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The Seaforth News, 1938-04-07, Page 6PAGE SIX. THE SEAFORTH NEWS THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1938 • Bois Brules The conviction that Louis .Laplante had, somehow or other, played me fals-e, stu'ole in my mind like the de- pression of a bad dream. /Again and again, I related ithe -circumstances to my uncle; -but ,he "pished," and "tush- ed," and pooh-poohed," the very idea of any kidnappers rentainin,g so near the city and giving me 'free run of their wigwams. My reasonless persis- tence was ibeginning to irritate him Indeed, on one oecasion, he informed me that I had as many vagaries in my head as a "bed -ridden hag," and with great fervor he 'wished to the Lord there was a law in this land for the ham -stringing of such fool idiots, as that "ha'hitant" Mute, who led 7ne such a wildegoose chase," In spite of this and many other jeremiades, I once more donned snow- shoes and with .Paul for guide paid a second- visit to the campers of the gorge. And a second time, I was wel- earned by Louis and taken through the wigwams. The smallpox tent was no longer on the ,crest of the hill; and when I asked after the patient, ;Louis without a ward pointed solemnly to a snow -mound, where the man lay buried,. Rut I did 'mot see the big squaw, nor the face that had emeiged from the tent !flaps to wave ase off; and when I also inquired after these, Louis' face darkened, He told Me bluntly I was asking too many ques- tions and began to swear in a mon- grel jargon of •French and 'English that my conduct was an insult he would. take from no man. But Louis was ever short of temper. eernemb- ered that of old. +Presently his little flare-up died down, and he told me that the w.mnan and her husband had gone north through .the woods to join some crews on the Upper Ottawa. From the talk of the others, I gather- ed that, having disposed of their hunt to the commissariat •department at the Citadel, the Y intended to follow the same trail within a,few days. I tried without queetiouing to learn what crews they were to join; but whether with purpose, or by chance, the con- versation drifted from my lead and I had to return to the -city without sat- isfaction an that point. Meanwhile, Hamilton rested neither night nor day. In the morning with a few hurried words he would outline the plan for the day. Alt night he rode back to the ,Chateau with such eager questioning in his eyes when they met mine, I knew be had nothing better to report to me, than I to him, After a silent meal, he would ride through the dark forest on a freeh mount. How and where he passed. those sleepless night, I do not know. Thus had a month slipped away; and we had done everything and accomplish- ed nothing. Baffled, I had game to confer with Mr. Jack MacKenzie and had, as Douai, exasperated him with the reiterated conviction that: Adder- ly and the Citadel writing paper and Louis Laplante had some eonnection with the malign influence that was balking our efforts. "Frudgel" exclaims my uncle, stamp- ing about his study ,and puffing with indignation. "You should have knock- ed that •blested quaranline's head off!" "You've said that several times al- ready, Mr. Mac'Kenzie," I put in, hav- ing a tonal] of this own peppery tem- per from my mother's side. "'What about Addenly's rage?" . "Adderly's been in Montreal since She night of the row. For the Lord's take, "boy, do you expect to find the woman by ;believing in that ;bloated letigaleoo?" "But the Citadel paper?" I persist- ed. "Of course you've never been told, Rufus 'Gillespie," he began, choking down his impatienlce with the magni- tude of my stupidity. "that the -com- missariat buys supplies from hunt- ers?" "That doesn't explain the big souavv's suspicions and Louis' own - conduct." 'That Louis!" says my uncle. "P-a,h! That son of an inflated old seigneur! A fig f or the buck! Not enough ilerains in his pate to fill a peanut!" "But there Might be enough evil in his heart to -wreak a life." and that was the first !argument to pierce my one- le's .sceptitism. The keen eyes glanced out at me as if there might be some ho -pe 'for my intelligence, and he took several turns about the room. 'Hen! If you're of that mind, you'd better go out and excavate the ,smail • pox," was his sententiotis •conclusion "And if it's a hoax, you'd better--'; and he puckered his brows in thought. "What?" I asked eagerly. 'Join the tra:ddrs' crews and track the villains west," he answered with the promptitude of one who .decides mtickly and without vacillation. "0 Lord! le a were only young! But to think of a man too stout and old to heckle on his own snow -shoes hanker- ing for that life again!" Aud my uncle heaved a deep sigh. Now, 00 one, who has 1105 liveb tile wild, free life of the northern ;trader, can understand the.strange fascina- tions which for the moment eolipsed in this courteous and ohivalrous old gentleman's snind all thought of the poor woman, with whom my own fate was interwoven. But I, who have liv- ed in the lonely fastnesses 01 elle splendid freedom, 'know full well what surgiug recollections of danger and 'daring, of snecess and defeat, of action in which one faces arid laughs at death. and calm in which one eounde the unutterable depths of very infinity—thronged the old trader's soul. Indeed, when he spoke, it was as if the sentence of my own life had been pronounced; and my whole be- ing rose up to salute -destiny. I take it, there is in every ooe some secret and cherished desire for a chosen vo- cation to which each 'look e forward with hope up to the meridian of life, and to which many look back with re- gret after the meridian. Of prophetic instinets and intuition s an d impres- sions and feelings and much more of the 'same kind .goieg muter a different name, I say nothing, I only set slown as a fact, to be explained bow it may, that all the way ont to the gorge,„with Paul, The Mute, leading for a third time, I could flare sworn -there .would be no corpse in that snow-covered grave. For was it not written in my inner ,consciousnese that destiny had appointed me to the wild, free life of the north? So 1 was not surprised when Paul Larocque's spade struck sharply on a box. Indians sleep their last sleep in the skins of the caase, Nor was 11 in the least amazed when the same spade pried up the lid .01 cached provisions bestead. of a coffin. Then I had 'ocular proof of what 1 knew before, that Louis in word and conduct—but !chiefly in conduct, which is the way of the expert—had lied outrageously to me. When the ice broke op at the end of April, .hunters were off for their summer retreats and "voyageurs" set out on the annual trip to the Pays d' - En Haut". This year the Hudson's Bay Company 'had organized a strong fleet of canoemen ander Mr. Colin Robertson, a former Nor' -Wester, to proceed to Red River settlement by way ,of the Ottawa .and ehe Sault in- stead of entering the Le preserve by the -usual route of Hudson Bay and York Factory. IF-rom Le Grind Dia- ble's former .association with -the North-West Com;pany it was prob. abie he would be in Robertson's bri- gade. Among the "voyageurs" of both ,companies there was not a- more expert canoeman than this treacher- ous, thievish Iroqemis, As steersman, he !could take a erew safely through knife-edge rocks with the swift cer- tainty of arrow !flight. In spite of a reputation for embodying the vices of white man and red—which gave him his unsavory tible—it seemed unlikely that the Hod,son's Bey Company, now in the thick of an aggressive cam- paign against its great rival, and ab - oat to despatch an important flotilla front Montreal to Athabasca by way of the Noe-Westers' route, would dis. pente with the services Of this dexter- ous "Voyageur".; On the other hand, She Noe-Weaters might bribe the Iroquois to stay iverth them, hating on these alternative possibil- ities, Hamilton and I determined, to track the augitives north. We could leave hirelings to shadow the move- ments of Indian 'bands about Quebec. Erie cotticl re-engage with the Hud- son's Bey and get passage north with Colin Robertson's 'brigade, whith was to leave Lachine in •a few weeks. My uncle had been a famous 'Bourgeois" of the great North-West Company. Tints we coldd accompany the "voya- geurs" and, runners of both compan- ies. Haaniltotas arrangements were eas- ily made; and my uncle not only oh- bained the commission for me, but, with a hearty •clap on my back ,and a "Bravo, boy) I ,knew She fur traders fever wield !break out in you yet!" pinned to the Ibreast of my inner waistcoat the showy gold medallion which the "B000geois" wore on fes- tive oacasions. In very truth I oft bad need of its inspiriting motto: "Forti- tude in Distress". as 11 'Poodle' lords of the middle ages nev- er waged more ruthless war on eaeh other than the two great fur trading companies •of bhe north at the tbegin- ning of the nineteenth ,century. Pierre de Raddison and 1Gno,sselier, gentle- men adventurers of New France, first followed the waters of the Outawa (Ottawa) northwards and -passed fnom Lake Superior ((the Icelche .ganone" bi Iodiao lore) to the great unknown Inc preserve !between ,Hutleen B,ay and the Pacific Ocean; but the fee mono- polists of the French Court in Que- bec jealously obstructed the explor- er's efforts to open up -the vast terri- tory: De Racldisoe was .eonmelled to carry his project to the English come with a liberality not .unusual in those days, promptly deeded over elle whole domain. bhe extent, locality and wealth of which there w -as utter ignorance, to a fur trading organization, — the newly formed *Company of Adven- turers of Englandtrading into Hud - Son's Bey," incorporated in 11670 with Prince 'Rupert named as first igo-vern- or. If monopolists of New France, through envy, .sacri aced 'Q u e bec'e first claim to the unknownland, ,Frontenac made haste to repair the loss. Father Albanel, a Jesuit, and other missionar- ies le.d the way westward to the "Pays (PEI) Haut". De tRaddison twice changed hie allegiance, end when Quebec fell into the hands .of the Bri- tish nearly a ,century later, the French traders were as active in the northern preserve as Their great rivals, the An- cient and Honorable Hudson's Bay Company; 'but the !Englishmen kept near the bay and the Feenchmen with their "cou'reurs-dee-bois" pushed west- ward along the chain of waterways leading front Lake Saperior and Lake Winnipeg to the Saskatchewan and Athabasca, Then came th e Cony uest, with the downfall of 'French trade in the north country, Ent there remaie- ed the "coureones-desebois", or wood - rangers, the Metis, or French half - 'breeds, the "'Bois-Bre:les", or plain rentiera,—so ealled, it is supposed, .front the trapper's .eusto.m of -blazing his path through the forest, And on the ruins of Freach barter grew op a thriving English trade, organized foi the most part by enterprising citizens of Quebec tend Montreal, an& absorb- ing within itself all the cast-off ser- vants of the old French companies. Such was the origin of the X. Y. and North-West -Companies towards She -beginning of the nineteen th century. Of elies:e the most energetic and pow- erful—and therefore the most to be feared !by the 'Ancient and .1-Ionorable HudSon's 13.ay Company, "Les Bour- geois de la .Compagnie du Nord - as the partners designated themselves. From the time that the North-Wes- ters gratuitously poured their secrets into -the ears of Lord Selkirk, and Lord Selkirk shrewdly got control of the Hud,son's Bay Company and be- gan to infuse Noe-Westers' zeal ineo ide ' stagnant woekings .of the .older company, there arose such a feu,d am- ong these ;lords of the north as may be likened only to the pillaging of rob- ber !barons in the middle ages. And this feud was at its height .when I cast my lot with the •Nortb-West !Far Company. Noe-Westers had reaped a harvest of profits by leaving the beat- en track of trade and .pushing boldly northward into the remote MacKenzie River region. This year the !Hu,dsea'a Bay had .dietermined to enter the same area 'and, employed a former !Nor'- Weeter, Mr. Colin ?Robertson, to eon - duct a !flotilla of canoes from Lachibe, Montreal, by way of the INor'-Weat- ers' route op She (Ottawa to the Sask- a.teltewan and !Athabasca. But while, the .Hudson's Bay Company could ahip their peltries directly to England from the bay, the :Noe-Westers lab- ored ender ebe disadvantage of many delays and trans -shipments before their goods reached seaboard at Mont- real. Indeed, I have heard tity uncle tell of ;orders which he sent front the north to England in October, The things ordered in October would be sent arone London in March to -reach Montreal in eniel-seintner. There they would be re -packed in email quantities for portaging and despatched from Mootreal With the Nor' e Westera "voyagystrs"'athe following May, and if destined for t'he far north would not reach the end DE their long trip ,ttntil October—two years from 'the time of the order. Yet, under such conditions had the Nor'-Westeos increased in pros.perity, while the Hodson's Bay. with its annual ships at York Factory and .Churchill, deceined. When Lord Selkirk took hold of the Hudson's Bay there waiS a change. Once a Feud has 'began, I know very well it is impossible to apportion the ;blame 'each .side deserves. Whether ,Selkirk timed his acts 'of aggreseion during ehe American war .of 48112-11(e1lea when the r*ote Of the Nor'-Westers was ren.derece unsafe—who aan..say? Whether he tbrought colonists into the very heart of the •disputed territory for the sake of -the 'colonists, or eo be drilled into an army of ,defense for the Hod,son'e Bey Company—who -can say? Whether he induced his .company to grant him a vast area of lead at the junction of .the Red and ,Asesiniboine rivers--againse which a minority Of stockhold'ers protested—tor the sake of these same coloeists, or to hold a strategical point past •sv,h.ioh Noi-th- Westers' cargoes :must go—who -can say? On these sobjects, which have been so hotly discussed both inside end 'outside hiw courts. without any definite decision that I have ever heard, I 'refuse to pass judgment. I oan .but relate events as I saw them and leave to each the right of a per- sonal .decision. In 1101151 Noe-Westers' canoes were to leave Ste Aline de Beaupre, twenty miles -east of Quebec, instead of Ste. Anne .on 'the Ottawa, elte usual point of departure. We had not , oar full complement of meta Some of the In- diansand half-breeds ha.d gone north- west overland through the bush to a point on the Ottawa River north of Chasieliere Fa-ils, where they were awaiting us, and Hamilton, through the courtesy of .my uncle, was able to come with as in osir 'boats as far aS Lachine. -was never a grasping trader, bet 1 providedmyself before setting out with every, worthless gewagaw and flashy trifle that could tempt the na- tive to betray Indian -secrets. Lest these should fail, I added to my stock a dozen as fine flint -locks as could ear - rept the soul of an Iedian, and without coneideratiou for the enemy's scalp aleo equipped myself with a box of wicked -looking hunting -knives. 'Ph ese tillage I placed in square cases and sat UpOn them When we were. in barges, or pillowed my head upon them at night. never losing sight of them except on long 'portages where Indians conveyed our cango on their hacks. A man on a less venturesome quest than mine could hardly have set out with the -brigades of canoetnen for the north country and not have 'been thrilled like a lad on first escape, from school's leading strings. There we are, twenty craft strong. with clerks, traders, one .steersman and eight wil- lowyacoppersskin paddlers in each long . birch canoe. No .oriental prince could be more gorgeously appareled then these gay "voyageurs". 1Flaunting red handkerchiefs banded their fore- heads and held .baole the lank, black hair. Buckskin 'smocks, fringed with leather down the 'de -eves and 'beaded lavishly in bright colors, were drawl' tight at the waist •by saahes of fia-m- imig green and blue. In addi- tion to the fringe of leather -down the trouser seams, :mine in our company had little bells fastened' from lenee to ankle. A single wave of the chief steers- man's hand, and out swept the pad- dles in a perfect harmony of motion. Then someone struck up a voyageurs' ballad and the canoeist ell uncon- sciously kept time with the b -eat of tlihe song. The valley .eeemed filled hear the bells? It's a 'Godspeed for ied in ;his hands: "Cheer up! Do you youithrthe voices of those deep -chested, Eric, who was Sibling ,with face !ben - Anne clashed soot a last sweet fare- we2theer op, old nia,n1" said to strong eingers, and the ;chimes .of Ste. .. CHAPTER V, • My !uncle accompenjed oin-flobalea• far as Lachine and .0cent:tied-CP-lace n my divisioa of canoes. iltiany wete he adMonitions he Jautlehed out Mee maderholts whenever his !craft anct Me chanced to:glide abreast, "If you lay -hands on that skunk," he had said, the malodorous epithet being his designation for Louis La- plante, 'If you lay hanelb on that skunk, don't be a sieripleton, Skin him, Sir, by the Lord, skin him! Let hint play his deceitful game! By 'Jove! Give the villain rope enough to hang himself! Gain your end) 'Afterwards forget an.d forgive,if you like; ebut, by the Lord, eemember and don't ignore the fact, ;that repentance can't, turn a skunk into! an innocent, ipossy. ,catl" And 'ea Mr. ffack .M.acKenzie !con- tinued' to warm trre all the way from Quebec to Idcmtrea4, mixing this meta - phors as topers mix drinks. But I had long since learned not to eemonstrate against these outbursts of explosive eloquence—not though all the 'canons of !Laval liteiati should be, outeaged. 'What, Sir?" be bad roared out when, I, in full .0onceit of new knowledge, had ,aardadettely ventured' 'to pull him up, once in my student days. "What, Sir? Don't' talk to me of your book- fangled 'balderdash; Is language for She use,of man, or ,man for the use of language?" and he quoted from Ham- let's soliloquy in a way that set me packing my 'pedant lore -in the -unused lumber -room of brain lobes. Ansi so, I say,. Mr. Jack MaelKenzie continued to. pour instructions into my ear for the venturesome life on ;which I had entered. The la&'s a ifool, only a fool," he said, :still harping on Louis, "and niittd youanswer the 'fool ac- cording to his folly!" Most men are 'fools first, and then knaves, kneves because they hav been fools," I returned to my uncle "aad II fancy .Laplante has graduate from the fool stage by this time, an is a fall :diploma knave!" ,"That's all true,", he retorted, 'Tau don't you forget :there's always .foo enough left in the knave to give yo your opportunity, if you're not a Ifoo joint in the armor, ladi fUse your cult lass there." Apart from the peppery discourse of my 'kinsman, I rememiber very lit tle Of the trip up the St. Lawrenc from Ste. Anne to Lachine with Eri sitting dared an.d .silent opposite ole. We, of course, followed' -the river channel betWeen the Island ,of 'Or - beans and the north shore; sued when- ever o'er boats drew near the main- land, came ,whiffs of erisp, frosty air from the dank ravines, where ,snow patches yet lay in the 'shadow. Then the tfleet would sidle towards the is- land and there would .be the fresh, spring odor .of damp, uncovered mold, with a vague .suggestiveness of .violets and May -flowers and, ferns bursting with a .rush through the .black clods. The purple folds of the mountains, With their wavy .alit -lies fading in the haze ,of distance, lay on the -north an they lie to -day; and everywhere on the hills were the white cots of habi tent hamlets with chapel spires point log above tree -tops. At the western end of the island, where 'boats sheer ont into mielecurrent, came the dull heavy -roar of the cataract and above the north shore rose great, billowy clouds of foam. With a sweep of our paddles, we ;were opposite a cleft in the verticai rock and saw the shim- mering, fleecy waters of Montmoren- cy leap aver the dizzy precipice chur ning up, front their pwn whirling depths ard 'bound out to the river like a panther after prey. . .Now the Isle of Orleans* WaS van- ishing on our rear and the 'bold heights of Point Levis had loomed op to the fore; andnow we had poked our prows to the right and the slug- gish, muddy tide of the St. Charles lapped our 'canoes, while a. forest of masts and yard-arnts and flapping sails arose from the harbor of Que- bec City. The great walls (If modern Quebec elid not then exist; inut 'the rude fortifications, that sloped eloWit from the lofty Citadel on Cape Dia- mond and engirt the whole city On tile hillside, se-emed imposing enough to US in those deys. It was late in the afternoon when we passed..The sunlight struck across the St. Charles, brightening the ,dell, gray stone of walls and cathedrals and convents, turning every window on the west to fire and transforming a multitude of towers and turrets and minarets to glittering gold. Small wonder, indeed, that all our rough trip -men stopped !paddling and with eyes on the spire of Notre .Dame -des Victoires mattered prayers for a pros- perous voyage, For .some reason or other, I found my own hat off. So was Mr. Jack Mac Kenzie's, so was Eric Hamilton's. Then the voyageur:: fell to %rot* again. The canoes .spread out. We rounded -Cape Diamond and th-e leemhening shadow of the high peak darkened the river !before as. Al- ways the broad St. .Lawrence seemed to be winding frone headland to head- land among the purple hills, in sun- light a mirror 'between shadowy, for- est beaks, at night, enollten'silver in the moon -track; Afternoon slipped -in- eto. night and night to morning, and each hour of daylight presentedsome new .pan.orama of forests attei -hills and torrents. -Here the river widened into a lake, There the ialke narrowed to ra- pide; andso we •came If° Lachine—La Chine, named in ridicule of the gallant' explorer, La Salle, who khought these vast waterways .would surely lead him to .Chista. At Lachine, Mr. Tack MacKenzie. with much bruscpse 'bluster -to conceal his longings -for the life he Was 'too old to follow ancl many 'cynical in- junctions about "skinning the skunk" and "knocking the head off anything that 55005 in my way" and "always profiting from ;the follies of other resen"--"mind, have, none yourself,"— pa-nted ;from es. Here; too, Eric grip- ped my hand a tense, wordless fare- well and, left .our party for the Hu& PROFESSION -AL CARDS Medical DR. E. A. MoMASITIER—Graduatte of 'the Faculty of Medicine, Univers- ity of Toronto, and of the New York Post 'Graduate School and Hospital. Member of the College of Physicians an.d Surgeons of Ontario. Office an High street. Phone 21'. Office ,fuilly equipped for x-ray diagnoses and for tales Short wave electric treatment, urtra violet sun lamp .breatment and infra red electric treatment. Nurse in attendance, DR. GILBERT C. JARROTT — Graduate of Faculty of Medicine, Un- iversity a Westeen Ontario. ,Member of College of P.hysicians and'Sorgeons of Ontario. 'Office 43 Goderich street west. Phone 31'. -Hours 2-4.30 pm., 7.30-9 p.m. Other hours !by appoint- ment. Successor to Dr, Chats, 'Mackay, DR. IL HUGH ROSS, Physician and Surgeon Late of Lbndon Has- pital, London, Engla.nd. Special at -- tendon. to diseases of the eye, ear, nose arel throat. Office andsielence behind Dominion Bank. Office Phone No. 5; Residence LPhone 104. DR. F. 3. 13fURR1OWS, Seaforth. Office and residence, •Goderich street, east of the United, Church. .Coroner for the County of Huron. Telephone No. 445. DR. F, 3. R. ,FORSTER—Eye Ear, Nose and 'Phroat. IGraduate in Medicine, University of T000nto 1897. Late Assistant New York Ophthal- mic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's Eye, and 'Golden Square throat hospi- tals, Lond.on, At Commercial ;Hotel, Seaforth, third Wednesday in each month from 1.30 p.m: to '5 p.m. DR. W. C. SPROAT Physician - Surge= Phone 90-W. Office John St. Seafortia Auctioneer. GEORGE ELLIOTT, Licensed Aluctioneer for the County of Huron. Arrangements can be ,made for Sale Date at The Seaforth News. Charges moderate and satisfaction guaranteed. F. W. AHRENS, Licensed Auction- eer for Perth and Huron Counties. Sales Solicited. Terms on Application. Farm Stook, chattels and real estate property. R. R. No. 4, Mitclbell, Phone 034 r 6. Apply at this office. HARVEY McLLWAIN, Licensed Auotioneer for County of }loran. Sea - forth, R.R. 6, Phone 228 c 26. WATSON & REID REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE AGENCY (Successors to James Watson) , IVIAIN ST., SEAFORTW, ONT. All kinds of Insurance risks effect- ed at lowest rates in First -Class Companies. McKILLOP hilltUal Fire Insurance Co HEAD OFFICE.—SEA-FORTH, Ont. OFFI CERS President, Thomas Moylan, Sea - forth; Vice President, William Knox, Lon.desboro; Secretary Treasurer, M A. Reid, Seaforth. AGENTS F. MelKercher, Red, Dublin; John E. Pepper, R.R.1, Baucefield; E. R. G. Yarmouth, Broclhagen; James Watt, Blyth;- C. F. Hewibt, Kincardine; Wm. Yeo, Hohnesville, DIRECTORS Alex. Broadfoot, ,Seaforth No. 3; James Sholdiee, Walton; Wm. Knox, Londesboro; George Leonhavdt, Bornholm No. 1; Prank 'MoGregor, .01inton No. 3; James Cannolly, God- erich; Alex !Mc'Eaving, Blyth No. 1; Thomas Moylan, Seaborne No. 5; Wm. R. Archibald, Sealforth No. 4. Parties desirous to effect insuran.ce or transact other business, will be promptly attended to by applications to any of the above na.med officers addressed to their respective post - offices. son's Bay brigade under Colin Rob- ertson. (To be 'continued) A woman motorist managed to run intis the back of a motor lorry. It was a case of bad deiving, hut, not wish- ing to admit it and lacking the' cour- age to shift the responsibility on the lorry driver, she saidtd him: "I can't anderstand .how it happened; I was driving properly." This angered the lorry driver, and he turned to her and, with maiming scorn. replied: `I'Madam, there's only one thing women drive properly— and that's men balmy." Want and For Sale ads, 11 week 35e