they were
crossing over the foothills, on the way
to the big timber, Silas Lcnnox talked
n great deal about the fronticrsman
that had been Dams grandfather. a
mountain man does not use p~rofuse
~adjectives. lie talks very simply and
very straight, and often there are long
silencrs between his sentences. Yet
he conveys his ideas with entire clear
ness.
Dan realized at once that Il he
could be, IN Lemons eyes. one-fifth
of the man his grandfather had been,
he would I'VE 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. lie knew
what his destiny was In these quiet
hills. And ii was true that he began
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. Ii 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 10
have left them to their traditions.
He had ncvcr dreamed that the
fame of his grandfather had spread
50 far. For the first ten miles Dan
listened to storics-legends of II cold
nerve that simply could not be shaken;
OF II powerful, t%irclcSs physique; of
moral aud physical strength that was
seemingly without limit. Then, as
the foothills began 70 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 zoe they rode
in utter silence, evidently both of
them absorbed In their own thoughts.
Dan did not feel oppressed at all.
lie 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 a brighter sparkle
10 his eyes. lie had begun to expert
encc Il vague sort Of excitement, an
emotion that was almost kin 10 ex-
ultation. over the constant stir and
movement of the forest life. Once, as
they stopped the car 10 refill the ra-
dlator from a mountain stream, Len
nox looked at him with sudden curl
..s.- s4N.,, o. ,V.ssFRv a sIrfn 80
Of this, aren't your he asked wonder
ingly.
1t was q curious tone. Perhaps II
was Il hopeful tone, too. He spoke
as If he hardly understood.
"a thrill :" Dan echoed. He spoke
as q man speaks in the presence of
great wonder. Good Heavens,
I never saw anything like it in my
life"
an this very stream" the mountain
Ger 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 Lemons
eyes. OF course any man would be
somewhat excited by his first glimpse
of 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. lie told his thought
il would all soOn grow old TO
him; and Dan turned almost In anger. |
"You don't know" he said. Il
didn't know myself, how | would feel
about II. I'm never going TO leave the