Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-23

stirring tale of romance and adj
venture which shows the difference be-
tween the white mans god and the
red mans god
Inspector McBain of the Royal
Northwest Mounted Police did not go
into sentimental detail when he called
IN Philip Needham from barracks and
explained to him tho trouble that was
brewing up az the headwaters OF the
Beaver. He introduced him to Jean
Pierrot. the slim, soft.vo;ced French
half-hreed who had come down through
three hundred miles of wilderness
with the news, and vino sat with his
Dig dark eyes staring hard at Philip
as the Inspector went over in five min.
utes the facts which It had taken him
three-quarters Of an hour to tell.
Tho Sarcees and the Swamp Crees
are ready to jump at one another's
Threats UP on the Beaver" said the
Inspector. "The trouble began with
fight IN which the Sarcees murdered
missionary Isn't that it. Jean?'
Non. M'sieur,' replied the half
breed. They did not murder him.
They killed him"
COD save u.s." chuckled the big In
spector. Here's half savage from
the jungle who sees difference be-
tween murder and killing which we
don't see in law. Philip. According to
our code the missionary was muir
dered. and the affair has started
trouble that promises tribal war. I'm
not going to send a dozen -; half a
dozen men up there to stop the fight
I'm going to send you--alone-as
peacemaker. and TO bring back as
many of the Sarcees as YOU like,
Cockburn. as factor on the Beaver and
you can get all of the assistance you
want from him and the Crees. The
trouble started oversa woman. She's
young Cree. Maballa is her name,
Jean says. and you may have to bring
her back with you She's pagan and
renegade, for she has left the Crees
to join the Sarcees.'
1t was the second day after. when
they were resting from hard portage
on the lower Sturgeon. that Jean Pier
rot made answer to what the Inspector
had said.
Sometimes, M'sieur" he said in his
low quiet voice, II think that there
must be more than one God-that
there must be three. your God. and
mine. and a God for such as she and
her people
Philip was lighting his pipe. but
paused until the fame of his match
burned the tips of his fingers.
Maballa, you mean" he said, strik,
ing another.
Yes, Maballa, M'sieur-and the
Sarcees"
They are pagans." said Philip. puff.
fing out smoke. so how can they have
God?"
There was a time when | believed
that there was but one God, M'seur."
.eplied Jean. Il am Catholic, and |
carry an ivory cross of the Virgin on
my breast. I thought there was but
one God--Our GOd-untl I was sent
TO school at Montreal. After that
worked for the Great Company for
three years, and | saw great deal
Of your God-the God of what heard
called Civilization. 1t is a different
God from the God of ouT big North ;
down there even the God of the Virgin
is different God. You worship Him
in your big churches on one day, and
then for the six days that follow you
lie, yol cheat, you ruin one another
you break the ten commandments. We
have no churches Our God is abOu'
us, in tho forests. the swamps, in the
night play OF the aurora; we don''
shout His name, we don't have brass
bands to work for Him, but most Of
us wear His crosses and live up tt
Him in our way, which is different
way than yours. For these reasons
know there are two Gods, my God anc
yours, and | almost believe there Is
third--fcr her people"
Something in the manner OF Jeans
saying these things stirred Philil
strangely The half-breed's dark eyes
glowed with warm fire. His thiI
sensitive face seemed TO CULVER witt
IN emotion which he fought to keel
back. There was the graceful pois'
If an animal in his slender, steel
sin wed body as he hunched himsel
over to peer up the river; fascina
ton about HMM the sun shining
in his jet-black hair, in the soft Gre
melody of his voice, the cool daring o
his beautiful eyes,
"And what kind of a God would yo'
hare for a pagan God?" queried Philip
Il don't know" said Jean, straight
ening himself 81 have thought OF !
a good deal, M'sieur, but don't know
Perhaps you can help me-" Phil,
caught an eager, almost hopeful lool
in the others eyes. THE Sarcees ar
not only paeans, but the last of wha
was once great race. mere are les
than a score Of them. counting womel
and children, up where we are soina
M'sieur. 1t is what is left of the Lon
Arrow tribe. Twenty years ago, whe
Il was much stronger. this tribe cam
upon a Cree village which had bee
deserted because of the red plague
the small pox, and in ono Of the tepee
they found half-dead little babe, Dc
serted by its people, They were deat
Nv enemies then-the Crees and tn
Sarcees, M'sieur-and yet the Sarcee
took this babe. and saved its life-b'
cause It was babe, and helpless.
ask you. M'sieur. would a people witt
out a God have done this-when tn
other people, the people with Coo
abandoned the child to It's death? Tha
child. Msieur, was Maballa, the Gre
pagan"
Jeans eyes glistened.
would a goddess people have don
that. M'sieur?" he demanded.
mo, jean
And that was not all" continue
Jean, turning his face again up IL
river. and speaking for a moment
II to no one but himself "Shc cam
=. tho Doot a flor that ten wears late