The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-08-17


sweet gravity Melissa called him
"brother Jan" and returned In full |
measure his. boundless love. He mark.
ed the slow turning of her iaxen hair
into sunny gold and month by month |
watched joyfully the deepening of that
gold into warm shades Of brown. She !
was to be like her motherl JAMS soul
rejoiced, and In his silent way Cum
Minis offered up wordless prayers OF
thankfulness
So matters stood at Post Lac Balm
in the beginning Of Meisse's ninth
year, when up from the south there
came rumor.
Rumor grew into rumor. From the
east, the south and the west they null
tiplied, until on all sides the Paul Re
veres of the wilderness carried news
that the Red Terror was at their heels,
and the chill OF great fear swept like
shivering wind from the edge Of civ.
ilization to the bay.
Nineteen years before these same ru.
mors had come up from the south, and
the Red Terror had followed. The hor-
ror Of 1t still remained with the forest
people, for thousand unmarked
graves. Stunned like pestilence and
scattered from the lower waters Of
James bay to the lake country Of the
Athabasca, gave evidence Of the toll 1t
demanded.
From DuBrochet, on Reindeer lake,
authentic word first came to Lac
Balm early In the winter. Henderson
was factor there. and he passed up the
| warning that bad come to him from
Nelson House and the country to the
southeast.
There's smallpox on the Nelson" his
messenger informed Williams, "aud 1t
has struck the Crees on Wolnston lake.
| God only knows what 1t Is doing to the
bay Indians, but we hear that II is. WHIP
ing out the Chippewayans between the
Albany and the Churchill" He left
the same day with his winded dogs.
I'm off for the Frenchmen to the west
with the compliments Of our company"
he explained.
Three days later word came from
Churchill that all of the companys
servants and her majesty's subjects
west of the bay should prepare them
selves for the coming of the Red Terror
Williams thick face went as white as
the paper he held as he read the words
of the Churchill factor.
1T means dig graves he snid.
That's the only preparation we can
make.
He read the PAPER aloud to the men
ut Lac Balm. ard every available man
was detailed to spread the warning
throughout the posts territory. There
was quick Harvesting Of dogs, and on
each sledge that went out was roll of
red cotton cloth.
Jan went over the Churchill trail
and then swung southwark along the
Hasabala, where the country was
crisscrossed with trap lines Of the
halfbreeds and the French. First he
struck the cabin of Croisset and his
wife aud left part of his cloth. Then
he turned westward, while Croisset
harnessed his dogs and hurried with O
quarter of the roll to the south. BE
tween the Hasabala and Klokol lake
Jan found three other cabins, and al
each he left bit of the red cotton
, Forty miles to the south, somewhere
on the Porcupine, he found the cabir
of Henry Langlois. the posts greatest
fox hunter.
Over Il, hanging Imply to saplinl
, pole, was the red signal Of horror.
With terrified cry to the dogs, jar
ran back. and the team turned about
, and followed him In a tangled mass
Then he stopped There was M
3 smoke rising from the clay chimney
: on the little cabin Its one window
j was white with frost. Again anC
3 again he shouted, but no sign of III
e responded to his cries, He fred hi
rifle twice and waited with his NIT
C tened hand over his mouth and nos
e tris There was no reply. Then
o abandoning hope, he turned back int
e the north and gave his dogs no res
e until he had reached Lac Balm.
e His team came In half dead Bot
Cummlns aud Williams rushed out t.
- meet him as he drove up before tn
: company's store.
~ THE red flag Is over Langlois
:, cablnw he cried.
% ~ fred my rifle and shouted. Their
IL Is no life! Langlols is dead!'
:. Great Godw groaned Will'0"S
- His red face changed 10 u slrEl
20 pallor, and be stood with hio thic
- hands clincnrd while Cummins too
>, charge of the dogs and Jan went Int
W the store for something to eat
ne Mukee and Perez returned to III
post the next day. Young william
followed close after them, filed wit
" terror. He had found the plagr
~ among the Crees OF the WATERFOWL
JUS Each day added to the gloom at 1t
VI Balm. Death Ieaped from cabin :
cabin in the wilderness to the ives
ler BY the middle of the month Ii
g. Balm was hemmed In by the plag'
'e' on all sides but the north.
SSe The posts trap lines had been sho'