The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1921-01-19

look OF disappointment with which his
host had greeted him at the station.
But instead of reaching that high
place, he had only-death. He knew
what his destiny was in these quiet
hills. And it was true that he began
to have secret regrets that he had
come. But il wasn't that he was dis
appointed in the land that was open
Ing up before him 1t fulfilled every
promise, His sole reason for regrets
lay in the fact that now the whole
mountain world would know OF the
decay that had come upon his people
Perhaps II would have been better to
have left them TO their traditions.
He had never dreamed that the
fame of his grandfather had spread
so far. For the first ten miles Dan
listened to stories-legends of cold
nerve that simply could not be shaken /:
OF a powerful. tireless physique; of
moral and physical strength that was
seemingly without limit. Then. as
the foothills began to give way TO the
higher ridges. and the shadow OF the
deeper forests fell upon the narrow
brown road, there began 10 be long
gaps I'm the talk. And soon they rode
I'm utter silence, evidently both OF
them absorbed in their own thoughts
Dan did not feel oppressed at all
He merely seemed TO fall into the
spirit of the woods, and no words
came TO his lips. Every mile was an
added delight 10 him. Not even wine
could have brought brighter sparkle
10 his eyes. He had begun To expert
ence a vague sort Of excitement. an
emotion that was almost kin to eX-
ultation, over the constant stir and
movement of the forest life. Once, as
they stopped the car TO refill the ra-
diator from mountain stream, Len
nox looked at him with sudden curl
osity You are getting a thrill ont
of this, aren't you?" he asked wonder
ingly.
II was a curious tone Perhaps II
was hopeful tone, too. He spoke
as if he hardly understood.
"a THRILL" Dan echoed. He spoke
as man speaks in the presence of
some great wonder. Good Heavens.
never saw anything like It in my
life"
an this very stream" the mountain
Ger told him ioyously, you may occa-
sionally catch trout that weigh three
pounds"
But as he got back into the car the
look of interest died out of Lennox's
eyes. OF course any man would be
somewhat excited by his first glimpse
OF the wilderness. II was not that he
had inherited any of the traits of his
grandfather. 1t was absurd to hope
that he had. And he would soon get
tired OF the silences and want TO go
back to his cities He told his thought
that II would all soon grow old to
him; and Dan turned almost in anger.
"You don't know" he said. 81
didn't know myself. how | would feel
about It. I'm never going 10 leave the
hills again"
'You don't mean that
but | do" lie tried to speak fur
ther. but he coughed instead. "But I
couldn't If | wanted to- That cough
tells you why, ] guess
You mean TO say" Silas Lennox
turned in amazement. You mean that
you're "a goner? That you've given
up hope Of recovering?'
That's the impression / meant to
convey. I've got little over four
months-though | don't see that I'm
any weaker than / was when the doc
tor said | had six months. Those
four will take me all through the fall
and the early winter. And hope you
won't feel that you've been imposed
upon--to have a dying man on your
hands"
at isn't that" Slas Lennox threw
his car into gear and started up the
long grade. And he drove clear to the
top Of 1t and into another glen before
he spoke again. Then he pointed to
what looked to Dan like a brown
streak that melted into the thick
brush. "That was a deer" he said
slowly. "Just glimpse, but your
grandfather could have got him be-
tween the eyes. Most like as not,
though, he'd have let him go. He
never killed except when he needed
meat. But that-as you say-ain't
the impression I'm trying to convey"
He seemed to be cropping for words.
what is 1t, Mr.. LennoxT Dan
asked.
Instead OF being sorry, I'm mighty
glad you've come" Lennox told him.
Its not that / expect you to be like
your grandfather. You haven't had
his chance. But it's always the way
of true men, the world over, to come
back to their own kind to die. That
deer we just saw-he's your people,
and so are all these ranchers that
grub their lives out of the forests
they are your people, too. And you
couldn't have pleased the old mans
old friends any better, or done more
for his memory than 10 come back