The Sky Line of Spruce

emembered skill, spread the blankets, and kept the fire blazing while Ezram cooked; afterwards he knew the indescribable peac

ette of the spruce against it; and then its slow-spreading glory through the still, dark forests! The spires of the trees grew ensil

him with their infinite beneficence and hospitality. It was ever somber, yet its dusky beauty stirred him more than any richness he had seen in bright cities. He knew its every mood: ecstasy in spring; gentleness in summer; brooding melan

companion to his once successful rival, Ben's father. Ben did not wonder, now, at his own perplexity when Forest had spoken of "Wolf" Darby. That was his own name known throughout hundreds of square miles of forest and in dozens of little river hamlets in an Easte

n 'em. You've seen human rats, too. As if the souls they carried around with 'em was the souls of rats. Of course you remember 'Grizzly' Silverdale? Did you ever see any one who in disposition and loo

I'll ever for

I ain't salvin' you when I say it, that you're the most terrible, ferocious fighter, forgettin' everything but blood, that ever paddled a canoe on the Athabaska. Some men, Ben, seem to have the spirit of the wolf right under their skins,

him,-of brutal, savage brawls in river taverns, of adventures on the trail, of struggling with wild rivers when his canoe capsized, of running the great logs dow

n so well, of the wilderness night. He heard the wild creatures start forth on their midnight journeys. Once a lynx mewed at the edge

ream in the daylight hours and camping on the bank at night. Every day they plun

d an outlet for his surging energy. His old-time woodsman's pleasures were recalled again: shooting waterfowl for their mess in the still dawns, racing the swimming

n hook-the spinner that salmon fishers know. He had no leader, no reel, no delicately balanced salmon rod-and Ezram was full of sc

when the lines of communication are better and tourist hotels are established on its banks, the river may then begin to conform to the qualifications of a conventional fishing stream, and then Ben's crude tackle will be unavailing

k to him the instant he felt the clumsy rod in his hands and the faint throb of the line through the delicate mechanism of his nerves. And

still can not restrain when the fish takes hold, even after a lifetime of angling. When he recovered himself he looked to see

ll the intricacies of the nerves, jarred the soul within the man, and seemingly registered in the germ plasm itself an impression that could be

he flopped and darted and sulked and rushed and leaped. If he hadn't been securely hooked, and if

at he was conquering, willing to sell his soul for the privilege of seeing the great fish safe in the boat. His eyes protruded, perspiration gleamed on his brow, he talked foolishly and incessantly to Ezram, the fi

d before," Ezram commented in mock disgust.

s delight." His vivid smile quivered at his lips and was still. "That's why I love the North; it can ne

fe is a thing that wilderness creatures know, realized only when the blood, leaping red, sweeps away lifeless and palsied tissue and builds a more sentient structure in its place; invoked by such forces as adve

me to a green bank from which the forest had been cut away. Softly, rather regretfully, they pushed up and mad

scend to reach Spruce Pass. Only five miles distant, in a quartering direction from the river, was Snowy Gulch,

and had built a crude wagon road to Snowy Gulch. And before they were fully unpacked they made

of the frontier and turned in greeti

ranger replied.

ood en

he way from

n' to Sno

Saltsville way myself, but I won't have no river to tow me. I've got to d

o swim, are you? W

k it out next trip." The stranger paused, blinking his eye

raging tones of a born tradesman. In reality the old Shylock's heart was leaping gayly in his breast. This was almost too good

jerked-off town there ain't a fit canoe to be had. Our boat

hwayman for a buddy. The amount named was nearly twice that which they had paid

you dub," Ezram informed his young partner,

iably follow a mutually satisfactory business deal, and in the talk that ensued the old man lea

ch, then?" the stranger had asked politel

Ezram replied. "And I've heard of one or two

ventured to assure him. "He lives right next to Neils

hin' at

is understrapers, too-Ray Brent and Chan Heminway. But they're out of town right now. They s

s and was not listening to this conversation. Yet likely enough it was a false alarm! Doubtless the ugly possibility that

here they went, d

and over to Yuga River-the country that kind of a crazy old chap named

his old listener should ha