The state herald., 1921-01-07

gers and perhaps. now and then. to
touch her hands when he held the
skeins. But none Of these things tran.
spired. He drove himself from day
light TIL dark. developing his hody for
the tests That were sure to come.
The first few days nearly killed him.
he over.exercised In the chill rain,
md one anxious night he developed
all the symptoms Of pneumonia. Such
a sickness would have been the one
thing needed to make the doctors
prophecy come true. But with Snow.
birds aid, and numerous hot drinks,
he fought II of.
She had made him 60 to bed. and
90 human memory could be so dull a.
to forget the little, whispered message
that she gave him with his last spoon
full Of medicine. She said she'd prny
for him, and she meant It too-llteral.
entreating prayer that could not go un-
heard. She was a mountain girl. and
her beliefs were those of her ances-
tors-simple and true and wholly
without affectation. But he hadn't
relaxed thereafter. He knew the time
had come to make the test. Night
after night he would go to bed half
sick from fatigue, but the mornings
would find him fresh. And nfter two
weeks, he knew he had passed the
crisis and was on the direct road to
complete recovery.
Sometimes he cut wood in the for
est: FIRST the Telling of some tall pine,
then the trimming and hewing Into
twO-foot lengths. The blisters came
on his hands. broke and bled, but
finally hardened into callosities. He
learned the most effective stroke to
hurl a shower of chips from beneath
the blade. His back and limbs hard
ened from the handling Of heavy wood
and the cough was practically gone.
His frame filled out. His face became
swarthy. from constant exposure. He
gained In weight.
One cloudy afternoon In enrly No
vember found SIlas Lennox cutting
wood on the ridge behind his house. 1t
was still an open question with him
whether he and his daughter would
attempt to winter on the Divide. Dan
Of course wanted to remain. yet there
were certain reasons. some very def
mite and others extremely vague, why
the prospect Of the winter In the snow
fields did not appeal TO the noun
taineer. In the first place. all signs
the fall had come late, the SHOWS were
exceptionally early. The duck flight
was completed TWO weeks before its
usual time, and the rodents had dug
their burrows unusually deep. BE-
sides, too many months OF snow weigh
heavily upon the spirit. The wolf
packs sing cndlessly on the ridges
and many unpleasant things may hap
pen. On previous years. some OF the
cabins on the ridges below had human
occupants; this winter the whole re-
gion. for nearly seventy miles across
the mountains TO the foothills. would
be wholly deserted by human beings.
Even the ranger station. twelve miles
across steep ridge. would soon be
empty. or course few ranchers had
homes few miles beyond the river.
but the wild catnracts did not freeze
In the coolest OF seasons and there
were no ridges. Besides. most OF the
more prosperous farmers wlntcred In
the valleys. Only few more days
would the road he passnble for his
ear; 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
cnty miles across the uncharted ridges
on snowshoes Is an undertaking for
which even a mouuaineer has no
fondness. II might he the wlsest thing.
after all, 10 load Snowblrd and Dan
Into his car and drive down to the
valleys. The fall roundup would soon
be completed. Bill would return for
few days from the valleys with new
equipment TO replace the broken light
ing system ON the ear. and they could
avoid the bitter cold and snow. that
Lennox had known so long. He
chopped Mt 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 WIS all that was needed. For
the period Of one breath he forgot 10
be watchful-nnd n certain drend
Spirit that nbldcs much In the forest
saw It's chance. Perhaps he had lived
too long In the mountains and grown
careless os them; mn attitude thar is