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/VALLEY ^VOICES GEORGE MARSH AUTHOR. Of " TOILERS OF THE TRAIL " * THE WHELPS OF THE WOLF* COPYRlOKt 6y THE PENH PUBLISHIHO CO SYNOPSIS / CHAPTER I.—With David, hal(-br««d cuida, Brent Steele, of the American Museum of Natural Hiatory, i* travel ing In northern Canada. By a stream hears Denlao, 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 durlar # his stay. Prom St. Onge he leanu of the mysterious creature of evlL the "Wlndlgo." and the disap pearance of a canoe and Its crew, with the season’s take of furs. CHAPTER II.—Steele hears the “Wln- digo.” David and Michel, St. Onge's head-man, leave for the scene of the oanos's disappearance. St. Onge tells Steele that Lasceltea, the company's manager at Fort Albany, seeks his ruin In order tb compel Denise to mar ry him to save her father. .CHAPTER III.—Hearing her vlolla playing, Steele realises that Denise Is sacrificing a brilliant musical career to comfort her father. David and Michel return, but are uncommunicative. CHAPTER IV.—Tete-Boule, Indian la St. Onge's employ, Is caught listening to Steele’s talk with David and Michel, and roughly handled. Steele learns that Louis Laflamme, factor at Ogoke, has made application to her father for the hand of Denise. ^^CHAPTER V.—Pierre, Indian from ^poke, visits the Walling River post, Jtenslbly for gun shells. David and Ilchel are suspicious of him. CHAPTER VI.—Lascelles visits Wail ing River. He Jeers at stories of the Wlndlgo.” To his consternation. De nise tells Steele she is Lascelles’ fiancee. CHAPTER VII.—Steele, David and Michel leave to visit an OJibway camp, on the trail of the ’Wlndlgo,’’ and en route to*Nepigon. CHAPTER VIII.—Talk with the OJIb- ways confirms the suspicion that Pierre .. a • p £ and Tete-Boule his accom- t/lice. The ’’Wlndlgo” Is heard and w". 1 ,? 4 ’ b . ut ** C »P«* Michel returns to Walling River with messages. Steele, In an effort to hold the terrified Indi ans takes the trail of the ’’Wlndlgo," without result CHAPTER IX—Steele and David •tart for Neplgon. At Ogoke Laflamme welcomes the travelers, seemingly learning with surprise of the "Wln- «lgo ’ and the loss of St. Onge's fur canoe. Steele meets Rose. Laflamme's mistress, who Is Introduced by La- Uamme as his slater. CHAPTER X—Rose comes to Steele in his cabin, to urge him to take her away from Laflamme. The latter ap pears and Is overpowered and bound by David who would have killed him but for Steele. The two men eecape. leaving Koae. David telle Steele La flamme caused the death of David's brother, and the half-breed has sworn to have hla life. Laflamme a men am bush them, but the voyagers escape by running the Frying Pan raplda. a feat deemed Impossible. CHAPTER XI.^-From Neplgon Steele goes east, returning with a bloodhound with which he hopes to trail the ”Win- digo.” David and Steele go back to Walling River, where they had been given up as lost, drowned In the Fry ing Pan Steele la mystified by Denise a cold reception. CHAPTER XII.—Steele find* himself utterly at a toes to account for Denise a changed attitude, and with a heavy heart he. with David, Michel, and the bloodhound, leave to hunt the ’'Wln dlgo " (1 (CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK) CHAPTER XIII In the morning. Little Jncques was aent back to the post with a letter iVora Steele Informing St. Onge of the reappearance in the Portage lake country of the night waller. He ex- fssed the hope of being able, with help of the hound, to obtain a )pt at the creature If It remained n*ar the lake. Denlae, * he did not mention. With David and Michel breaking trail through the foot of new snow which had fallen over night, the party started on the Ice for the mouth of Still river, a small tributary of the lake on which there was a trappers’ camp which Michel had not yet vis ited. Arriving at the tlpl of the OJlb- ways, they found them loading their sled preparatory to making a hasty departure, the dark faces of two men and a boy, marked with fear, while from the interior of the -lodge rose the low pitiful walling of women. “What are you doing? Why do you leave good otter and mink water and the ridges which have given you many pelts of the silver and the black foxj There is much flour and sugar and tea; there are many trade goods, af the post, which wait for you to coma with your pelts at New Year’s. Where are you going?” he asked In OJibway. Opening his arms In a dramatic ges ture the older of the men replied: “How can we stay? The Wlndlgo bowls at night from the ridges and robs our trap-linea. He wailed and wept last night when the snow cov ered the moon. Our women will not pass another sleep here; we fear he will find and kill us.” - “Where waa he?" “On the ridge there.* "No good!” Michel turned to Steele. “De snow cover heaa track," Then ha aaked: “You aay ha. robbed your Jrapa? Did you sea the trail?" J^pOh, yei, hla trail was everywhere. IVe sleep before the new snow fall \mk followed my fox and marten traps, and ate two foxes—the snow was red wl)h blood. They were large—the tracks of the man-eater, very largo, and wo ran when we saw them." “Will you stay tonight in your tlpL If we camp here? This la a great aha- thaaoBth.” Uidtri jxdiued to Steele. “He has a dog that hunts the Wlndlgo—he has „a magic howl, and the Wlndlgo fears him. He has bewitched many Wlndigoes In his own country with his great voice. Tomor row we will go with you to your trap- lines. No harm can come to you. be cause of this medicine man and his shaman dog.” The Ojlbways. gazed In awe and wonder at the great hound, strange to the north, with the pendulous ears and the furrowed forehead, then argued rapidly among themselves. Anally calling their women from the tent “The Wlndlgo will not come tonight, for he knows the shaman dog can fallow his trail even through water, and in his voice there Is death,” said Michel gravely, to the Impressed In dians. “If you will unload your sleds and camp here, near us, we will bring the skin of the Wlndlgo to hang from your lodge poles before the moon changes." After considerable discussion with his people the older Indian replied: “We do not wish to leave the hunting ground of our fathers. As you say, there Is game on the ridges and In the creek bottoms. If you will camp here with the white medicine man and the shaman dog with the voice of the thunder, we will stay.” “We will camp here and keep the Wlndlgo away,” answered Michel, trusting that the beast would prove him a false prophet. In the morning-leaving David at the camp to ease the fear of the wom en, Steele and Michel slipped Into their snow-shoes and taking the hound, drove their sled with the traps to the first lines of marten and fox sets on the neighboring ridges. There, along the line which the Wlndlgo had robbed. Michel set the six douhle- sprlog wolf traps under the new snow near the marten rabanes, chaining them to spruce logs, which he burled. Farther on. at two of the fox sets, Michel and Steele brought from their sled the two bear traps. These, also, were burled In the snow where an ani mal approaching the baited fox trap would step on the pan. releasing the yawning Jaws. It would take six days for Little Jacques to make the round trip to the post, and that night over the fire, while the OJIbwaye cowered In their tlpl. the three men talked of what message he might bring. They won dered In what way Laflnmme would show his teeth—for strike he would before the long snows faded; If he would dare again to send men to the post. It seemed unlikely, for he did not know that the head man was ab sent, the Iroquois, from Nipiaslng. who was known the length of the Walling and the great Albany for the sureneas of his eye over the sights and the'possession of a stone-hard nerve. No. Laflamme would not send men to the post on so desperate a ven ture. r , Five uneventful days passed. Con fident ’of the supernatural powers of Steele and his strange dog whom they now heard In full voice In the forest following the trail of Michel, the In dians again began to travel their lines of traps. However, It was dear that a few more nights of the Indigo at Portage lake would mean a gen eral exodus.' On the afternoon of the sjxth day of Little Jacques’ absence a dog-team limped slowly up the Still river trail. "There he Is!” cried Steele. “Now we’ll hear how things have been go ing down below." And he hurried to the ice to meet the half-breed. “Bo’-Jo’, Jacques! What’s been driving you so bard. Your dogs are all in.” “Dere ees bad news down riviere.” “What’s happened, quick? What Is It?" Steele’s heart skipped a beat, then started to pound, as he flinched from the answer to his question, when David and Michel, with anxious faces, Joined him. "De night we leeve Wailing Riviere to hunt de Wlndlgo, he holler o n de ridge. De peopP are ver* scare’." Steele glanced at his friends to find them nodding In quiet satisfaction, then clapping the astonished half- breed on the back, turst out with: - “Jacques, that’s not bad news; that’s good news! He’s moving around and we’U hear him yet Where’s the letter?" The dog-runner handed Steele a letter wrapped tm oil-skin which ran as follows: “Monsieur Steele: “Jacques brought your note. I am fled to leer* that you have hope ef (lie bound. On the night you left, the Wlndlgo walled again on the ridge opposite ua. am tn tmr that something has S«nd Ut Your Job Work. happened to Tete-Boule. He left foe the caribou barrens s week before you reached us and Is long overdue. Jacques tells me you did not And my message the rendezvous. 1 sent Gaspard but he may have feared the Wlndlgo and lied to me. My daugh ter and 1 are well end send our felicitations. Hilaire SL Onge." “Well, what have you got to aay. Michel?" demanded. “I say w’en de dog res’, Jacques go down riviere an’ breeng up grub. De Wlndlgo ees on dia lak' now. Wt bear heem goon.” David nodded In acquiescence. r «*«**«s The day that Little Jacques left the post on his return to Portage lake with the letter to Steele from St. Onge, the factor sat In his trade-roOm staring with unseeing eyes at the wall. The hope Inspired by the re turn of Steele, despaired of as dead, with his plans for the running down of the brute, whose appearances In the valley of the Walling and In the lake districts of Its water-shed were fast working the doom of the post, was at low ebb. Try as they might, he felt that the problem which faced bis three loyal frienda would prove beyond their power of solution In time to save the post There would be little Christmas trade, and sum mer would find Walling Rivet de serted. As he sat brooding with his pipe, the Jingle of dog bells t rought him to his feet. Could It be Jacques return ing for something he had forgotten? St. Onge threw on his duffle capote and went out, to meet a panting team of huskies, the steam of their hot breaths rising In clouds in the biting air. ‘Tete-Boule! We thought some thing had happened!" . “I see Michel at |Je fork of de Stoopin’. He geeve me dls for you.” Tete-Boule produced from his sled a roll of blrch-bark, on which were traced with a charred stick syllabic characters In OJibway. St. Onge translated: “Come to fork Stooping river quirk when you get this from Tete-Boule. Michel." ‘You met Michel upriver?" asked the surprised factor. “Yes, he cum dere at daylight. Were I camp. Hees dog can travel no more. He geeve dls to me so you get dere before sun go down, and he res’ hees dog. He go back Portage lak' dls sleep." “Did he say what had happened? He gave you no letter from Steele?" “M'sleu Steele ee» ovalr on d« Leetle Current wld Daveed." "But why does he want to see me tonight?" “He foun' somet’lng on de Portage lak’. He not tell me." Of course, thought St. Onge, Michel would not confle In the medicine man he hated. But what coaid they have found? If he were to make the fork before dark, there mas no time to waste. Ordering hla own team har nessed and provisions and hlanketa put on the aled, St. Onge hurried to the house. ‘‘Denise, my dear! TetwBoule Is hack with a message from Michel, whom he met at the fork. I must start at once. You may expect me back tomorrom afternoon." “Monsieur Steele sent you no mes sage?” "No! They are all well. I've got to travel to make the fork before dark, so nu revolt, my dear girl!" He kissed her and left. From the window she watched hla dogs take the river trail at a wild gallop. The hooded driver turned and saved hack at the girl at the window, and short ly, the sled reached the bend and was gone. “It will be lonely here tonight, but I have dear old Charlotte. I shall play her to sleep In her chair.” Denlae took the violin from Its case and laid her cheek careaaingly on the strings. “What would I do here with out you?” she whispered. “Father and you! Once I thought he had Joined ua—was one of us. But after his admission, and thla—” She took from a drawer in a deak a letter, and read It slowly. And In her face was anguish. Then she replaced It in the drawer. The letter had been given to her In person by the Indian who stopped on his way from Ogoke to Albany in Oc tober—the Indian who had told Mi chel of the drowning of Steele and David In the rapids of the Jackflsh. And the signature at the end of the letter addressed to Denise St Onge was that of—Rose Laflamme. Later, Denise and Charlotte were finishing the luncheon dishes, when their attention was attracted by dog- bells In the clearing. "Could father have turned back?” she remarked. The women went to a window and looked out to see a group of men and two teams of dogs In front of the trade-honse. 1 * “Who can It te? I cannot see their faces! The large man has never been here before!" cried Denise, swept by a wild fear—a premonition of personal peril. “One of them is coming here!" Charlotte hastily left the window ABd shuffling to a table, took from a drawer a sinister-looking meat knife. Running a bard thumb over Its edge, she calmly bald: “I weel stay by de door." \ , There was a loud knock on the doer of the teeter's quarters. Than the blood at French so|<Han sod gen tlemen In the veins of Denise St Onge flamed In her face—proved It- sett With a Una step she went te the door end opening It, looked proud ly lata the eyas of Louis LailasMne^ , Tbs ^ f . a >“* Ite “Mademoiselle 8L Onge, I have come to talk with yon." “It Is evident, monsieur." Laflamme stepped Inside and, as she retreated, dosed the door, follow ing her Into the living-room. “You will pardon me if I throw off my cost," he said. - “I do not desire trouble here in nty father’s absence,” she protested with s confidence she did not fed, “but I shall send Charlotte to call our men and force you to leave this pest" Laflamme laughed, as he paced the floor nervously. “Your men? You might better call on your women to aid youl Two of your brave retainers Laflamme Stepped Inelde and, ae She Retreated, Cloeed the Door, Follow ing Her Into the Living Room. are under guard now, In the trade- house. We couldn’t find the others, if you have them." It was clear to the girl, who gsl* lautly fought with her fear of I,a- flamme’s purpose In coming to the post when she was alone—helpless, that he controlled the situation, and would be heard. “What have you come here for, mon sieur?” she began. The told face of the trader flushed as he gazed at the girl whose memory had taken his peace of mind. The hardness of the mouth softened. In the dark eyes waa the look of a boy as he answered: Tt Is a story you hav« heard be fore, mademoiselle. But I am here to tell It at a time when you will be wiae to listen. This Is a ruined fur post. Your father will be forced to leave In the spring. Wbst does that menu to you?" T hare nothing to say," she an swered.' sitting with chin cupped In hand, face averted. “Oh, do yon mean to aay that yon prefer selling yourself to that store- keef>er, Lascelles. to’ living In laxary In Montreal. Winnipeg—r* “You may insult roe. monsleor. I have no means of defending myself,” she broke In, coldly. Then Laflamme lost all self-control, and stormed: “Insult yon? Oh. yes! But that Is the truth, la It nut? You do not love this man, do yon? To save your fa ther’s future you have agreed to marry him—this man you despise 1 Oh, I know! He’s not lit to look at you— you beauty!" White-faced the girl sat with eyes on the floor—silent, as If she did not hear. “True, you think you hate me now, buj you would change," he ran eti, talking as if to himself. “You may have heard hard things said of me, but I swear to you. If you will marry me, Denise 8t tinge, i’ll show you what love Is. Fll make your father Independent—make yon,” his voice broke with emotion, “yes, make you happy! I’ve loved you ever since yon played for ns that night at Albany— years ago.” Laflamme stopped and looked down with n gesture of helplessness at the woman of stone in the chair. Then he heard the low words: “You forget, monsieur, someone who Is still at Ogoke.” "I know how that looks to you," he defended, “but that was over, years ago—years. I’ve given her a home— couldn’t turn her out. But she hates me, tried to knife me, wanted to run away with that American, Steele, this October! She put on black the day she heard he had been -dredvned on the way home." There was a long silence, then: “Why were you afraid to have him reach N’eplgon?” ' Laflamme started, then laughed. “Afraid to have him reach Neplgon? That’s funny! He got some supplies and went on. What do you mean?" Then the girl countered: “Your In dians are not faithful to their master, monsieur. We learned that yon had Monsieur Steele ambushed after steal ing his ammunition, and forced him to go to his death/ » “Do yon believe that?” demanded Laflamme, puasled. Ts it truer “No!" The room was again silent while the maa, temed for hla cold nerve, hla re source, bit his Ups in 1m potency before the Icy calm of this strange girl who •o etseseed him. Then he played his trump card. “So you insist on casting year 1st with that rat at Albany? Then tt la for tea to save you from yoersetf. 1 have brought an extra Mad. your clothes nt ocre!" . “ > The girl rose to her foil height and met his cynical took with rehotet* i eyes, hat In her bean was tear. ^ sswe ■ _ m _ a — m mswii . »♦♦♦♦♦• ♦ IM | »#—»# “You do not dare!" she cried. “They would hunt you from Fort Hope, from Albany, from Neplgon House. In three weeks the police would b*-aL JOgoka. Rut before the police teams arrived, 'do you know what they Would do to you? They would bum you in your trade-house! You do not dare-!” With open admiration Laflamme watched the play of color and emo tion In the face of the frightened gtr! who confronted him. "If you’d flush that way when I say I love you," he cried, “I’d give all X have la the world. Why, girl, I’d sell my soul. If you’d look at me, Just once and say you loved me!" I “I despise you!" , The sting of the words cut like the lash of a whip. His self-control, al ready at the breaking point, crumbled. “Despise me, do you?" he snarled. “Dare me to do my worst? Suppose I take you at your word? Mon DleuI I'm mad enough about you to do any thing! Who It la, then, you lover He thruat his passionate face close to hers. “You hate me—you don’t want Lascelles! It must be that d—d dead American you’re mooning about! Well, he's at the bottom of the Jackflsh, and he forgot yon before he had been at Ogoke two honrer-forgot even your name'when he saw Rose!” She faced hla anger proudly, con tempt in her bloodless tece, until he mentioned Steele, then slowly her knees gave way and she sank In a chair. "It was that American !” be stormed. “Pity I didn't finish him myself 1” Then something on the table caught hla eye—held It! Hli face went dark with hla sinister purpose when, with a quick movement, he seized the vio lin, raised It above his head, and brought It down with a crash on the table, then dropped It to the floor and trampled It under hla feet. With a grown the girl fell to her knees and. gathering the splintered shell of the violin to her breast, moaned over it as a mother over a stricken child. At last he had reached her. At the sound there was a guttural I exclamation from the door, and with lifted knife, a wild-eyed OJibway wom an threw herself upon the surprised Laflamme. Leaping back, be caught and parried the thrust with bis fore- ana, then, with his uninjured band, wrenched the knife from the mad dened squaw and hurled her seteas the room to the floor." Seising his coat, he stood for an in stant over the kneeling girl. Hasp lag her beloved violin, sad touched bar hair—then left the room. The dazed OJibway crawled to tbo pitiful figure on the floor, and circled her with her arms "De music gone—all gone," she crooned. "Poor m’m'eoUe!“ While they huddled these on t^e floor—the glri, the light of whoee life had been ruthlessly snuffed out. and the woman of the dark akin, who un derstood—dog-bells Jingled In the clearing as two sleds took up the river trail. I-ate that afternoon. St. Onge reached the fork of the Stooping river, but the epnir-e. already blue with shadow, gave hack hla call, unan swered. He turned Into the mouth of the stream and took the Portage lake trail, aearrhlng the silent shores for the camp of Michel, but the headman waa not there. “This la very atrange," be said, and c^it hla wood to camp alone. I>eep in the night, St. Onge waked in bis blankets, as hla dogs gave back the husky challenge to. creatures whose scent the freezing air had car ried to their nostrils But the drowsy man did not know that two sled teams were passing below him on the Wall ing River trail (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK) T. ft. EUls /. BLUB KNGDffttKXNG 00. i J. ft. Bvvartaf a ftpadalty. Lyadhurst, ft. C > MONEY TO LOAN • ’ , V , V “ : ’ Loans made same day application received. t No Red Tape HARLEY & BLATT. Attomeys-at-Law BarnwelLS. C# COTTON High ear Prices Should Prevail Later in the Season. Ship Yo<ir Cotton to ua to be Held. Liberal Advances Made on Consign ments. Savannah Handlas Mere that 1,000,000 Bales a Year, and GETS HIGHEST PBICB8. Savannah Gotten Fsclerage C*. Savannah, Ga. KODAKERS! Bond year flhaa te na far Inf and printing. On* dap Write far ptteaa. LoU&r’t Studio list Main Strast COLUMBIA SOUTH CA BOLIN A We saB JEWELRY Ladles and Gants Gold and platiaa mounted Jewelry. 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