The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1921-06-09

were the standards Of the mountains,
vaIuing strength and self-reliance
| above all things He didn't stop to
question why. every day, he trod so
many weary miles to be with her.
She was as natural as a fawn; and
many times she had quite taken away
his breath And once she did 1t liter
ally. He didn't think that so long as
death spared him he would ever be
able to forget that experience. It was
her birthday, and knowing Of it in
time he had arranged for the delivery
Of certain package, dear to a girlish
heart, at her fathers house. In the
trysting hour he had come trudging
over the hills with 1t, and few expert
ences in his life had ever yielded such
unmitigated pleasure as the sight of
her, glowing white and red, as she took
of its wrapping paper. 1t was jolly
old gift, he recollected-and when she
had seen 1t, she fairly leaped at him.
Her warm, round arms around his
neck, and the softest, loyeliest lips in
the world pressed his. But in those
days he didn't have the strength that
he had now. He felt he could endure
| the same experience again with no
embarrassment whatever. His first Inn
preston then, besides Astounding, in
credible establishment, was that she
had quite knocked out his breath But
let it be said for him that he recov-
| cred with notable promptness. His
| own arms had gone up and closed
around her, and the girl had wriggled
free.
"But you mustn't do that!' she told
| him.
| "But, good Lord, girl! You did it
to mel Is there no justice in women?"
! But did it to thank you for this
lovely gift. For rememh aring me-
for being 50 good-and ealsiderate.
You haven't any cause to thank me-"
| He had many serious difficulties in
thinking It out. And only one con-
clusion was obtainable Snowbird
kissed as naturally as she did any
thing else, and the kiss meant exactly
what she said it did and no more.
But the fact remained that he would
have walked good many miles far
ther If he thought there was any pos
sibility Of a repeat. g
But all at once his fantasies were
suddenly and rudely dispelled by the
intrusion Of realities. Dan had been
walking silently himself in the pine
needles. AS Lennox had wondered al
long ago, he knew how by instinct
and instinctively he practiced this at.
tainment as soon as he got out intd
the wild. The creature he had heard
was fully one hundred yards distant
yet Dan could hear him, with entire
plainness. And for while he couldn't
Peven guess what manner Of thing II
might be.
A cougar that made so much noise
would be Immediately expelled from
the union. A wolf pack, running By
sight, might crack brush as freely
but wolf pack would also bay Il
wdfe the dead. OF course it might bs
an elk or steer, and still more likely
bear. He stood still and listened
The sound grew nearer.
Soon 1t became evident that the crea
ture was either walking with two legs
or else was four-footed animal put
ting two feet down at the same ia
slant. Dan had learned to wait. Il,
stood perfectly still. And gradual,
. he came to the conclusion that h,
was listening to the football of an
: other man.
But it was rather hard to imagin,
what man might be doing or thi
lonely hill. OF course it might be
) deer hunter; but few were the vale,
!, sportsmen who had penetrated to thi
: far land. The football was much to-
heavy for Snowbird. The steps wer
: evidently on another trail that inter
: sected his own trail one hundred yard
) farther up the hill. He had only t
stand still, and in IN instant the mai
| would come In sight.
| He took one step into the thickets
, prepared to conceal himself If it be
!, came necessary. Then he waited. Sool
the man stepped out on the trail.
| Even at the distance of one huntlre
5 yards, Dan had no difficulty whateve
!. in recognizing him. He could no
mistake this tall, dark form, the soilet
, slouchy clothes, the rough hair, tn
: Intent, dark features. 1t was a ma
t about his own age, his own height
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