I-XXI

Again sober, without the resources of the
citybred parasite, and without money, his
instinct, his longing, drew him irresistibly
into the open; his heredity forced him toward the
mountains, into familiar paths, valleys, heights.

He avoided the stage road, and progressed toward
Greenstream by tangled trails, rocky ascents, sharp
declines. By late day he had penetrated to the heart
of the upland region. He stood gazing down upon
the undulating, verdant hills, over which he could
trace the course of a thunder gust. The storm
moved swiftly, in a compact, circular shadow on the
sunny slope; he could distinguish the sudden twisting
of limbs, the path of torn leaves, broken
branches, left by the lash of the wind and rain. The
livid, sinister spot on the placid greenery drew
nearer; he could now hear the continuous rumble of
thunder, see the stabbing, purplish flashes of lightning.
The edge of the storm swept darkly over the
spot where he was standing; he was soaked by a
momentary assault of rain driving greyly out of a
passing, profound gloom. Then the cloud van-

[[103]]

p102 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p103w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p104

v?