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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton News Record, 1939-06-15, Page 2PAGE2 Eden Phillpotts THE CLINTON NEWS -RECORD — PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS TOM AYLMER: At the time the Mrs. MERCY AYLMER: Toin's mother; egotistical and exacting• sto}•y opens is living in Peru, man- aging silver mines belonging• to his father: 2ELICE PARDO: A Peruvian who, although young, has been fifteen ;years in the service of the Aylmer :misting enterprise. Ho is the most trusted native employee, JANE BRADSHAW: Tom Aylmer's fiancee. At the time the story opens, the expectation is that these two will marry on Tom's next leave in England. , ANGUS MAINE: A young Scot on Aylmer's• staff, and close cempan ion of Toin. JACOB. FERNANDEZ: A rich; eld- erly South American whose hobby is the study of bird life. He is a bachelor and is engaged upon monumental literary work on the subject of bird life. CHAPTER X ARE THEY SIGNALS? 'The island looked like a small, black slug crawling with lifted horns along the edge of a purple sea. But abo*e the twin peaks that ascended to the south there hung a heavy cloud of vapour spreading fannwise and 'dim - ening the glory of the western sky., 'The watehers exclaimed at the minute size of the place, but Captain Costa .reminded them that it was five -and - The Clinton News -Record with which is incorporated THE NEW ERA TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $1.50 per year in advance, to Can- adian addresses; $2.00 to the U.S. or -other foreign countries. No paper discontinued until all arrears are paid unless at the option of the pub- lisher. The date to which every sub- scription is paid is denoted on the label. ADVERTISING BATES — Transient advertising 12c per count line for) first insertion. 8c. for each subse- =quent insertion. Heading counts.'2 eines. Small advertisements not ` to .exeeed one inch, such as "Wanted", "Lost, "Strayed", etc., inserted once for 35c., each subsequent insertion 15c. Rates for display advertising made known on application. Communications intended for pub plication must, as a guarantee of good faith, be accompanied by the name •of the writer. G. E. HALL - - Proprietor The sun touchedthe rim of the sea and was quickly sped, while at his sinking, darkness swiftly folio -wed. They completed their perambulation ruder night and marked one more sign of li'1:e before day eves clone. But. ib was natural, though extraordinary, and man had no part in it; 1Vhen of/ the forestal lowlands again, they saw them full of silver light, and it seem- ed that ten thousand flying Lampe came and went, rose and fell, cluster- ed .and scattered above the trees. Jane guessed .at Jack-a-lanternssprung from the hot mire beneath the woods, but Captain Costa,: explained what they saw. twenty miles distant. I "We'll just get a clear idea of the "It is small without doubt,'." he hang of the place," he said, "and drop said, "perhaps seven or eight of your anchor when we come abreast of the English miles long. Save where the gorge. My only fear is that the heat; mountain ascends to its summite the ashore is .going to knock us ode'? place is not more than three or four' "To work by night will be best, hundred feet above sea level; but the once we locate the cache," thought great plateau, that made Benny give Pardo, "The gorge must show up the name to it, is higher than the soon." rest. That is where.the smoke rises, I . As they ;steamed slowly west, a and you are looking at a burning chasm opened in the low precipices mountain." I and a black pathway penetrated amid Night quickly hid Tabletop, but the overhanging rocks. It struck into significant phenomena attended the l the heart of the hills and was quickly darkness. The island revealed its elost under their shadow. Above it own pharos, far, like some lighthouse ;towered the Volcanic crags and from mightily uplifted, a dull real glare its depths there came a definite soma cleat at inter outlined the crown of the crater when at oast. Through the , night felt It was no steadfast sot- vals of about five minutes, burst a itarer gleam, but a pervasive -glow hollow hissing rattle that rose to Is cast up from the black earthinto the roar, bellowed like a steam hooter, starry sky --a light such as blazed then sank away into silence, only to from the furnace door When it Is break out again a little later. flung open. v "That's the geyser," said Angor, The Iguana slowed down and crept "— just the row a geyser would forward through the noctural hours. make." and as she approached, the inner They took soundings every few blaze from Tabletop'$ cup of 'fire minutes and crept inshore. Then a stream became visible emerging from the cleft and running out to the sea, while steam hung over its passage. "It's boiling anyway," said Jane, "but probably no good for a -cup of tea. You can smell the sulphur even out here." • "There's one bright thing about the ghastly hole," said Tont "Whatever made Benny call it `Maneater Gorge' has long since' cleared out, else .we should see the signs. We shall prob- ably be the only living being to viiss this godforgotten furnace since he slid." And then came a whiff of sulphur- ous heat from the slhore that set their thought in a new channel. "Suppose we can't land at all?" asked Angus. "It may be a. case for gas masks, or something of that sort, we haven't got with us." "The sulphur eomes from the steam," answered Pardo. "If we keep clear of that boiling water, we may breathe all right. The treasure is as the geyser, and that cannot be very far." They longed to land, but it was now past noon and Tom directed that e complete circuit of the island should be made and any nearer approach postponed till the following day. IIe told the captain of his purpose and Costa trusted that they would stake no long stay. "I ant not very happy," he ex- plained, "because the glass does cur- ious things, and though no threat is visible upon the sky, something may. be going to happen stere that I would not wish to wait for My engineer has a great aching in his head, and when the head of Carlos aches, that means electricity and, tempest. I.1c is a barometer. They went upon their way west- ward, where the highest elevations of Tabletop towered above them M twin peaks. And then, when the sun began to near the horizon aid shoot final, clan zling rays upon the island's face, ;. strange and startling thing appeared and all four of the watchers einem- taneously marked it. Already the base of the great cliffs had lost the sun and a dart: shadow began to creep up front sea level to the ships dinghy before dawn, raid hide the land, but still the : upper the cache and get back with, the spoils before his friends were waking. The watch would lower the boat from the da{vits and ship it again when he returned, He would then admit an Upon this region appeared a defin- early excursion to the shore and con- ite d€sign that, at first glance, could coal the truth. only have been placed there by man's Towards three of the morning, he hand. Two, great, eight -pointed stars rose, dressed andtnade the necessary were set aloft in perfect alignment. preparations. Then that happened to. Seen- at the distance of half a finite confound him. Pardo was not the only they appeared of no .great size, but walcelt$ Hint aboard that night and, the regularity of their shape indicat- just as he was about to go on docs,, ed plan and purpose. They stood he heard sounds, found that Costa out very clearly — twin stows, pitch was getting his aechor•, ane that the black in colour againsttheir sun -lit Iguana would soon be under way. baolcgrbund and visible to any eye, Costa joined (them while • they stared and soon shared their astonishment. But he expressed on doubt as to what they saw. "A signal," he saide H. T. RANCE Notary Public, Conveyancer Financial. Real Estate and Fire In- surance Agent. Representing 14 Fire .insurance Companies. Division Court Office. Clinton 1Frank Fingland, B.A., LL.B. •barrister, Solicitor, Notary Public Successor to W. Brydone, $.C, Moan Blocs Clintnn, Ont. A. E. COOK Piano and Voice Studio—E. C. Nickle, Phone 23w. 35=tf. D. H. 16'IcINNES CHIROPRACTOR Electro Therapist, Massage Ytfice: Huron 'Street. (Few Doors west of Royal Bank) Hours= -Wed. and Sat. and by appointment. FOOT CORRECTION by manipulation Sun -Ray Treatment Phone 207 burned brighter. Then came dawn. Stars and flame - light from earth alike vanished, and the squat island stood revealed as the sun climbed swiftly into heaven. All the travellers carte on deck at dawn to find their ship at anchor a couple of miles from shore, and the first thing they noted was a sulphur- ous tang in themorning air. A. dense black cloud capped the, tableland ana threw curious shadows upon the plain beneath; but the stn penetrated its fringes and revealed the formation of the islet. Everything above sea level appeared to be black, or heavy green, . save where her peaks and crags ascended and shone palely gold in the morning light. "All cinders and pumice and heap- ed-up lava," said Felice. "Just a spot of dry mud on the nozzle of hell." "There must be plenty of water," declared Tom. "Look at that sheet of vegetation where the forest runs east to the brink of the sea." "Water no doubt," said Angus, "but it will be hot — how hot we don't know. Old Pedro Floris said the water under the woods was whole- some, but not cold." • "There are birds, anyway—I can see then; with the naked eye," said Jane. "So they must be pretty big. And I believe they're yellow." Air more fiery that any they had het breathed drifted to them ,from the land, and Toni noted it, "This is going, to be a Turkish bath," he said. "The heat ashore must be terrific; but we're tuned up to high temperatures by this time. Only we shan't feel tremendously energetic when we land." GEORGE ELLIOTT ¢Licensed Auctioneer for the Counts of Huron Correspondence promptly answereo immediate arrangements can be made i.'or Sales Date at The News -Record 'Clinton, or by calling; phone 203. Charges Mroderate and Satisfaction Guaranteed. THE McEILLOP MEJTTAI, Fire Insurance Company Head Office, Seaforth, Ont: Officers: 'President, Thomas Moylan, • Sea forth; Vice President, William Tinox, Londesboro;, Secretary -Treasurer, M A. Reid, Seaforth. Directors, Alex Broadfoot, Seaforth; James Sholdice Walton; Jaynes . Connolly, Goderich: W. R. Archibald, 'Seaforth; Chris Leonhardt, Dublin; Alex. McBwing Bl'th; Prank McGregor, Clinton.' List. of Agents: E. A. Yeo, R.R. 1, ;Goderich, Phone 8031'31, Clinton; James Watt, Blyth; John E. Pepper, Bruceficld, R. R. No. 1; R. F.l4lcKer- eher,. Dublin, R. R. No. 1; Chas. F. Elewitt, Kincardine; R. G. Jarmuth, .Bornholm, R. R. No. 1. Any money to be paid may be paic :to the Royal Bank, Clinton; Bank o' Commerce, Seaforth, or at. Calvin 'Cbtt's Grocery, Goderich. Parts desiriang to effect insur- ance or transact other business will be promptly attended to on applies. !lop. to any', of the above officers' ad. •dressed to their respective peat offi- ces. Losses inspected' by the directo, who lives nearest the scene. 101.1l!. Alfa° TIME TABLE Trains will arrive at and depart from' Clinton as follows: Buffalo and Goderich Di. Going 'East, depart 6,58 a,m fining Nast, depart 3.00 p.m Going West, depart 11.45 a.m. "Going West, depart 10,00 p.m London," Huron di Bruce "There are a million fire -flies," he said, "but 'of a size so gigantic atter burning so bright that we can see them out here. Close at hand their flash might almost blind our eyes ane they must be farlarger than any insects known to human kind." They watched. the :innumerable winking, •dancing lights until the east- ern frontiers of Table Top were again' passed, and then Tom and Jane, Angus and Felice descended to the saloon for biscuits and coffee before they went to their bunks. Tom 'considered the facts. "We can argue. from this that Ben wasn't snuffed out while the Condor lay to and awaited his ;return," he, said, "He must have decided to stop, and that rather knocks the bottom out of his signals if you ask me."I "Why?" asked Jane. "Because, if he'd decided to stop, he would have let the Condor dna old Peter Floris know his intention. He would have gone back to them with some yarn and told them that he wasn't' sailing back with 'them. Then he'd have got a thousand things off the ship and made Floris stop and help hint to build a cabin of some sort and probably take messages home." won a sort of negative comfort from the feet. "If I am to get the treasure, I shall get it," he reflected. ``If fate wills. otherwise and designs to put it out of my ,reach; so r much the better; but I shall go on trying and lose ne chance." IIe stood by Costa on the bridge and watched the first herald messeng- ers of morning. "How's the glass?" he asked. "Itis telling strange things, tied i want to be away," answered' the. captain. "I have not seen such con- tortions. Something tremendous is at hand, Felice Pardo, When your busi- ness is finished, I make no stay at all. Nothing you cansay will keep Inc here after to -night. There .3s danger about us --not from the air but from the deep sea. Things are hidden, inoving out of sight --treach- erous things. Carlos Paz feels just as I feel. We mast go south, or north—I care not which, but we risk. the ship and our lives to loiter here upon the/ Line." "We are in your hands as to that,"' said his passenger. "If we run away for a while till the signs are sane again, then perhaps we: can return later." But Costa shook his head. "I do not want to return. Evil things are going on here out of our sight I tell you. Man has invented the barometer to learn what he can- not know without it, and the. baro- meter is warning us." The dawn seemed to beliethese alarms. A. magnificient sunrise burned like a beacon fire on the hearth of the horizon and then the sun climbed steeply into a cloudless sky.They were off the cliffs now and their topmast peaks and scarps flashed upon the morning. Light revealed anew mystery, how- ever; for the great planes of the precipices were grey and naked and unlit as yet by the sun. "The stars!" cried Costa. "The two stars have vanished. They are there no longer!" The forest spread over the entire eastern fringes of the island in one uniform sheet of sulky 'green touched here and there• with colour. It ex- tended to within a hundred . yards of the sea and 'the intervening space was einder black. Beyond, the forest, ruled in a harsh, stark line across the rising ground, was a band that marked the end of any vegetation; but while beneath it the green persisted, growing denser as 1t reached sea level, above it only livid crags and precipices of volcame rock arose to the central . tableland of the island, Maine judged the crate): to be four miles in diameter. "A tremendous vapour rises out of it," he said, after a survey through Costa's telescope, "but there's no lava moving on this side any way. It ;nay have a rent to the westward." They spent that day in cruising (slowly round the varied shores of Tabletop. The prevailing silence of the islet impressed Jane and also depres- sed. her. "The yellow birds on the tops ott the treesflit about slowly, but they are dumb," she said. "Everything. seems to be dumb and silent, as if invisible life was listening and hiding and hardly daring to move." "I will fire a gun," answered Pardo, He fetched a rifle and fired toe wards the land. • The explosion woke sharp echoes from the cliffs. A cloud of large birds arose above the woods andflew heavily in a flock together, like a yellow mist, across the green: foliage. Then they sank down again without uttering any •sort of call or "They look like pigeons but Inuet be as big as' peacocks," said Jane. Soon they went below for the noon- day meal and something to drink. But they were quickly on deck, again and (Going North, ar, 11.25 lye. 11.47 p.m, all . desirous to land. Tom, however; Going South ar. 2.50, leave 8.08 p.m. stuck to his intentions. "In any case it doesn't sound at all like Benny Boss," thought Angus. "He wasn't the sort to maroon him- self for evermore on a live volcano that might go up in smoke any day. And what was the value of his treas- ure on Table Top? No; I'm sure he didn't leave the island again, for the good reason that he couldn't leaye ie. Even if some accident kept him there, other than the accident of sudden death, what power had he to paint those signals? They must have tak- en a lot of doing." "You mean they may not be sig• netts, and nothing to do with Benny?" asked Jane. "It's difficult to see hew they can- not be signals," admitted Angus, "bus what do we know of the history of the island? It must be pretty ancient if we can judge by appearances, and other people may have landed there and been cast away and put up tate stars in hope of salvation. We shan't know anything more till we have ex- plored the place. And we may not even get the chance to do that, be- cause the glass is going down all the time, and if there's a tornado, Costa will make for the open sea:" Only Felice Pardo had nothing to say. He was quite silent and when they separated for the night, he alone sept not. The signals had moved him, for he believed in them and pictured his great-grandfather setting them there with patience and in danger upon the perilous cliffs before ho died, They brought Benny nearer to hien, and by doing so eased his consieence for a moment. His purpose was to get ashore before the others and expiate such an 'action after returning. He had thought everything nut, together with his reasons for stealing a march upon his friends. The island by night held no perils for him,' and his plans only awaited time to put in practice. The ship was now at anchor off the gorge. Midnight rang out from her bell and great peace, broken only by the punctual boons of tho geyser fon, ashore brooded over the ocean. Felice had the bag in which he'car- ried his, photographic apparatus ready but no camera or tripod fillets it. He was only carrying a Strong spade ashore in the bag, and his plan was to 'row himself to the land In crags and turrets shone red as blood, and while the "Iguana" moved slow- ly `south, a great planeof the cliffs was opened revealing something new. MYSTERY OF THE SIGNALS `Where there's a signal, the man Maystill live who put it there," said Tom. "His eyes may be on us, Costa! Bat the captain thought it very improbable. "Wlio can say when; the stars were painted there?" he asked. Ho turned to get .his telescope, bus, by the time that he brought it to t'hcn1, the stars wore no henget vis- ible. Shadows had descended over the precipice and swallowed diem. Ait explanation.. awaited hien, and the captain, ignorant of Felice's plans, revealed his own. "1 am wishful to see the signals'at dawn," be said. ."They can tell us nothing about anybody who is alive, but none the less' 1 must find if any- thing is to be understood from them. Tito water is very deep to the west, so we can stand in." This arrangement . ruined Felice's purpose, but he was in a mood almost to welcome . any intervention that might do that, He hacl long determin- ed to secure the treasure for himself' ie it could be done, and he believed himself justified; 'yet he felt quire prepared to submit did any trick oi: Providence frustrate him. Felice found that he was .a fatalist at bottom, and. Indeed no sign of them existed.. "We must have imagined them, Captain," said Felice, but the other shook his head. "We all saw them. There was no shadow of 'doubt that they hung upon the face of the cliffs," he said. "and now they are gone. The hand that .set them there has surely hidden them again. But what should that mean?" (To be continued) LOWER TAX RATE II The Town Council of Goderich has fixed the 1939 tax rave at 451/2 mills,) a reduction of three and a half mills as compared with last year. This was made possible by the practice of rigid economy, by the retirement of 2150,- 000 bonded indebtedness Iast year and the provincial income and gasoline subsidy' of one and a half mills. • SIPS L I+ W FA `":'ES ...39% Less Ocean ...The Romance Route r 5 ...Via the Sheltered St. Lawrence Seaway, Prom Montreal and Onebec OOSESSOCEAI/I' '� N 0. LAW1I[NE p, EEAW*Y p(,�� s• 19S27 MILE99PEN OCFpj,+ 15 \-c6 "EI" 9LE1,t'��gre n IS JUNE 23 30 30 DUCHESS OF YORK DUCHESS OF ATHOLL EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (from. Quebec) DUCHESS OF BEDFORD r 8 14 JULY 18 22 28 29 *MONTCLARE EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (from Quebec) DUCHESS OF YORK. EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (from Quebec) *MONTROSE DUCHESS OF BEDFORD EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (from Quebec) $122.50 up To Grist Class; $137.50 up Cabin Class +Cabin and Third Class only Reserve early for choice accommodation. Get "39% Less Ocean" booklet, ship plans, reservations. from your own travel agent or E. F. Thompson, Steamship General Agent, Canadian Pacific Bldg.; Toronto. -mfY7ews WILL LEAVE MITCHELL After nine years of teaching on the staff of Mitchell High School, IGHTNING STARTS FIRE Miss Hazel Grienmon has tendered The Huron Lumber Company came her resignation to take effect the end ore to losing their planing mill of June. She has been appointed to Saturday afternoon when lightning the head of the English departmen struck the building and started a of Coboug Collegiate ( fire. Only the prompt action of the manager, Mr. D. A. Gordon, arca from the nurses alumnae, pencils from Ahmeek Chapter, LO.D.E. and thermometers from Maple Leaf Chapter, as well as numerous gifts of flowers. Miss Graham gave the' valedictory for her class. G. L. Parsons, board chairman, presided. NURSES .RECEIVE DIPLOMAS others saved the building from going u in stela A heavy electrical In an impressive and colorful core- storm was raging at the time and Cony four members of the 1939 lightning enteredthe buiding on the Kaduating class of Alexander Mar- hydro wires into the switch. box, 'ne and General Hospital, Goderich, Wesley Witmer, an employee, first received their diplomas. The class noticed the blaze and calling the was eompoaed of the Misses Irene manager, fire extinguishers were us - Graham, Verna Edward, Bernice ed and water was carried from the Bond and Kathleen Crawford. The boiler room. Eugene Beavers turn - exercises were held under the aur- ed in the fire alarm. When the fire - ices of the Woman's Hospital Aux -'men arrived the fire was fairly well if a y, l under control. A chemical extin- Addresses were heard from Mayor guisher was used. The side of the 11. J. A. McEwan, Dr. J. M. Graham south wall was charred and the floor and Dr. W. F. Gallow. Miss Mc-; of the second storey was somewhat Corkingdale, superintendent, present- burned. The upstairs was filled with ecl the diplomas and Miss Chambers, a heavy smoke. It was surely a assistant, the pins. Gifts were made close call, and a bad blaze was avert - of syringes, from the medical as -red as 'there is considerable lumber sociation, reference books and forceps about the building—Exeter Advocate. TH' 11 Mem- --eeeeeleareMen? eiMeMee •y: Buyers are now realizing P NT1AC is right in the Lowest -Price Fidel/ RES LT 's les are soaring t;i. new high records! PasTrinc has stepped up the horsepower of Big .. sleek .. so lazily restful. Lots of your new car dollar. Here's beauty that room for six ... "humpless" floors ... better stands out like a glowing debutante visiting vision all around. Nimble as a cat in traffic i a; an old maids' home. And a price away down '...lithe and steely powerful as a panther, on obedient edient to the the stretch. 'Yet instantlyb i a l i t do n as much as 100 with the ones w $ compared with last year! APontiac... engi- effortless controls. And the grand "New - neared still better ... peeked with features. resf' Ride levels every road! Get the full Never before was there such value! story back of the wheel, today! Convenient terms on the General Motors Instal ',lent Plan fl P-1696 Leslie alln s oro, .. ' C SERVE YOU:' PERMANENTLY un' �.YOl1R,,PON.TLAC.•; DEALER.S .DESIRE CST •,, ,, 1,1