The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1921-01-12


said humbly. 1.-THE Failings have done
much for this region. and I'm glad
enough to do little to pay. II back.
but don't count much on this eastern
boy. He's lived IN cities: besides, he's
a sick man. He said so In his wire.
You ought to know II before you take
him in"
The bronzed face changed possibly
a shadow Of disappointment came In
to his eyes. "A Hunger, ehT Lennox
repeated "Yes-lt's true that II he'd
been like the other Failings. he'd never
have been that. Why. Steele. you
couldn't have given that old man
cold If you'd tied him in the Rogue
river overnight. or course you couldn't
count on the line keeping up forever
But I'll take him, for the memory Of
his grandfather"
you're not afraid tor
"Afraid. h--ll He can't infect those
two strapping children OF mine. Snow
bird weighs one hundred and twenty
pounds and Is hard as steel. Never
knew sick day in her life. And you
know Bill, Of course"
Yes. Steele knew Bill Bill weighed
two hundred pounds. and he would
choose the biggest Of the steers he
drove down to the lower levels in the
winter and, twisting its horns, would
make II lay over on its side. Besides,
both Of the men assumed that Dan
must be only in the first stages of his
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 fir that make the eternal
background of the Northwest. He was
wholly unable 10 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 go out
OF the range of them again.
Dan didn't see his host at first For
the first instant he was entirely en-
crossed by surging sense of disap-
pointment-a feeling that he had been
tilthCu uGu Ddu Ouil NOihC W dHOlliCi
city after all. He got down onto the
gravel OF the station yard, and out on
the gray street pavement he heard
the clang of 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
I IT,. I.&l, <<e.
! brushed his shoulder.
Dan looked up to the hills, and he
felt better He couldn't see them plain
I ~. The faint smoke of distant for
est fire half obscured them. Yet he
saw fold on fold of ridges of rather
peculiar blue in color, and even his
unframed eyes could see that they
were clothed In forests of evergreen.
/ Over the heads of the green hills Dan
could see few great peaks; Nc
Laughlin, even and regular as paint
ed mountain; Wagner, with queer
white gashes where the snow still lay
In its ravines. and TO the southeast
the misty range of snow-covered hills
that were tha Sickeyous. He felt de-
cidedly better. And when he saw old
SIlas Lennox waiting patiently beside
the station. he felt he had come to
the right place.
II would be interesting To explain
why Dan at once recognized the older
man for the breed he was. Silas Len
nox was not dressed i'm way that
would distinguish him. II was true
1 -. IL. ..4 A.
trousers and rather heavy. leathern
boots. But sportsmen all over the
face of the earth wear this costume at
sundry times. Mountain men have a
| peculiar stride by which experienced
persons can occasionally recognize
them; but Silas Lennox was standing
still when Dan got his first glimpse of
him. The case resolves itself into a
simple matter of the things that could
be read in Lennox's face.
\ Dan disbeleved wholly in book
that told how TO read characters at
sight Yet at the first glance of the
lean, bronzed face his heart gave
curious little bound. A pair of gray
eyes met his--two fine black points In
fstlitl nulQ Siuy Ills. lucy Qiuu \
look past him, or at either side of him.
or at his chin or his forehead. They
looked right at his own eyes. The skin
around the eyes was burned. brown by
the sun. and the flesh was so lean that
the cheekbones showed plainly. The
mouth was straight; but yet 1t was
neither savage nor cruel. II was sim
ply determined.
Lennox came up with light. silent
tread and extended his hand. You're
Dan Failing's grandson, aren't your
he asked. I'm Silas Lennox, who
used to know him when ne lived on
the Divide. You are coming to spend
the summer and fall on my ranch"
The immediate result Of these
words, besides relief, was to set Dan
wondering how the old mountalneer
had recognized him. He wondered II
a. -