Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-12-18


more. Many die all tru dees countree
dat long SHOWS, for eet was de year of
de rabbit plague and dere were no
moose Dees Pierre cum to Fort Ma
matawan dat spreeng an say hees
woman die but | 60 to heeS camp dat
summer, an I fin her bones cen de
bush cen two, three place-all rOun'.
He keel hees woman-and left her in
de snow for de wolverines an fox
she nevaire starve. He ees no good.
He cum here to max de trouble an
scare our people,"
But why should he come so far to
make trouble here, as you say? What
is behind it all?"
For an instant, Michel seemed on
the point of making arevelation. Then,
evidently changing his mind, with a
shrug of his bony shoulders, he an
swered "We see some day"
Steele and David exchanged puzzled
looks. What could Michel have in the
back of his head?
With the coming of the canoe with
news from Feather lakes, Wailing
River was again thrown into a panic
of fear of the night proWler. After
hurried talk with St. Onge, Steele
started up the river, bound for Big
Feather lake. He had little hope of
discovering anything which would
throw light on the mystery. But one
thing piqued the curiosity Of the three
men They were keenly interested in
finding tracks similar to those near
the post, for they carried the exact
measurements Of the latter, and In
case they tailed with those at the
Feather lakes, forty miles away, they
would have discovered new and most
peculiar trait in animal habits, name
ly, a beast with feet strangely like a
bears, which had ranged forty miles
within a few days.
On the morning of the second day
the canoe was travelling in the easier
water inshore, when Michel polling in
the bow, suddenly exclaimed:
"Kequay! Look"'
On the Shore ahead, were the re-
mains of a fire and near it what re
sembled the body of a man. With a
few strong thrusts of the poles the
canoe was driven to the beach. The
men leaped ashore Before them
stretched beside the dead fire, lay an
Indian, hideously mutilated.
"He has been literally torn to pieces"
90 oil IL
have done this, and yet I never heard
of such a thing"
David was on his knees searching
for tracks in the dry leaves, when a
cry from Michel drew the attention of
the others.
Look, Track on de shore!" and
the IroqQois pointed to patch of mud
clearly marked by the prints of huge
feet
They're ringers for the tracks near
the post" said Steele, and he took
from his pocket strips Of rawhide of
the dimensions of the footprints which
had frightened Charlotte In breadth,
length and character, the tracks in the
mud were identical with those near
Wailing River. The three friends
looked bIanlIly at each other.
"It's the same bird" said Steele.
David removed his felt hat and
scratched his broad forehead "No
bear travel forty mile and back twenty
onless something drive heem," he in
sisted
EsDu+ lDoore DON'T yo,,tila 70 bO6iac 1il-o
this" added Steele.
oval" muttered the Ojibway "dees
one max de mess ov. dees poor feller
all de same. Wat you goin' do?"
AS the features were obliterated,
Michel was busy examining the kit of
the dead man in an attempt to iden-
tify him as an Indian trading at the
| post.
de gun ees French company gun,
but de kettle and knife / nevair see
before | t'ink eet ees not Waiting
Riviere hunter"
"Who could he be, then, travelling
on this river so late in the year?"
"Eet ees YER strange" muttered the
headman.
+ "Eef dat bear ees de Windigo," Da-
vids wide face contracted in a net
! work OF wrinkles, as he grinned at
Steele, ''w'at we do den?'
"Windigo or no Windigo, David, he's
our meat if he steps in front of my
Mannlicher-Or yours. Why, what's
the matter, Michel?"
The grave face of the Indian had
suddenly assumed an expression so
sinister as to arouse the white mans
curiosity.
"By gar! We are de fool!"
"What d'you mean?"
For answer, Michel leaped into the
canoe and poled rapidly upstream for
a few hundred yards, while the puz-
zled Steele looked on. Then the In
dian swung the nose Of the boat down
/ river and padded past them in mid
stream
"What in thunder is he driving at,