The Adair County news., 1922-10-10

Bruce had no misunderstanding
! about the mans meaning. 1t was SIM
ply threat, nothing more nor less.
1rve come along 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 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. 'Tll
have to decide that" he replied. I'm
going to see some one else, too"
"Some one named-LindaY
'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
squarely into Simon's. Both faces
were flushed, both set; and the eyes
of the older man frightened slowly.
81 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 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. 1 warn you-go
back" -..,
Bruce smiled, just the faint flicker
of a smile, but Simon's eyes narrowed
when he saw it. The dark face lost a
little of it's 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. I've 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. advised
l.
don't take time or trouble to advise
any one. Now 1 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, it was in some
way familiar too. 1t was as If this
meeting had been ordained long ago;
that it 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 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 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
great foe that might any instant over
whelm him.
81 guess you heard me-" Simon
said; II told you to go back"
"And hope you heard me too. I'm
| going on. 1 haven't any more time to
give you"
| "And Pm not going to take any
.nOre either. But let me make one
thing plain. No man, told to go back
by me, ever 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.
"Pve already decided. I'm going
on" -,.
Once more they stood, eyes meeting
eyes on the trail, and 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
and depthless scOrn. Then he drew
back and let Bruce pass on up the
| road.
| NnAnTEn NYIU