The state herald., 1921-01-07

u6uuhty Puni6uCu VIII uCdtus x16 u0u
I just felled tree. and the trunk was
still attached to the stump by strip
Of bark to which little of the wood
adhered. He struck furious blow al
II with his ax.
He hadn't considered that the tree
lay on steep slope. AS the blade
fell, the great trunk simply seemed ia
leap. Lennox leaped too. in frenzied
effort to save his life; but already the
leafy bows, like the tendrils Of some
great amphibian, had whipped around
his legs. He fell. struggling; and
then curious darkness. streaked
with flame, dropped down upon him.
An hour later be found himself lyina
on the stili hillside. knowing only a
greut wonderment At first his only
impulse was to 60 back to sleep. He
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. Yes
he had been cutting wood on the
hillside. and the shadows had been
long. He had been wondering wheth.
er or not they should so down to the
valleys.
He remembered now: the last blow
and the rolling log. He tried to turn
his head to look up to the hill.
He found himself wholly unable to
do It, Something wracked him in his
neck when he tried to move. But he
did glance down. And yes, he could
turn In this direction. And he saw
the great tree trunk lying twenty feet
below him, wcdged In between the
young pines.
He was surrounded by broken frag-
ments Of limbs, and It was evident
that the tree had not struck him a
full blow. The limbs had protected
him to some extent. No man is Of
such mold rs to be crushed under the
solid weight Of the trunk and live to
remember It. He wondered II this
were the frontier of death-the gray
ness that fingered over him. He
seemed TO be soaring.
He brought himself back to earth
and tried again TO remember. or
course. the twilight had fallen. 1t had
been late afternoon when he had cut
the tree. His band stole along his
body; and then. for the first time,
hideous sickness came upon him. His
hand was warm and wet when he
brought It up. The other hand he
couldn't stretch nj all.
The forest was silent around him.
except bird calling somewhere near
the house-a full voice. rich and clear,
and II seemed TO him that II had q
quality of distress. Then he recognized
1t. II was the voice of his own daugh-
Ter. Snowblrd, calling for him. He
tried TO answer her.
II was only whisper. nj first. Yet
she was coming nearer; and her own
voice sounded louder. Here. Snow
bird" he called again. She heard him
then: he could tell by the startled
tone Of her reply. The next instant
she was mt his side. her tears drop.
ping on his face.
With tremendous effort OF VIII he
recalled his speeding faculties. 81
don't think I'm badly hurt" he told
her very quietly. "a few ribs broken
--nnd n leg. But wen have 10 winter
here on the Divide. Snowbird mine"
"Nyhnt does It matter. II you llvey"
she cried. She crawlcd along the pine
needles beside him. and tore his shirt
from his breast. He was rapidly sink
Ing into uncQnsclousness. The thing
she dreaded most-thnt his back might
be hrolen--wns evidently not true.
There were. as he said. broken ribs
and evidently one severe fracture OF
the leg bone. Whether he had sus.
tained Internal injuries that would
end his life before the morning. she
had no way OF knowing.
Al this point. the problem of saving
her fathers life fell wholly into her
hands. His broken body could not be
carried over the mountain road 10
physicians In the valleys. They must
be transported to the ranch. II would
take them full d.N. - make the trip.
even II she could get word to them NJ
once: and twenty-four hours without
medical attention would probably cost
her father his life. The nearest telc.
phone was q, the ranger station.
twelve miles distant over n mountain
trail. The telephone llnc 10 Bald
mountain, four miles on. had been dis
connected when the rains had ended
the peril of the forest fire.
II NIL depended upon her. Bin was
driving cattle Into the valleys, and he
and his men Ind In use NIL the horses
on the ranch with one exception. The
remaining horse had been ridden by
Dan to some distant marshes. and MS
Dan would shoot until sunset, that
meant he would not return until ten
o'clock. There was no rond for n car
to the rnngcr station only n rough