The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-09-15


and fun. 80 far.oarying. ~ mas.
tcrful. that n might have been the
articulation 81 the raw elements
among which he lived. rather than
tho utteranee OF human vocal
cords. Il held nn his listeners. Il
Weakened I.Snore from the apathy
brought by cold ana exposure
They had wondered. al first. that
a member Of the white race should
make his home on this remote and
desolato isle. but after they had
heard his voice they know that this
was his fitting environment n any
mans home should DO here. in this
lost and snowy desert. here was
tho man.
The background OF the North was
reflected In his voice. II was an u he
had caught It's tone from the sea
and the wild. thru long acquaint
anco with them. II was command
ing. passionate. and yet. 70 a man
OF rare sensltivcneasi u would have
had an unmistakahie ualiiy 81
beauty. az least something Tint IL
like beauty and which can be heard
in many OF natures voices tha
chant Of tho wolf pack on the
ridge. or even certain sounds OF
beating waves The explanation
was simply that he had lived 30
long IN the North. he was 10 N,
irinslcally lie child In nature and
temperament. that Il had begun 90
mold him after It's own raw forces,
Tho fact that his voice had a
deeply sardonio note was wholly In
character The North. too, has a
cruel. grim humor that breaks
mems hearts
His accent waa plainly not that
OF an American. Nio had not been
born 10 the English tongue; very
plainly no had learned u, thoroly
and iaboriouaiy. Hts own tongue
stlll echoed family In the way he
mouthed some OF his yowela. and In
distinct purrinK note. M OF a
glan, cat. Ia his softer sounds.
Ned observed these things more
In an inner mind. rather than with
his conscious intelligence. Out
wilrdly he was simply ilgening 20
what the man said Tho note Of
dlmnras and unrcality was wholly
gone now. The voice was indescrib.
ably vivid tho man himself was
compellingly vivid. too. II wan no
longer TO be wondered at that he
had appeared OF such gigantic pro.
portions when they had seen him
nrfoss tho snow. In reality he
wax a EiaEs OF a man. about six
feet and half in height. hugo Of
body. mighty Of arm and limb,
weighing. stripped down 90 muscle
and slnow. practically 900 pounds.
Beside him. KnuiAen no longer
gave the image OF strength. The
strength OF this man beside the Hea
seemed reaiNtiess IL was 20 be
seen in His 1.-THE motions: his great.
long fingered, biz knuckiod hands;
In the lurch OF his shoulders. in
his great thighs ami long. power
ful arms. Ho was plainly, az far
as age went. at tho apex Of his
strcnEth-not over a. not less than
IS He drew up tho boat with ono
hand. reaching tho other 10 help
Lsnors out on TO tho shore
II came about. because he
reached Il toward Lenore. that Ned
noticed hi5 hand before ever he
really took time 10 study hia face.
II was a mighty. muscular hand
a reaching. claAping. cienehiuT.
killing hano. II crushed tho lives
from things that Its owner didn't
like. On tho back and extending
almost 10 ths great. purple naiIS
was blond. coarse hair.
But II wasn't mere brute
strength that made him the com.
peliing personality that he was.
There was also the strength OF
an iron purpose. "a sslfeonfidence
gained by battle with and tongues;
OF the utw forces OF his bland
home. Hero was man who knew
no inv but his own. And no was
as rcmorscless as tho snow that
sifted down upon him.
II IGNORES thought processes
had been tho same m when Hho
had left her city home. she would
have been stirred 10 envy by his
garb. There was little about him
that suggested intercourse with
the outside world. lie was drcsred
from head 20 foot in furs and skins
Of tho most rare and beautiful
kinds. His jacket and trousers
seemed to be OF lynx. his cap was
Enthusiastically silver fox. But II
came about that neither she nor
Ned did more than casually no.
tice his garb; both were held and
darkly fascinated by the great,
bearded face.
The blond hair grew In great
mat about his lips and jowls. His
nose was straight. his eyebrows
heavy. all his features remarkably
even and wcll.proportioncd. But
none OF these lesser features could
be noticed because OF the COMPEL
ing attraction OF his gray, vivid
eyes.
Ned didn't know why he was
startled. no carried out OF himself
when no looked at them. In the
first place they were the index OF
what was once, and perhaps still
lively and penetrating intelligence
This island man. however mad he
might be. was not a mere physical
bulk--an OK with dull nerves and
stupid brain. The vivid orbs indi
Gated n nervous system that was
highly developed and sensitive. tho
| heaven knows what slant. what
paths from the normal. the devcl
opmcnt took. They werc not IN,
eyes Of man blind to beauty
dull " art. He was likely full,
sensitive to the dreadful. ceri'
beauty OF his own northern home
II anything. II got home to hin
too deeply and invoked In him rs
own terrible mood. They wer,
sardonIc eyes, too--the eyes OF 0
man who. secure in his owr