The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1921-02-24

The further back from the paths o.
men, he wrote. the greater w0uld Be
bis pleasure. And he signed the wire
with his full name: Dan Failing. with
Henry IN the middle, and "IIr. at
the end. E
He usually didn't sign his name in
quite this manner The people Of
Gitcheapolis did not have particuIar-
~. Vivid memories Of Dams -grandta-
ther. But Il might be that legend
OF the gray. straight frontiersman who
was his ancestor had still survived In
these remote Oregon wilds. The -use
Of the full name would do no harm.
Instead Of hurting, It was positive
inspiration. The Chamber Of Com
merce Of the busy little Oregon city
was not usually exceptionally inter-
ested In stray hunters that wanted a
boarding place for the summer. Its
business was finding country homes
for orchardists In the pleasant river
valleys. But Il happened that the re-
cipient of the wire was one OF the old
est residents, q frontlersman himself.
and II was one Of the traditions of the
Old West that friendships were not
soon forgotten. Dan Failing I had
been legend In the old trapping and
shooting days when this man was
young. So II came about that when
Dams train stopped at Cheyenne, he
found telegram waiting him:
"Any relation TO Dan Failing Of the
Umpqua dlvide?p
Dan had never heard of the Ump-
qua divide. but he couldn't doubt but
that the sender of the wire referred
to his grandfather. He wired In the
affirmative. The head of the Chamber
Of Commerce received the wire, read
II. thrust II into his desk. and In the
face of a really important piece OF
business proceeded to forget all about
Il. Thus II came about that, except
for-One thing. Dan Failing would have
probably stepped Off the train at his
destination wholly lnheraIded and I'M
met. The one thing that changed his
destiny was that at q meeting of
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 Umnqua divide. The
latter asked the former to come up
for few days shootIng-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 Failing7"
Lennox probed back into the years
for single instant. Strengthened out
all the kinks of his memory In less
time than the wind stralghtens out
the folds Of Gag. and turned most
interested face. Remember him |" he
exclaimed. 81 should say do" The
mIddIe-aged man half-closed his plerc-
ing. gray eyes.
Listen. Steele.p he said, VI saw Dan
Failing make bet once. was Just
a kid, but I wake up In my sleep to
marvel at II. We had a full long
glimpse Of black-tall bounding up a
long slope. II was Just a splke-buck,
and Dan Failing said he could take
the left-hand spike of with one shot
from his old Sharpe's. Three Of us
bet him-the whole thing In less than
two seconds. With the next shot.
he'd get the deer He won the bet,
and now If ever forget Dan Failing
! want to de-"
"You're inst the man I'm 'ool.tnO
for, then. You're not going out TIL the
day after tomorrow
"No."
"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