Show Th The e Valley of V es I I CHAPTER VII VII Continued Continued 12 12 12 It was turn to laugh for hIs word stung Steele like IlIce the lash of ofa ofa a whip But unlike the the face of the other reflected his thou thoughts solely In n the lie swift hardening of the mouth and the glitter In n the gray e eyes es Then of ot course colonel he coun coun- countered countered countered savagely you u cannot go You French are arc such careful chaperons Jn Lascelles openly scowled his disappointment disappoIntment disappointment as ns St St Onge One retorted Oh naturally I shall shaH stay so I Ishall shall shaH wish you ou lion bon voyage orage and all suc suc- success suc- suc success success cess Monsieur Steele And he lie shoo his guests guest's hand liand We Yv shall shaH expect you again before you oU start south Goodby sir and my m deepest for your hospitality You will send n a canoe anyway In two weeks to meet 1 J nt the Feather lakes Yes an nu Ignoring Lascelles he lie stepped Into the canoe launched h hy by Michel Michol and then as If It were an nn after after- afterthought afterthought thought Steele Stele called banteringly I to the Inspector And to you on sir a pleasant stay nt at Walling Wailing HI River liver r and to safe afe run to Albany for I er very much wl h to meet you ou again With the lunge of ot three narrow blades les the canoe leaped upstream IC leasing ln two men on the shore one shore with frank approval in the tired eyes which watched the broad hack back of Brent Steele as lie Ill followed the vicious stroke roke of ot the Iroquois In the bow bury the other nervously stroking a ablack ablack hack black mustache which adorned fea fel- fea- fea features features tures on which perplexity and hate were written large Three days das later when the canoe of Steele was far tar on Its way wn to the Feather lakes In Its search for the trail of the o Denise S St Onge sat in her room living with the man who controlled her fathers father's future with the Freres For Por two days all nIl that and the plea of Illness could avail to avoid being alone with him she had made use of but now that he was wag returning to I ort Albany lie he would not be e denied his hour Mademoiselle he was saying when hn a man travels as ns far as ns I have to visit his Ills fiancee Is s he lie not entitled to a somewhat warmer welcome welcome-to welcome to n a amore amore more frequent opportunity to enjoy her society than you oU have accorded mer me Monsieur Lascelles replied the girl coldly oll I l wrote you accepting the lie offer of- of offer of offer fer which you ou have hn made me roe many times time in tilE the last three years In con con- consideration consideration that you ou kept my father In Inthe inthe the employ of the company In charge of a n first class post ost I agreed to marry you ou within n a year ear It was a contract of business monsieur The day dllY of your arrival here you ou agreed recd to m my terms Lascelles fidgeted eted under the calm Impersonal gaze of the girls girl's black blad blackeyes blackeyes eyes es It Is true mademoiselle and he twisted his mustache In Ills his chagrin but I am deeply In love with you OU and it I Inmost unusual Is It t not to be ignored avoided avoided I have some rl rights I have not promised to love loyc you monsieur If it that is what you mean menn was her quiet answer No 1 0 and the blood suddenly flushed hIs face but I have hl rea reason on to belle believe that you ou have an nn Interest In this tills Amer Amer- AmerIcan American American ican Steele Steel Why has he lie stayed here two weeks Wh Why except for the fact that Mademoiselle S1 St Onge Is pretty and charming eh Denise St Onge smiled wearily Pos Possibly lul monsieur It Is not un- un un unlikely likely you yon Oll will think so anwa anyway You ore lire the type of man who al a always s 's In- In Insists In Insists on tile the woman motive Woman motive Why not not In inthis this case It Is clear lie he burst hurst out walking the floor door mad with jealousy and helpless before the of the woman whom he hind traveled three hundred ll miles to see sec Pardon me but hut as os a matt matter of fact you ou are arc wrong s rong rong Monsieur Steele teele Is an ethnologist nail anil Is deeply interested In Inthis inthis this mystery m ster which you ou make light lI ht of snapped his Ills fingers vicious vicious- viciously viciously ly Iy You believe In n this tills myth too Your father is Imbecilic It Tile The dark face of the girl Irl flailed with an ranger anger er at the reference to her ra fa- fa Iber fa-Iber You lau laugh h at what has lias ruined tills this post poH monsieur because It t suited your OUI plan Is it t not so He lie turned to her with a 0 snarl Evidently I you Ou are arc as superstitious liS as aslie the Ignorant Indians Possibly I am I dont don't know Imo what I 1 believe l she eald said calmly I only know what I heard that terrible night Indians believe what the lie where ii Is the fur canoe Where are ure four furs Cure Where are your your our men men Is that ut of no consequence It was to the credit of the cd ed C lascelles as ns he lie bade the lie who had hall promised to tu marry him goon goon- by ouo L by that what was his of right lie Ilc dill iii not Dot he when he entered his ills canoe at llie he foot of the carry Till An revoir rc he lie said taking ln her herband band and kissing it Yuu Yu will write L by the Ole Christmas Christinas mall moll 7 And the man who hu had journe journeyed ell up the AI Albany and the lie Walling exulting in his lila bargain ln a desperate girl returned bent Leat- benten beat en n n mystified tJ and consumed with jeal jeal- jealousy jeal- jeal jealousy jealousy CHAPTER VI VIII II Driven by hy three thre iron hard backs and pairs of anna Steeles Steele's canoe nosed n a hl ripple on the smoldering surface By GEORGE MARSHA MARSH A Author of of the Troll Tho Whelp of o the Voir Copyright by tho Penn Co CoV h hl V l Yie N U Service r of Big Feather lake which opened out before them In mile upon mile of sleep Jeep sleeping tn ing water A group roup of women children and dos dogs awaited an the lie canoes canoe's landing atthe at othe fish fish- fishing fishIng fishing ing camp or of the jo BoJo jo bo-jo joS jo'S And Michel kick kick- kicking ing lag II Ins his is way through h the lie snarling hus hus- hu huskies huskies kies Ides shook with the surprised women curious to learn what lint hind brought the headman at nt Walling Wailing River to 10 the lie Feather lakes laleN in September So the Windigo cries no longer It at night on the burnt ridge he be began beg In Ojibwa To hIs Ills surprise the women stared ot at hIm him In amazement which chanced to fear at the thought of the lie possibility of the presence of n 0 demon so dread dread- dreaded dreaded dreaded ed In the Feather Lake countr country Iso No 10 Windigo has lias cried here replied an JD old woman excitedly We IV Ve would not stay I IOuI Our men are away awn In thin Ihei i muskegs hunting caribou The They I nut nOt leave lea us here to be eaten by bv Il a Windigo o Michel looked nt at Steele Stele She sa say no Windigo o bin here liere Wb Why did Pierre lie Ill to us Queer for him to bring that tale to River liver muttered Steele Pierre who left you to trade at last spring continued has Hns he camped here tills this summer Xo No we have not seen his family since the moon of flowers They went to Michel nod nodded dell as If satisfied Well Michel It t looks as fiS it If f we were on n a wild goose chase Time The small eyes e es of the Iroquois glit glit- glittered glittered terell I tink we ketch dig dia goose jes de same What hat mean Wal Ral we know Pierre Is a n liar and ani he cum to Wallin Rh-Iere Rh to mak mal tall talk with wid Boule Boulc Now ow Pierre an nn Tete- Tete Boule Doule Amite try mak some trouble o lle dees s y x iI iII I urt 1 n I R 1 r VZ a pj tl X 1 Steele Struggled to Keep at the Heels of His Men s Windigo Wen I go co back hack Tete-Boule Tete weel tell me wat Pierre say to teem heem And AmI the lean face of ll hel took on a fierceness w which caused the squaws Instinctively to draw hack back What motive mothe could have had hadin In the tale of the Windigo at nt Feather lake other than the needless needleS n agitation of time the post Indians was an enigma to Steele Steell but It was evident Ilent that Michel lad an Idea Iden of Its nature which h h hould he would divulge only when ready to talk tull Michel Steele asked as the three smoking utter after supper after men sat fat h by their fire supper pipes In an the lie hack back of your head If regarding this tills Pierre You 1 ou think he knew of the th dead lead Indian nt at Stooping rl river r when lie hl came to 10 the post yet ct made no mention of ut tint but Iut load this tills vs wild tale tule of 01 the lie Feather lal lake o scare Why should he lie lie Ill about the one rind conceal the oilier The Iroquois lols slowly exhaled d a n col- col column col column 01 of smoke before replying Dees Pierre I know for bug lon Ion time line 1 Ill Ile mak mn trouble When I sett se f teem hem he tell me or he l nev- nev aire aire mole more trouble on dees riv-lere riv I ler was vas the unresponsive e answer Lut Dut what Is he be driving at nt Why shouldn't he lie report the killing of or hint Indian nt at Stooping river rl as mis II well n as the Windigo o scare that existed at Feather lake l shook his head licad Eft I t PS queer tIn ting for sure was the llie laconic reply Steeles Steele's eyes ens sought Jou ht II DIJ Papas Papas- she live face but the OJIbway seemed deep In a n problem of Ills hits hi own It tt was irritating to n 0 degree limit hilt Steele Sicele knew hl hits knew Indians Indians knew knew that lint Michel 11 1 would talk In hs his own time tine and md not before questioning would orly drive hm Into n a deeper silence How flow many Indians trap the Port Port- Portage Portage Port ape age Lake country Stet Steele le 1011 manee hunt hint tau flat valley good old ranee manee 0 on de Little Current Well Veil start tomorrow It looks fiS as asif asIf If Monsieur Windigo o was not going to pay par this hits country country- country I From om the ridges of the lie mainland time the moaning bellow hellow of n cow moose slow slow- slowly slowly I ly rose rOEe and died on the lie frosty nl night ht Dat cow holler vcr ver strange e said ald ns as the three sat eat with tilted I bends ears care straining Again Maln out across time the still luke I J tile the moUn cult calm huh I muttered Michel dat Injun poor caller Rigid nt ld the three listened to the voice olce In the llio lie night and In III the time mind of each slowly lr took shape the same surmise Then from fromi time the lie burnt ridge of tine the opposite shore lifted a low wall gath gath- gathering gathering ath- ath ering in it volume until It climaxed In a De Dc Windigo 1 I With n a leap Michel lIchel had his rifle and was slitting sliding the canoe Into tile the water vater Come on cried 1111 Steele well sep sep sep- separate separate arate and stalk stall that lint ridge from three They were way halt to the lie shore hen nhen the lie voice voice burst hurst out ont anew In sobs soh and maudlin mewing and Steele pitied the terrified h women mind children of the fishing camp facing the horror alone with their men far In the lie cari curl caribou bou barrens Landing on the lie bench under tinder the ridge Steele left lert the lime lie others with time the warning No So 0 wild willI tiring firing now I Re Ite- Remember member time the whistle Well We'll meet here hereon hereon hereon on tills this sand 8 beach hench The rhe canoe vanished in the shadows shadow and the American started his hits stalk Twice he lie stopped topped for n 0 space to study stud time tile caterwauling on time the brow be beyond gin chilling Blood chilling unearthly the lie voice filled the calm atom nl night ht The danger of or the hunters hiring Into each other was great and he climbed d cautiously taking the cover coyer of the down Umbel timber cars alert for the staccato stac stac- staccato staccato cato whistle of the yellow yellow legs their of Identification At last with skin and clothes torn tornby tornby tornby by the brittle twigs of the dead spruce he lie reached readied the flat nat of the lie ridge I For or some sonic time lime the night 11 had ad brooded by the voice CodIng Cocking his Ills rifle he be crept forward searching time the area ca of skeleton trees ghostly In the pale light of the stars for some movement mo lIe He was puzzled at the failure of the Indians whose pace should have been faster than his to reach the lie bro brow of time the ridge It If they had perhaps even en now the row rov roving ing big eye ee of Michel already marked him was out out was lighting down a n rifle barrel his ills crooked linger finger on the trig trig- trigger trigger trigger ger waiting to be sure of his target before he be fired Ored At the thought Steele flattened out and whistled Pout But the moo hoo-hoo of a n gray owl the green timber of the lake lakeshore shore below was his only answer Minutes which seemed Interminable to time the watcher passed Where were time the Indians Then to his Ills surprise an un mew mewing In defiled the night In vain aln he hestro strove stroe e to locate time the position of the lie beast But nut as ns the mewing merged Into into the shrieks of u II woman the and report flash and report of two rifles rules cut it short oft oC of Something lle through time the timber r out ut in fron front t He lie swung sn ung his ills rifle In the direction of the sound his eyes ees straining for a target The starlight ht gave him n a fleeting glimpse e of a dark object cross cross- crossIng crossing crossing ing the bole of or a n skeleton spruce and anI he fired twice Then leaping down he plunged ed through time the tangle of dead spruce In time the wake of David and Ml- Ml Mi chel who hall had stalked their quarry but evidently in the uncertain light 1 I missed Down over the treacherous going oln ot of the slope of the ridge the sure rooted sure Indians hunted bunted the thing their ride rlUe shots had stampeded Tripping fall fail failIng falling falling ing to rise and mind stumble on through the network net of trunks and limbs Steele struggled to keep at the heels of his men But gradually the noise of the pursuit drew awn away from from the white man no match inn for those who ham childhood had traveled the for for- forests forests forests ests at nl night ht In III nn an hour two grimy battered breeds halt breed hl hi bleeding ceiling train from contact tl cl the timber appeared on the beach hench Well Nell It tooled fooled us again vouch vouch vouch- ouch sated Steele ruefully did you see ee It 1 We Ye ne alre see teem muttered the disheartened Michel squatting on his heels at the waters water's edge to bathe his face rare nail his houle rs from from which l time the lie woolen shirt hung In rill bon You Yoi 1 did not see pee him when you OU II rr 11 demanded thin surprised ell Steele I l 1 got ot a look 1001 nt ut him hint for fOl t 1 iso sr L IIi Divid grinned d nt at his Ills chief Dot Dat I was vas me you ou shoot nt fit De bullet seen seem close Ion loo Good shot What you ou were re out ont In front of or me whistler whistle protested hr didn't you the chagrined cha Steele teele J I didn't kno until you ou fired that you ou two had bud getup getup get up Ul there From time the sound Found what lid lie hf travel el Ilk like Michel T Tl tried treed rl jl II lifted tt II n grave tarn lie Ill travel Ink lak a II seek neck pI bear henr but hut I oo hear bear huller holler Ink hulk a n lynx TO DE nE CONTINUED CO |