Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1921-03-17


two hundred pounds. and he would
choose the biggest Of the steers h0
drove down 10 the lower levels in the
winter and. twisting its horns. would
make It lay over on its side Besidesl
both OF the men assumed that Dan
must be only in the tirst stages Of bis
malady.
And even as the men talked. the
train that bore Dan Failing TO the
home OF his ancestors was entering
for the first time the dark forests Of
pine and fr that make the eternal
background Of the Northwest. He was
wholly unable to understand the
strange feeling Of familiarity that he
had with them. sensation that IN
HIS dreams he had known them al
ways, and that he must never 20 vni
OF the range OF them again.
Dan didn't see his host at FIRST. For
the first instDnt he was entirely en-
crossed by a surging sense Of dIsap-
pointment--a feeling that be had been
tricked and had only come 10 another
city after all. He got down onto the
gravel OF the station yard. and out on
the gray street pavement he heard
the cIang OF a trolley car Many au-
tomobiles were parked just beside the
station. some Of them foreign cars OF
expensive makes. such as he supposed
would be- wholly unknown on the
a..
brushed bis shoulder.
Dan looked up TO the hills. and he
felt better. He couldn't see them plain.
~. The faint smoke Of a distant for
est Gre half ohscurnd them. Yet he
saw fold on fold Of ridges Of rather
peculiar blue IN color. and even his
untrnined eyes could see that they
we're clothed IN forests Of evergreen.
Over the heads of the green hills Dan
could see few great peaks; Mc.
Laughlln. even and regular as a paint.
ed mountain; Wagner with queer
white gashes where the snow siill lay
In its ravines. and 10 the southeast
the misty range Of snow-covered hills
that we're the slckeyous He felt dc.
ridedly better. And when he saw old
sllns Lennox waiting patiently beside
the station he felt he had come 10
the right place.
II would he interesting 70 explain
why Dan ~ once recognized THE older
man Tor the breed he wns. Silas Len.
nor wac not dkessed IN way that
would Distinguish him. Il was true
that be vote Il flannel shiri. riding
trousers md rather heavy. ieatberh
boots Hut spoffpmrn 81 over the
face Of the earth wrnr mis- costume NJ
sundry times Mounfaln rnen have .
peculiar stride by which experienced
persons con occasionally recognize
them; but Slim Lennon was stah,ilhp
stllI when Dan got hls FRS, glimpse ~
him. The cnse resolves tseif into y
simple matter Of the things that could
be read ia Lemons fnce.
Dan disbelleved wholly 10 a book
that told how 70 read characters a.
sight Yet ai the grus glance Of the
lear. hronKed face his heart gave o
curious little hound A pair ~ gray
eyea met hls--swo 1ne black points 10
rather hard gray iris They didn't
look past him. or ~ either side 81 him.
oF - his rhin o. HE forehead. They
lacked right az his own eyes. The akin
around the eyes was burned hrown by
The sun. and The flesh was N lean thar
fie eheekbones showed plainly. The
mouth was straight; but yet Il was
neither savage nor cruel. u was sim.
ply determined.
Lennon came Up with a tight. silent
tread aud extended bis hand sYou're
Dan Faillng's grandson. aren't your
he asked "Fm slins Lenuox. who
naed 10 know him when be lived on
ihe Divide. You are coming to spend
The summer and fall on my ranch
THE immediate result ~ these
words. besides relief. was 20 set Dan
wondering how the old monnlalneer
Ind recognized him. lie wondered II
be had nny physical resemblance 10
bis grandfather. But this hope was
sh0i TO earth NJ once. Ills Telegram
had explained about bis malady, and
Of course the monuiaineer had picked
him out simply becauSe be had the
mark Of the disease On bis face. A.
he shook hands be tried bis best "a
read the mouniaineer's expression. Il
was ell TOO plain: an undenlable look
OF disappointment
The truth was that even 10 spite OF
all the Chamber OF Commerce head bad
told him. Lennox had stilI hoped 60
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
IL likely they were at nll like the eyes
with which the elder Failing saw his
way through the wilderness at night