The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-12-14
The Strength of the Pines

.
ana become intertwined much more
than Bruce knew. Even as he lay In
his berth. the first sweet drifting OF
sleep upon him, he was the subject
Of a discussion In a far-distant noun
tain home: and sleep would not have
fallen so easily and sweetly Ii he
had heard 1t.
II might have been a different world.
Only a glimpse of II. illufnlned by the
moon, could be seen through the soiled
and besmirched window pane; but
that was enough to tell the story.
There were no tall buildings, lighted
by a thousand electric lights, such
as Bruce could see through the win
dows of his bedroom at night. The
lights that could be discerned In this
strange. dark sky were largely I'M
familiar to Bruce, because of the
smoke-clouds that had always hung
above the city where he lived. There
were just stars, but there were SO
many of them that the mind was IN
able to comprehend their number.
There was also a moon that cast a
little square of light, like a fairy
tapestry, on the floor. 1t was not such
a moon as leers down red and strange
through the smoke of cities. 1t was
vivid and quite white-the wilderness
moo hat times the hunting hours
of the forest creatures. But the patch
that Ii cast on the floor was obscured
In a moment because the nan who
had been muslng In the big chair be-
side the empty fireplace had risen and
lighted a kerosene lamp.
The light prevented any further
scrutiny of the moon and stars. And
what remained to look at was not
nearly so pleasing to the spirit. 1t
was a great, w~hite-walled room hat
would have been beautiful had 1t not
been for certain unfortunate attempts
to beautify II. There was a stone
fireplace. and certain massive. dust
covered chairs grouped about 1t. But
the eyes never would have got to
these. They would have been held and
fascinated by the face and the form
Of the man who had just lighted the
lamp.
No one could look twice at that mas
sive physique and question Its might.
He seemed almost gigantic In the yell
low lamplight. In reality he stood
six feet and almost three inches, and
his frame was perfectly in proportion.
He moved slowly, laZily, and the
thought flashed to some great monster
OF the forest that could uproot a tree
with a blow.
The face was huge, big and gaunt
OF bone; and particularly one would
notice the mouth. II would be noticed
wen before the dark, deep-sunSen
eyes. 1t was q bloodhound mouth,
the mouth of a man of great and ter
ribie passions, and there was an un-
mistakable measure of cruelty and
%sayagery about Ii. But there was
strength, too. No eye could doubt
that. But II was not an ugly face,
for all the brutality Of the features.
1t was even handsome In the hard,
mountain way. One would notice
| straight, black hair-the mans age
was about thlrty-nine-long over rather
dark ears. and a great, gnarled throat.
The words when he spoke seemed to
come from deep within II.
Come In. Dave" he said.
In this little remark lay something
of the mans power. The visitor had
come o His visit had been
unexpected. His host had not yet
seen his face. Yet the man knew,
before the door was opened, who IL
was that had come.
The reason vent back TO a certain
quickening Of the senses that Is the
peculiar right and property Of most
men who are really residents of the
wilderness. This man was the son
of the wild as much as the wolves thai
ran In the packs. Soft though 1t
was, he had heard the sound of APP
preaching feet in the pine needles.
As surely as he would have recognized
the dark face of the man In the door
way, he recognized the sound as
Dawes step.
h man came In, and at once an
observer would have detected an air
Of Difference in his attitude. Very
plainly he had come to see his chief.
lie was a year or two older than his
host, less powerful of physique, and
his eyes did not hold quite so straight.
There was less savagery but more
cunning In his sharp features.
He blurted out his news at once.
"Old Elmira has got word down to
the settlements at last" he said.
There was no muscular esponse In
the larger man. Dave was plainly
disappointed. He wanted his news
TO cause a stir. II was true, however,
that his host slowly raised his eyes.
Dave glanced away.
what do you meany the man de-
manded.
"Mean-I mean just what | said. We
should have watched closer. Bill
Young Bin. l mean-saw a city chap
just In the act Of going In to see
her. He had come onto the plateaus
with his guide-Wegan was the mans
name-and Bill said he stayed a lot
longer than he would have If he hadn't
taken a message from ner."
"How long z was this2'
week & Tuesday"