The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-12-29
CHAPTER XVII

itself catching fire. The wind blew
the flame In the opposite direction;
| besides, the rains were beating on the
roof. The fire In the great tree itself,
however, was too we'll started to be
| extinguished at once by any kind of
rainfall; but 1t did burn with less
| fierceness.
Dimly he felt the girls hand grasp
| ing at his arm. Her fingers pressed
until he felt pain. His eyes lowered
to hers. The sight of that passion
| drawn face-recalling In an instant the
scene beside the camp fire his first
night at Trails End-called him to
himself. "Shoot, you fool!" she
stormed at him. ''The trees lighted up
the whole countryside, and you can't
miss. Shoot them before they run
away"
He glanced quickly out. The clan
that had drawn within sixty yards of
| the house at the time the lightning
struck had been thrown into confusion.
Their horses had been knocked down
by the force Of the bolt and were Aee-
| ing, riderless, away. The men followed
them, shouting, plainly revealed In the
light from the burning tree. The great
torch beside the house had completely
turned the tables. And Linda spoke
true; they offered the best of targets.
Again the girls eyes were lurid Sits
between the lids. Her lips were drawn,
and her breathing was strange. He
looked at her calmly.
mo, Linda. can't"
you can't" she cried. "YOu cow
while there's timeI"
She saw the resolve in his face, and
she snatched the rifle from his hands.
She hurled 1t to her shoulder and three
times fired blindly toward the retreat
ing Turner's.
At that instant Bruce seemed to
come to life. His thoughts had been
clear ever since the tree had been
| struck; his vision was straighter and
more far-reaching than ever In his life
before. but now his muscles weakened,
too. He sprang toward the girl and
1
fought for 1t, and he held her with
strong arm.
"Wait-wait, Linda" he said gently.
you've wasted three cartridges now.
There are only two left. And we may
need them some other time"
He held her from him with his arm !:
| and 1t was as IL his strength flowed
into her. Her blazing eyes sought
his, and for a long second their Wills
battled. And then deep wonder
| seemed to come over her.
"What is it?' she breathed. "What
have you found out2'
She spoke in a strange and distant
voice. Slowly the fire died In her eyes,
| the drawn features relaxed, her hands
fell at her side. He drew her away
from the lighted doorway, out of the
range Of any of the Turner's that
should turn to answer the rifle fire.
The wind roared over the house and
swept by In clamoring fury, the cleo
trio storm dimmed and lessened as 1t
journeyed on.
them in all the long passage of their
years, they could never forget that mo-
ment. The girl watched him breath
lessly, oblivious to all things else. He
seemed wholly unaware of her now.
There was something aloof, impassive,
infinitely calm about him, and great,
far-reaching understanding was in his
eyes. Her own eyes suddenly filed
with tears.
"Linda, there's something come to
me-and don't know that can make
you understand. I can only call 1t
strength new strength and great
er strength than ever had before.
It's something that the pIne-that
great tree that we just saw split open
has been trying to tell me for a long
time. Oh, can't you see, Linda? There
it stood, hundreds of years-so great,
so tall, SO wise-in moment broken
like reed. 1t takes away my arro-
gance, Linda. It makes me see myself
as I really am. And that means
Power"
His eyes blazed, and he caught her
hands in his.
SIT was symbol. Linda, not only
of the wilderness. but of powers higher
and greater than the wilderness.
Powers that can look down, and not
be swept away by passion, and not
try to tear to pieces those who In their
folly harm them. There's no room for
cnoh tbfnoa q Won o,ooroa T., 4I,f, 49,,
strength. There's no room for MUIR
der, and malice. and hatred, and blood
she'd"
Linda understood. She knew that this
new-found strength did not mean re-
nunciation of her cause. 1t did not mean
that he would give over his attempt
to reinstate her as the owner of her
fathers estates. It only meant that the
impulse Of personal vengeance was
dead within him. He knew now-the
same as eyer-that the duty Of the
men that dwell upon the earth is to do
their allotted tasks, and without hatred
and without passion to overcome the
difficulties that stand In the way. She
realized that If one of the Turner'S
should leap through the door and at
tack her, Bruce would kill him without
mercy or regret. She knew that he
would make every effort to bring the
offenders to the law. But the ability
to shoot a fleeing enemy In the back,
because of wrongs done long ago, was
past.
Bruce's vision had come to him. He
knew that IL vengeance had been the
creed of the powers that ruled the
world. the sphere would have been de-