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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1937-05-20, Page 6the Exeter times-advocateHIUBSUAtf, MAX 3»th, 1W SIXTH INSTALLMENT SYNOPSIS: Ellen Mackay, on her way from school at Winnipeg, to join her fat-bei* at Fort Edson, misses the boat by which he was to travel. Hearing that another boat is to start north in the morn­ ing, Ellen goes to the owner, John Benham, and begs* him to give her a passage. To her surprise he flat­ ly refuses. Angry and puzzled, Ellen tells, Pat McClatchney, a kindly old storekeeper of her difficulty, and Pat with the help of one of Ben­ ham's crew, succeeds in getting Ellen, on board as a stowaway, When the vessel is well under way Ellen emerges from her hid­ ing place and faces John Benham, who now cannot help taking her With him. During the voyage Ellen Ibegins to be strongly attracted by John. But when she reaches Fort Edson she finds her father broken, ill and disgraced, and learns that his troubles are due to one man— John Benham. Instantly Ellen resolves that will fight for her father. She reinstate him Bay Company, will show up Even as the prow of her canoe slithered upon the shingle beach be­ fore the camp she sensed the •under- which swayed. There about she will son and for what he really with the Hud- his employers. John Benham is. Twelve days leaving Fort Edson, Ellen found her first evidence of John Benham’s nefarious trading ac­ tivities. camp there in all ■dozen Their current of excitement with the camp was being was a jumble of movement the tepees, the shrill yammering of squaws, the wailing of children, and the hoarse, guttural exclamations of the men. Not far from where Ellen landed there was a York boat, piled high with cargo, pulled upon the shore. Hex’ senses stirring with a strange trepidation, Ellen made straight for the centre of the camp. In an open­ ing among the tepees she came up­ on a strange scene. A knot of In­ dians were swaying backward and forward in fierce struggle, and in the centre of them loomed the tall figure of—John Benham! Foi* a moment things seemed to whirl about Ellen. Then she stead­ ied, calmed by a cold, triumphant satisfaction. At last she had run the despoiler to earth. She pushed clos­ er to the centre of the conflict. She saw John Benham lash out with one fist and drive a short, powerfully built buck to the ground. Others closed in, but Benham beat them 1 ing 'him. back with short, driving blows, knocking many of the maddened Ibucks senseless to the ground. Fin­ ally the ring about him broke. He leaned over and swept something from the earth before him. When he straightened up again Ellen see what he held. It was a bottle of whisky! Hardly realizing what she I could full, made up the camp, was bleareyed and besot- stupid. Gaunt, stony- heartrending. It was apath- which. heart-Ellen’s understand the elders, the look begging mutely when the winter shut question or hardly She came upon a small of Laird Indians, and saw the influence of “firewater” its hellishness. (Less than a families poverty The buks w'ere ted, sullen and faced squaws stared at Ellen in sil­ ence as she picked her way through the filthy jumble of the camp, the plight of he children, of etic, half-starved papooses particularly tore at strings. Unable to brutishness of their in their little eyes for food and still more food, their plight was pitiful in the extreme. And if they were straying now, in the midst of spring and plenty what would their future be cold, merciless hand of down again? A quick survey and a two, to which she received more than a grunt in answer, show­ ed Ellen that their winter’s catch Of furs were gone. These furs had gone to purchase “firewater” when they should have been used to trade for food and blankets, clothes, am­ munition, and other supplies to carry the camp through another winter. There was nothing Ellen could do. She left presently, with the whole tawdy picture etched on hei’ brain beyond all forgetting. There was no mistaking this evidence. It lay all about the camp in the form of doz­ ens of empty whisky bottles. Ellen travelled ceaselessly. Bend­ ing her strong young body to the task of paddling, she drove Moosac to his labours until the old Chip- pewyan was hunched with weariness. She found camps of Yellowknives and Dogribs, of Rae and Simpson and Hay River Indians in which conditions approximated to those of that first camp. Everywhere lay the evidence of the white man’s mur­ derous greed and the Indian’s stupid weakness. |She shivered whenever she thought of what would happen when winter shut down again. Everywhere she looked, instead of seeing the rioting splendor of the spring, the dread spectre of famine and wholesale death seemed to loom. It was there before her eyes as she dropped to sleep at night, and was there still -when she, awakened at dawn. A tremendous, smoldering grew in her heart against the lesponsible for all this. Gone ell her earlier memories, submerged completely in the tawdy horror of what she bad seen. Over and over to herself did she vow implacable vengeance. And by this time she had virtually forgotten her own dilemma. Her thoughts were only for those helpless, apathetic children, bewild­ ered, dumbly protesting, doomed to slow, terrible death in the winter, And then, at noon one day, she came upon a camp of Crees on the border of Mink Lake. was doing, Ellen forced her way through the jam and bedlam until she faced him, where she drew herself up proudly aud looked the astonished free trader in “You!" lie Mackay.” “Yes,” she dripping with I—.y 0 u—y o u—cont e mp tibl e hound! I’ve been following evidences of your —your trading activities for nearly a month now, and at last I see you in the eye. gasped. “Ellen— Miss answered, her voice cold contempt. “It is Benham in a tortured cry. (The mus­ cles of his face seemed to writhe, aud into his eyes flamed something which caused Ellen to unconsciously give back a pace. For a fractional moment she thought he was going to strike her. Then, suddenly, he grew quiet. His face hardened, his eyes grew cold- A curt, harsh laugh broke from his white lips. He turn- ew away, and with a drive of 'his arm sent the whisky bottle (hurtling against the bole of a nearby spruce, where it crashed into a thousand pieces, .its content,s running down the rough bark of the tree in an 'amber flood. Without a backward look strode off, and Ellen ried away (by her own ger. For he had had He had brought her verge of ruin, and she was determin­ ed that he should know what her method of retribution would be. He should know in advance that before the season was over the Redcoats would be on his trail. She followed him beyond a tepee, then halted .in surprise. An old squaw had stopped Benham and was 'fac- The squaw was gnarled a wrinkled, shrunken old -he followed, car­ scorn and an- his innings, father to the you," the old crone was for this face into to her her, the and bent, crone. “Thank saying. “The Great Spirit will bless you my son," Benham patted the squaw upon one bowed, shrunken shoulder. “It is nothing, mother," he said slowly. “And the dog responsible shall answer to me." Then, before Ellen could again, he had swung off forest. Ellen went slowly back canoe, where Moosac awaited emotionless and stoic.Somehow triumph she had imagined would be hers had gone flat—stale and taste­ less. She was weary, weary, body and soul. Two words kept ringing in her ears. “Son,” the squaw had called him. And “mother” he had answered. And now a disquieting doubt, which she could not discard, I nm glad to know you,” said El- “And I believe I can prove John Benham’s guilt.” 4, Whitlow bowed. “I’m sorry to hear that. Miss Mackay,” he said crisply. “I have known Benham for a long time and such activity as your father accuses him of does not coincide wy well with1 my knowledge of the man. However, that is beside the point. Ir he is guilty, he shall ans­ wer to the law, I see that you are tired, but if you cun spare me a few minutes and tell me what you have found out, I shall be obliged.” Ellen nodded and sank into a chair For an hour she talked. She told of all the Indian camps she had vis­ ited and what she saw there. .She told of brutalized elders and starv­ ing Ibabies, It was not a pretty story and before she had finished her father was muttering .in anger and Whitlow’s eyes had grown dim. When she finally ended, Whitlow stared at the floor in thought. Then he nodded in quick decision. “There appears to be little doubt, Miss Mackay,” he stated. “You have piled up some very damning evi­ dence, which upsets all my previous knowledge of John Benham. You see, as I said before, I have known Benham for a long time. And I don’t mind saying that I am disappointed. For even a relentless cog in the ma­ chinery of the law is susceptible to very human emotions. I admired John Benham. But human nature is not infallible.. And greed functions in queer and powerful ways. The final straw in that Benham would use such tactics in a tribe of which he is an adopted member.” Ellen stiffened “Adopted," she ex­ claimed, a slight tremor in her voice. “Adopted? Why should they adopt him when he is a—a half-lbreed?” Whitlow stared at her. *‘A half­ breed?” he demanded with a short, brusque laugh. “Whoever told you that fairy tale?" “Wihy—why—isn’t he?” stam­ mered Ellen. “He is not. Anyone who claims he is, is guilty of vicious gossip, John Benham’s parents were of finest British stock. They were mission­ aries. They died when he was but a child, taken off by scurv.y during one of the famine winters. The fin- ets tribute in proof of the affection by which they were held by the In­ dians is the act that this certain Cree tribe adopted the Iboy and rais­ ed him." (Continued next week) I BILL BURGESS BISCOVERS SAFEST STOPPING Another No, 1 Feature of Canada’s No. 1 Cars Professional Cards Exeter ©imra-AiRinratr Established 1R73 and 1887 af Exeter, Ontario Published, every Thursday moralni SUBSCRIPTION-— $2.0i0 per year in advance RATES—Farm or Real Estate for sale 50c, each, insertion for first four insertions, 25 c* each subse­ quent insertion. Miscellaneous ar? tieles. To Rent, Wanted, Lost, or Fpund 10c, per line of six word*. Reading notices lQc. per line. Card of Thanks 5Qo. Legal ad« vertisijig 12 and 8c. per lipe. In Memoriam, with one verse 50c. extra verses 25c. each. Itycmber of The Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association 1 "Pest hydrau­ lic s I ever saw!” Zipping along at 40, Bill Burgess steps lightly pn the brake pedal as the No. 1 Gar crosses a line on the pavement, Duo-Automatic Hydraulic Brakes by Hudson bring the car to a stop in record time. “Measure it,” says the dealer. Wow! Only 69 feet, 7 inches. Much less than the distance legally allowed. fi"Now dis- £» connectfhose hydraulics!” And back they go over the same route, for a special test with hydraulics purposely-------- -cut ojd- What! No brakes at all? Wait and see. Again, as they come to the line, Bill puts his foot down . . . and again, a quick, smooth stop. The same foot pedal did the trick. No fumbling for the emergency brake! 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Benham beat them back with short, driving blows. PRESENTATION rage man were She pointed at the bottle he held “What’s the matter? Wouldn’t these poor unfortunates pay you enough in furs for that poison?" For a moment Benham looked at her incredulously, "This," he mut­ tered, almost stupidly. “This? Do you mean to say you think I have been “I (been seen to them, with you always, John Benham. trading whisky to the Indians?’ don’t think—I know. I have in a dozen camps and I have them, and what you have, left I hope the picture will be I hope those poor, innocent babies and children, doomed to die of famine this coming winter, will haunt you to your grave. You—you— oh, you greedy, treacherous dog!” Ellen was white-faced and trembl­ ing when she ceased her tirade of accusation, yet hei* eyes flamed with the fervoi’ and light of a Crusader. Benham was silent, his face white, the muscles of his jaws bulging like coils of iron, sEllen spoke again, with biting scorn. “You—you half-breed! And you brutalize and starve your own blood- (br others.” “Stop!” The word burst from «Restless Nights - Pepless Days Take the Joy Out of Life The potent cause lies in the hurried life we lead, in the extreme nervous tension and fever heat with which We follow in the pursuit of wealth, position and pleasure. Late hours, want of necessary rest, excessive mental or physical exertion all put a strain on the system it is unable to withstand* No wonder then you pass restless nights and got up in the morning with no ambition to go about your daily tasks. Take Milburn’s H. & N. Pills and Sec what they will do f or yob* A__ haunted her mind. Apparently he had fought with the Indians to take the whisky from them, and then he had crashed the bottle to pieces against a tree. Of course, this last could have been merely a gesture to mislead her. Yet, why should the old squaw have thanked him? And why—oh why— had she called him "my son?” Three days later. Moosac beached the canoe on the shingle below Fort Edson. Another canoe was there, a strange one, with an official insig­ nia upon the (bow. Ellen paid scant attention to it. It seemed as though all the fervor of her campaign had left her, (She only knew that she was very tired and very discouraged. When she came to the door of the cabin she heard voices within. That of her father and another, a brisk, authoritative voice. In the slight gloom of the inter­ ior Ellen did not see at first the stranger. ■She saw only hei’ father. “You—you found the proof you sought, lass?” hei’ father asked. Ellen nodded. “I found it,” “You see,” Angus Mackay turned to his visitor triumphantly. Then he remembered. “Ellen lass, this is Trooper Whitlow, of his' Majesty’s Mounted Police. I have been trying to convince him that John Benham is trading whisky to the Indians. Rumors of such trading had leaked to the outside and Trooper Whitlow had been detailed to run these ru­ mors down, He—he seems a bit hard-headed, but perhaps you can now convince him Where I have fail­ ed.” Ellen looked at the red*coat quiet- I ly. 'She saw a sturdy man of middle age, already graying slightly at the Itempies. Whitlow’s eyes were keen and blue, his jaw wide aud stubborn. On Friday evening Mr. and Mrs. John W. Stewart were taken by sur­ prise when friends, and neighbors gathered at their home in honor of their 25th wedding anniversary. An appropriate address was read and Mr. Little, of Seaforth, presented the bridal couple of twenty-five years with a silver tea service and casserole. The family also present­ ed them with a little dutch oven. The following is the address: To Mr. and Mrs. John W. Stewart: We, your friends and neighbors, have gathered here tonight on this occasion of your twenty-fift'li wed­ ding anniversary. The time seems long to look ahead but so short to look back. Twenty- five years ago you started out' on the venture of matrimony, amidst the best wishes of friends, perhaps in your mind you pictured the way as one of continual wedded bliss, perhaps it has and perhaps not; yet if you count your blessings one by one we know you will find they far outnumber your difficulties and it is with pleasure we come here to­ night to celebrate with you and .present’ to you this silver tea ser­ vice and casserole and may it b« God’s wish that you may be spared for many years and when we come to celebrate your golden anniversary may you serve us with tea from this tea-pot serole knows and potatoes from the cas­ that Mrs. Stewart alone how to make. Signed—Yotu1 Friends Safest stopping is only one of dozens of No. 1 FEATURES you’ll find when you take the wheel of a new Hudson or Terraplane. They are No. 1 in performance, endurance, economy . . . already holders of 41 OFFICIAL A.A.A. records! Ride, drive . . . and you’ll discover why so many thousands, like Bill Burgess, are changing to the No. 1 Cars. HUDSON MOTORS OF CANADA LIMITED, Tilbury, Ontario COOK BROS., Distrubtors, Hensail ■ Herb Mousseau, Zurich Walter M. Brown, AmberleyJ. E. Mason, Goderich ASSOCIATE DEALERS — Huron Presbytery Report of a twenty-five per cent, increase in missionary givings over the same period last year was one of the highlights of the meeting of the Presbytery of Huron, the Pres­ byterian Church in Canada, held in Clinton on Tuesday of last week. Rev. Mr. Lane, of Goderich, and Mr. Shortreed, of B'lyth, were ap­ pointed commissioners to the Gen­ eral Assembly to be held in Ottawa in June. The Presbytery passed a resolution commending the Cana­ dian Broadcasting Corporation for cutting down the quantity of com­ mercial advertising over the radio on Sunday. Much of the time was taken .up in discussing young people’s work and plans were laid tor new activities to be carried out this Fall. The Moderator, Rev. Mr, Young, of Hensail, and the Clerk, Mr. Hill, of Exeter, were appointed to draft a suitable memorial for the Coronation on behalf of the Pres­ bytery. It was reported that the call from Clinton and Bayfield con­ gregations to Rev. M. E. Young, B.A., a recent graduate of Knox College, liad fallen through, as Mr. Young was accepting another call. The Presbytery recognized the ap­ proaching coronation with prayers Anthem special and by singing the National prior to adjournment, It Might Be ■possible, I wonder,musedTS It the intelligent milkman as he added a fourteenth quart of Grade A to the layout on the back porch, “that these people are out of town?” CHIROPRACTIC, OSTEOPATHY, ELECTRO-THERAPY & ULTRA­ VIOLET TREATMENTS PHONE 70 MAIN ST. EXETER .ARTHUR WEBER LICENSED AUCTIONEER For Huron and Middlesex FARM SALES A SPECIALTY PRICES REASONABLE SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Phone 57-13 Dashwood R. R. No. 1, DASHWOOD FRANK TAYLOR LICENSED AUCTIONEER For Huron and Middlesex FARM SALES A SPECIALTY Prices Reasonable and Satisfaction Guaranteed EXETER P. O. or RING 138 REAL UOOFIWC VALUES r T TITE-LAP ROOFING The permanence and low up­ keep cost of this metal roofing makes it one of the most eco­ nomical on the market. Tite- Lap Galvanized Roofing gives greatest covering capacity. The end lap is so tight it is -almost invisible; positively excludes driving sleet, rain or snow. • Send roof and rafter measure­ ments for free estimates. JAMESWAY POULTRY EQUIPMENT Write for information on any items in the com­ plete Jamesway line. Brooder houses, heating systems, incubators, laying /cages, ventilator systems. Use Jamesway equipment for profits. Eastern Steel Products Guelph Street t Factories also at PRESTON, ONTARIO “--------MONTREAL and TORONTO RIB-ROLL ROOFING This durable roofing has extra rigidity that makes it particularly good for roofing over a light frame­ work. The secret of its strength is: the ribs are only five inches apart! The most copiedroofing of its kind on the market. Be sure you, get the genuine, economical “Rib-Roll Roofing”! Ask your banker for details about re-roofing on the Government- backed Home Improvement Plan. fUse them G T A IF 1 T F with all metal i- roofing. TheI" ..................... USBORNE & HIBBERT MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY Head Office, Exeter, Ont. President, Mitchell, R.R. Vice-President .... JOHN Kirkton, R.R. DIRECTORS W. H. COATES ... JOHN McGRATH . WM. HAMILTON . T. BALLANTYNE AGENTS JOHN ESSERY ............... Centralia ' ALVIN L. HARRIS .... Mitchell R. 1 THO.S. SCOTT ........... Cromarty SECRETARY-TREASURER B. W. F. BEAVERS ............ Exeter GLADMAN & STANBURY Solicitors, Exeter ANGUS SINCLAIR 1 HACKNEY 1 ............. Exeter ............. Dublin Cromarty R. 1 Woodham R. 1 Cedar Chests Guelph Street JuOULLUKe lllu lnnd On the V (I head seals the nail-hole. AND NEW FURNITURE Also furniture remodelled to order. We take orders for all kinds of ca­ binet work f-or kitchens, etc at tha DASHWOOD PLANING MILL WESTERN CANADA EXCURSIONS From all Stations in Eastern Canada GOING DAILY- MAY 21-31 Inclusive Return Limits 45 days TICKETS GOOD IN • COACHES at fares approximately lei per rdile. • TOURIST SLEEPING CARS at farea approximately ljfc per mile. • STANDARD SLEEPING CARS at fares approximately per mile. COST OF ACCOMMODATION IN SLEEPING CARS ADDITIONAL 11 1 ................... T233 BAGGAGE Checked. Slopovers atPort Arthur, Armstrong, Chicago and west. Ticket,StepingCarreseTvations,andMinfarmalion from any agent. ASK FOR HANDBILL CANADIAN NATIONAL Shingles & Lumber Buy your Shingles now while the price is right; also White Pine Dressed 10 in. and 12 in. wide at $40.00; Matched Siding, White Pine at $40.00; all sizes of 2 in* lumber at low prices. A. J. CLATWORTHY Phone 12 Grantort Visiting Nurse—-Ahd do your chil­ dren use a toothbrush regularly? Fond Parent-—Do they, mum? First thing when they get up in. the morning It*s a race to see which one can. get to the tooth-brush first