, 1922-09-27

softening of all the hard outlines or
his picture of life.
But aside from his contemplatiops
of Linda, the long tramp had many da.
lights for him. he rejoiced 10 ey,-y
manifestation of the wild life nbo,t
him, whether 1t was "a busiiy-tailed OLD
gray squirrel, watching him from a
tree limb, a magpie trying it's best to
insult him. or the fieeting glimpse of a
deer In the coverts. But he didn't SEQ
the Killer again. lie didn't particularly
care to do so.
Both days of the journey home he
wakened sharply at dawn. The cool.
morning hours were the best for travel
He was of naturally strong physique.
and although the days fatigued him I'M.
mercifully. he always Weakened re-
freshed in the dawn. AT noon he would
stop to lunch. eating a few pieces Of
jerkey and frying a single iapjack in
his skillet. And usually, during the
noon rest, he would practice with his
rife.
He knew that IL he were to fight the
Turner's. skill with a rifle was an alb.
coidtt htttonitg cutn Sklli us WOulu
have felled the grizzly with one shot
instead of administering merely n flesh
wound. accuracy to take off the head
of a grouse at fifty yards and at the
same time. an ability TO swing and
aim the weapon in the shortest posi-.
Bile space of time. The only thing that
retarded him WINS the realization tina:
he must not wnste too many car
tridges. Elm!ra had brought him only
a small supply.
He would walk all acknowledging
somewhat easier and resting more of
ten than in the morning: and these
were the times that he appreciated a
fragment of jerked venisoh. He would
halt just before nightfall ard make his
camp.
And the best hour of all was after
his meal, as he sat In the growing
shadows with his pipe. AT this hour
he felt the spirit of the pines as never
before. He knew their great, brood
Ing sorrow. their infinite wisdom, their
inexpressible aloofness with which
they kept watch over the wilderness.
The smoke would drift about him in
soothing clouds; the glow of the Goals
was red and warm over him. He could
think then. Life revealed some of its
lesser mysteries to him. And he be
gan to glimpse the distant CLEAN of
even greater truths, and sometimes IL
seemed to him that he could almost
catch and hold them. Always 1t was
some message that the pines were try
Ing to tell him-partly In words they
made when their limbs rubbed togeth-
er. partly In the nature of a great allie
CORY of which their dark, impassiye
forms were the symbols. If he could
only see clearly But II seemed to him
that passion blinded his eyes. More
and more he realized that the pines.
like the stars, were living symbols OF
grent powers who lived above the
world. powers that would speak to
men II they would but listen long and
patiently enough, and in whose creed
lay happiness.
The last afternoon he Travelled hard.
He wanted to reach Linda's house be-
fore nightfall. But the trail wns too
long for that. The twilight fell, to
find him still a weary two miles dis
tant. And the way was quite dark
when he plunged into the south pas
ture Of the Ross estates.
Half an hour later he was beneath
the Sentinel Pine. He wondered why
Linda was not waiting beneath It; in
his fancy. he thought OF It as being
the ordained place for her Blu per-
haps she had merely failed to rear his
footsteps. He called into the open
door.
LINDA" he snid. 'rve come back"
No answer reached him. The words
rang through the silent rooms and
echoed back to him. He walked over
the threshold.
A chair in the front room was turned
over. HIS heart leaped at the sight
of 1t. Linda" he called In alarm,
where are your It's Bruce"
He stood an instant listening, a
great fear creeping over him. He
called once more. first to Linda and
then to the old woman. Then he
leaped Though the doorway.
The kitchen was similarly deserted.
From there he wen to Linda's room.
Her o and hat lay on the bed, but
there was no Linda to stretch her arms
to him. He started to go out the way
he had come, but went instead to his
own A sheet of note-paper lay
on the bed.
1t had been scrawled hurriedly; but
although he had never received a writ
n-AhL| n - l.. IN - .IA4thf