Loading...
The Wingham Advance Times, 1935-05-02, Page 6WIN,GHAM ADVANCE -TIMES SYNOPSIS; Young Ed. Maitland and should have warmed it on the lantern before he left Steiner's ,tent And in that tick of doom, the pack was .on hint; The last thing he knew was the writhing twist he gave his body so as to' land on his shoulder, and a flare of fire in his head. Then the snow went black. He was still on his shoulder when he became conscious : again, but his Lucky Rose, beautiful young woman hands were trussed behind him. with Who had given Maitland a ring for a a rope; his ankles were bound; he keepsake; Fallon, trail boss to time miners, who resented Rose's atten- tions to Maitland; Steiner, the money lender; young Pete and his drunken partner Bill Owens; Brent, old-time prospector; and Garnet, a iveli-to do- modern one who hired Maitland and .Seepd to haul his stuff from the beach over the' mountains to the `Yukon — these were amongthe crowd 'that made up the gold seekers. At Liars- ville, a camp in the hills, Speed was made trail boss in Fallon's place, be- cause Speed insisted on closing the trail till it could be repaired, When a detachment of the Canadian North- west Mounted Police carne riding clown the pass and mended the bridge Pete off here at the same tune." for Speed, there was a truce between Speed's ear caught sharply at some him and Fallon and the trail was re- opened. Garnet went back to civili zation for 'the' winter' leaving his pon- ies and equipment with Speed and Maitland. But the 'horses disappeared just after the transfer. After Speed had killed a rnan in self-defense — a man who had run a crooked shell game at Liarsvi'ile—he and Maitland got away on the trail—Rose helped find their horses -and decided to build a cabin for the winter near Ben net, a camp policed by the Mounties. Drew, head of the Mounties, said there was a strange legend about a ghostly Siwash that left tracks in the snow -his new man Cathcart was spe- cially interested in it. One night the two partners were surprised to have `a half-starved dog join them while they were eating steaks from a deer Speed had just shot. A little later a man came out of the storm to them. —the ghostly apparition of the Moun- ties' legend, they decided—and 'took half their deem. While Speed had gone to Skagway with mail for the Mount- ies, Maitland found a half -frozen fig- "The Golden Pass" at Skagway, ure in a storm, and discovered it to tinder the protection of Soapy Smith, was a lathering vortex of carnival. It had a slick and spacious floor lit by hanging lamps which depended from the cross-beamas of the lumber roof. A piano, banjo and accordian were in the swing• of what sounded like a.mttsical steeplechase. But they made a spirited noise, and served to indicate that time romping riot on the NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY. m dance floor was sociably intended. In attire, the crowd was variously informal, mixing corduroy, rough flannel and heavy miners' boots with the "store clothes" of newcomers, The bar had its own supporters, who somehow remained audible. In their rumble of talk there were echoes of a rumor that a dangerous gunman had broken jail and tried to shoot up the camp. the hardened gambler Speed Malone be camp partners on the trip mirth to the Yukon gold fields in '97, when word of the rich ores there first came down the Pacific coast. Maitland, son of a New England seafaring family, was determined to 'win back his ..lost family fortunes. Frenchy, the fisher .man who took him and Speed north;:. was gagged and lying on dry ground. Gradually a niurumr of low voices in the tent became articulate. He re- cognized Falcon's and lay motionless. . . so we didn't ;find the kid through the winter till Chik Holter located a -camp on the Teslin a ways above where we camped on the Lew. es, An outfit was cuttin' timber there for a raft, and Pete had a job cookie' for them. Holter picked up the mare's trail headin' west, alone. Picked it up and lost it." "The blizzard, I reckon.. But I fig- ured the kid was making for the coast. We had to come down for some gear anyway, and we'll head. hidden implication in the man's voice, The other voice murmured an in- terruption. "Seems to me like your prisoner's ears is awake." "I'mn speakin' to him," growled Fal- lon. "He likely knows .plenty. It al- ways looked to me like he had some- thin' figured about Pete,' and about Owens, too." "Well, if he won't explain hisself, it'll be tough. He shot and killed a mean in this camp, and was charged, legal. He busted jail, stole a gun, and would have done plenty more if the gun had been good. He ain't a Canadian. We'Il tell the 'mounties' we don't figure they'd choose .a man of this char-cter to run their mail. We suspect he stole it; he was seen gain - bile' in a joint with the mail in his pocket" Through this talk, Speed's mind had been shuttling swifly, trying to weave the full pattern of what it im- plied. The picture that began to em- erge made him writhe at his bonds and at the gag in his' mouth. be Pete, who turned out to be a girl disguised as a man. Speed, when he got back to Skagway, was arrested on , a charge of murder of the shell- game man and put in jail. When Frenchy, now a deputy, brought his supper to him, he made a break for freedom and escaped. Speed waited another instant to watch the door. The foremost of the marshal's men rushed into view a thought sooner than he had counted on. Too soon for Lefty, anyway; the door was still shut. Speed raised the gun for a shot that would draw there away from. it. The revolver spat flame with a stun- ning roar. In the tumult no one, therefore, int- boy, my pardner, or lay hands on For a priceless second, he stood mediately noticed that a group of Pete, by God, I'll follow you—dead!" dazed and half -blinded, stumbling to armed men had entered, pushing be- "Damn it, .Fallon, said an old min keep his balance and conscious of no fore them a hatless captive whose er, "I've seen men hung before, but more than the fact that he was alive. hands were tied behind his back. The never in your cold-blooded style, At A numbness centered in his arm and leader of the posse commanded at- least they're given the offer of a last drink ora smoke, Why don't you do it regular?" . Some of the old-timers voiced ap- proval of that. "All :'right," Fallon growled.. "You. can ask him. I'ni damned if I will." The man put the question. "If it's a choice," said Speed, "I'd like to roll a cigarette. I've got the makin's." His hands were untied and the bar- tender told to, "Bring a glass of the special, Soapy.j' Gratefully flexing his wrists, Speed rolled a cigarette and was lighting it, when the drink arrivedin awell-filled tumbler. "I take this kind, Soapy," he said, '`but I never liked to drink alone. You can tlse in r name freely in mein' drinks on the house; The marshal has my wad." This sentiment was most favorably receved by a number of the revelers whose thirst hail outlasted their means. This discovery that the con- demned man's ,credit was still good with Soapy created a generally good impression, Fallon gnawed his cheek. Curious newcomers were jamming hi through the doorway, and Speed paused withthe glass half -drained, at sight of one of them. Lefty, wearing: a look of strongly .mingled triumph and discomfiture, answered his stare by' touching one bulge in the side of bis coat and another in his pocket, Speed resumed his drink with a twist- ed grimace. So Lefty had hisguns and the .tail.' The money would have been ,safer hi the marshal's office, With the deft trick of his 'kind in worming through crowds, the dip drew near Time forward press of mended in a voice that made the quiet absolute, No "one answered, or seem to know. One glance at the posse and the pris- oner had sent through the crowd, drunk and sober, .an electric sense of what was impending. There • was a low drone and buzz of excitement. They pressed in for a closer view of the prisoner, who 'was looking at the rafters. `Ladies and gentlemen," said 'Fal- lon, "the character of this murderous desperado isknower/ to ever' ]niner; who was on the trail in the first stam- pede of '97; He returns with erron- eous ideas of terr'izin' the camp. Jail- ed for murder and mail robbery, he breaks jail, steals a gun, and is the cause not on'y of proniisc'ous` blood- shed, but of holes bein' shot in your tent roofs. We've brung .him here be- cause this roof has a strong ; cross- beam. With your kind attention, this ceremony will take about three min- utes," P.A.S. With a terrific driving smash to the Jaw he sent Fallon spinning. As the crowd looked on in dead sil- ence, Speed was pulled across the floor to the further end of the danc- ing space, near the orchestra, where he was lifted to a table under one of the traverse roof beams. Standing there, his feet were quickly bound. One of the posse expertly fashioned a halter loop with nine winds around. the shank of a stout pack line; the other end was thrown, over the beam, and the noose fitted to the captive's. neck, with the hondoo against his ear. Speed watched these preparations with apparent resignation. His roving glance came to rest on Fallon, who stood ready to send him clear.. "Still figurin 'a play?" his captor taunted. "Yes," said Speed. "One. They say a man's last Iook sees clear, Fal- lon. I ain't never tried to figure what lies over the line, but if that's so, maybe you don't check Inc out, com- plete. If you frame a deal against the hand. As the haze cleared he realized that the gun : had blown to pieces, Probably frost in the barrel . . lmc- tention by the simple means of send- ing a bullet into the rafters. "Where's Soapy. Smith?" Fallon de - SOVIET DICTATOR ADDRESSES FARM WORKERS V, Stalin, Soviet dictator, delis.- of the Model Constitution for Agri- .'culturar Artel.s during the second Alt- •ri.tg a speeeh at te session of the Union Congress of Collective 1 am11i ami oission £+ir studying the proyeet Shock -Workers, the crowd had brought Rose nearer. too. Speed met her clouded eyes again in a long study, as he emptied the glass and lowered it. Fallon jerked it from his hand, "Any other little thing you'd, like?", he inquired sardonically. "They's one other thing," acl.now ledged Speed, still looking, at Rose. "I ain't heard no music for some time.. If the -lady will play a song while I finish this cigarette." Fallon wheeled, but Rose did not see his scowl. A chord as clean and sweet as the tinkle of the 'wind at twilight through a desert canyon flowed from the strings under her touch, and shed an almost instant lull on the crowd. Then her voice dissolved into the music -e - a nisic -a clear, exquisite contralto, plaintive, strong and deep, like the shore wash that sounded through it, sustaining the rythneic.lapses of the song, In that beguiling, fluently riding spell of sound, the prisoner forgot"ev- erything apparently, but the singer's magic. But his eyes drifted to Lefty's with a sidelong glance at the accord- ion which dangled in the hands of its owner in the orchestra. Fallon, watch- ing Rose and waiting for the end of her song, did not notice the invisible prompting. Eyes and wits less sharp than Lefty's would. neither .have per- ceived the look nor interpreted it; but the dip quietly detached the instru- ment from the listless fingers, and before he was aware. of what had hap- pened, tossed it to Speed. The pass was hardly observed before Speed had chimed the accordion with the .clos ing bar of Rose's song. rShe looked up in wonder, but con- tinued playing an accompaniment as the accordion repeated her melody. The sudden unexpectedness of the gesture took the crowd's breath no less than the perfect chording of the two • instruments, He lured Rose's song into a lighter, brisker measure which she instinctively matched with the guitar until the melody itself was subtly changed. Here was dance -music such as few camps have heard, played by two ar- tists who had music in their hearts and fingers. And as Speed swayed. slightly with the playing, his eyes e- vading the smoke that curled up from the shortening cigarette butt, his feet were just visibly weaving too—as it seemed to time infection of his own music, but with a crafty, studied strain against the rope, "Come on, boys," he chanted suddenly. "Take your pardner!" " `hr r cl±a►y, May 2nd, 10$ . VILLAGE PARTIALLY DESTROYED .11Y $70,000 FIRE • An entire business block including three of the village's largest stores was destroyed by fire at Maxville, Ont., causing damages estimated at $70,000. The fire .fighters were hamp- ered by lack of equipment and water and it took many hours to bring the- blaze under control. The above pic- ture shows a section of the razed:' buildings. EAST WAWANOSH Mr. and Mrs. Shiells and family and Mr, and Mrs. German and son were Sunday visitor's • at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wm, Anderson. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Elliott spent the week -end at the hon-te of Mrs. John Elliott. Miss Grace Ireland, Teeswater, vis- ited at the home of her brother, El- mer. Mr. John Currie is visiting at the home of Mr. Harold Currie in Cul- ross. 'We e>tend our heartfeld sympathy to Mr. and. Mrs. Alex, Young in their recent bereavement. ' Miss Mina Currie visited at the home of -john T. Currie. The crowd was almost swept off the Township Hall, Morris, on Mon - its .feet. In another moment the mir- gay, April l5th, 19n acle might have been done. Lefty, with a gape of awed admiration, caught the meaning of Speed's strat- egy. But Felon ing curse. '.'I'll make you dance, you jiggin—'t' He made'a stride for the table to .tick it over. ' The kick, however, was not com- pleted. The crowd had buckled and swayed inward from the door, cleaved apart by a powerful pair of shoulders and by a dark youthful battling head MORRIS COUNCIL Minutes of council meeting held in came alive with a roar - which Speed had never hoped to see again, It was Maitland. There was a sharp crack of fist a- gainst bone, and Fallon was stiffened to his toes by a terrific driving smash to the jaw. He rocked and went backwards but saved himself from failing by lurch- ing into the piano keys with a Loud, discord. To the crowd it was like a gong. A lynching was one thing; this was. something more; the challenge laced their blood with a strong intoxicant. The night had a head of steam. Fallon shook his head groggily. A movement of one hand to his belt brought a roar of protest from the crowd— on their own account no less than that of fair play. But Fal- lon had no intention 'of shooting. He pushed the gun tight in the holster, and bracing himself against the piano leaped for his antagonist. The 'Crash when they met sounded like animpact of bulls. Both men were magnificently strong, attd'tough- enect by the snow trails; 'though time weight and matured esperienee were in Fallon's favor. He drove in a pounding barrage of body punches. Maitland closed in, trying to smother the assault, but taking meanwhile a thrashing rain of jack -hamper blows to the head and body, The instinctive balance which a sailor learns on heat/- ing decks must have steadied him now; he thrust back of a sadden, and Fallon's foot, less sure of the glassy floor ,slipped a little. The boy lash- ed up with a short left that cut the other's upperlip, and then drove home a full -shouldered right, as Fallon's head snapped 'back, He came back with a spring that tore through Mait- land's guard by slicer. weight and fury They slipped and came up in a sway- ing grapple, Continued next Week, Villager; " Here's ltopin " Visitor; "Hoping for what?" Villager; "You'll buy 1116 another," ,SYmtmtlh s. Weekly, Sydit6y. Members all present, the Reeve pre- siding. Minutes of last meeting read and approved. John McGill was appointed Drain. Inspector at a salary of $2.00 for each inspection. -The clerk was instructed, to adver Mise for tenders for crushing and de- livering gravel on the roads. The council decided to Pay a share of cost of bronze tablet if built into the new post office at Brussels, and Reeve Cardiff was appointed to rep- resent the Township of Morris on the Memorial Tablet Committee. Messrs. Bryans and Cardiff were apopinted a committee to look after the timber. on sideroad between lots 25 and 26 in concession 8. John Black was allowed $1.00 re- bate on 1934 taxes. The council then adjourned to meet at the hall on Monday, May 13th, at 12:30. A. MacEwen, Clerk, NEW STAMPS IN KING'S HONOUR To commemorate the 25th anniver- sary of the accession to . the throne of His Majesty King George V., the post office department of Canada, will issue a special series of six postage stamps. The new stamps will be as follows: One cent, green, Portrait of Prin- cess Elizabeth, Two cent, brown, Portrait of the Duke of, York. Threecent, red, Portrait of the King and Queen. Five cent, blue, Portrait of the Prince of Wales. Ten cent, green, View of Windsor Castle. " Thirteen cent, blue, View of the Royal Yacht "Britannia." DAYLIGHT SAVING STARTED APRIL 2th. Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, St. Ca- tharines, Kingston and Niagara Falls all went on Daylight Saving last Sun- day. The following is a schedule for the cities whihc observe day light sav- ing. April 28 to September 28—Toronto,. Montreal, Ottawa, New York, St. Ca- tharines, Kingston, Niagara Falls. May 4 t� Sept. 15—Hamilton. May 18 to Sept. 3—Guelph. May 25 to Sept.28-Saint John. June 1 to Sept. 28—Halifax. June 3 to Sept. 3—Sudbury. June 16 to August 31—Belleville: Professional J. W. BUSHFIELD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Money to Loan. Office -- Meyer Block, Wingham Successor to Dudley Holmes. H. W. COLBORNVE, M.D. PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON' Medical Representative II, S. C. R. Phone 54. Wingham A. R. &F. E. DUVAL CHIROPRACTORS CHIROPRACTIC and ELECTRO THERAPY North Street Wingham Telephone 300. Directory R. S. HETHERINGTON BARRISTER and SOLICITOR Office -- Morton Block. Telephone No. 66 Dr. Robt. C. REDMOND M.R.C.S. (England) L.R.C.P. (London) PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON F. A. PARKER OSTEOPATH All Diseases Treated. Office adjoining residence next to Anglican Church on Centre St. Sunday, by appointment, Osteopathy Electricity Phone 272. Hours, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. J. H. CRAWFORD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Successor to R. Vanstone. Wingham Ontario - DR. W. M. CONNELL PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Phone 19. J ALVIN FOX • Licensed Drugless Practitioner CHIROPRACTIC DRUGLESS THERAPY - RADIONIC EQUIPMENT. Hours by Appointment. Phone 191. Wingham business L,Irectory ADVERTISE IN THE ADVANCE -TIMES "THOMAS FELLS AUCTIONEER DEAL ESTATE SOLD A Thorotfgh knowledge of I+anit Stock, Phone 231, Whrtghani, Wellington Mutual Fire Insurance Co. Established 1840. Risks taken on all classes of incur- ante at reasonable rates. Head Office, Guelph, Ont. ABNER COMM) Agent. Wingham. It Will Pay You to Have At EXPERT AUCTIONEER to conduct your sale. y� .yam See ,��`W�.' T. a J41.e BEd \ NE �l d. At The Reyal Service Station. Phone 1/ 4W. HARRY FRY Furniture. and Funeral Service C. L. CLARK Licensed Embalmer and Fttera] Director Amb'u]anre Service. Phones: Day 117. Nig,t 109. THOMAS E. SMALL LICENSED AUCTIONEER 20 Vears* E ptriencern 'arm Stock atid'Xmitipletnentn.. Moderate CPrices. Phone 8 A{, ..