Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-09-14

TO southern oreson-to meet LINDA
ss i, s ss SSs =, !. 1s
ton Duncan. With the he siri LINDA: = 'e"
CHAPTER I11-At his destination,
Trails End. news that message has
been sent to Bruce is received with
marked displeasure BY q man introduced
to the reader as Simon"
CHAPTER Iv.-Leaving the train,
6f 'ic ,. 10 ast1nished at his apparent e.
his he has Been fSsea
CHATTER y.-obedient 70 the message.
roads store. tor direction as 20 to o. reaching
Mrs. Ross cabin. f s.
Bruce had no MISUNDERSTANDING
about the mans meaning. It was sim.
ply a threat nothing more nor less.
"rve come long way to 60 to that
cabin" he replied. "Im not likely to
turn of now
There's nothing worth seeing when
you get there. Just an old hag-a
wrinkled old dame that looks like a
WITCH"
Bruce felt a deep and little under.
stood resentment at the words. Yet
since he had as yet established no
relations with the woman, he had no
grounds for silencing the man. "rll
have to decide that" he replied. .Tm
going to see some one else, too"
:. Some. one named-LindaT
"Yes. You seem quite interested"
They were standing face to face In
the trail. For once Bruce was glad Of
his unusual height. He did not have
to raise his eyes greatly to look
squareiy into Simon's Both faces
were flushed, both set; and the eyes
OF the older man frightened slowly.
II am interested" Simon replied.
you're a tenderfoot. You're fresh
from cities. You're going up there to
learn things that won't be any pleas.
.ure to you. You're going into tho
real mountains-a mans land such az
never was place for tenderfeet. A
I good many things cnn happen up
there. A good many things have hap
pened up there. warn you-go
back !"
Bruce smiled, just the faint flicker
Of smile, but Simon's eyes narrowed
when he saw it. The dark face lost q
little of Its insolence. He knew men,
this huge son of. the wilderness, and
he knew that no coward could smile In
such a moment as this. He was ac-
customed to implicit obedience and
was not used to seeing men smile
when he uttered threat. "Tve come
too far to go. back" Bruce told him.
Nothing can turn me-
Men have been turned before, on
trails like this Simon told him.
''Don't misunderstood me. l advised
you to go back before, and usually
don't take time or trouble to advise
my one. Now tell you to go back.
This Is a mans land, and we don't
want any tenderfeet here"
"The trail is open," Bruce returned.
1t was not his usual manner to speak
in quite this way. He seemed at once
to have fallen into the vernacular Of
the wilderness Of which symbolic ref
erence has such part. Strange as
the scene was to him, 1t wns in some
way familiar too. 1t was as If this
meeting had been ordained Tong ago ;
that it was part of an memorable des-
tiny that the two should be talking to-
gether, face to face, on this winding
mountain road. Memories-all vague,
all cognized-thronged through
him.
Many times, during the past years,
he had wakened from curious dreams
that in the light Of day he had tried
in vain to interpret. He was never
able to connect them with any remem'
bered experience Now 1t was as II
one of these dreams were coming true
There was the same silence about him
the dark forests beyond, the, ridges
stretching ever. There was some
great foe that might any instant over
whelm him.
II guess you heard me,'' Simon
said; II told you to go back
Sand hope you heard me too. I'm
going on. haven't any more time ia
give YOU" II
Sand I'm not going to take any
more. either. But let me make one
thing plain. No man, told to go back
by me, ever has chance to be told
again. This amt your cities-up here
There amt any policemen on every
corner. The woods are big, and I'LL
kinds, of things can happen in them
and be swallowed up-as swallow
these leaves In my hand"
His great arm reached. ont with
Incredible power and seized hand
full Of leaves off a nearby shrub. Il
seemed to Bruce that they crushed
Ike fruit and stained the dark skin
I've already decided. I'm goinl
las,s they stood. eyes meeting
eyea nd 9imon's face VA
darkening Win q Arlce kneg
that his limits Hsrs ~