Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

we?) ey , 126 The wind grew bitter as the darkness came and Jimmie was carried back anew to visions of the valley and the house. Even the smell of his father’s pipe came to him; it was a different smell than any other. He had always associated it with supremity, with dictatorial power, and as it filled his nostrils he actually knew homesickness. He knew just how the valley looked, he thought. He could see the brown grass as it cringed under the bite of the raw wind. He could hear the howl of the wolf and the bark of the fox with, now and then, the tramping of the black tail deer in the brakes of the woodland. With all that picture impressed upon his mind by the thrill of the things which had come to him in Faro, he caught sight of the first snowflake. It came, just as they always seemed to him to come, from no- where. Suddenly it was there, as though it had been there all the time. | It bred upon itself, in a sense, for others appeared. They settled gently to earth so softly, so quietly, that they appeared to be coming surreptitiously until their hold upon the earth might be strong enough to warrant open warfare. The first few struck the ground and quickly melted, as though they were proving that winter was a myth. | Then the air filled more rapidly with them. They fell upon the pony’s ears; clung to Jimmie’s hand, where they melted and left a drop of water that might have been a tear at their passing. He glanced at his shoulder and saw that the flakes, big flakes, were clinging there as though re- luctant to settle finally into the motionless blanket they must make. Here and there little streaks of white appeared along the ground, perhaps beside a log, where the wind whipped the flakes more rapidly than they melted. There they piled up and the piles grew in size and crept outward until the impression of earth changed from streaks of white to streaks of dark and the first snowstorm had come to shield the ground throughout the long win- ter. “Gee, I hope they’re warm,” Jimmie mused, his mind unable to leave the people at the valley. After all, he thought, a great ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ters! He wondered if the Indian trapper had brought to the valley as much buffalo meat as he did each year before. He urged his pony on at a faster gait be- cause the snow was getting deeper with each minute. He knew how long it might last; how completely those great, soft flakes might weave into a single blanket that would envelop the world about him. But there was a fascination about the ride; about the softly falling snow. He was not immune to it; it gripped his thoughts and gave rise there to dreams of the future. Despite all that had happened at Faro he was content. Some philosophical bent in his make-up pointed out that what Brant had said about learning and living, was sound. The world was a greater thing than he; he told himself that when events seized a man in their clutches he ceased to be re- sponsible. : He had been riding for perhaps two hours when the sound of hoofs came to him across the snow-filled night. They seemed to be coming from the direction of Faro, and he drew aside that he might let the rider overtake him. As he waited the snow streaked past him like white lights being cast against a black screen. Soon the hoofbeats drew close. Through the night he caught sight of the rider who appeared like some phantom of the storm. His body, tinted white by the snow that clung to his garments, was clearly visible, while his face, where of course the snow -. melted, was unseen. “ Jimmie!” a voice called. say there, Jimmie!” Jimmie called back, and the rider ut- tered a grunt of satisfaction. “ Ain’t this a real snow, though?” the man queried. ‘‘ Come quick, too—an’ me ‘thout winter clothes! But ’tain’t too cold. I changed my mind, see? Changed it— “Hey, I _ Well, why’n hell don’t yuh say somethin’, Jimmie?” “Tm glad fer to see you, Brant, ” Jim- mie said easily—“ right glad. .You’re the best caitleman I ever knew of, an’ we'll go a long ways when a chance comes.” “Yuh damn fool!” Brant muttered; and there were many things in his voice, though s deal A oul d goes in one of a long win- none cae wae ete oS - —— = a. — = 5 = OPES = m= = Se - el a See + $ —— oe pe. = oe sos ~ 5 ete ri —— — =< bea = = nee et <= [SS pt Fak = =e ~~" So. re en oo ee = a — = FIES = : = Peg ene So ae ha % es - __s = ye <-~ - :. = Fone - . a a | ag * > —— ae Ogre =< iat eee ~s Fea riehacle come