Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-11-27
SYNOPSIS

guide, Brent Steele of the American
N Museum eu Of Natural History is travel
ne hears Denise, daughter of Col.
Hilaire st. Onge, factor at Wailing
River, play, the violin superbly. He
introduces himself and accepts an in
yitation to make the post his home
during his stay From ST. Onge he
learns of the mysterious creature of
evil, the "Windigo," and the disap
pearance of a canoe and it's crew, with
the seasons take of furs.
Throwing on his clothes, the man
swung from the window and dropped
to the grass below. The house, also
was dark-St Onge doubtless drugged
with cognac, but she? Did she lie
numb with fright, or was she gallant
ly struggling with the mystery?
AS he approached Michel's' dark
shack, Steele was puzzled Had the
Iroquois and David also weakened?
But two silent shapes, carrying some
thing in their hands, met him at the
door,
"You heard 1t, Michel?" demanded
Steele, searching the swart face Of
the half-breed, as they left the shack,
for traces of excitement
The features Of Michel were set
like stone as he said: "De Windigo
get de fur cano' now he get de. pos"
What dyou meany quickly de-
manded Steele, fearing that the Indian
in the head man had at last tri-
umphed over his intelligence-thath he,
too, had succumbed to the general
terror.
= Michel mean," explained David,
that de Indian will leave de pos
after tonight"
The white man was relieved. These
two, at least, had not been stampeded
by the nameless thing on the ridge.
And then, as they reached the shore,
it began again.
From the crest of the ridge came
an unspeakatle mewing, now strange
ly cat-like, now unearthly; followed
by the moaning Of a mangled thing in
torture
1t ceased The white man heard
the rough breathing of the men beside
marked the cooking of two rifles.
Then upon the heavy silence broke
the prolonged wailing of an Ojibway
woman for her dead
Rigid the three men listened The
wailing climaxed in maniacal shrieks.
Again the night was soundless.
Turning to Steele, Michel muttered:
"Tete-Boule ees right; dat ees ver
bad ting to hear"
What is 1t, David?" Steele demand
ed of his hard-headed friend.
"Eef David was on dat ridge, he
tell you" was the dry response
There's nothing on four feet in
this country that could do that There
may be something in this Windigo
story, after ALL Is 1t beast, bird, or
devil. MichelY"
"Eet may be crazee wolverine; eet
may be devil; eet may be Windigo-
but eet flemish dees pos all de same"
!. AS the half-breed sadly shook his
head the caterwauling began anew.
With heads thrust forward the
pierce its mystery. But this time, as
the voice rose to a climax, flame shot
from the muzZles Of two rifles and the
shrieks were smothered In the report
Of the guns echoing from the ridge.
Again silence blanketed the valley.
Thus did David and Michel fling
back their challenge of lead to the
powers Of darkness which menaced
the fur fort.
"The Windigo knows now that
there's some fighting blood left in
Wailing River" chuckled Steele, when
he heard approaching footsteps.
who's there?" called the voice of
: st. Onge. "Who fired those shots?"
michel and David, colonel; did you
hear it?" asked Steele, curious to
know the state of the factors nerves.
st. Onge approached and gripped
Steeles arm. 1--WE been listening
with my daughter" he said in
strained voice. II went to rouse you,
but you had gone. It's the last straw,
monsieur My Indians will not stay
after this"
what d'you think 1t ISL" asked
Steele, closely watching the features
of st. Onge in the dim starlight.
"Who can sayT replied the French
man, with a shrug 'It may be some
crazed beast-wolyerine or lynx or
bear. And then," he looked hard into
Steele's eyes, ut may be-the Win
digo."
At the words, David who had been
listening, turned to Michel in surprise
But the face of the head man was
wooden. The Ojibway's narrow eyes
shifted to those of Steele, and for a
space white man and red held each
others gaze.
Was the Frenchman, after all, su-
perstitious? Steele wondered. Had his
nerve softened, after what he had now
heard with his own ears; or was he
playing game?
Colonel ST. Onge," said the Ameri-
can after a space, ''this thing has got
to be followed up-run down