The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-12-28

Bruce had no misunderstanding
about the mans meaning. 1t was SIM
ply a threat, nothing more nor less.
"Tve come a long way to go to that
cabin he replied. I'm not likely to
turn off 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 ut the words. Yet
since he had as yet established no
relations with the woman, he had no
grounds for silenclng the man. III
have to decide that" he replied. "ILN
going TO see some n else, too"
"SOme one named-Linda
Eyes. 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 lock
%squarely 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 II 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 the
real mountains-a mans land such as
never was a place for tenderfeet. A
good many things can happen up
there. A good many things have hap
pened up there. l warn yOu-gO
back :"
Bruce smiled, just the faint flicker
OF a smile, but Slmon's Eyes narrowed
when he saw it. The dark face lost a
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 a threat. 1--WE 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 I usually
don't take time or trouble to advise
any 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 a part. Strange as
the scene was to him, it was in some
way familiar too. 1t was as If this
meeting had been ordained long ago.;
that 1t was part Of an inexorable des-
tiny that the two should be talking to-
gether, face to face, on this winding
mountain road. Memories-all vague,
all Observation-Disclosures 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 it was as if
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
whelm him.
II guess you heard me-" Simon
said 81 told you to go back"
"And | hope you heard me too. I'm
going on. / haven't any more time to
give YOU"
"And I'm not going to take any
more, either. But let me make one
thing plain. No man, told to go back
by me, eve has a chance to be told
again. This amt your cities-up here.
There amt any policemen on every
corner The woods are big, and all
kinds of things can happen in them
and be swallowed up-as l swallow
these leaves in my hand"
His great arm reached out with
incredible power and seized a hand
full of leaves off a nearby shrub. 1t
seemed to Bruce that they crushed
like fruit and stained the dark skin.
"Tve already decided. I'm going
on"
Once more they stood, eyes meeting
eyes on the trail, am Simon's face was
%darkening with passion. Bruce knew
that his hands were clenching, and
his own muscles punched and made
ready to resist any kind of attack.
But Simon didn't strike. He laughed
instead-a simple deep note Of utter
back and let Bruce pass on up the
road.
Ito be continued)