The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1921-03-10

found a telegram waiting him:
"Any relation to Dan Failing of the
Umpqua divlde?"
Dan had never heard Of the Ump-
qua divide, but he couldn't doubt but
that the sender Of the wire referred
10 his grandfather. He wired in the
affirmative. The head Of the Chamber
Of Commerce received the wire, read
it, thrust 1t into his desk, and In the
face of a really important piece Of
business proceeded TO forget all about
IL. Thus 1t came about that, except
for one thing, Dan Failing would have
probably stepped off the train at his
met. The one thing that changed his
destiny was that at a meeting of a
certain widely known fraternal order
the next night, the Chamber Of Com
merce crossed trails with the Frontier
In the person of another old resident
who had his home in the farthest
reaches Of the Umpqua divide. The
latter asked the former to come up
for a few days s~hooting-the deer be-
ing fatter and more numerous than
any previous season since the days Of
the grizzlies.
TOO busy, I'm afraid" the Cham
Der of Commerce had replied. But
Lennox-that reminds me. Do you
remember old Dan Failing?"
Lennox probed back into the years
for a single instant, Strengthened out
all the kinks of his memory In less
time than the wind straightens out
the folds Of a flag, and turned a most
interested face. Remember him !" he
exclaimed. 81 should say / do" The
mlddle-aged man haif-closed his pierre
ing, gray eyes.
Listen, Steele" he said, 81 saw Dan
Failing make a bet once. I was just
a kid, but / wake up in my sleep TO
marvel at it. We had q full long
glimpse Of a black-tail bounding up a
long slope. 1t was just a spike-buCk,
and Dan Failing said he could take
the left-hand spike off with one shot
from his old S%harpe's. Three of us
DCL "IlOit lhllIS III ltSS llldh
two seconds. With the next shot,
he'd get the deer. He won the bet,
and now if l ever forget Dan Failing,
! want TO die"
you're just the man I'm looking
for, then. You're not going out till the
day after tomorrow"
mo"
"On the limited, hitting here tomor-
row morning, there's a grandson Of
Dan Failing. His name is Dan Fail
ing, too, and he wants to go up to your
place to hunt. Stay all summer and
pay board"
LennOx's eyes said that he couldn't
believe it was true. After a while his
tongue spoke, too. Good LORD" he
said. 81 used to foller Dan around
like old Shag, before he died, followed
Snowbird. 9f course he can come.
But he can't pay board"
1t was rather characteristic of the
mountain men-that the grandson of
Dan Falling couldn't possibly pay
board. But Steele knew the ways Of
cities and Of men, and he only smiled.
He won't come, then" he explained.
Anyway, have that out with him at
the end Of his stay. He wants fish,
ing, and you've got that in the North
fork. Moreover, you're a thousand
miles back"
"Only n hundred, If you must
know. But Steele-do you suppose
he's the man his grandfather was be-
fore him-that all the Failings have
been since the first days OF the Ore
gon trail? If he is-well, my hats
off to him before he steps off the
train"
The m~ountaineer's bronzed face was
earnest and intent in the bright lights
of the club. Steele thought he had
known his breed. Now he began TO
have doubts of his own knowledge.
"He won't be; don't count on it," he
said humbly. 1.-THE Failings have done
much for this region, and I'm glad
enough to do a little TO pay it back,
but don't count much on this eastern
boy. He's lived in cities besides, he's
a sick nan He said so in his wire.
You ought to know it before you take
him In"
The bronzed face changed; possibly
a shadow of disappointment came in
to his eyes. "a Hunger, eh?" Lennox
repeated. "Yes-it'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 a
cold if you'd tied him in the Rogue
river overnight. OF 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 to-"
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 a sick day in her life. And you
know Bill, of course"