Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-02-19

post, and that night over the fire,
while the Ojibways covered in their
tipi, the three men talked of what
message he might bring. They Won
dered in what way Laflamme would
show his teeth-for strike he would
before the long SHOWS faded; If he
would dare again to send men to the
post. It seemed unlikely, for he did
not know that the head man was alb
sent, the IroquOis, from Nipissng,
who was known the length Of the
Wailing and the great Albany for the
sureness of his eye over the sights
and the possession Of a stone-hard
men to the post on SO desperate ven
ture.
Five uneventful days passed. Con-
fident Of the supernatural powers of
!, Steele and his strange dog whom they
now heard in full voice in the forest
following the trail of Michel, the In
dians again began to travel their
lines Of traps. However, 1t was clear
that few more nights of the W indigo
at Portage lake would mean a gen
eral exodus.
On the afternoon of the sixth day
of Little jacques absence a dOg-team
limped slowly up the Still river trail
"There he is !" cried Steele "Now
Wen hear how things have been 60
ing down below" And he hurried to
the ice to meet the half-breed.
\ "Bo'-jo, Jacques! What's been
driving you so hard. Your dogs are
all in"
"Dere ees bad news down riviere"
whats happened, quick? What is
itT' Steele's heart skipped a beat
then started to pound, as he fiinched
from the answer to his question, when
David and Michel, with anxious
faces, joined him.
DE night we leeve Wailing Riviere
to hunt de Windigo, he holler On de
ridge De peopl' are ver' scare"
Steele glanced at his friends to find
them nodding in quiet satisfaction,
then clapping the astonished half
DT06u Ou TIE DdCh, LulSt oul Will
Jacques, that's not bad news
that's good news! He's moving
around and we'll hear him yet.
Where's the letter."
The. dog-runner handed Steele a
letter wrapped in oil-skin which ran
as follows:
Monsieur Steele:
Jacques brought your note l am
glad to learn that you have hope of
the hound. On the night you left, the
Windigo walled again on the ridge
opposite US.
II am In fear that something has
happened to Tete-Boule. He left for
the caribou barrens week before
you reached US and is long overdue.
Jacques tells me you did not find my
message at the rendezvous. sent
Gaspard but he may have feared the
Windigo and lied to me. My daugh'
ter and l are well and send our
calculations. Hilaire ST. Onge."
: "Well, what have you got to say
Michel?' demanded
II say wen de dog res, jacques go
down riviere an breeng up grub, DE
Windigo ees on dis lax now We
hear heem soon."
David nodded in acquiescence.
The day that Little Jacques left the
post on his return to Portage lake
with the letter to Steele from st.
Onge, the factor sat in his trade-room
staring with unseeing eyes at the
wall. The hope inspired by the re-
turn of Steele, despaired of as dead,
with his plans for the running down
of the brute, whose appearances IN
the valley Of the Wailing and in the
lake districts of its watershed were
fast working the doom Of the post,
was at low ebb. Try as they might,
he felt that the problem which faced
his three loyal friends would prove
beyond their power Of solution In
time to save the post. There would
be little Christmas trade, and sum-
mer would find Wailing River de-
serted.
AS he sat brooding with his pipe,
the Jingle Of dog bells brought him to
his feet. Could it be jacques return
ing for something he had forgotten?
st. Onge threw on his duftle capote
and went out, to meet painting team
of huskies, the steam of their hot
breaths rising in clouds in the biting
air.
"Tete- -Boulel We thought some
thing had happened!"
II see Michel at de fork of de
StOopin'. He geeve me dis for you"
Tete- Boule produced from his sled a
roll of birch-bark, on which were
traced with a charred stick syllable
characters in Ojibway.
st. Onge translated: "Come to fork
STOPPING river quick when you get
this from Tete-Boule. Michel"
You met Michel upriverT' asked
the surprised factor
Eyes, he cum dere at daylight, Were
yn1