Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Thursday; October wnr. ms. TKBBAI BUUTH ^AKULOXIA / -VALLEY .“/VOICES cbu GEORGE MARSH i SSRvlCfc IV AUTHOR. OF " TOILERS OF THiE TRAIL " n THE WHELPS OF THE WOLF * ^COP^RIOHT by THE PENH PUBLISHING CO SYNOPSIS CHAPTER T.—With David, half-bre«d guide, Brent Steele, of the American Museum of Natural History Is'travel ing; In northern Canada. By a stream he hears Denise, daughter of Col. Hilaire St. Onge, factor at Walling River, play the violin superbly. He introduces himself and accepts an in vitation to make the post his home during his stay. From St. Onge he learns of the mysterious creature of evil, the v WlndlKO,‘’ and the disap pearance of a canoe and Its crew, with i the season’s take of furs. CHAPTER II —Steele hears the “Wln- dlgo." David and Michel, St. Onge's head-man, leave for the scene of the canoe's disappearance. St. Onge tells Steele that Lascelles, the company's manager at Fort Albany, seeks his r\^Ln in order to compel Denise to" mar ry him to sa^e her father. CHAPTER III.—Hearing her violin playing, Steele realises that Denise Is cacrlAclng a brilliant musical career to comfort her father. David and Michal return, but are uncommunicative. CHAPTER IV'.—Tete-Roule, Indian in 8t. Onge's employ. Is caught listening to Steele's talk with David and Michel, • nd roughly handled Steele learns that Louis Laflamme, factor at Ogoke, has made application to her father for the hand of Denise. (CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK) CHAPTER IV 1 I As he met Denlae at the door of the- {actor's quarters. Steele said quietly: ‘‘Let's not talk of the hear trail tonight, mademoiselle.” And the grateful look she gave him was ample reward for his tact. “As I I’eared. monsieur, the men found nothing down river.” said St. Onge as they aat down t«» the simple tnenl. Not knowing whether Michel had as yet confided In the factor. Steele didn't mention the strange trail. ‘“If Is certainly n pitagle. Colonel." “Yes, a riddle which will he solved In only one way. monsieur—hy time. Some day when we have left the Wailing River we may hear of tb« fate of my men** “Then you have no fulth In the Wlndigo theory of their disappear ance?” Ste**|e boldly challenged, with a curl of the lip. The tired eyes of St. Onge twinkled ”So far as our Indians are concerned, monsieur, the Wluriiuo will d r ^'* u* cut of the \alley. Hut 1 nm not pre pared to say that the Windlgo Law my fur." Hreut Steele was narrow ly on the polui of demanding that his host put Id* cards on the table fu«*e up. St. Once’s failure to take Ids gues; full) iftlo pis confidence was Irritating to a degree. he ate In silence, the American promised himself tluu then- should shortly he a allowing of hands or he would go south at once. Then the hrixsting eyes of I>••»'-«• St tinge met his and lie realized what it would mean to leave Walling River to Its fate—what memories he should leave behind when he started ssuith for the Neptgon. That evening, three men, headu to gether, smoked on the beach.. Slowly nd in detail Michel and Iknil told Steele of their search ntid discovery of the strange footprints. “What were they like, Michel?" “Dey were long lak* tie hear, but no bear een dcs countree inuk’ deni no big.”, “Queer t'ing de hear w’nt mak* dr track," broke In David, “was stnrv’ for dey not se»nk far e^n de mud An’ he have seex-geven toe ori fore feet.” “Just like the ones I’ll show yon In the morning!" exclaimed Steele. "And you found ho trull of the men with the canoe?" "No sign but ’round de camp—no trail In muskeg.’* "Well, Michel, (that do you* think? Could the brute that made the track you saw, howl like the one on the ridge here?” The Iroquois’ small eyes narrowed to slits. He puffed hard for a space before answering. "De howl on de ridge wns no bear—hear onlee yell w’en he get hurt. 'Michel not know vv’at how Lon de ridge hut he fin’ out before de long snow melt.’’ “What do you think made the trail, David?” Steele grinned Into the set face of his friend. David shook Ids head. “I nevalre see so beeg bear track." Then Steele told of his search of the ridge for signs of the night waller, and of the tracks he had seen that afternoon. But cudgel their brains as they would, the three men were at n ‘ total loss for a solution of the riddle of their origin. The night shut down- but the three men on the river shore sHH sat smok ing, hard at' their council of war. In the middle of a *sentence, David sud denly stopped, raising his head as though listening. Then, silently ris ing, he plunged Into a clump of alders close by! ▲ low curse—the sound of « scuffle. . “By gar! Wat you got DaveedT’ demanded Michel aa he and Steele ffeUmU tP tfa* bnuk* “I show you spmet’ing!” was the muttered reply, as the dark shape of the Ojibway dragged an Indistinguish able, struggling mass from the alders. "Tote-Boule!“ gasped Michel, peer ing into the face of David’s prisoner. “W-’at you do dere?” “So you t’Ink to hoar somet’ing, Tete-Roule?” growled the angry voice of the Ojibwlay shaking the man he held in the vise of his two hands as a husky dog shakes a rabbit. “You crawl lak’ de mink, but I smell you lak’ de wolf smell de wood mouse,” and the man from Nepigon shifted a hand to Tete-Boule's throat. The mouth of the trembling eavesdropper gaped for air. "Now I geeve you gomet’ing to lee- son to, Wabeno! Shaman! Maker ov de Beeg Medicine! Eef you don’ he veri careful. David, de Nepigon Wolf, will tear de devil out ov your front.” And with a wrench he sent Tete-Boule sprawling on the beach. "fiuess he won’t eavesdrop again In a hurry!" laughed Steele, as the cowed Indian disappeared In the shadows. But Michel seemed so strangely silent that the American asked; '’What’s the matter, Michel, don’t you like to see him htimlled so rough ly r The Iroquois made no reply. “Wake up. Michel, and tell us what you think?” “I t’Ink," said the head-man slowly, “dat de long snows will he red In dees valley.” "What, you don’t think that fool Tcfe-Boule^wlll make trouble?" "Tete-Boule ees no fool." He would say no more. The house was silent when Steele, filled with the events of the day, went to his room. Joite into the night hi* thoughts were busy with the hours on the ridge with Denise St. Onge. with memories of her (lushed response (o his emotion, of her abandon to the feeling which had swept her when she irtuvwd her “Farewell." of her nil- cenc$ and yet her define to moke clear the situation which her father seetningljr feared to reveal to Sfeelo. Then the matter of the tracks In the mud; what manner of heaat could be loose In the "bush”? Lit the mornint: they would take up that trail atiil fo| low It. but when they lost It In the dry going, what next? Well, they had h plan for the next month, hut the Frenchman would first have to show his cards. If he refused, there wns nothing to do but get on to Nepigon <>n the way there was Ogoke and Monsieur Lnfiumme. That ought to tie Interesting. But little did Steele realize as his drowsy brain dwelt for an Instant on the call on Monsieur T.ufiumine, free-trader. Just how infer eating that visit was to b«. • • 4 • • • • • At daylight three men were bending over tracks which ran thnmgh a wet holjnw less than a mile from Wall in? Hirer. “Well, Michel, did yon ever see a black bear that would leave these be hind him?” asked Steele as David and the head man carefully inspected the peculiar trail. “Ver’ beeg truck but ver’ strange bear.’’ laconically vouchsafed the kneeling hunter. "How about It. David?" David bared a set of strong teeth In a eharaeteristic smile. “Wen we start up river for de Nepigon. I*tell you. You laugh at me eef I say w’at I t’ink now.” Michel took up the trail forward while David and Steele followed It back only to lose It shortly in the dry birch leaves. On, theln return they found Michel waiting. “She don’ run far,’’ he announced. “I don’ followed eet far in de dry hush." Then the three made a wide circle, but failed to pick up the elusive tracks. Disappointed, they were re turning to the post hy another route than the trull to the ridge overlook ing the "Vale of Tomne.’* when Michel who was leading suddenly stopjved in his trucks, raising ids hand in warn ing. Stiff ns the spruce around thorn, the three stood listening. Faintly to fheir straining ears came a low chant ing, accompanied by the rhythmic beating pf what sounded like n drum. Steele turned a questioning face to David, who grinned broadly, nodding his head in time to the far drum beats. “What“In' thunder!” queried \he curious scientist/ . ’ “You hear dot down on de Nepigon, one tam,” dryly returned the Ojib way. “It sounds like it Somebody doing some conjuring, eh?" ' - * “Tete-Boule, de beeg shaman, mak* heaeff some medecine dees morning.” “la he driving away the Wlndigo, or la he trying to get yon bewitched for ahaklng him up last night?” is dLL WJ»4l0> for to mak’ dr beeg" medicine tog der.“' laughed David. . “Do the post people know that Tete-Boule is a Wabrno, Michel?*’ Steele asked of the allent roan who had vouchsafed, no comment “Tete-Boule mak’ medicine for long tam, to drive away de Wlndigo. De people t’ink he ees beeg shaman, for sure."*"'' "Well, the first thing for »?. Onge to do la to get rid of this nuisance, Tete-Boule 1 .' tie keeps the post In dians stirred up with his nhimbo-Jum- bo, and ought to be kicked out. What do you think,-Michel?” t For answer, the tall Iroquois draw- no ugly sklnntfig knife from its sheath in his belt. Then ho said, “It be good t’ing eef I put dees een bees buck?” “No, not without orders from your chief,” replied Steele, amused at the literal interpretation given to his sug gestion. “But tills Tete-Boule will make trouble all winter with his sor cery.” As they talked, the low droning continued, accented hy the beating of tile drum. "Let’s see what he Is about,” sug gested Steele, and they crept for ward. Within a hundred yards they made out a small, round skin tipi from which the sing-song emanated. “Naske awass, Wlndigo!” moaned the voice inside. “Ahuah! aliuah!" “He-tell de Wlndigo to go away," whispered L>avid to Steele. Then Michel wormed his way to some small balsam near the tent, while the others watched. Presently a low mewing from the Iroquois stopped short the walling in the tent. Then from the balsam rose the caterwauling of a lynx in the mat ing season. The drumming started furiously, ac companied hy vociferous shouting. The Si-ream of the lynx rose to a maniacal shriek. The drumming ceased, and the maudlin cries of a creature frenzied with fear filled the tent. Pres ently the fln’p was thrust aside, ami a grey-faced Indian scrambled out and tied like u deer In the direction, of the post, leaving behind him a white man and an Ojibway doubled with laughter, and beside them, his face set like stone, a tall half-breed deep In thought. * “Why did you do that, Michel? He will only make things worse at the post." “I try eef he scare ov de Wlndigo, heeself." “Well, are yog- sulistted?” "Ye*. Eet ees ver’ strange he ees ocara." And the head man shook lila head doubt Billy. “He talk to de Wlndigo. mi’ w en he cum. he run." Back nt the post Steele related to SI. Onge the events of the morning “This ‘t’ete-Boule, CVdonel, la only a source of trouble here. He is filling the niimls of the Indians with the Windigo. and then makes medicine to drtv* him away, doubtless for a con sideration.” St. Onge shrugged with Indifference “It will not matter. I am ex|tectiiig u packet from Alban.v any day ordering me to abandon the poxt." Steele stup'd at his lumt in surprise Where was the obi tlvbtlng blond In this veteran? WlSi hidden chiis** hod peralvzed his nerve? And his love for Ids «Id lighter—that at least should drive him to ti^ht through to the hit ter eD»l, • j They were on the river shore and alone, m> Steele grasped the ojqsvrtunl- ty for which he hod waited. The mat ter hot ween them hud to Ik* cleared up if he were to give his best efforts and those of I ntvld In the days to come. "Colonel St. Onge.” he began, *T am deeply Interested In your situation here. 1 have offered the services of David and myself. In an attempt to aid you In your trouble; but I must say, candidly, that you are not meet ing me half way. If 1 aui to put In the next three weeks in an effort to tun this thing down. 1 must first have your full and complete confidence. I must know—what you know—and think. This Is due me. If you cannot take .me Into your confidence, I shall be compelled to thank you for your ho vitality and hid you goodby, deep ly ns I shall regret it." St. Onge listened patiently, as the speaker thought, hopelessly, to the ultimatum. “Let us sit down and talk it over, monsieur," he replied... The two men moved to a rock and lighted their pipes. “Monsieur Steele,” began St. Onge. “I am In a net from which I see no escape. You came here a stlunger, claiming to be a scientist, interested in the study of Indian customs and folk-lore. That Is all I knew about you.’ As it was, I told you too much that first night." “What you told me has been re spected, sir,” Interrupted Steele, ir ritated at the manner of tlie older man. “Yes, monsieur.” mollified the ftic- tor, “wa have found you a gentleman. But for a time I suspected you of being a member of the provincial po lice, and that would have complicated matters." "What do you mean?” “Wby, if It were ever known up river that the police had stayed here with me for some time before acting against Laflamme, the post might be burned over our heads. They are a lawless crowd, monsieur.” “According to your story you are bound to lose the post whatever happens.” _ . _ “Yea, but there Is Denise* "I don’t understand.” “Monsieur, Laflamme baa never stopped at anything. He might not atop there.” lion QMftA tbat Jterria.l'B love with Mademoiselle St Onge?” Precisely r* j And might attempt to tako her by force?” “He might attempt anything. Ha has never respected the law—Is a desperate man.” '“But they would hunt him down. He'could not get away In thla coun try. He would be a madman to at tempt It.” “He Is a madman, monsieur,” Steele was tempted to laugh In the face of. his host. He would shortly have the opportunity of measuring this madman with his own eyes. St. Onge certainly was painting In strong colors. But they had wandered from the point. “I have asked you for your con fidence," he began abruptly. “If, you cannot see. your way dear to allow me to aid you, I shall regret it.” He was thinking of the girl .up at the house. _ “Monsieur Steele, we have- decided that you deserve our confidence— Denile and I; but 1 fear it will do no good now. They have got us.” “They?” demanded the American. "Yes,"-and the blood mounted to SL-Onge's bronzed face as he talked. “I told you that Lascelles had pur sued my daughter since the winter we spent at Albany. And now, with the disappearance of this fur, the' post can be closed, as it shows a loss un der my management. He can force me from the company’s service—ruin me. ' In France I have no property left; It Is all gone, and I am an old man, monsieur.” The face of St. Onge was yellow' and wrinkled. "But you will not conserft to your daughter—’’ vehemently protested the younger man, when he was interrupt ed, with: “Ah, monsieur, you do not know her. I fear that already she may have In volved herself. I have Just learned that she sent a letter by the last canoe to Albany.” Steele’s deepest Instincts revolted at the thought. It was monstrous—unbe lievable! Small wonder he hud found her playing her heart out nt the rnplds. He knew now Just what hope- lepaneas. what heartache, lay beneath the “Farewell” she had played on the hill. T«» shield her father’s old age from the bitterness of ftollure and pos sible penury here, In this new land, she had deliberately offered to de stroy that glorious youth of hers—at last capitulated to this Intriguing cur of np ln>q>eotor. "But that Is not all.” went on 8t. nnge. "Shortly l»efore your arrival a canoe brought this teller from Ogoke.” Steele’s lean t\ice lighted with curi osity as he started to read the letter handed him by the factor. Then the tuuiM-les of Ida Jaw bulged aa hla teeth ground in anger. ’ Monsieur St. Onge, "Bevilloii Frerea, Walling River. “For the third and last time I am writing you In an attempt to make you wee the light as a sensible man. 1 have reason to know that lascelles la now ready to force your hand. The post has proved a failure, as he In tended It should, and you have now to decide between leaving the com pany or giving your daughter to a man you .despise. "The offer I have made to yon, I re- l>«*at. From ogoke Lake we cun keep the Revltlon Frarca, and the ItMaan* Bay company oat of the Wailing River valley, and central the Swift Onircot and .Drowning River trade at wait. In years wa will rattra rich. five "I offer year daughter a name hon ored fpr generations In Three Rivera. Although I have spent my Ufa la the ; North, my education baa hern of the ' l>eat—not picked up In the barrqck room like that of Lascellea. Monsieur le Colonel, the time has come when yoy are forced to make a choice be tween us. Join with me, and In a few years your daughter will live In Injury hr Montreal or Quebec, aiid'VdfirvMd age will be provided for; choose La«- celles and you will never see the Ice break up on the Walling, for your J In dians will leave you. I have loved your daughter since I saw- her at Al bany, and can make her happy. Con sider carefully before yhu decide to be come the dog of Lascelles, If it Is to be that nit of a sous-lieutennnt. I warn you now that you will find my arm long. Until the snow flies I will wait for your canoe. . . * ' “LOUIS-* LA FLAM MR.” Steele returned the letter to St. Onge with the comment, "Monsieur, you were « soldier of France^. To letter like tills there Is but one reply— for a soldier." There was n glitter in the eyes of the American us they met those of the older man. “For a soldier,” repeated the French man with excitement, "there Is hut one reply. ‘On guard!’ I would kill her with my own hand before giving her to that renegade. Why, there la s white woman now at Ogoke—and to write this Insult!" The American leaped to hla feet. “Colonel." he cried, “Laflamme aaya you won’t see the Ice leave the Wall ing. Let’s call that bluff! With your leave, I'll come back on the anuw, and well watch the ice go out together!” The hands of the two men met aa they silently pledged each other. Then Steele’s fare sobered - as his wind turned to the greater problem that confronted him. “But Lascelles—how does Laflamme know so much about him?" “Laflamme was nt Fort Albany, four years ago. attempting to make a deal with Lascelles. , He was auai»ectcd of trying to lure him from the Kevlllon Frere**’ employ. It waa there he first saw Denloe. Sincf then he has writ ten ua many letters. Once he stopped here on his way up river, and threat ened to take her away by force If she did not listen to him. She lives In roust ant fear of him." ‘That explains much," replied Steele. “And the letter she sent to Luseelles—when did It go downriver?" "With the sen rah party from Albany. Long before you reached here—aa much as two weeks." “And this letter evidently accounts for her depression—hbr sadness." "Yes. Thla matter—and her fear of Laflamme She believes that be will keep his word—try to use force. Aa for the letter, she refuses to tell me what the wrote, but I can guess.” “And of course Lascelles will show up here before the river cl<*ses, since she has at last listened to him?" Her Inexplicable. "There Is no way out for the lost,” was now clwar. ’That la what I fear—” “But w hat do you Intend to do, mon- Merir? Yon rmm impatiently demanded Bteela. “What can I 4o1 Fve told T shall never consent to it; would kill her nnd myeelf first.” There- waa no oolotloa of thla lent In the mind of was a situation whjfjl Indeed. If she refusid-td^nitan to Her father she sorely wan too proud to brook Interference fron}- • stranger. Hhe had burned her bridjffluyet some* } thing must be done—douiSphig to pro vent her self-destruction. Bat what? And then, lie remembered with * there Was this Wlndigo matter. (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK) #»♦»»» T. B. Ellis J. B. • J , T-% - V ELLIS ENGINEERING 00. Land Surveying • Specialty. Lyndhorst, S. C t . ' * All I vt™ of Insurance: I 1 * - i farm Coverage - a Specialty:; Calhoun and Co. P. A. Price, Mgr. ; Bank of W. C. Bldg. » 0 • OMMMl JEWELRY Ladies and Genta watehas. Gold and platinum diamond mounted Jewelry. Gorham starling and plated sil ver ware. Waterman Ideal pens and pan el la. Engraved visiting, business cards and invitations. 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