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brave and great. By and by he stood up and walked again.

An easy exhilaration filled his veins. His pace increased. ā€œI wonder,ā€ he thought, ā€œhow fast I can run, how far I can jump.ā€ He quickened his stride. In a moment he found that the turns in the trail were too frequent for him to see his course. He ran ahead, realizing that he was moving at an abnormal pace. Then he turned, gathered himself, and jumped carefully. He was astonished when he vaulted above the green covering of the trail. He came down heavily. He stood in his tracks, tingling.

ā€œNobody can do that, not even an acrobat,ā€ he whispered.

Again he tried, jumping straight up. He rose fully forty feet in the air.

ā€œGood Jesus!ā€ he exulted. In those lonely, incredible moments Hugo found himself. There in the forest, beyond the eye of man, he learned that he was superhuman. It was a rapturous discovery. He knew at that hour that his strength was not a curse. He had inklings of his invulnerability.

He ran. He shot up the steep trail like an express train, at a rate that would have been measured in miles to the hour rather than yards to the minute. Tireless blood poured through his veins. Green streaked at his sides. In a short time he came to the end of the trail. He plunged on, careless of obstacles that would have stopped an ordinary mortal. From trunk to trunk he leaped a burned stretch. He flung himself from a high rock. He sped like a shadow across a pine-carpeted knoll. He gained the bare rocks of the first mountain, and in the open, where the horror of no eye would tether his strength, he moved in flying bounds to its summit.

Hugo stood there, panting. Below him was the world. A little world. He laughed. His dreams had been broken open. His depression was relieved. But he would never let them knowā€”he, Hugo, the giant. Except, perhaps, his father. He lifted his armsā€”to thank God, to jeer at the world. Hugo was happy.

He went home wondering. He was very hungryā€”hungrier than he had ever beenā€”and his parents watched him eat with hidden glances. Samson had eaten thus, as if his stomach were bottomless and his food digested instantly to make room for more. And, as he ate, Hugo tried to open a conversation that would lead to a confession to his father. But it seemed impossible.

Hugo liked his father. He saw how his mother dominated the little professor, how she seemed to have crushed and bewildered him until his mind was unfocused from its present. He could not love his mother because of that. He did not reason that her religion had made her blind and selfish, but he felt her blindness and the many cloaks that protected her and her interests. He held her in respect and he obeyed her. But often and wistfully he had tried to talk to his father, to make friends with him, to make himself felt as a person.

Abednego Dannerā€™s mind was buried in the work he had done. His son was a foreign person for whom he felt a perplexed sympathy. It is significant that he had never talked to Hugo about Hugoā€™s prowess. The ten-year-old boy had not wished to discuss it. Now, however, realizing its extent, he felt he must go to his father. After dinner he said: ā€œDad, letā€™s you and me take a walk.ā€

Mrs. Dannerā€™s protective impulses functioned automatically. ā€œNot to-night. I wonā€™t have it.ā€

ā€œBut, motherā€”ā€

Danner guessed the reason for that walk. He said to his wife with rare firmness: ā€œIf the boy wants to walk with me, weā€™re going.ā€

After supper they went out. Mrs. Danner felt that she had been shut out of her own sonā€™s world. And she realized that he was growing up.

Danner and his son strolled along the leafy street. They talked about his work in school. His father seemed to Hugo more human than he had ever been. He even ventured the first step toward other conversation. ā€œWell, son, what is it?ā€

Hugo caught his breath. ā€œWellā€”I kind of thought I ought to tell you. You seeā€”this afternoonā€”wellā€”you know Iā€™ve always been a sort of strong kidā€”ā€

Danner trembled. ā€œI knowā€”ā€

ā€œAnd you havenā€™t said much about it to me. Except to be gentleā€”ā€

ā€œThatā€™s so. You must remember it.ā€

ā€œWellā€”I donā€™t have to be gentle with myself, do I? When Iā€™m aloneā€”like in the woods, that is?ā€

The older one pondered. ā€œYou meanā€”you like toā€”ahā€”let yourself outā€”when youā€™re alone?ā€

ā€œThatā€™s what I mean.ā€ The usual constraint between them had receded. Hugo was grateful for his fatherā€™s help. ā€œYou see, dad, Iā€”wellā€”I went walkinā€™ toā€”dayā€”and Iā€”I kind of tried myself out.ā€

Danner answered in breathless eagerness: ā€œAnd?ā€

ā€œWellā€”Iā€™m not just a strong kid, dad. I donā€™t know whatā€™s the matter with me. It seems Iā€™m not like other kids at all. I guess itā€™s been gettinā€™ worse all these years since I was a baby.ā€

ā€œWorse?ā€

ā€œI meanā€”I been gettinā€™ stronger. Anā€™ now it seems like Iā€™m aboutā€”wellā€”I donā€™t like to boastā€”but it seems like Iā€™m about the strongest man in the world. When I try it, it seems like there isnā€™t any stopping me. I can go onā€”far as I like. Runnin. Jumpinā€™.ā€ His confession had commenced in detail. Hugo warmed to it. ā€œI can do things, dad. It kind of scares me. I can jump higherā€™n a house. I can run fasterā€™n a train. I can pull up big trees anā€™ push ā€˜em over.ā€

ā€œI see.ā€ Bannerā€™s spine tingled. He worshiped his son then. ā€œSuppose you show me.ā€

Hugo looked up and down the street. There was no one in sight. The evening was still duskily lighted by afterglow. ā€œLook out then. Iā€™m gonna jump.ā€

Mr. Danner saw his son crouch. But he jumped so quickly that he vanished. Four seconds elapsed. He landed where he had stood. ā€œSee, dad?ā€

ā€œDo it again.ā€

On the second trial the professorā€™s eyes followed the soaring form. And he realized the magnitude of the thing he had wrought.

ā€œDid you see me?ā€

Danner nodded. ā€œI saw you, son.ā€

ā€œKind of funny, isnā€™t it?ā€

ā€œLetā€™s talk some more.ā€ There was a pause. ā€œDo you realize, son, that no one else on earth can do what you just did?ā€

ā€œYeah. I guess not.ā€

Danner hesitated. ā€œItā€™s a glorious thing. And dangerous.ā€

ā€œYeah.ā€

The professor tried to simplify the biology of his discovery. He perceived that it was going to involve him in the mysteries of sex. He knew that to unfold them to a child was considered immoral. But Danner was far, far beyond his epoch. He put his hand on Hugoā€™s shoulder. And Hugo set off the process.

ā€œDad, how come Iā€™mā€”like this?ā€

ā€œIā€™ll tell you. Itā€™s a long story and a lot for a boy your age to know. First, what do you know aboutā€”wellā€”about how you were born?ā€

Hugo reddened. ā€œIā€”I guess I know quite a bit. The kids in school are always talkinā€™ about it. And Iā€™ve read some. Weā€™re born likeā€”wellā€”like kittens were born last year.ā€

ā€œThatā€™s right.ā€ Danner knitted his brow. He began to explain the details of conception as it occurs in manā€”the biology of ova and spermatozoa, the differences between the anatomy of the sexes, and the reasons for those differences. He drew, first, a botanical analogy. Hugo listened intently. ā€œI knew most of that. Iā€™ve seenā€”girls.ā€

ā€œWhat?ā€

ā€œSome of themā€”after schoolā€”let you.ā€

Danner was surprised, and at the same time he was amused. He had forgotten the details of his young investigation. They are blotted out of the minds of most adultsā€”to the great advantage of dignity. He did not show his amusement or his surprise.

ā€œGirls like that,ā€ he answered, ā€œarenā€™t very nice. They havenā€™t much modesty. Itā€™s rather indecent, because sex is a personal thing and something you ought to keep for the one youā€™re very fond of. Youā€™ll understand that better when youā€™re older. But what I was going to tell you is this. When you were little more than a mass of plasm inside your mother, I put a medicine in her blood that I had discovered. I did it with a hypodermic needle. That medicine changed you. It altered the structure of your bones and muscles and nerves and your blood. It made you into a different tissue from the weak fiber of ordinary people. Thenā€”when you were bornā€”you were strong. Did you ever watch an ant carry many times its weight? Or see a grasshopper jump fifty times its length? The insects have better muscles and nerves than we have. And I improved your body till it was relatively that strong. Can you understand that?ā€

ā€œSure. Iā€™m like a man made out of iron instead of meat.ā€

ā€œThatā€™s it, Hugo. And, as you grow up, youā€™ve got to remember that. Youā€™re not an ordinary human being. When people find that out, theyā€™llā€”theyā€™llā€”ā€

ā€œTheyā€™ll hate me?ā€

ā€œBecause they fear you. So you see, youā€™ve got to be good and kind and considerateā€”to justify all that strength. Some day youā€™ll find a use for itā€”a big, noble useā€”and then you can make it work and be proud of it. Until that day, you have to be humble like all the rest of us. You mustnā€™t show off or do cheap tricks. Then youā€™d just be a clown. Wait your time, son, and youā€™ll be glad of it. Andā€”another thingā€”train your temper. You must never lose it. You can see what would happen if you did? Understand?ā€

ā€œI guess I do. Itā€™s hard workā€”doinā€™ all that.ā€

ā€œThe stronger, the greater, you are, the harder life is for you. And youā€™re the strongest of them all, Hugo.ā€

The heart of the ten-year-old boy burned and vibrated. ā€œAnd what about God?ā€ he asked.

Danner looked into the darkened sky. ā€œI donā€™t know much about Him,ā€ he sighed.

Hugo was eighteen before he gave any other indication of his strength save in that fantastic and Gargantuan play which he permitted himself. Even his play was intruded upon by the small-minded and curious world before he had found the completeness of its pleasure. Then Hugo fell into his coma.

Hugo went back to the deep forest to think things over and to become acquainted with his powers. At first, under full pressure of his sinews, he was clumsy and inaccurate. He learned deftness by trial and error. One day he found a huge pit in the tangled wilderness. It had been an open mine long years before. Sitting on its brink, staring into its pool of verdure, dreaming, he conceived a manner of entertainment suitable for his powers.

He jumped over its craggy edge and walked to its center. There he selected a high place, and with his hands he cleared away the growth that covered it. Next he laid the foundations of a fort, over which he was to watch the fastness for imaginary enemies. The foundations were made of boulders. Some he carried and some he rolled from the floor of the man-made canyon. By the end of the afternoon he had laid out a square wall of rock some three feet in height. On the next day he added to it until the four walls reached as high as he could stretch. He left space for one door and he made a single window. He roofed the walls with the trunks of trees and he erected a turret over the door.

For days the creation was his delight. After school he sped to itā€”Until dark he strained and struggled with bare rocks. When it was finished, it was an edifice that would have withstood artillery fire creditably.

Then he played in it. He pretended that Indians were stalking him. An imaginary head would appear at the rim of the pit. Hugo would see it through a chink. Swish! Crash! A

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