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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton News Record, 1940-01-04, Page 2PAGE 2 THE CLINTON NEWS -RECORD THURS.. JAN. 4. 1940 ;SOLVE THIS MYSTERY OF THE LL y SPACIOUS ROMANTIC WEST 19 Principal Characters: KEITH MARLOW .. Of the Canadian Mounted Police, reoently joined from Britain. COLIN ANSON Marlow's Cousin, who had gone out to Canada some years earlier than 1 Keith, CHET FRASER Friend of Keith, he later joins the Mounted 'Police. PAUL MA'RRABLE ........, An unsavoury chardeter, 'Suspected of trafficking in chugs and drink with the Canadian Indians. GRACE ARDEN Lives with her father in a remote part •of the mountains. DUNCAN MacLAINE Keith Marlew's fellow trooper, FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW I lonely Glenyon hills, and it was by -1 owner had not troubled to Shame for pure Chance that Francois Armand, a !trapper, had stumbled' on the body within twenty-four hours of the mlu- der: Armand had not only found Pelly's body, but had spotted the murderer's tracks, to which he de- clared lie could' swear, One of the webs head' been mended with string, and the iirhits had been plain on the new -fallen snow. • It was now late October, the worst season of the year for a long trek through the back country. Winter was setting in, and snowstorms were frequent, but, on the other hand, the swift streams Were not yet firmly frozen.For the first week of his journey Keith had travelled more o1 less at random, merely following the direction in whieh he thought Drafter would move: He had begun to des- pair when the luck. turned, and he struck the trail of the fugitive.': The mark of the mended web was unnnis- takeable. Even then' it was not easy. Two nights later a snowstorm wiped aril the tracks, but Keith found them again and followed them into a long valley leading thorough desolate un- named bills. "He's got all old Pelly's stores," Maclaine had told Keith; "and his dogs. Ah'm thinking he'll hole up for the winter in some deserted cabin, for he canna get oot till the spring. Ah'm dooting ye'il find hiin, gin ye do, be careful. The mon will bush- whack ye and shoot ye down wi' as little compunction as if ye were a skunk." Maclaine's warning was in Keith's mind as he drove his dogs up the faint trail on the afternoon of the twelfth day. The sky was overcast, and a few flakes of hard snow were drifting down. Darkness would soon close on the desolate scene, and Keith had to find a camping place for the night. The prospect was not prom- ising, for there was little timber at this height, and Keith needed not only firewood, but shelter, for without doubt a fresh storm" was brewing. A tiny point of light showed through the gloom. Keith rubbed his tired eyes with tine back of his mitt, but there was no doubt about it. The light, faint as it was, remained steady; and Keith knew that it came from a lamp behind a window. A surge of excitement ran. through his veins. There must be a cabin to the right of the trail, and it was all odds that this was where Dranner had taken' refuge. Now Keith had to remember all that he had been told, for any renis-' take on his part would be fatal. In-' stead of the triumph of handing over the murderer to justice his own death. would be certain. Drafter was arm- ed, watchful and desperate. Also, he would have dogs which, at the ap-! proae1n of another team, would give tongue at once, so the first thing. Keith did was to turn his own clogs off the trail and tie therm under shel- ter of some large boulders. He ex- amined his pistol to see that it was loaded, then walked forward, making a circle to windward, so that Dran- ner's dogs could not scent him. The wind was getting stronger every minute, the show thickening in- to a driving swirl of white. Keith shivered as he stood just to wind- ward of the cabin and wondered what to do next. There was' nothing about it in the books of rules, and Ifeith himself had no experience in the mat- ter of arresting criminals. For a moment he felt an unpleasant sensa- tion of loneliness but this did not last. After all 'he had done a good job in trailing Dranner. Surely he could crown it by capturing his man. He Iooked at the cabin. So far as he could see in the thickening stow and failing light, it was the usual one -room shack built of logs and chinked with clay. There was a lean- to at the back. h stood in a patch of wind -stunted spruce. It had a door in front and one window, the panes of which were filled with oiled paper, a usual substitute for glass in the far places of the North. To attempt to enter' by the door was suicide, for if this was Dranner he would shoat first and talk afterwards. The window was the best bet so Keith advanced cautiously until he was able to peep through. Keith Marlow had learned much "during the twelve terrible days that he had been on the • trail of Jake :Drafter. Fresh from training at Regina, the young constable would never under normal circtunstances have been assigned to such a case, for Jake Dranner was a killer vicious •and dangerous as a timber wolf. As it happened, there was no choice, Tor Corporal Duncan Maclaine, Keith's senior at Sundance, was suf 'fering from a sprained ankle, and the business of catching Dranner was urgent. Dranner had shot down Joe Pelly in cold blood, murdered him for the sake of some fifty ounces of dust which the,old man had spent the whole ,sumer in painfully, washing from the gravel of Caribou Creek. The killing had been done up in 'the • The Clinton News -Record with which is incorporated THE NEW ERA TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION 41.50 per year in advance, to Can - adieu addresses; $2.00 to the U.S. or other foreign countries. No paper' "discontinued until allarrears are paid unless at the option of the pub - Usher. The date to which every sub-' scription is paid is denoted on the "label. ADVERTISING RATES — Transient', -advertising 12c per count line for first insertion. 8c. 'for each subse- quent insertion. Heading counts 2 lines. Small advertisements not to "exceed one inch, such as "Wanted", 1 "Lost, "Strayed", etc., inserted once for 85c., each subsequent insertion 15c. Rates for display advertising tnade known on application. Communications intended for pub - ideation must, as a guarantee of good faith, be accompanied by the name of the writer. G. E. HALL - - Proprietor H. T. RANCE Notary Public, Conveyancer IP•inanciai, Real Estate and Fire In- surance Agent, Representing 14 Fire insurance Companies. Division Court Office. Clinton €k' rant"; Fingland, B.A., LL.B. ifiarrister, Solicitor, Notary Public Successor to W. Brydone, S.C. kklloari Block — Clintnn, Ont. D. H. McINNES CHIROPRACTOR• Electro Therapist, Massage pJfflce: Huron Street. (Few Doors west of Royal Bank) .Hours—Wed. and Sat. and by appointment. FOOT CORRECTION ,ty manipulation Sun -Ray Treatment Phone 207 GEORGE ELLIOTT 'Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron Correspondence promptly answered rimmed ate arrangements can be made for Sales Date at The News -Record, rilintbr., or by calling phone 203. 'Obarges Moderate and Satisfaction Guaranteed, THE McEILLOP MIJTI5AL Fire Insurance Company Head Office, Seaforth, Ont. Officers: "President, Thomas Moylan, Sea - forth Vice President William Knox Loiidesboro; Secretary -Treasurer, M. A. Reid, Seaforth. Directors, Alex. l3roadfoot, Seaforth; James Sholdiee, Walton; James Connolly, Goderich; W. R. Archibald, Seaforth; Chris. Leonhardt, Dublin; Alex. McEwing, Bl-th; Frank McGregor, Clinton. List of Agents: E. A. Yeo, R.R. 1, Goderich, Phone 603r31, Clinton;' James Watt, Blyth; John E. Pepper, lBrucefield, R, R. No. 1; R. F. McKer-1 cher, Dublin, R. R. No. 1; Chas. F. Rtewitt, Kincardine; R. G. Jarmuth, Bornholm, R. R, No. 1. Any money to be paid may be paid to the Royal Bank, Clinton; Bank of 1 Commerce, Seaforth, or at Calvin Cbtt's Grocery, Goderich. Parties desiring to effect insur- ance or transact other business will be promptly attended to on appliea- .lon to any ,of the above officers ad- ±dr"eseed to their respective post offi- ces. Losses inspected by the director who lies nearest the scene. TIME TABLE Trains will arrive at and depart from Clinton as follows: Buffalo and Goderich DIF. (Going East, depart 6,43 a.m, Going East, depart 8.90 p.m I 'Going West, depart 11.45. a.m. 'Going West, depart 9.50' p,m. London, Huron & Bruce Going North, ar '11.21, lve. 11.47 am. Going South ar. 2.50, leave 3.08 p.m. CHALLENGE, THEN DARKNESS If the young constable had had any doubts about the. identity of the oc- cupant of the cabin these were at once dispelled The face of the man who sat smoking by the almost red- hot stove was enough to damn him in any decent community. ' The light of the small oil 'lampstanding on the home-made table showed it to be long and narrow, with pinched nose, thin lips and cold greenish -gray, eyes set deep under boney temples. • It was. not improved by the fact that its at least a week. He wore a greasy ahnaekinaiv coat and his' heavy trousers were tucked into high boots. • Keith noticed that a blued automatic lay on the table and that a rifle leaned against the wall :almost 'within arm's' reach of the man. "Not a nice gentleman," muttered Keith with a ghost of a grin on his halffrozen lips. "It's no use look- ing at Irian. I have to get hiin. He drew his service revolver and all in one act smashed the window and thrust the` muzzle through ;the open- ing. "Hands up, Dranner!" he ordered sharply. The results were not What Keith had anticipated. One of Dranner's hands went up but with the other he swept the lamp from the table, there- by plunging the little room into al- most complete darkness. This was the moment when Keith should have fired, but it a point of honour with the Royal Regiment to bring in their prisoners alive. He hesitated and his hesitation almost cost him his Life for Dranner, who had dropped to the floor, must have had a .second gun about hint. This bullet cut splinters from the side of the window, which stung Keith's face. Keith staggered back, uttered a real- istic groan and dropped heavily to the ground. But he did not stay there. Crawling on hands and knees he made round the corner to the front door of the shack. It was his hope that Dranner would believe he had killed his visitor and would come out to view the body. But Dranner was cautious. He did not relight the lamp; Keith, listening intently, heard him rise and go to the window. No doubt he was peer- ing out to see the body but by this time the snow was so thick and driv- ing• so furiously that Keith was con- vinced the pian could see nothing. Keith was angry and disappointed. His attack had completely failed. All he 'had done was to warn his quarry.. Now, if Dranner had sense to stay inside the shack, he was safe. Keith could not remain here long, exposed to this. blizzard, He would have to go back to his dogs and camp, There was only one grain of com- fort in the situation, so far as Keith was concerned. Dranner had no dogs. If he had had a team they would have started barking at the shot. What had happened to them Keith could not guess but the result was that Dran- ner could not travel. At any rate he could not go far from this cabin for he would not be able to carry enough food to last him more than a few days. On the other hand he probably hacl a good stock in the cabin while Keith had enough for a week only and it meant five days' hard travelling to reach Sundance. The cold bit though Keith's fur Parka. If he stood here in the wind much longer he would be frost-bitten. He was on the point of giving up and returning to his dogs when he heard a faint click. The latch was being lifted. A fresh wave of excite- ment made Keitlr forget the cold, for- get everything except that Dranner was coming out. With his body pres- sed against the wallhe stood perfect- ly still, hardly breathing. The door opened inwards and the strong draught rushing in made the stove roar. The result was that a faint glow of light thrown by the `tanning wood through chinks in the rustly olcl fire -box illuminated the in- terior of the cabin and showed Keith an arni and hand grasping a pistol in the opening. Keith was desperat- ely tempted to chop down on that arm with the barrel of his own gun, but he resisted the temptation. It was well for him that he did for next moment he realized that it was a clever trap. The arm was too thick to be natural, and he saw that it was protected by pelts rolled around it. The heaviest blow that Keith could have dealt would have done little damage. Keith smiled grimly t o himself. This time at any rate he had out- smarted his enemy. But would Dranner come out? That was the question. He did, but not in the way Keith had expected. Instead of moving out cautiously he came with a. rush. He was past Keith before Keith could land the blow he had been saving for the fellow's skull, But Keith was on him before he could turn—on him with such force that Dranner went flat on his face on the frozen ground, Keith on top of him. There was not enough snow to deaden 'the shock and Keith exulted as he heard the breath go out of the anaa's body with one great gash;. Certain that he was master, Keith relaxed his hold to fumble in his pocket for the handcuffs. This was his second blunder for Dranner sud denly exploded. That at, least was on the bunk, where he lay for several a word. ,Even when Keith had his what it felt like to Keith who was minutes, drawing deep breaths into back to the man he could feel those flung off ,the other's body and only his aching lungs. narrow grey -green eyes fixed upon just saved himself from rolling ower When he got up Dranner was still him. sideways. With a snarl Dranner insensible, but he was breathing Cas- Having finished his own meal Keith sd sang his right hand in Which he ily, and Keith let him lie. There Was fed his prisoner. But before doing still held is pistol. One bullet would a pot on the stove with coffee in it, so he, drained him to the heavy log finish the business. Keith found a mug, filled it, with the forming the foot of the bunk. This strong, black liquid, added three light steel chain and padlock he was carrying by the advice of •Duncan Maclaine and very gladhe was to have it. Dranner offered no resist - spoonfuls of sugar and drank it down. Then he looked at his damaged leg, and was relieved to find that, al-' • CHAPTER II PLUCKY ARREST though the flesh was swollen and blue ranee and ate his food in silence but had nine hours' sleep and felt im- mensely refreshed, His leg still pain- led. ainleel him but that Would wear off with movement.' He lit ,the lamp, made up the fire, {then went out to feed his. dogs and look at the weather. The snow had ceased, the wind fal- lesiand there seemed prospect of a 'fairly fine day, but Keith was dis- mayed at the amount of Snow that ' had fallen in the night. The stuff 'was fine as' flour and as difficult to walk in. It meant breaking trail for the dogs every yard of the way and 1speed would be cut clown to perhaps 1 two miles an hour. It was going to be a rotten journey, but after all Keith had his man and would not have been human if he had not felt a little, glow of triumph at the though that his first official mission had been 1 successful._ Hee went back into the hutd angot ,breakfast. As on the previous night Dranner made no trouble. After he had eaten Keith handcuffed him again land Left him chained. He had a job to 1 do before packing for the •start, That !was to find the gold which no doubt Dranner had hidden somewhere under � the floor of the 'shack. Dranner watched Keith sardonically as he set ito warlc then, to Keith's amazement, spoke. 1 "No need to waste time, constable, the dust's under the stove." It would havie, thine 'so but for those there was nothing broken. Keith• could feel the wave of hatred skins wrapped around Dranner's fore- He remembered his dogs. He :must that emanated from the man .almost arm. They made him clumsy, and the bring them in. As he got up. he eerie- as clearly as if they were expressed fraction of a second which he lost ed again at Dranner. Drafter's eyes in blows. gave Keith a fresh chance. With his were open, and the look in, them sent' heft hand he forced' up Dinner's right a shiver down Keith's spine. There' • Keith's whole body was one ache., arm and the gun, flaming, flung its was savage hate in them. That was The fight at the, end of a hard d'ay's missile harmlessly into .the air. At to 'be expected, but tuet a was more.' march had drained his strength and the same time Keith punched with A sort of ,cold, cruel calculation which 'he knew that he must sleep well !m- ills right and, though the blow lacked made Keith wonder what fresh tricks 'fore taking up the trail again. force , owing to Keith being on his this human fiend had in store for him. "You can have the bunk," he told knees,' it rocked Manner's head back, He did' not hide from himself that Dranner curtly. He went out and Before he I! could. recover Keith had he had a long :march :before him be- fetched in his load dog, Koltag. Koltag clamped a two -d"anc"ed grip on Dran-1 fore read'hing Sundance, andthat, duri was a magnificent beast partly grey, rei's•right .arm. ing every 'moment of that journey, hi partly black, fanged like a wolf. The KeithI d Marlow at twenty-three was�Would have to be on guard. With ino- moment he .came into theroamthe five foot ten, weighed' eleven and a thirng but the rope in front of him, 'hair on his back rose in a stiff ridge, half Stone, and Was fit as hard train-! no chance would bo too desperate for 'his yellow• eyes flamed and a low ing could make.him. It gave him an.: Dranner, Before leaving the cabin growl rumbled in his throat. Keith ugly shock to find that Dranner, who:Keith, Keith reinavled Dranner's two, pistols•' laid a hand on the dog's massive head. was probably ten years older than he,! and the rifle. He found also an ugly- "Quiet, boy! he • ordered and the was able to withstand that grip and looking knife which he :stuck in his rumble died but Koltag's eyes remain- ed fixed upon Dranner. "I don't think you will try any monkey .business," still hold on to the revolver. Not only! own belt. that, .but the man managed to rise: to his feet, dragging Keith up with him. Although the distance to the boul- Keith'wrenched at Dranner's wrist in dere was. less than half a mile, it an effort to force him to drop the taxed Keith's strength to the utter - pistol. He failed and Dranner iatod with a savage kick which numbed Keith's left leg. "Keith and the two, clenched in a struggle for the possession of th rolled to and fro, in the gloom blizzard. Their battle brought them and nearer to: the door of the Keith continued, speaking to Dran (CONTINUED NEXT ISSUE) ner. "I don't believe you can. But if you do it is a dead body I ;shall retal- most to reach them. The stormwas take, back to Sundance, not a living almost developing into a real blizzard, but, man)' closed luckily for Keith, the wind had not death! yet reached its full force. The return A slight sneer curled Dranner's lips, e gun,,',journey was not so bad, for the wind but : that was all. Keith realized that of the! was behind hini. For all that, by the the man, if all brute, had the courage time Keith had tied his dogs in the of the brute and was more dangerous lean-to- and fed them, he was pretty than any brute. Yet, confident that nearer cabin, near the end ,of his tether. • Koltag would rouse him if anything Keith could see this but Dranner, with his back to the cabin, was unaware of it. Keith was beginning to feel he could not last much longer. His 1eg was hurting badly. He resolved to take a chance. He Id go • with his right hand and drove for Dranner's jaw. His fist landed high, but the blow staggered Dranner: He stepped backwards and banged his head against the wall' of the cabin. That was enough for Keith. Before Dranner could recover from the daz- ing crack on his skull, Keith let loose a second blow which caught Dranner on the chin. It was like hitting a rock, for Dranner's head was still pressed against the wall, bat it dict the trick. The vicious eyes of the murderer glaz- ed and he slipped to the ground, limp as a sack, the pistol dropping from liis relaxed fist. Keith picked the pistol aside, snapped the steel cuffs on Drafter's thick wrists, dragged hiin inside, and tied his ankles with a length of raw hide. Then he closed the door, re='lit'lre"Jamp, and dropped "DUST'S UNDER THE STOVE" slipped into his bag and within a The prospect of spending the night couple of minutes was dead asleep. under cover should have been pleas- When he woke it was still dark, the ant, but for Keith was completely fire in the stove had died down and spoiled by the knowledge that he had the room was bitter cold. He looked to be under the ,same roof in the same at the luminous dial of his nvristwatch room with Drafter. There was some -rand saw that it was past six. He had thing so sinister, so repulsive about wen wron we g, he took off iris boots the man that Keith hated breathing, the same air with him. It was, how- ever, useless to be .squeamish, so Keith carried his sleeping bag into the cabin, built up the fire, and set to cooking supper. There was plenty of food in the place, • but everything was filthy, and, tired as he was, Keith had to telt snow and heat water to wash out the cooking pans. .Since there was no bread, he made bannocks, and these,1 with fried bacon and fresh coffee were the first course. The second was a tin of peaches which Keith had! been keeping for a special occasion. All the time that he was cooking, and while he ate, Dranner lay on. the • floor, watching him, but saying not WOMEN'S WEALTH A woman's world? Well, hardly—hi the opinion of Henry W. Stanley, ex- ecutive secretary of the Hot Springs (Arkansas) Chamber of Commerce. According to Stanley, the women of America, or "powder -puff financiers,' as he calls them, own 70 per cent of the nation's prielate wealth, buy 85 per cent of all merchandise sold through retail outlets, have $10,000,- 000, or 66. per cent of all saving de- posits,- possess e-posits,-possess titles to 48 per cent of all home,s in the country and com- prise 49 per cent of the 15,000,000 stockholders. ROUND TRIP BARGAIN FARES JAN. 5 & 6 From CLINTON TO Stations Oshawa and east to Cornwall inclusive, Uxbridge, Lindsay, Peterboro, Campbellford, Newmarket, Callingwood, Meaford, Midland, North Bay, Parry Sound, Sudbury, Capreol and West to Beardmore. P.M. Trains JAN. 5 All Trains JAN. 6 To TORONTO Also to Brantford, Chatham, Goderich, Guelph, Hamilton, ondon, Niagara Falls, Owon Sound, St. Catharines, St. Marys, Sarnia, Stratford, Strathroy, Woodstock. See handbills for complete list of destinations For fares, return limits, train information, tickets, etc. Consult nearest agent CA;�U,A IA > 7.Ti 'ALr, --� 116 DEAD HEMS in is dealer's MORGLE "Colne and look at my morgue," invited a prominent Ontario merchant. In his cel- lar were 116 items which had lost money for him. They did not move fast enough, so they went into his "morgue" and were crossed off his buying list. "Most of them were exceltont products, too," said he, "but all failed because, in my opinion, they were not supported by prop- er advertising to the consumer." It Pays to Advertise in The Clinton Newskocord