The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1921-01-26

the others laughed ana told MIN 70
take heart
He took heart. II was singular
thing, but at that first bite his sudden
confidence in his gustatory ability al
most overwhelmed him. So he cut
himself bite of the tender steak
fully half as generous as the bites that
Bill was consuming across the table.
And its first flavor simply filed him
with delight
"What is this meat?" he asked.
"I've certainly tasted ii before
"rll bet few dollars that you
haven't, If you've lived all your life
In the Middle West" Lennox an
severed. Maybe you've got what the
scientists call an inherited memory OF
II. It's the kind of meat your grand
father used to live on-venison."
Soon after dinner Lennox led him
out of the house for his first glimpse
Of the hills in the darkness.
They walked together out to- the
gate. across the first of the wide pas
lures where. at certain seasons. Len
nox kept his cattle; and at last they
came out upon the tree-covered ridge.
The moon was just rising. They could
see IL casting curious CLINT over the
very tips Of the pines. But IL couldn't
get down between them. They stood
too close. too tall and thick for that.
And for moment. Dams only sensa-
tion was one Of silence.
you have TO stand still moment.
10 really know anything" LennoX told
him.
They both stood still. Dan was as
motionless as that day in the park.
long weeks before, when the squirrel
had climbed on his shoulder. The first
effect was sensation that the silence
was deepening around them. 1t wasn't
really true. 1t was simply that he
had become aware OF the little con-
tinuous sounds of which usually he
was unconscious, and they tended TO
accentuate the hush OF the night. He
knew. just as all mountaineers know,
that the. wilderness about him was
stirring and pulsing with life. Some
of the sounds were quite clear-an
occasional stir of a pebble or the crack
of twig, and some, like the faintest
twitching of leaves in the brush not
ten feet distant. could only be guessed
at.
"What is making the sounds" he
asked.
He didn't know At. at the time, but
Lennox turned quickly toward him. 1t
wasn't that the question had surprised
the mountaineer. Rather Ii was the
tone in which Dan had spoken. 1t was
perfectly cool, perfectly self-con-
tanned.
1.-THE one right close is a chipmunk.
I don't know what the others are; no
one ever does know. Perhaps ground
: squirrels. or rabbits, or birds, and
maybe one of those harmless old black
bears who is curious about the house.
And tell me-can you smell any
thing"
"Good Lord Lennox can smell all
kinds of things
"rm glad. Some men can't. No one
can enjoy the woods IL he can't smell.
Part Of the smells are of flowers. and
part of balsam, and God only knows
what the others are. They are just
the wilderness"
Dan could not only perceive the
smells and sounds, but he felt that
they were leaving an imprint on the
very fiber of his soul. He knew one
thing. He knew he could never for
I,n
tain night The whole scene moved
him in strange. deep ways in which
he had never been stirred before; 1t
left him exultant and in deep wells of
his nature far below the usual cur
rents of excitement, little excited
too.
Then both of them were startled
out Of their reflections by the clear,
unmlstakable sound OF footsteps on
the ridge. Both of them turned, and
Lennox laughed softly in the dark
ness. my daughter" he said. II
knew she wouldn't be afraid to come"
Dan could see only Snowbirds out
line at first, just her shadow against
the moonlit hillside. His glasses were
none too good at long range. And
possibly, when she came within range,
the first thing that he noticed about
her was her stride The girls he
knew didn't walk in quite that free,
strong way. She took almost a man
size step; and yet II was curious that
she did not seem ungraceful. Dan had
n distinct impression that she was
floating down to him on the moonlight.
she seemed to come with such unut-
terable smoothness. And then he
heard her call lightly through the
darkness.
The sound gave him a distinct sense
OF surprise. Some way, he hadn't as
ISOLATED voice like this with a noun
tain girl; he had supposed that there
would be so many harshsning influ-
ences in this wild place. Yet the tone
was as clear and full as a trained
sinper's III was not high voice: and