Show 4 VALLEY of I 1 C M j S GEORGE MARSH abby TOILERS OF THE TRAIL THE WHELPS OF THE WOLF V I 1 q aj 0 L by THE PENN publishing CO 1 THE WINDIGO SYNOPSIS with david halfbreed guide brent steele of 0 the american museum ot of natural history Is traveling aveling in northern canada uy by a stream he hears denise daughter of col hilaire hllaire st ouge onge factor actor at walling river play the violin superbly lie he introduces tro duces himself and accepts an invitation 0 n tt make the post his home during his stay ile he finds the factor worried and mystified the he lo 10 log chateau Is a real home from st ongo lie he learns of the mysterious creature of evil the digo rind and the disappearance of a canoe and its crew with the seasons tako of furs CHAPTER 11 II continued 4 she shook tier her head wistfully at the conservatoire they had planned for nie me a career but father was coming out to canada and I 1 could not have him come alone she ache was mas the favorite pupil of the great marlo mario announced st onge proudly but tier lier love for lie her old lather could not suiter suffer a separation so she bhe Is sharing with me the frenchman rose anil and nervously paced the room then with a gesture of hopelessness finished the loneliness and the liell hell of tills this spirit ridden valley alley steeles 05 eyes es were on the tine crotile of the girl as she followed her fathers nervous pacing frankly ignoring tits his presence she made no effort to conceal the solicitude pictured by tier her sensitive face what a sacrilege sac site she had madel made to give up career life all that people cities civilization mean to the artist how could st bt ongo onge have permitted it what a tragedy he had stumbled on at walling wailing river 1 ive told david he could go down the river with michel sir steele hastened to change a too painful subject they will find nothing monsieur ilas has michel told you exactly what they are going to look lor for colonel st onge the factor stopped his pacing why what Is there to seek monsieur except the evidence which has escaped us usa based on n familiarity with the way davids mind works coupled with nn idea of my mv own my guess Is that 7 rol lic born the determination 1 I et ernia nation to help fill girl in her secret trouble tro uhle if the aid I 1 of n stringer stranger were possible shortly with a few words word of apology site bade them rood good night with avith a sigh gli ns its slie she left the roton rodin the inetor went to a cupboard arid produced a bottle ind and two pinkos glasses you will honor nie me monsieur by joining mo me in a n gariss of cog cognac tills tind the books bonks I 1 Inq insisted Isted on oil ilav ins in if I 1 were mere to he be exiled to in this val v alley steele poured himself n modest drink it Is not right colonel thit that you should squander this good stuff upon me in a few weeks I 1 bp be in new york while your ur supply Is limited it I 1 Is not wasted if appreciated protested st bt onge hut but I 1 apar you lou hilive a suspicion of it you ou ha have liard ly IF a taste there and ile he deliberately filled his own glass and raising it ann the oust your health mon and the devil darll take the and theli swallowed allowed sh the brancy F it was not long before the potent spirits asser asserted tei themselves iea in tho the frenchmans French mans manner which grew at warmer monsieur steele steele he said you doubtless ask yourself why eliy 1 I n retired colonel in the of france should ind find myself mi self a trader of fur for the Ite Rel villon llon freres fieres it in canada should have brought a girl educated refined to this wilde wilderness mess it was of course a Bur surprise prIse sir to find a woman of the charm of the remarkable musical talent of your daughter here in tilts this ley fey it Is 11 marvelous her playing placing she should have hae a career sir yos yes it carceal car career cerl echoed st onge ns as he it poured himself another drink and slip site lias has lost it lost it because site she would not leave me the liquor had find aged the once handsome face of st onge lines multiplied about the eyes and mouth as lie he slouched in his chair all trace of 0 the file soldier had vanished in his place sat a man broken f conquered hy by lire life you have not been in canada long steele ventured hoping that the frenchman would now talk more freely four years I 1 was ns a year nt at albany at school you might say learning the ways of 0 the trade then they sent me here you found it hard bard this life in the north after france the factor straightened in his chair ills his dark eyes ees snapped ills face stiffened ile he looked the leader of men ilard hard monsieur I 1 have hae faced IS she shook her head wistfully hardship all my life in algeria senegal the sahara its not the hardship here its tho the humiliation for one who tins fais led ills his regiment of cavalry in two moroccan enn campaigns to receive the orders of a former sous sotis lieutenant you mean lascelles lit at albany yes I 1 st onge was patently in boring under strong excitement it seel seemed lied to steele that it u re elation wits was imminent but the factor turned to the bottle monsieur lie he protested you ou do not flutter flatter my cognac nel 1 1 I am enjo enjoying it sir replied steele P pouring himself a drink to Iju lnor 1 ills Is host to which lie gilded water for I 1 alio to brandy brand was powerful that the cognac habit wits was tin nn old story fetor with 1 st at vinge was s evident oi dent and the lie younger io man wondered what relation a fondness for sti hsiong ong liquor had to tit st onge s 1 presence res in canada then he opened abruptly uy illy keeping tills this post active under the conditions here lit in tills valley lascelles must have realized the chames cli ances lie he took I 1 cannot understand a fur trader of judgment doing such a thing 11 the face of the frenchman laurd ened cited why tills this post was built in this place pl ice I 1 do not know but I 1 to do know why ali Liis celles sent me here st onge toward steele as lie repeated bitterly bit terl lie he sent nic me liere to ruin me to ro ruin you ou gasped the he other 1 I dont understand it Is to fits interest us its nil all inspector that every aei post lit in tits his district should niale make a u profit then lie he suddenly remembered the ous oils statement of michel Ms leil ill ans celles ees no fool he not keep keel eel for fur fui lit lie keep keel beet fr for noder reason that explained it the elioud blead man knew kne hut but why ali pressed the curious steele the factor rose and paced the floor door ills hands working nervously turning impulsively to the mail lie he farid met but it a few hours licurs before lie exclaimed why I 1 nm am telling you tills this 1 I do 10 not of know it Is tin nn altula the most private but I 1 nm am alone with my tiou bles lei and you luu are a gent gentleman ionian a man of heart you wll will understand steele t tine hirl ap sp trade but that Is the truth went or op the factor but for what reason air lr st onge shook with because thit that canaille at albany desires to marry rny my daugh daughter terl steele wondered now why he had not guessed of course the allure ot of st onge as a trader would put him into the hands of hla his su perlor at albany so lie he had been sent to the doomed fur post on the ho walling you will leave the company then he hazarded sick with thoughts of the girl who was the stake in tills this mail mad game of LaR lascelles La celles 1 I roust must it if I 1 fall here up to tilts this year I 1 have beaten him in spite of the odds shown a small profit and tilts this year ear at portage lake inke we had n R good trade better than alian ever before an in spite of Laflan damme La inie but atut the loss of tilts this fur encoe destroys our tour four years profits monsieur I 1 am a ruined man mail there was little steele could siy say for a space st ongo onge walked the floor with ills his bitter thoughts then lie he began we have bave been a proud family the st my grandfather fought un lei del the grent great napoleon my father was as killed tit at sedan we linae always been soldiers bearing an honored name but 1 I the last am unworthy of it cards and tills pointing to the bottle have done it they lost me my old home in my poor wife died while I 1 wits was deep in the sahara lit at lake she la Is all I 1 have left De deelse tilse the voice of st onge softened cottoned as lie he spoke of tits his daughter then lie he finished fiercely give her to that bourgeois never 1 Is conscious of the fact that the voice of the enraged factor carried to the remotest corner of the house the embarrassed barr assed steele sicele rose to check further revelations which could conid prove only a source of pain and mortification to the girl who heard them it la Is very late sir we may be disturbing your daughter and lie offered his hand and with a goodnight good night 1 when the pat of moccasins drew the attention of both men clothed in a loose garment caught at the waist by a cree sash her wayward hair in a great coll coil tit at the nape of tier her neck denise st onge stood in the doorway she was a figure of pecullar peculiar beauty and dignity as she calm ly IF said father monsieur steele doubtless desires to rest arter alter bis long journey it Is late st onge pulled himself together pardon me monsieur you are tired goodnight good night red cited with confusion steele met the level eyes of the girl who had heard her personal affairs so intimately discussed with a stranger anamary and marveled aled to find there no humiliation no anger as he murmured a good night anil and sought his room there for a time he sat smoking as he Avat watched elied the moon drift down to the purple ridge beyond the river ills his thoughts traversed the events of the day the file meeting with denise st onge the news of the alie loss of the fur canoe and the panic of the post indians the startling revelation by the factor of what the future might hold for him and the girl down downstairs staf rs As for this fur canoe st onge was palpably holding back rom something ething there but what and tits his daughter lind had lie he told the whole story could it be that slie she had already bound herself to lescelles to save sae her father that would account for the heartache but not for the fear lie he had seen in her eyes at the rapids fear of whom would the old soldier in spite or of his protestations allow tier her to sacrifice sacr luce herself this windigo matter whitt what a rare chance for it a firsthand first hand study of the hie ojibway superstition I 1 what a monograph it would ninke for the museum there was w as certainly much to do here until they were forced to race the tee ice down to Neli Nc lgon steele undressed and was soon asleep presently from a dream in which timber in full cry were running an old caribou across a frozen like lake lie waked to ind find himself hhuse f sitting upright in tits ills cot across alle lie valley flouted floated a low wall the alie man stirred for a spare space the hush of the lie fore forest st night returned then from file somber shoulder hh of the ridge rose bobbing as aa of a denture creature in torment wide now nerves tingling steele sprang to the alie window 1 I rhe ho voice ceased the man mail waited expectant pec ct tant ant was it a trick of its his senses lind had lie drowned dreamed it or then the c erle eerie wall tilled filled the night with horror rising in wild crescendo to climax in a demoniacal shriek the brain of the excited and mystified man at the window was working swiftly lynx li ax lie muttered not no wolverine no not at tilts time of the year ear wolf impossible 1 then his mouth shaped a grim smile th windigo I 1 apparently the windigo go la Is performing for steeles benefit what can the thing bo TO UE CONTINUED |