Licking Valley courier., 1922-04-20
Copyright BY Edwin Balmer

BY William MacHarg
and Edwin BalmeF

NOOAtAhuCu AANAAA RNB~ sWOst
moved around to ths other side of tho
table, where he stood facing Alan.
"You're a Chippewa, aren't you.
Judah?" Alan asked.
"Yes."
"Your people live at the ether end
NJ the lake, don't they"
Eyes, Alan"
"Have you ever heard Of the Indian
Drum they talk about up there, that
they say sounds when q ship goes
down on the laker
The Indians eyes sparkled excited
ly. "Yes." he said. /
"Do you believe I'm itr'
"Not just believe; I know. Every
body knows that II sounds for those
who die on the lake. have heard II.
II sounded for my father"
"How was thatr'
Like this. My father sold some
bullocks to a man on Beaver island
The man kept store on Beaver island,
Alan. No Indian liked him. He would
not hand anything to an Indian or
wrap anything In paper for an Indian.
Say 1t was like this. An Indian comes
In to buy salt pork. First the man
would get the money. Then. Alan, he
would take his hook and pull the pork
up out Of the barrel and throw it on
the dirty floor for the Indian to1 pick
up. He said Indians must take their
food of Of the foor-like dogs.
my father had tc take the bunocks
to the man. across to Beaver kland.
At first the Indians did not know who
the bullocks were for, so they helped
him. When they found out xhe bal
locks we're for the man on Beaver
island, the Indians would not help him
any longer. He had to take them
across alone, Besides, II was bad
weather, the beginning Of a. storm.
"He went away. and my mother
went to pick berries-I was small then.
Pretty soon l saw my mother coming
back. She had no berries. and her
hair was hanging down. and she was
waillng. She took me In her arms and
said my father was dead. Other In
dlans came around and asked her how
she knew, and she said she heard the
Drum. The Indians found my fathers
body"
t"Did you ever hear otIa ship called
the Miwaka, Judah"
"That was long ago,%the Indian an
swered.
SThey say that the Drum beat
wrong when the Mlwnka went down
that II was one beat short Of the right
number"
"That was long ago." wassaauam
merely repeated.
"Dld Mr.. Corvet ever speak to you
about the Mlwakaf'
"No; he asked me once II had ever
heard the Drum. I told him."
wassaquam removed the dinner and
brought Alan a dessert. He returned
to stand In the place across the table
that Alan had assigned to him, and
stood looking down at Alan. steadily
and thoughtfully.
"Do I look like any one you ever saw
before, Judahi" Alan inquired Of him
mo"
as that what you are thinkingf'
"That Is what was thinking, VIII
coffee be served In the library. Aanf
Alan crossed to the library and seat
cd himself In the chair where bis fa
ther had been accustomed to sit Was
saQuam brought him the single smal
cup Of coffee, III the spirit lamp OF
the smoking stand and moved tina
over; then he went away. When h
had finished his coffee, Alan went int
the smaller connecting room and re
commenced his examination OF tn
drawers under the bookshelves. A
ten o'clock, Alan stopped his searcl
and went back toi the chair in the II
brary. He dozed nor he awoke will
start and feeling that some on
had been bending over him, and gaze,
up into wassaQuam's face. The In
dian had been scrutlniIlng him wit
intent, anxious inquiry. He move
away, but Alan called him back.
"when Mr.. Corvet disappeared, J,
dab, you went to look for him up q
Manlstlque. where he was bom-a
least Mr., Sheriff. said that was wher