The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-12-28
CHAPTER Viit--Continued.

3
He examined the mud about the
spring. and there was plenty of eyi-
dence that the forest creatures had
passed that way. Here was a little
triangle where a buck, had stepped,
and further away he found two pairs
Of deer tracks-evidently those of a
doe with fawE. "A wolf had stopped
TO cool his heated tongue in the wa
tiers, possibly in the middle of some
terrible hunt In the twilight hours.
Then he found "a huge abrasion in
the mud that puzzled him still more.
At the first he couldn't believe that
" was q track. The reason was sim
ply that the size of the thing was in
aedibie-assif some one had laid a
aOur sack in the mud and taken it up
again. He did not think Of any of
the modern-day forest creatures as
being OF such proportions. 1t was
very stale and had been almost oblit-
Grated by many days Of sun. Perhaps
he had been mistaken in thinking II
an imprint of a living creature. He
went to his knees To examine il.
But in n instant he knew that he
had not been mistaken. 1t was a
track not greatly different from that
Of an human foot and the
separate toes were entirely distinct.
II was . bear track. of curse. but
n of such size that the general run
Of little black bears that inhabited
the hills could almost use ii for a den
Of Information!
He got up and ven on-farther
toward Trails End. He walked more
swiftly now. for he hoped to reach
the end of Pine-Needle Trail before
. Rightfall. hut he had no intention of
hating in case night came upon him
before he reached it. He had waited
too tong already to find Linda.
Another hour ended the days sun
light. The shadows fell quickly, but
1t was a long time yet until darkness.
He yet might make the trail-end. He
gave no thought to fatigue. In the
first place, he had stood up remark
ably well under the days tramp for
no other reason than that he had al
ways made a point of keeping in the
best Of physical condition. Besides,
there was something more potent than
mere physical strength to sustain
him now. II was the realization of
the nearing end of the trail-a knowl-
edge Of tremendous revelations that
would csne to him in IA few hours
saore.
Already great truths were taking
shape in his brain he only needed a
single sentence of explanation to con
acct them all together. He began
to feel q growing excitement and i'm
patience.
Ii was quite dark now, and he
could barely see the trail. For the
irst time he began to despair, feeling
thai another night Of overpowering
,mpatience must be spent before he
ceHld reach Trails End. The stars
began To push through the darkening
sky. Then. fainter than the CLEAN of
a FREELY. he saw the faint light of a
far distant camp fire.
His heart bounded. lie knew what
was there. II was the end of the
trail at last And IL guided him the
rest of the way. When he reached
the top Of q little rise in the trail the
wheie scene was laid out in mystery
below him.
The fire had been built at the door
Of a mountain house. log structure
Of perhaps four rooms. The freight
played In its open doorway. Some.
thing beside II caught his attention.
and ihstinctively he followed Il with
his yes until it ended in an incred-
fbie region of the stars. 1t was a
great pine tree. the larrest he had
ever seen-seemingly q great sentine,
ever all the land.
But the sudden ave that came over
him al the sight of II was cut shert
BY the sight Of a girls figure in the
freight. He had an instsnt's sense
that he had cooe to the wilderness
heart at hast. that this tail tree was
Its symbol, that IL he could under
stand the eternal watch that II kept
ever this mountain weird. he would
hare an understanding of All things
hut al these thoughts were submerged
In the realization that he had come
back to Linda at last.
He had known how the mountains
-=c.S s>c-;. a. tim; i,- ind ipein.id
tsday was just the recurrence Of
ttstnss bcheld long ago. Nothing had
seemed different from what lie had
expected. rather he had q sense that
q % world had been returned Ia him.
and \ was almost - II he had never
been away. But the gir1 N the fire