The Barnwell people-sentinel. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1925-current, December 16, 1926, Image 7
/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
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BLUB KNGDffttKXNG 00. i
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Bvvartaf a ftpadalty.
Lyadhurst, ft. C
>
MONEY TO LOAN
• ’ , V , V “ : ’
Loans made same day
application received.
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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
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Write far ptteaa.
LoU&r’t Studio
list Main Strast
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JEWELRY
Ladles and Gants
Gold and platiaa
mounted Jewelry.
Gorham eterttag and plated sil
ver ware.
Waterman Ideal pens and pen
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Engraved visiting,
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A first class watch and
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Diamonds remounted la white
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Cold*, Gripp*, Fla; Da**
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UPM.
NOTICE!
Against Hunting, Fishing and Trapping
Any person or persona entering upon the lands hereinaftar referred to,
situate in Barnwell, Richland and Red Oak Townships, for the purpose of
hunting, fishing or trapping, will be prosecuted to the full extent of the
law:
L. W. Tilley
200
Mrs. Jane R. Patterson
—’ 1,000
Sue Ford —.
130
J. M. Weathers bee
672
Mrs. Flossie Smith
1,000
Billie Jenkins
— 60
Allen Eubanks
130
Jessie Middleton
.... 300
Joe McCreary
200
J. W. Newton
245
Harriett Hutson
175
Estate of H. A. Patterson
.. 2,000
J. M. Easterling —
!— 860
Joseph E. Dicks
800
W. H. Dun6an
405
R. C. Holman
400
F. H. Creech
.... 45
A. A. Richardson
.. 2,000
Mrs. Kate M. Patterson .
2,600
Lemon Bros.
Mrs. Annie P. Easterling
.... 562
S. B. Moseley
... 80
Duncannon Place
... M50
Mrs. Lena Davies
... 90
G. ARTHUR EVANS,
ANGUS PATTERSON.
Barnwell S. C., Nov. 22, 1926.