Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-07-02
CHAPTER l-contlnued.
II

snow, he learned to walk on snow
shoes. At first there were panied
ankles and endless foundering in the
drifts. But between the fall of fresh
snow and the thaws that Softened the
crust. he slowly mastered the art.
Snowbird-and Dan never realized the
full significance of her name until he
saw her flying with incredible grace
over the snow-laughed at him at first
and ran him races that would usually
end in his falling headfirst into a ten
foot snowbank. She taught him how
10 ski and more than once she would
stop in the middle of an earnest bit
of pedagogy to find that he wasn't lis
tening at all. He would seem to be
fairly devouring her with his eyes de-
fighting in the play of soft pinks and
reds in her cheeks, and drinking, as
man drinks wine, the amazing change
of light and shadow in her eyes
She seemed to blossom under his
gaze. Not one of those short winter
days went by without the discovery
of some new trait or little vanity TO
astonsh or delight him-sometimeS
an unlooked-for tenderness toward the
weak. often a sweet. untained philOs-
ophy of life. or perhaps just a lower
ing of her eyelids in which her eyes
would show lustrous through the
lashes, or some sweeping, exuberant
gesture startlingly graceful.
Lennox Weakened one morning with
1he realization that this was one of
the hardest winters of his experience.
He began to be very glad of the abun-
dsnt stores of pl DIVISIONS that over
crowded his pantry-savory hams and
bacons, dried venison, sacks of pota-
toes and evapOrated vegetables. and,
Of course, canned goods past count
ing. With the high fire roaring in the
CRATE, the season held no Ills for them.
But sometimes, when the bitter cold
same down at twilight, and the moon
foked like thing Of Ice itself over the
snow. he began to wonder how the
Wild creatures who wintered on the
Divide were faring. OF course most
Of them were gone. Wool, long since,
had grunted and mumbled his way
into a winter lair. But the wolves re-
NAMED. strange gray shadows on the
snow. and possibly a few of the
harder smaller creatures.
More than once in those long win
ter nights their talk was chopped off
short by the song Of the pack on some
vi hn
world is old, possibly man will be
born that can continue to talk and
keep his mind on his words while the
wolf pack sings. But he Is certainly
an unknown quantity today. The cry
sets in vibration curious memory
chords, and for a moment the listener
sees in his minds eye his ancient
home In an ancient world-Darkness
and Fear and Eyes shining about the
cave. 1t carries him back. and he
knows the wilderness as 1t really Is
and to have such knowledge dries up
all inclination to talk, as a sponge
dries water. OF course the picture
isn't entirely plain. 1t is more a thing
guessed at, photograph in some dark
part Of an under-cOnsciousnes that
mas constantly grown more dim as the
centuries have passed Possibly some
time it will fade out altogether; and
5Hen a man may continue to discuss
fhe weather while the Song from the
ridge shudders in at the windows But
we world will be quite cold by then,
ana no longer particularly interesting
ANA possibly even the wolves t~,km-
serves viii then he tanned TO play dead
ana speak pieces-which means the
wilderness itself will be tanned For
as long as the wild lasts. the pack will
run through it In the winter. They
wore here in the beginning. and in
'pie Of constant war and constant
hatred on the part of men. they will
.e acre in the end. The reason IS ju-t
.'a they are the symbol Of the viii
'''a'Ss itself, ami the idea of it CON
INNING to exist without them is
ger than that of nation without
flag
wasn't quite the same song that
Nh Had listened to in the first days
.a.- It had been triumphant then,
ma proud with the wilderness pride.
course II had been sad then, too.
''' u was more sad now. And it was
granger. too. and crept farther into
Tho souls of its listeners. II was the
of strength thar couldn't avail
.aS' the snow, possibly OF cold and
Despair and courage Of starvation.
'hFee that heard 1t were Injured
" ne wilderness; but a moment was
avs needed after its last note had
20 regain their cayety.
hey'.o getting lean and they're
a@ savage" Lennox said one
3tretched on his divan before
' fireplace. He was still unable 70
Int the fractures were knitting
and the doctor had promised
me sumner would find him well.
Ne had a dog. I wouldn't offer
FOR his life. one Of these DAYS
md 'em In a big circle around
Ho1se-and then wen have 10
with the rifles
this picture appalled, neither of