Adventures in the Far Future & Tales of Outer Space — page 175: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

On top of the hill stood the chapel, a small steepled building of ancient stone. He let himself in the gate and walked around to the graveyard behind. There were many of the demure white tombstones—thousands of years of Solis Township, men and women who had lived and worked and begotten, laughed and wept and died. Someone had put a wreath on one grave only this morning; it brushed against his leg as he went by. Tomorrow it would be withered, and weeds would start to grow. He’d have to tend the chapel* yard, too. Only fitting. He found his family plot and stood with feet spread apart, fists on hips, smoking and looking down at the markers, Gerlaug Kormt’s son, Tama WHuwan’s daughter; these hundred years had they lain in the earth. Hello, Dad, hello* Mother. His fingers reached out and stroked the headstone of his wife. And so many of his children were here, too; sometimes he found it hard to believe that tall Gerlaug and laughing Stamm and shy, gentle Huwan were gone. He'd outlived too many people. | had to stay, he thought. This is my land, | am of it and | couldn’t go. Someone had to stay and keep the land, if only for a little while. | can give it ten more years before the forest comes and takes It. Darkness grew around him. The woods beyond the hill loomed like a wall. Once he started violently; he thought he heard a child crying. No, only a bird. He cursed himself for the senseless pounding of his heart. Gloomy place here, he thought Better get back to the house. He groped slowly out of the yard, toward the road. The stars were out now. Kormt looked up and thought he had never seen them so bright. Too bright; he didn’t like it. Go away, stars, he thought. You took my people, but I’m staying here. This is myland. He reached down to touch it, but the grass was cold and wet under his palm. CORniclooo SS CO