The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-11-16
CONTINUED from last week.


"Tn walk with you way and show
you the road" Simon continued. The
room seemed deathly quiet as the two
men went out together.
They walked side by side. until Q
turn of the road took them out of eye
range of the store. "This is the road"
Simon said. "An you have to do Is
follow it. Cabins are not SO many
that you could mistake it. But the
main thing is-whether or not you
want to CO."
Bruce had no misunderstanding
about the mans meaning. 1t was sim
ply threat, nothing more nor less.
Eve come 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
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
nave to decide that" he replied. "rm
going to see some one else. too"
t'Some one named-Linda?
"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
equarely 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 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 ter derfeet. A
good many things can happen up.
there. A good many things have hap
pened mp there. / warn you-g0
back I"
Bruce smiled, Just the faint flicker
OF smile; but Simon'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 moment as this. He was ac-
customed to implicit obedience and
was not used to seeing men smile
when he uttered a threat. Eve 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. I advised
you to 60 back before, and I usually
don't take time or trouble to advise
any one. Now I 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, 1t was In some
way familiar too. 1t was as If this
meeting had been ordained long ago;
that 1t was part of an memorable dcs- {
tiny that the t,yo should be talking to-
gether. face to face, on this winding
mountain road. Memories vague,
all unrecognized-thron through
him.
Many times, during the past years,
he had Weakened from curious dreams
that in the light of day he had tried
in vain to interpret. He wars ncver
able to connect them with any remenl-
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.
IT guess you heard me-" Simon
said: II told you to go back"
"And / hope you heard me too. Tn
going on. haven't any more time to
give YOU"
"And I'm not going to take any
more, either. Bit let me make one
thing plain. No man, told TO 60 back
by me. ever has chance to be tod
again. This amt your cities-up here.
There amt any policemen on every