| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: whispered to Wetzel:
"If I fire they may run toward us."
"Nope; they'll run away," answered Wetzel, thinking the lad was as keen as an
Indian.
Joe quickly covered the calf again, and pulled the trigger. Bellowing loud the
big bull dashed off. The herd swung around toward the west, and soon were
galloping off with a lumbering roar. The shaggy humps bobbed up and down like
hot, angry waves on a storm-blackened sea.
Upon going forward, Wetzel and Joe found the calf lying dead in the grass.
"You might hev did better'n that," remarked the hunter, as he saw where the
bullet had struck. "You went a little too fer back, but mebbe thet was 'cause
The Spirit of the Border |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: dodge you taught me, but in my eagerness I missed."
"Wal, you hadn't no call fer hurry. You worked the trick clever, but you
missed him when there was plenty of time. I had to shoot over your shoulder,
or I'd hev plugged him sooner."
"Where were you?" asked Joe.
"Up there by that bit of sumach?" and Wetzel pointed to an open ridge on a
hillside not less than one hundred and fifty yards distant.
Joe wondered which of the two bullets, the death-seeking one fired by the
savage, or the life-saving missile from Wetzel's fatal weapon, had passed
nearest to him.
"Come," said the hunter, after he had scalped the Indian.
The Spirit of the Border |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather: for he walked shoulder to shoulder with a
shadowy companion--not little Hilda Burgoyne,
by any means, but some one vastly dearer to him
than she had ever been--his own young self,
the youth who had waited for him upon the
steps of the British Museum that night, and
who, though he had tried to pass so quietly,
had known him and come down and linked
an arm in his.
It was not until long afterward that
Alexander learned that for him this youth
Alexander's Bridge |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: enchantresses are, and wanted to make the bold youth tremble),
"what do you think now of your prospect of winning the Golden
Fleece?"
Jason answered only by drawing his sword, and making a step
forward.
"Stay, foolish youth," said Medea, grasping his arm. "Do not
you see you are lost, without me as your good angel? In this
gold box I have a magic potion, which will do the dragon's
business far more effectually than your sword."
The dragon had probably heard the voices; for swift as
lightning, his black head and forked tongue came hissing among
Tanglewood Tales |
