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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1946-10-03, Page 9T THE TIMES’APVQCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER W6 gelle Region IJy WALLACE J£. NORMAN jczsoc:1.^....ioiso Tile story thus fiir: Dismissed from West Point by the perjured testimony of Curt Sawyer, Bill Har­ vey, alias Xerxes Benedict, is now a lieutenant in the French Foreign Legion, stationed in Tlaba. Trouble is anticipated from the native chief, Aiben-el-Akr. Constance Barteau, -an American girl, is in Tlaba with her brother Raoul. Xerxes sees her with Sawyer. To his questions about Sawyer she gives evasive answers. They are at an oasis outside of Tlaba when Constance suddenly (blurts that she despises Sawyer, Xerxes ‘ realizes he loves Constance, They are fired on from a neighbor­ ing sandhill, but a Legion force rescues them. 1OEXOE 1OE3OE OE3O a long while nqw. It is abQut time they had something to drink.” He tuivned to leave, but Berouge stopped him. “Lieutenant,” the captain said, “I shall take Le Rue, half of the moun­ tain ones, half of the automatic rifles, half of the company. Senior Sergeant Klaumer and the rest are yours to keep here in Tlaba. And remember the orders -- tegief points at all costs, “Yes, sir, I shall Xerxes saluated and tent. An houi’ later with Sublieutenant side and half of the third company at his* heels, clattered away from the encampment. Within half an hour they were lost from view, streaming away toward the heart of the distant mountains. Xerxes and Senior Sergeant Klauimer, a grizzled veteran worth three beardless sublieutenants in actual combat, surveyed the en­ campment. With half of the com- ' pany gone the place seemed almost smiling down on a land seeming y . ^ggerted. Half the ‘automatic rifle posts gaped emptily in the blister­ ing morning sun. One lone moun­ tain gun composed the thirty-seven milimeter' battery. “Shall I rearrange the rifle posi­ tions, Lieutenant?” old Klaumer ; asked impassively. “Yes,” Xerxes nodded and turned away. A brittle silence settled over the 'encampment. Xerxes and his scanty garrison tightened their belts and ulrnnffp !,settle|d themselves to wait for what, JaeiOUge, r , .. niwiimuhiTlftfis inAvitfl.hlv CHAPTER VH •Capt. Jacques Berouge’s dire pre­ dictions were both right and wrong. The platoon reached the encamp­ ment safely. There was no attack and not more shots were fired by hidden snipers. The moon sailed 1< serenely across the Moroccan sky,.. as safe and peaceful as a stretch of Ohio countryside. The night was quiet, but with the coming of dawn things began to happen. An hour after sunrise a military plane came hurtling out of the northern sky. It circled the legion camp twice, but finding no (' suitable place to land dropped a’1, tiny parachute and sped away. | ' iSergt. Klauimer retrieved the small parachute dropped from the , plane. An official despatch for Capt, ■ ' Berouge was attached. T_ __ . . with Xerxes at one elbow and La Rue at the other, tore open the oil­skin wrapper feverishly. ! There was a moment of tense si­ lence. Capt. Berouge’s close-cropped moustache rose and fell abruptly, and he handed the message to Xerxes. From Berouge’s actions Xerxes was prepared for startling news, but the despatch was far more Startling than he had expected. i In words a hundredfold more emotional than he had ever seen in an official despatch, the mes­ sage »aid: “Intelligence department has dis­ covered some foreign influence be­ hind native trouble. Believe it to be group of European powers at­ tempting .to involve France in ex­ tensive colonial war. As yet, iden­ tity of this foreign influence has not Ibeen learned. “Natives reported massing' at El Grimgau. Revolt expected momen­ tarily. Capt. Berouge instructed to proceed to troubled area at once with one-half third company. For­ eign Legion re-enforcements being rushed from east but cannot arrive Tlaba within one week. Imperative you hold strategic points at all costs.” Sublieutenant La been reading over der, grunted and passed a hand over his beardless chin. The young­ ster’s lips trembled slightly. Xerxes looked at Berouge/ and for a mo­ ment neither man spoke. Both knew they were facing potential k! is o,s 161*» “What did I tell you?” the' cap­ tain Spat suddenly, his seamed face drawing tight. “Organization ' and aid! A 'devil’s mess, and no mis­ take!”“Yes,” Xerxes replied tersely. “Worse than a devil’s mess. With half of the 3rd company sixty miles away in El Grimgau, and halt of it jlGTO » • Xerxes stopped, leaving the rest of his thought unsaid. There was no need to put it into words. With the 3rd company split up into two small, widely scattered commands, anything could happen. Tne Jiill- men and their desert allies could fall upon one part, wipe it out, then proceed to do likewise with the other. “Parblieu!” young La Rue gasp­ ed as the full import of the situa­ tion truck him. “What is this mys­ terious foreign influence arousing these murderous dogs? Who can it foe? Why should .it happen, mon capitain?” Berouge studied in frowning si- 'lence a moment, then gave up the hopeless riddle. “Those are matters for the high­ ly advertised intelligence 'depart­ ment,” he‘ shrugged. “We are sol­ diers, not detectives. For us it is as usual: ‘Proceed at once. Hold strategic point sat all costs.’ ” "Yes.” Xerxes nodded grimly. “The third company has plenty of good red blood in its veins, and the t Rue, who. had Xerxes’ shoul- - ‘Hold stra- remember,” strode from the Capt. Berouge, La Rue at his CHESTERFIELDS and OCCASIONAL CHAIRS Repaired and Re-covered Free Pick-up and Delivery Stratford Upholstering Co- (Successors to the Clifford Upholstering Company) 42 Brunsvyick Street STRATFORD Phone 579 Enquire at Hopper-Hockey Furniture Store Exeter Highland Cedar FENCE POSTS ALL SIZES TO SUIT ANY PURPOSE Walking Stick Insects Still Needed Reports have been received £rpm the Banting Institute at Junior Red Cross Headquarters to the ef­ fect that within the past three days various districts and groups in On­ tario are responding enthusiastic­ ally to the call for the ’walking stick Insect • sp urgently needed in cancer research* Fifteen thousand walking sticks in one carton from the children of •the Delhi Pujblic School, 10,00'„0 in 'another carton from the Kins­ men’s Club of London, and 15,WO in yet another from Miss Elsip Mc­ Callum of Grand Bend, Ontario, have arrived within the past three days. Contributions of 100 and 150 are also arriving. The Banting Institute advises that it will welcome all such con­ tributions. Until the frost comes, the “walking stick” will continue ■to lay its eggs—-and it is the eggs tha(t are necessary for the winter's work on cancel’ research. Those interested in assisting in this cancer research are- asked to gather these sticklike insects, pack ■them with leafy twigs in large ven­ tilated cardboard cartons and ship them express collect to Dr. W. R. Franks, Banting Institute. 100 Col­ lege Street, Toronto. Ontario HARPLEY Miss Audrey Harlton, ;of Shipka, spent the week-end with her aunt, Mrs. Joseph Hickey. Miss Hazel Frosh is spending a few days in Lucan with her par­ ents. Mrs. Max Disjardine visited on Wednesday with her daughter, Mrs Jack Ridley. Mr. and Mi's. W. H. Love and Mr. and Mrs. Ellison Whiting, of Centenary, visited recently with relatives in Blanshard Twp, Miss Helen Love, graduate nurse spent last week-end with her par­ ents, Mr. and Mrs. Win. Love, be­ fore beginning her duties on the staff at Queen Alexandra Sanator­ ium. Mr. Morley Love, of London, spent the week-end at his home here. Mr. and Mrs. George Corvre, of London, spent .Friday with Mr. and Mrs. Colin and Mr, and Mrs, Wm, Love. Mr. and Mrs. Jas, Prance, of Grand .Bend visited on Sunday .at the home of Mr, Joseph Hickey. • Mr. and Mrs. Leon Deering and family and Mr. Summers of Sarnia called on Mr. .and Mrs. Joseph Hickey on Saturday on their way to Exeter. Mrs. W, R. Hodgins, of Petrolia is visiting at the home of Mr. Mansell Hodgins and other friends in the vicinity. Miss Shirley Murray spent Tues­ day at Corbett with Mrs. Sarah Steeper. niiiwyiiMJiimLHcM > A. J. CLATWORTHY We Deliver Phone 12 Grantoi under the circumstances, inevitably must happen. The hot forenoon dragged on to a hotter noontime. When mess was served it was exactly 130 degrees in ■the sun. What with the dramatic happenings of the morning. Xerxea had had little time to think of Con­ stance Barteau or Curt Sawyer. But now, eating alone in his stifling tent, there was plenty of oppor­ tunity to think. The picture of Con­ stance fleeing across the sandy hil­ locks the night before welled up in his mind and he squirmed uncom­ fortably. Why had she run away? Why had she been so insistent in warn­ ing him? Why had she refused to allow him to take her home? It was not until then that Xerxes realized that she had never let him know where she lived in Tlaba. In fact he could see where in past conversations she had avoided tell­ ing him. A sudden, intense restlessness seized Xerxes. There were suddenly a half a hundred things he wanted to ask 'Constance. He wanted to see what was going on in Tlaba. “Sergeant,” he called ibidskly to Klaumer. “Pick me .a squad, going into town.” The senior sergeant’s stolid was expressionless, but there nervous reluctance in his as he saluted and strode away. Xerxes found nothing in Tlaba The streets were almost utterly barren of natives, stance, her brother, anywhere Even the building seen them I’m face was manner .Neither Con­ nor Curt Saw in evidence which Xerxes “i enter, was closed and barred. ’ It was as if Tlaba were a town 6'f the dead. re the yer was had once th» Worried and fretful, Xerxes turned to camp and turned squad over to Klaumer. The afternoon wore away, stifling, heat-soaked hours dragging by endlessly. Evening came, and with it a sharp increase in the ten­ sion of the Legionnaires. The sun dropped below the mountain peaks and the nerves of the men of tlw third company reached bowstring tightness. “Halt ” A gentry's voice rang through the gathering twilight liko a blast of a bugle. The nameless, gnawing tension, generated by days of Uncertaintly and waiting, had Xerxes’ own nerves drawn to razor- edged sharpness. He was out of his tent in one bound, his .service re­ volver half-drawn. His anxiety was needless. 'Con­ fronting the glowering sentry was the native lad who had brought Constance’s message the day (before. Xerxes crossed to the lad, and the youngster handed him a second note. The message, printed crudely, was in an obviously disguised hand. “As soon as it is dark,” read the note, “come to the third mud lage below the town. Do not me. It is more important than _ can believe. 'Let no one see sandhills of Morocco have been dry I leave.” The note was unsigned. Xerxes scowled at the youthful messenger. “Who gave you this message?” he demanded in the guttural native tongue. “I do not know, master,” the youth replied without a change of expression, and handed Xerxes an­ other tiny folded square of Xerxes opened it swiftly, ten in small, distinct letters the tiny square of paper, a small enough to have been swallowed by the youth had he wanted to dispose of it hastily, were the words “Constance .Barteau.” Xerxes started in surprise. Not that he had expected the note.to be from anyone else, but her adroit use of what lie knew to.be a mili­ tary spy’s trick of concealing the identity of the sender of a note was startling. He handed the youth a coin and, as before, the youngster vanished instantly. Turning back to his tent, Xerxes glanced again at the note, then Suffer From Bowel Complaint During hot summer months all of us, but especially children, are more susceptible to diarrhoea, intestinal pains and summer complaint. At the first symptoms wise mothers everywhere use DOCTOR I FOWLER’S EXTRACT OF WILD STRAWBERRY. This time-tested Canadian remedy is fast-acting and dependable for adults or children. Be Sure to specify the name — DOCTOR DOWLER’S EXTRACT OF WILD STRAWBERRY — on sale at all drug counters. Pried 50c a bottle. The T. Mllburii <3o., Ltd., Toronto, Ont. vil- f ail you you thrust it into a pocket oil his tunic. Tropical darkness wasj blanketing the camp swiftly, blotting out the figures of the Legionnaires crouched tensely at their posts. Xerxes shook his head decisively. He dared not venture away from the encampment and leave the handful of troops without an officer. That much was certain. No matter how urgently Constance Barteau wanted to see him, she would have to wait. Striding into his tent, he dropped the flap and lighted a candle. I Strangely agitated, he read the note I again. This time the line, 'It is more J important than you can believe,’ fairly screamed at him. His pulse quickened a beat and he snuffed out the candle. There were a hundred possibili­ ties • behind the scrawled cryptic message. Possibly Constance had learned something of importance re­ garding the impending trouble with the natives. The more Xerxes ■thought of it the more certain he was. The caution she had used set­ ting the message to him pointed to it with hammering insistence. Most certainly, after t'he /affair of the sniper the night before, she would not have asked him to risk his life again simply to gratify some per­ sonal whim of her own. Xerxes’ mind * was made up In­ stantly. If Constance, familiar’ as she was with Tlaba, had somehow got information about the natives it would be of incalcuable value to the Legion. Xerxes told ly to saddle his horse, stepped from the tent. “Sergeant,” he said • Klaumer, “I’m going to the third ■medina below town. While I am ■gone you are in full command.” Sergt. Klaumer’s phlegmatic calm vanished in a flash. ' “But, lieutenant!” he gasped. “Tonight? You will go tonight?” Xerxes didn’t question the old- timer’s right to dispute him. He realized fully how the sergeant felt, about the handful of jumpy Legion­ naires being left without an officer. “Tonight,” Xerxes nodded. “It is very important, sergeant. I have just received a message and I must answer it. I’m sure it will 'help us, Klaumer. It’s from—” “But, lieutenant,” Klaumer cut in, disregarding all matter of sub­ ordination. “It is madness! Wihat if the Chleuhs strike while you are gone? The message may be o'nly a trick to get you away from camp. ■Do you recall what happened last night? You may be slaughtered like a dog . . .!” Xerxes cast a short look over his shoulder. Stygian darkness blanket­ ed the camp. The Legionnaires at their posts were invisible; only the soft crunch of their boots in the sand gave warning of their pres­ ence. To the east a ghostly orange glow tinted the horizon. In an­ other few minutes the moon would rise. “It is only a mile to, the third vil- Xerxes snapped" tersely. “I’ll in less than half an hour.” orderly shoved silently the gloom with the lieu- horse. Xerxes mounted audible grunt of dismay his order- and then tersely to 4 paper. Writ- across square easily lags foe back The through tenant’s and an Swept the Legion encampment. The orderly had whispered a word at the picket lines, and. the word had flown. Every Legionnaire in the camp knew that their commanding officer was leaving them. At. the edge of the encampment Xerxes paused and studied the darkness ahead carefully. He could see nothing in the inky night. Mov- ing with utmost caution, he slipped through the reefs of portable barb­ ed wire and stole stealthily from the camp, leaving & nervous. Sullen troupe behind him, (Continued Hext Week) Next Week: Xerxes had been dis* illUsioned by a woman before, but that affair is as nothing to the sit­ uation when lie goes to the appoint- mont with Constance Barteun* The Minister of Finance announces FOR PEACETIME SAVINGS Canadians are thrifty people. Their record in war financing will stand for many years to come. Through six years, millions saved and in­ vested in Victory Bonds and War Savings Certificates in a way no one thought possi­ ble. Many thousands learned the con­ venience of regular, systematic saving, whether in small monthly amounts or by larger cash investment. As a result they have accumulated substantial personal reserves with all that means in increased future security and satisfaction. Because suggestions and requests have come to me from all parts of the country that facilities for this kind of saving be" continued in peacetime, the Canada Say­ ings Bond has been created. The issue of War Savings Certificates and Stamps to the general public will be dis­ continued on September 30th, and final instalments on the last Victory Bond issue will have been completed in the near future. Canada Savings Bonds, therefore, will provide an opportune means for citizens to carry on their regular savings habits without interruption. The general public should note that this time there will be fewer salesmen than in the case of Victory Bonds. Although the new Canada Savings Bonds will be sold through banks, authorized investment dealers, stock brokers and trust or loan companies, these agencies will not be able to approach every individual Canadian. This means that for the most part it will be left tc> Canadians to assume the respon­ sibility, for their own purchases of Canada Savings Bonds. . If they wish to grasp - tj|is opportunity, they should act for themselves without delay. Canada Savings Bonds are designed to be the finest investment available to the public today. I recommend them to you as a safe, profitable and convenient in­ vestment for personal savings. I now announce the terms of the new Canada Savings Bonds, which will be offered commencing October 15th. -—r-” -• anY branch in Canada of any interest 2%% by annual coupon. Purchase price 100%. Accrued interest will be charged if pay­ ment is made after Nov* ember 15th. Issued in denominations of $50, $100, $500; and $1000. Dated November 1, 1946, , maturing in ten years. Non* —> callable by the Government, Jy but redeemable by the owner ?■ at any time al full face value plus Interest at coupon Tate at chartered ■ bank, Nort*trans< ferablo and non-assignable. Holdings by any one person limited to $2000. Registered as to prin­ cipal, providing pro­ tection against loss. ■ Available for cash, Oft the Monthly Savings Plan or by personal arrangement with a bank. A fl 7. JI