The Wingham Advance-Times, 1940-04-11, Page 6WINGHAM ADVANCE-TIMES Thursday, April 11th, 194#'
OF DESTINY
71GNE5 LOUI5E PROVOST
SYNOPSIS
Lee Hollister, returning from a trip
abroad to the Circle V ranch, owned
by Matt Blair, who for twenty yeans
had been like, a father to Lee, decides
to surprise the family. He sends them
no word of his coming and rides over
the hills to the ranch on horseback,
When he finally sees the wide ranch
land before him, he is astonished at
the unusual aspect of the place, He
is troubled, too, when he meets Slanty
Ganq on Matt’s land. Then Joey—old
prospector befriended by Matt—tells
him Matt is dead by his own hand. . .
Joey says the ranch is going to ruin
Under Lawler, manager appointed by
Virginia, Matt’s daughter, who is liv
ing in New York with her aunt and
, uncle in New York—the Archers. Lee
goes east and persuades Virginia to
return to the ranch to save it ..... .
Mrs. Archer follows her, accompanied
by Stanley, son of Milton Bradish.
Stanley thinks he may be able to dis
credit Lee in Virginia’s eyes. . . .
and encourages Josefa Ramirez in her
liking for Lee. One evening Josefa
forces Lee to watch her dance, and
throws herself into his arms just as
Virginia rides past with Stanley. Stan
ley visits Josefa, and is shot’ from am
bush. Virginia feels that Lee is work
ing against her interests and decides
to sell the ranch to Milton Bradish.
Lee proposes to Virginia and she is
sorry she sold the ranch. Lee tries
to get it back and tells Bradish that
Matt Blair gave him a half interest
in it, making Virginia’s sale illegal.
Lee disappears and a search is begun t
for him.
deeper shelter, caught a sound and
stiffened-
Horses! He dismounted, wormed
his way to a point of vantage and
peered. *
Coming out of the mouth of Turkey
Gulch were men. They were Circle V
men and they rode with a purpose,
scanning trail and hillside. •
Crouchedjow in his covert between
the rolling dust cloud and the riding
men, with a deed in his popk’et bear
ing the smeared imprint of a bloody
thumb, Slanty knew that he was a
fugitive.
At the ranch house relations be
tween the inmates were noticeably
strained, but Virginia saw little of the
others. They would all have departed
gladly, but to leave just now might
create an unpleasant impression or ev
en definitely arouse suspicion in this
place where feeling was running so
high. The Archers fussed around anx
iously, Bradish was bluntly rude to his
now useless agent, and Stanley was
nervously on edge. There were sever
al matters that were worrying him
badly, and one of them was a thous
and dollar bill. - If they should catch
Gano and find that bill'on him, Stan
ley Bradish was going to have a bad
time trying’to explain it.
.left him.
Even as he worked, men were pass
ing through Turkey Gulch, less than
a hundred yards away, One of the de
puties looked>, up at the yawning black
hole,
“No chance of anybody hiding in
the old Bonanza, is there?”
Curly shook his head, ’T was up
there yesterday with the sheriff. Ye
can't get but a little ways in, Both
tunnels is blocked by cave-ins.”
They rode on. Back in the rubble-
choked tunnel the digging hands had
stopped. Lee was sinking down, down
into that deadening coma of weakness
and exhaustion.
* $
Long hours ofjiiding had not im
proved Slanty Gano’s temper, and
Lawler also was visibly soured. He
was stretched out indolently, half sit
ting, half sprawling,- just 'inside ‘of a
narrow crevice some forty feet above
the\floor of a secluded little box can
yon. It was a perfect hideout.
From where he lay on a pile of
bo-ughs, Slanty sent a jeering„ taunt
at his fellow fugitive..
“Ye talk big, but I notice ye keep
on skulkin’. The Circle V boys
found out that ye set that fire,”
“It wouldn’t have done nothin’
* * *
time she had reached a side
flung it open the sounds of
By the
door and
. ..activity were already coming from the
bunk house. There was a man there
on a horse—it looked like Brimstone
—and other men were tumbling out!
of the door. She herself was running I
now with leaden* weights dragging at
her feet.
It was. Brimstone, glistening with
. the sweat of hard riding, but the man
just dismounting from him was Fran
cisco Ramirez.
Curly came running. He talked
rapidly, giving her the blunt truth.
“It’s Lee. Prancisco^was goin’ home
» late and he saw Brimstone in front of .
the cabin all saddled, but no sign of
Lee. 'Francisco went-up and found the
cabin empty and blood on the saddle.”
“Do you suspect anyone, Curly?”
“We’re lookin' first for Lawler and
‘Slanty Gano. They both held grudg
es against Lee, and they’d better hunt
up their alibis right now.” '
Bradish and Stanley had hurried out
and were at her elbow. Stanley had a
sickly look in the paling moonlight.
The riding men streamed down the
valley. Virginia turned to Stanley.
“The ranch car is* in the repair shop.
We’ll have to take yours. I’m going
to drive it myself.”
In a few moments Virginia had the
gr-ey car out and was slipping into the
driver’s scat. Curly started to protest
against her going, but stopped as he
looked into a stony little face. He
'took the seat beside her. Bradish, on
a restless impulse, got in also, follow
ed by Stanley.
From far away Slanty Gano saw
the rolling crowd of dust speeding
from the Valley of the Sun and
solving itself into a racing car.
Slanty had the eyes of a hawk,
saw that it was young Bradish’s
but what was it doing there at
hour, and ffoinn at that rate of speed?
And it was full. He turned back toj
out
re-
He
car,
this
lias
but
tBelow them a human fly clung.
The second day dragged out to
ghastly length, but there was no
, trace-of Lee, and no sign of Slanty
Gano or Lawler, Men began to shake
their heads. There were plenty of
places around 'here where a man’s
body might lie' bidden for a score of
years. . , . >
Only Virginia and one other refus
ed to believe that Lee 'was.dead. The
other came at dusk and touched her
arm shyly with a little brown hand.
"I not hate you any more. My
heart it break for you, and for Lee. I
help you fin’ heem.”
“Thanks, Josefa.” Virginia held
the small hand closely.
. * *
In the black tunnel of the Bonanza
a gaunt shadow of a man lay. Years
ago Don Luis’ reckless mining
turned his own claim and Matt’s
a maze of intersecting tunnels,
through these Lee staggered
had
into
and
and
crawled, now fainting, now stumbling
to his feet again, but somehow keep
ing a sense of direction in a head that
one moment felt like a lump of lead
and the next fike 'a floating feather.
He was hunting for a gleam of light
or a breath of cool air, but neither
came. i | I
Presently he lost all sense of time,
He did not kno-w that it was the noon
of the second day which found, him
bapk at the place where Slanty had
burn off some grazin’ if the wind had
n’t freshed up.” retorted Lawler sull
enly. “And I notice there’s two of us
skulkin’. It’s you them boys are af
ter. You’ve done for Lee Hollister.
Didn’t I hear what they said, passin’
not twenty feet away from us—’’
“Maybe ye’ll remember that yore
name was mentioned as well as mine.’’
Slanty arose deliberately and faced his
partner with < a hard stare. “Where
was ye \yednesday’ night, Lawler?
Got an alibi?”
Slant,y’s voice was menacing, his
head was thrust forward and his eyes1
bored into the stupidly staring ones
of his slower wibted companion.
“Better get your own alibi,” snarled
Lawler, but his voice was uncertain.
Sticking1’doggedly to 'his one idea of
ingratiating himself with Milton Bra
dish by piling up discouraging losses
On the present owner of the Circle V,
he had spent the night cutting out a
bunch of Virginia’s cattle and wanton
ly slaughtering them in a remote cou
lee. There had been a splash of blood
On his shirt when he had returned in
the early morning, to flee at the sight
of those riding»men. He wore his coat
buttoned now to cover the stain.
Presently Slanty went to where
Lawler lay and put a hand on his
shoulder as if to shake him. awake.
The sleeping man did not stir. From
a hiding place inside his shirt .Slanty
, " ' ■ .... .........'......'.....' ' " ...................." J
took out a folded paper and slipped it
cautiously into Lawler’s inner pocket.
Then he arose lightly and went to
the crevice that served them as a
doorway.
Morning sunshine brightened the
secretive little canyon. Down there
two horses were picketed, well hidden
from any casual eye, but only one of
them was fit for .travel. Lawler had
ridden his horse lame on Wednesday
night, and the foot was getting bad.
But Slanty know wh|tt Lawler did
not? There were two other horses not
far away ip a hidden corral, Slanty
had more than once found it exped
ient to” change mounts quickly.
When Lawler awoke, hours later,
the sun was slanting westward and
Slanty apparently was asleep, Law
ler came softly to his feet and edged
toward the narrow exit. With a quick
glance over his shoulder, he let him
self down. Leading the fresh horse
Lawler picked his stealthy "way out of
the box canyon, hugging the rock
wall,
He recalled feeling something stiff
in an inside pocket of his coat as he
had swung himself over the edge of
the cave floor.
The paper that he drew out was
puzzling. It was a neatly folded, legal
looking document with printing on the
back and a single word standing, out
boldly: DEED. Other words caught
his eye—“Matthew Blair"—“Lee Hol
lister."
Beneath Jhe word Hollister was the
blurred imprint of a bloody thumb.
Panic swept over Lawler. Fire and
slaughtered cattle, and in his posses
sion the blood-smeared property of a
murdered man. What little head Law
ler had, he lost. Cursing Slanty Gano
and his horse, he mounted hastily and
bolted for deeper shelter.
As he rode he caught sight of a doz
en men pounding along behind him.
He crouched low over his horse's back
—cursing. All he could do now was
1 to ride. Then the grade dropped sud
denly? There was a lurch and a stum
ble. The horse went down and lay
there. Lawler was flung free and
staggered to his.feet. He ran like a
panic-stricken animal.
A few moments later the foremost
of his pursuers flung themselves off
their horses and looked down. Many
feet below them a human fly clung
to a rock wall. One man drew a gun.
“Hold on! He,won’t get away. He’s
do.ne for!” They watched him fall,
turning, swooping, head down.
They stepped back and looked, at
one another. One of the young deput
ies spoke. a
“It looks as ;if that settled it, boys.
An innocent man don’t take a chance
like that. Where’s that white thing
he dropped?"
Someone found .it in a clump of
scrub. They crowded together looking
at a blood-stained deed,,and exchang
ed hard glances.
“No doubt
yound eputy
over.”
about it now,” said The
slowly.“The .search is
rf1,' Ji T—W IBM—W—W——I
“SUNK” BY NAZIS, BRITISH AIRCRAFT CARRIER STILL FLOATS
ilBl
Calling in at an unnamed port for gerated when they claimed she had act
Spring cleaning,” the giant British been sunk by German action. This
as aircraft brakes'. Early in
war, the Na/iis told the world a
the
Sub-aircraft carrier Ark’ Royal provided scene on the broad flight deck shows marine had torpedoed and sunk th*e
jUMfidetit proof that the Nazis exag- cables’beihg brought into position to I ship at Scapa Flow.
* *
Virginia had stopped forEach day
a little while at Lee’s empty cabin, op
ening the door with the persisting, un
reasonable hope that he might have
found his .way back there.
For that very reason the blank fin
ality of Curly’s news about Lawler
seemed crueller and harder to com
prehend. , • 1
He saw that he wanted only* to be
alone, and he left her. She could hear,
him riding down to the mouth of Tur
key Gulch, and then it was quiet
again . She hurried toward her horse.
As she mounted, her little first aid,
kit bumped uselessly against her side.
She had packed it so carefully,—ban
dages, iodine, restoratives, matches for
a fire, a tin of broth, fresh every day.
In one pocket was a flashlight for
dark places, in another a policeman’s
whistle to call help to Lee. Futile lit
tle toys! She gave Black Lightning
his head, riding blindly.
The ragged scar of the Bonanza
came into view, and Virginia .'remem
bered Joey, searching patiently and
futilely for evidence hi the loneliness
of the old tunnel.
She snapped on the flash as soon
as she had gone a little way in.
The pencil of white light flickered
over r,ock walls anda rubble-streWn
floor,$but there was ho sign of Joey.
Just ahead there was a darkly loom
ing bulk which must mark the all fur
ther ingress to the mine. The white
beam danced along the face of the
slide. Earth, stones, rubble. It switch*
ed down, up, jerked suddenly and
came back, searching wildly, Protrud
ing stiffly from the piled earth and
stone, gaunt and torn, blood-crusted
and earth stained, motionless,, was a
human hand.
Yesterday that hand had not been
there!
(Concluded Next Week1)
LIFE SPAN INCREASED
Life span of the average Canadian
has been Increased in the last 100
years' from 30 to <30 years, Dr. Gordon
Bates, General Director of the Health
League of Canada, claimed ,in a re-
cent address given in Toronto. He
Linocuts By The Public School Pupils
t
Dorothy Hamilton, Grade VIII Donald Campbell, Grade VIII
Helen Carr, Grade VIII Jean Stewart, Grade VIIIJean Stewart, Grade VIII
outlined a glowing future for prevent
ive medicine. Although it > is still a
new field, men like "Pasteur and Lis
ter made such strides in checking the
spread of disease that the mortality
rate has been greatly decreased,. he
said.
The idea of prevention is coming to
the fore as its possibilities are made
known, Dr. Bates declared. “It is be
coming realized more and more that
anjf incipient disease neglected may
result in serious disease, and while the
doctor formerly thought that when he
treated disease after it occurred his
duty was ended, he is beginning to
interpret his duties in a new way."
The ancient Chinese paid their doc
tors only when they were well, and
Dr. Bates suggested that Canadians
might well adopt the same principle. •
What would state medicine mean to
citizens? Would there be too many
doctors, and how would they be paid?
These are questions that are perplex
ing the medical practice and the lay
man today. But medical practice
must change — illness is an expens
ive luxury, costing Canada one billion
dollars annually. . Dr, Bates suggest-
ed^ a reorganization along preventive
lines, with health departments receiv
ing more than their .present grant of
seven million annually.
Canada’s present system of medical
practice* he stated. follows the Robin
Hood method, with the poor being
given treatment by excellent physic-
iansj only at the cost of their self-res
pect. The rich pay well for good ser
vice, but the middle classes are in the
most unfortunate position of all, be
ing . expected ■ to pay although they
really cannot afford to do so. In Eng
land thirty years ago medical care
was made readily available to every
one through the institution of Health
Insurance. Under this system a large
group of the population contributed to
a general fund from which the doctor
was paid a definite amount per pat
ient per year, whether his patient was
well of sick. • -
There are not too many physiciansi
in Canada, declared Dr. Bates. Ac
cording to the findings of the Canad
ian National Committee for Mental-
Hygiene, Canada * needs 15,000 doc
tors, 5.000 more than the present num
ber. Whatever trend medicine may
take, the essential quality for great-
p^ssEremains unchanged— a doctor
mink still be prepared to give all that
is in him toward the physical and
mental betterment of his fellow menr
Dr. Bates said.
FORD 'i.HOTELS
Business and Professional Directory
HARRY FRYFOGLE
Licensed Embalmer and
Funeral Director
Furniture and
Funeral Service
Ambulance Service.
Phones: Day iogW« Night 109J.
DR. R. L. STEWART
PHYSICIAN
Telephone 29,
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J. W. BUSHFIELD
Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc.
Money To Loan.
Office — Meyer Block, Wingham
THOMAS FELLS
AUCTIONEER
REAL ESTATE SOLD
A Thorough Knowledge of Farm
Stock.
Phone, 231, Wingham.
. ■)....................... .
F. W. KEMP
LISTOWEL
Auction Sales Conducted.
Monuments and Monumental
work. 100 Monuments to choose
from.
Phone: 38 or 121 - - Listowel
J. H. CRAWFORD
Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc.
Bands, Investments & Mortgages
Wingham Ontario
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DR. W. M. CONNELL
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
o Phone 19..
R. S. HETHERINGTON
BARRISTER and SOLICITOR
Office -*• Morton Block.
Telephone* No. 66.
J. ALVIN FOX
_ Licensed Drugless Practitioner
CHIROPRACTIC * DRUGLESS
THERAPY - RADIONIC
EQUIPMENT
_ s Nours by Appointment.
Phone 191. Wingham
W. A.CRAWFORD, M.D.
Physician and Surgeon
.Located at the office of the late
Dr. J. P. Kennedy.
Photie 150 ■ Wingham
Frederick A* Parker
OSTEOPATH
Offices: Centre St., Whigham, and
Main St., Lis to wet
Listowel Days: Tuesdays and Fri
days. • '
Osteopathic and Electric Treat
ments. Foot Technique. .
PhoUa Hl .................Whthn
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CHIROPRACTORS
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North Street" **
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