Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-12-11
CHAPTER w

| trail tonight, mademoiselle." And the
| grateful look she gave him was ample
reward for his tact.
"As l feared, monsieur, the men
found nothing down river" said st.
Onge as they sat down to the simple
meal.
Not knowing whether Michel had as
yet confided In the factor, Steele
didn't mention the strange trail
''It is certainly puzzle, Colonel"
''Yes, a riddle which will be solved
in only one way, monsieur-by time
Some day when we have left the
Wailing River we may hear of the
fate Of my men,"
"Then you have no faith in the
Windigo theory Of their disappear
ance?' Steele boldly challenged, with
curl Of the lip.
The tired eyes of st. Onge twinkled.
$50 far as our Indians are concerned,
monsieur, the Windigo will drive us
out of the valley. But l am not pre-
pared to say that the Windigo have
my fur"
Brent Steele was narrowly on the
point of demanding that his host put
his cards on the table face up. St
Onge's failure to take his guest fully
into his confidence was irritating to
degree. AS he ate in silence, the
American promised himself that there
should shortly be a showing Of hands
or he would 60 south at once. Then
the brooding eyes of Denise ST Onge
met his and he realized what 1t would
mean to leave Wailing River to It's
rate-what memories he should leave
behind when he started south for the
Nepigon
That evening, three men, heads to-
gether, smoked on the beach. Slowly
and In detail Michel and David told
Steele of their search and discovery
of the strange footprints.
what were they like, Michele"
'Dey were long lax de bear, but
no bear cen des countree maxi dem
so big"
Queer ting de bear wat max de
track" broke in David, was starv',
for dey not seenk far cen de mud.
An he have seex-seve toe on fore
feet"
Just like the ones I'll show you in
the morningr exclaimed Steele.
"And you found no trail Of the men
with the canoe"
mo sign but round de camp-no
trail In muskeg"
well, Michel, what do you think?
Could the brute that made the track
you saw, howl like the one on the
ridge here?"
The IroQuois' small eyes narrowed
to Sits He puffed hard for a space
before answering "De howl on de
ridge was no bear-bear onlee yell
wen he get hurt. Michel not know
wat howl on de ridge but he fin out
before de long snow melt"
What do you think made the trail,
David?" Steele grinned into the set
face Of his friend
David shook his head. II nevaire see
so beeg bear track"
Then Steele told Of his search Of
the ridge for signs Of the night waller,
and Of the tracks he had seen that
afternoon. But cudgel their brains as
they would, the three men were at a
total loss for a solution of the riddle
Of their origin.
The night shut down but the three
men on the river shore still sat smok-
ing, hard at their council of war. In
the middle of a sentence, David sud
denly stopped, raising his head as
though listening. Then, silently ris-
ing, he plunged into a clump of alders
close by! A low curse-the sound of
a scuffie.
'By gar Wat you got, Daveed?"
demanded Michel as he and Steele
followed to the brush.
II show you Somet'ingw was the
muttered reply, as the dark shape Of
the Ojibway dragged an indistinguish
able, struggling mass from the alders,
"Tete-Boule!" gasped Michel, peer
ing into the face of David's prisoner.
"W'at you do dere?"
$50 you t'ink to hear something,
Tete-Boule?" growled the angry voice
Of the Ojibway shaking the man he
held in the wise Of his two hands as
a husky dog shakes a rabbit. "You
crawl lax de mink, but I smell you
lax de wolf smell de wood mouse"
and the man from Nepigon shifted a
hand to Tete-Boule's throat The
mouth of the trembling eavesdropper
gaped for air.
"Now 1 geeve you something to lee
son to, Wabeno! Shaman Maker ov
de Beeg Medicine! Eef you don be
ver' careful. David, de Nepigon Wolf,
will tear de devil out ov your t'roat."
And with a wrench he sent Tete-Boule
sprawling on the beach.
"Guess he won't eavesdrop again In
a hurry!" laughed Steele, as the
cowed Indian disappeared in the
shadows. But Michel seemed so
CO.. uaIv ciIopt thok %hn Aunor;oon