The Jasper news., 1921-05-05

we're no bridges. Besides, most Of the
more prosperous farmers wintered In
the valleys. Only few more days
would the road be passable for his
car and no time must be lost In max
ing his decision.
Once the SHOWS came In reality,
there was nothing to do but stay. Sew
enty miles across the uncharted ridges
on snowshoes Is an undertaking for
which even mountalneer has no
fondness. 1t might he the wlsest thing,
after all, to load Snowbird and Dan
into his car and drive down to the
valleys. The fall roundup would soon
be completed, Bill would return for a
few days from the valleys with new
equipment TO replace the broken light
| ing system on the car, and they could
avoid the bitter cold and snow that
! LennOx had known so long. He
chopped at a great log and wondered
what would suit him better-the COM
fort and safety OF the valleys or the
rugged glory Of the ridges.
But at that instant the question Of
whether or not he would winter on the
Divide was decided for him. And an
instant was all that wns needed. For
the period of one breath he forgot to
he watchful-and certain dread
| Spirit that abides much In the forest
saw its chance. Perhaps he had lived
too long In the mountains and grown
careless of them: an attitude that is
usually punished with death. He had
| tn l.
still attached to the stump by strip
OF bark to which little of the wood
adhered, He struck furious blow at
It with his AK.
He hadn't considered that the tree
lay on steep slope. As the blade
fell, the great trunk simply seemed to
leap. Lennox leaped too. In a frenzied
effort to save his life; but already the
lenfy bows. like the tendrils of some
great amphlbian, had whipped around
his legs. He fell, struggling; and
then curious darkness, streaked
with fame, dropped down upon him.
An hour later he found himself lying
on the still hillside, knowing only a
great wonderment At first his only
|
didn't understand the grayness that
had come upon the mountain world
his own strange feeling of numbness
: OF endless soaring through infinite
spaces. But he was a mountain man
| and that meant he was schOoled, be
yond all things, to keep his self-cOn
troll. He made himself remember. Yet
he had been cutting wood on the
hillside, and the shadows had beer
long. He had been wondering wheth
er or not they should 60 down TO thu
valleys.
He remembered now: the last blow
: and the rolling log. He tried to turI
}, his head TO look up to the hill.
D He found himself wholly unable Il
e do 1t. Something wracked him 10 I'LL
t neck when he tried to move. But h
D turn I'm this direction. And he saw
b the great tree trunk lying twenty fee
: below him, wedged in between tn,
] young pines.
= he wus surrounded by broken frag
ments Of limbs, and It was eviden
that the tree had not struck him
full blow. The limbs had protecte'
: him to some extent. No man is o
8 such mold as to be crushed under tn
1 solid weight of the trunk and live +
. remember It. He wondered II thi
d were the frontier of death-the gray
ness that fingered over him. 81
seemed TO be soaring.
: He brought himself back to cart
and tried again to remember. o
Y course, the twilight had fallen. II ha
: been late afternoon when he had Gu
Z the tree. His hand stole along hi
: body; and then. for the first time,
hideous sickness came upon him. I'll
= hand was warm and wet when h
: brought It up. The other hand h
. couldn't stretch at all.
; The forest was silent around hin
n except a bird calling somewhere nea
! the hOuse-a full voice, rich and cleal
: and 1t seemed to him that 1t had
o quality Of distress. Then he recognize
n II. 1t was the voice Of nIs own daugl
>. ter, Snowbird, calling for him. b
a tried to answer her.
d II was only whisper, at FIRST. "
8. she was coming nearer; and her ow
. voice sounded louder. "Here. Snow
q bird" he called again. She heard hi
d then: he could tell by the startle
:. tone OF her reply. The next lnstal