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

IAc Mluu tHdL puzzled Hill SIlll more.
] AT. the. first he couldn't believe that
1t was track. The reason was SIM
ply that the size Of the thing was In
credible-as If some one had laid a
flour sack In the mud and taken 1t up
i 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 1t
an imprint Of living creature He
went to his knees to examine it.
But In one instant he knew that he
had not been mistaken. It was q
track not greatly different from that
of an enormous human foot; and the
separate toes were entirely distinct.
1t was a bear track, of course, but
one of such size that the general run
of little black bears that inhabited
the hills could almost use it for a den
| OF Information!
He got up and went on-~farther
toward Trails End. He walked more
i
the end of Pine-Needle Trail before
nightfall, but he had no intention Of
hating In case night came upon him
before he reached 1t. He had waited
too long already to find Linda.
T Another hour ended the days sum
light. The; shadows fell quickly, but
It. was 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 point Of keeping in the
best of physical condition. Besides
there was something more potent than
mere physical strength to sustain
him now 1t was the realization Of
the nearing end of the trail--a knowl-
edge Of tremendous revelations that
would come to him In a few hours
more.
Already great truths were taking
shape In his brain; he only needed a
single sentence of explanation to con-
meet them all together. He began
to feel growing excitement and I'm
patience.
1t was quite dark now. and he
could barely see the trail. For the
first time he began to despair, feeling
that another night of overpowering
Impotence must be spent before he
could reach Trails End. The stars
began to push through the darkening
sky. Then, fainter than the CLEAN Of
freely, he saw the faint light Of q
far distant camp fire.
His heart bounded. He knew what
was there. 1t was the end Of the
trail at last And 1t guided him the
rest OF the way. When he reached
the top of little rise In the trail, the
whole scene was laid out in mystery
below him.
The fire had been built at the door
Of mountain house-a log structure
Of perhaps four rooms. The freight
played In Its open doorway. Some
thing beside. 1t caught his attention,
and instinctively he followed It with
his eyes until It ended in an incred-
ible region Of the stars. 1t. was a
great, pine tree, the largest he had
ever seen-seemingly great sentinel
over all the land.
But the sudden awe that came over
him at the sight of 1t was cut short
by the sight of girls figure in the
freight. He had an instant's sense
Il hQf a hod 20 n
heart at last, that this tall tree was
its symbol, that If he could under
stand the eternal watch that It kept
over this mountain world, he would
have an understanding of. all things
but all these thoughts were submerged
In the realization. that he had come
back to Linda at last.
He had known how the mountains
would seem. All that he had beheld
today was just the recurrence Of
things beheld long ago. Nothing had
seemed different from what he had
expected; rather he had a sense that
"A lost world had been, returned to him,
and 1t was almost as If he had never
been away. But the girl in the fire.
light did not answer In the least de-
gree the picture he had carried Of
Linda.
He remembered her as a blond
headed little girl with irregular fea-
lures and rather unreasonable al
lowance of LONELINESS. All the way
he had thought of her as a baby sis
ter-not as a woman in her flower
For long second he gazed at her In
speechless amazement.
| Her hair was no longer blond.
True, 1t had peculiar red lights when
the freight shone through 1t; but he
knew by the light Of day 1t would be
deep brown He remembered her as