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The Seaforth News, 1938-04-14, Page 6PAGE SIX. It has always been a mystery to me why four rivals sent that brigade to Athabasca by way of Lachine instead of Hudson ;Bay, which :would have fbeen tw,o thousand miles nearer. We Noe-Westers went all the way to and from Montreal, solely because tha. was our only point of access to the sea; beat the Hudson's Bay people had their own Hudson By for a staeting place. Why, in their slavish imitation of the methods, which 'brought us suocess, they also adopted our dised erantages, I could never understand Birth canoes and good tripmen .could of course, as the Hudson's Bay men say, he most easily obtained in Que- bec; but with a good organizer, the same 'could have been gathered up two thousand miles nearer York Fac- tory, on Hudson Bay. Indeed, I have often thought the sole purpose of that expedition was to gee Noe-Westers' methods bx_en,TIJying discarded Nor'- Westere as trappers and voyageurs. Colin Robertson, the leader, had him- self been a INor'sWester; and all the men with him except Eric Hamilton were renegades, "turncoat traders," as we •called them. But I must not be un- just; for neither company could Pos- sibly exceed the other in its zeal to entice away olel trappers, who would reveal opponents' secrets, Acting on my uncle's advice, a made shift to pick up a few crumbs of valuable in- formation. Had the Hudson's Bay known, I suppose they would have called me a spy. That was the name I gave any of them who might try snch tricks with rne. The General Aesem- bly of the North-West partners was to meet at Fort William, at the head of Lake Superior. I learned that Rob- ertson's brigade were anxious to slip past our headquarters at Fart William before the meeting and would set out that very day. I also heard they had sent forw-ard a messenger to notify the Hudson's Bay governor at 'Fort Douglas of their brigade's coming. Almost before I realized it, we were speeding fup the Ottawa, past a sec- ond and third and fourth Ste. 'Anne's; for she is the voyageurs' patron saint and her name dots Canada's map like ink -blots on a toy's copybook. Wher- ever a Ste. Anne's is now found, there has the voyageur of long ago passed and repassed. In places the surface of the river, gliding to meet us, became oily, almost ,glassy, as if the wave - current ran too fast to ripple out to the 'banks. Then little eddies 'began whirling in the corrugated water and our paddlers with labored breath bent heed to their task. By such Cigna I learned to know when we were stem: ming the tide of some raging water- fall, or swift rapid. There would fol- low quick disembarking, hurried port- ages over land through a tangle of forest, or up slippery, damp rocks, a noisy launching far above the torrent and swifter ,progress when the birch canoes touched water again. Such was the tireless pace, which made North- West voyageurs famous. Such was the work the great Bourgeois exacted of their men. A liberal supply of aum, wenn stoppages were made, and of bread and meat for each meal—better fare ellen was usually given 'by the trading compantes—did much to en- courage the tripmen. Each man was doing his utinost to out -distance the bold rivals 'following by our route. The Bourgeois were to meet at Fort William early in (June. Alt all haze ards we were determined to notify our oompany of the enemy's inva.eling flo- tilla; and without margin for accid- ents we had but a month to cross half a 'continent. quickly to ',his place in the canoes, with that 'gliding Indian motion, which scarcely rooked the liglat craft, There came to my crew Little Fellow, a short, thick -set man, with a grinning, good-natured face, who—despite his t size—would solemnly assure people he was equal in force to the sun. With him Was La Robe INoire, of ,grav.e as- pect and few words, mighty in stature fi and shoulder power. There were ve or six others, vehose names in the - clangor of voices ti did not hear. Of . these, one was a tall, lithe, swift- , moving man, whose cunning eyes seemed to glearn with the malice of a serpent This canoeman 'silently twist- ed into sleeping posture directly be- hind me. The signal was given, and we were in mid -stream again. Wrapping my blan:ket about. me, half propped by a bale of stuff and ibreathiag deep of the clear air with 'frequent resinous whiffs from the forest I drowsed off. 'The swish of waters rushing past and the roar of torrents, which I had seen and heard during the day, still sound- ed in my ears. The sigh of the night - wind through the forest 'came like the lonely moan of a far -distant sea, and I was sleepily half COASCiOlIS that ce- dars, pines and cliffs were engaged in a mad race past the sides of the ca- noe. A deed in which one may •not stretch at ranclam is not comfortable. Certaiely nay cramped limbs muse have caused .bad dreams. A dozen times the 'Indian !behind me had turn- ed into a snake end WAS winding round my ceest in tight, smothering toils. Starting ap, I wonld shake the weight off. Once I suddenly opened my eyes to find blanket thrown aside and pistol 'belt unstrapped. Lying back eased. was dozing again when I clis- timely felt a hand crawl stealthily round the pack on which was pil- lowed and steal towards the dagger laandle in the loosened belt. I struck at it viciously only to .briase my fiat on nay dagger. Now wide awake, turned angrily towards the Indian. Not a muecle of the still .figure had changed from the attitude taken when he tame into the canoe. The man was not asleep, bait reclined in stolid oblivion of my existence. His head was thrown bads and the steely, fi unflinching eyes were xed. an the stars, "It may not have been you, my scowling sachem," said I to myself, H abut snakes have fangs. enceforth 111 take goad care yreare not at my back." I slept no more that night. Next day I asked the 'fellcrw his name and he ,poured out such e jumbled mouth- ful of •quiok-spoken, Indian syllables, I was not a whit the wiser. T told bini sharply he was to ,be Toni Janes on my boat, at which he gave an evil leer. Wthora stay we still pushed for- ward. The arrowy pace was merciless to red men and white; but that was the kind of service the great North- West Coinpany always •demanded. Some ten miles from the outlet of Lake Nipissa•natie i(latipissing). foul weather threatened delay. The Bour- geois were for proceeding at any risk; 'but as the thunder-cloads grew blacker and the wind more violent, the head steersman lost bis temper and grounded his canoe on the sands at Point a la Croix. Springing .ashore he flun.g .d.own his pole and refused to go on. "Sacrediel" he screamed, .first point- ing to the gathering storm and then' to the •crosses that marked the fate of other foolhardy voyageurs, "Allez si vous voulez! !Pour A101 je lair& pas; nt voyez pas le danger!" A hurricane and wind, snapping the great oaks as a chopper breaks 'kind- ling wood, enforced his words. Can- oes tvere at once 'beached. and tarpaul- ins drawn over the 'bales of provi- sions. The men struggled to hoist a telt; but gusts of wind tossed the can- vas above their heads, and !before the pegs were 'deiven, a great wall of rain - drift .drenched every One to the •skin. By ,surrdown the storm had gone At nightfall the fourth day from the shrine, after a tiresome nine -mile th traverse past e •Chaudiere Falls of the 'Ottawa, glitterirsg .camp -fires on the river bank ahead showed where a fresh relay of canoemd u en awaites. They were immediately taken into the different crews and night -shifts of 'paddlers put to work. It was quite della when the new hands joined as; but in the moonlight, as the ,chief 'steersman tola off the men by name, I watched each tawny •figure step • THE SEAFORTH NEWS THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1938 —,- . southeast and we funrighteously Con1- ainst me. 'Twas he of the pointed soled ourselves that it would probably beards rey' th suspect al e Hudson's disorganize the Iluds'on's Bay brigade Bay Cempagy. Quicic as thought I as much as it had ours. 'Plainly, we thrust oat my 'WM -an.d tripped ,him were there for the night point a la full len.gth on the .gresuad. The light Crabs is too dangerous a 'sprat for aa- fell •,an his .upturned face. It was LOttis vigation alter dark. With much ati- Laplante, that past -master in the art ence we kin.dled the 'Soaked under- of .diplornatic deception. He snarled brush and finally 'got a pile of lags Out something angrily and •came„, to roarirsa in the woods and gatheeed himself in sitting posture. Thee he round the fire. . • recognized me. The glare in the sky attracted the "Mon Dieter he muttered beneath' la.ke tribe's from taeir lodges: Indians, his leeeete, momentarily eariprieee in_ halfebreeas and shagtgyahaired whites to a !betrayal of astonishment. " You, —degenerate traders, who had lost all Gillespie?" he called out, at 'once re - taste for •civilieation and retired with gaining himself and assuming his us - their native Wives after the fashion Of uai .nonchelance. "Pardon, my solemn - the north 'countrycame from the ehaly! I took you for a tree." Nipissangue !encampments and joined %Tented, your impedance," said I, mar motley throng, !Presently the na- ignoring the alight but ,paying him tives drew off to a fire by themselves, back in kind. a was determined to fol - Where there would be no 'whitegnan's low my 'uncle's advice and play. the restraint. They had either begged or rascal at his own game. "Help you stolen traders' rum, and after the heed up?" said I, as 'pleasantly as I could, trip from Ste. Anne, were eager for extending my head to give him a aft; one of their .rnad fboissons—a drinking - aid I telt his palm hot and his arm bout interspersed with jigs, and figtae. tremble. Then, I knew that iLotris was Stretched 'before our oamp, I watch- drunk and this was the tool's joint in ed the grotesque figures leaping and the knave's armor, on which Mr. jack dancing between the •firelight and the MacKenzie bade me use My weapons, dusky woods :like forest .demons.W tl ' i ' "Tra-lar lie aaswered with Mince the leaves rustliag • overhead, the was Mg Walt ' '`Trasla, Old tombstone! ter laving the pebbles on the shore, Good -by, my mauedleum! Au revoir, and the washed pine air stimulating old death's headl fAdieu, grave skull!" one's blood like an intoxicant, I be- With an absurdly elaborate bow, he gan wondering how many years of reeled hack among the dancers, solitary life it 'would take to wear «Get up, 'comrade," 1 unged, rush- throufgh civilization's veneer and leave Mg into the tent, where the old trader one content in tbe lodges of.forest I had questioned about my can.oeman Wilds. IGradually I became aware of. vras now snaring. IGet 'up, man," and my sfulky .canoeman's presence on the I shook him. "There's a Hudson's other side of 'the ,campfire, The man Bay slay!, had not joined the revels df the other °Spy," he shouted, throwing aside voyageurs but sat on his feet, oriental the mooseskin coverlet. "Spy! Who.?" style, gazing as intently at the dames "It's Louis Laplante, of 'Quebec." • as if epelebound by some fare -spirit. el../01.1iS Laplante!" reiterated the "What's wrong with that fellow, trade, "A !Frenchman employed by anyhow?" I asked a veteran trader, the •Hudson's laayl Laplante, .a trap - who was taking pulls at a smoked -out per, with them! The scoundrel!" And pipe. he ground out oaths that boded ill tor "Sick—home-sick," was the laconic Lome, reply. "Hold on!" 1 exiclairned, jerking "You'd think he was near enough him back, He was for dashing on La - nature to feel at home! Where's his plante with a •oudgel. "He's playing tib ?" r e "It ain't his tribe he wants," ex- plained the trader. "What, then?" I inquired. "His wife, he's mad after her," and the trader took the pipe from his teeth. "Faughl" I laughed. "The idea of an Indian sentimental and love-sick over for fat lump of a squaw! Come! Come! Am I to believe that?" "Don't matter whether you do, or not," returned the trader, "It's a fact. His wife's a Sioux chief's daughter. She went north with a gang of half.. breeds and hunters lest month; and he's been fractious crazy ever sime." "What, his name?" r called, as mY informant vanished ;behind the tent fl ap s. Again that mouthful of Indian syl- lables, unintelligible and unspeakable for me was tumbled forth. Then 1 earned to the fantastic 'figures ,car- ausing around the other camp Fire. One form, in particular, 1 seemed to distinguish from the others. He was gathering the Indians in line for some native dance and had an easy, rakish sort of grace, quite different from the serpentine motions of the redskins. By a sudden turn, hie profile was thrown against the fire and I saw that he wore a pointed beard. He was no Indian; and like a flash came one of those strange, reasonless intuitions, which precede, or proceed from, the slow mations of the mind. Was thi$ the avant -courier of . the 'Hudson's 'Bay, delayed, like ourselves, by the storm? I had hardly spelled out any n suspicion, when to the measured !beatings .of the itom-tom, gradually 'becoming faster, and with a low, weird Thant, like the voices of the forest, the Indians 'began to tread a mazy, winding pace, which my slow eyes could not follow, but which M a strange way brought up memories of snaky convolutions about the naked body of some ,Egyptian serpent - charmer. The drums heat faster. The suppressed apices were breaking in shrill, wild, exultant strains, and the measured tread had quickened' from a walk to a run .and from a swaying run to a swift, labyrinthine pace, which has AO name in English, and which I can only liken to the wiggling of a green thing ander leafy covert. The coiling and circling and winding of the •dancers became bewildering, and in the centre, laughing, shooting, toss- ing up his arias •and gestieulating like a maniac, was the white n3en with the Painted beard Then the ' performers broke from their places and gave themselves With utter abandon to the wild impulses of wild natures in it wild world; and there was s.uch a icetie of ein•carbed, anigtal hilarity a: never dreamed .po'sfsible. Savage eirious, almost ferocious like th, risking df a pack Of wolves, that a ny time may fall upon and destroy ; seeker one, the boisterous antics e hese ,c.hildren' of the forest fascinate ie. Pilled with the curiosity the nes many a trader to bis undoing, Ise and went across to the throne g, .shouting, shadowy .figenes. A mi Lifted out of the woods fell tult ai the !trapper game with the lake tribes." "1,11 trapper him," vowed the trad- er. 'Sow do you know he's a spy?" "I don't know, really know." I be- gan, clumsily •conscious that I had no proof for my suspicions, 'bet it strike, me we'd fbetter not examine this sort of suspect et too long range. If we're wrong, we can let him go." "Bag him, eh?" queried the trader. "That's it," I assented. "He's a hard one to bag." "But he's drunk." "Drunk, Oh! Drunk is Ise?" ,laugh- ed the MAIL "He'll be drunker," and the trader began rummaging through the bales of stuff with ta noise of 'bot- tles knoc'king together. fie was .1111111. ming in a low tone, like a grimalkin purring atter a adl meal of rake— "Rum for lndians, whets they come, Rent for the beggars, When they go, That's the trick nay grizzled lads To catch the cash and snare the foe," "What's your elan?" I asked with a vague feeling the trader had •some shady purpose in 'mind. "Squeamish? th? You'll get over that, boy. Pll trap your trapper and spy your spy, aud• Nor' -Wester your H. 13. iC.1 You come down do the sand between the forest and the beach in rtbout an hour and I'll have news for you," end he bruehed past me with his arms full of something I could not see in the half-light. Then, as a trader, began my firm compromise with conscience, and the enmity which I thereby aroused after- wards punished me for that night's work. I knew very well my oamrade, with the raugh-and-ready methods of traders, had gone out to do what was not right; and I ;hung back in the tent, balancing the end against the means, caur deeds against 'Louis' perfidy, and Nor' -Wasters' interests against those of he Hudson's Bay. It is not plea- sant to reeall what was done between the cedars and the shore. I do not at- tempt to justify our conduct Does the physicianjustify medical experi- ments on the criminal, or the sacrifi- cial priest the .driviag of the scape- goat into the wilderness? Suffice it to say, when I 'went .down to the shore, Louis Laplante .gulped doWn his rum, becoming drunker and more commun- icative, the tempter threw glass after glass over his .shoulder and remained saber. The Nor' -Wester motioned 'me to keep behind. the Frenchman. and I heard this drunken lips mumbling my own name. "Ruftish — prig — stuck-up prig— serve litm tam right! Hamilton's—eh --sha-prig loo—sho's 'hie wife. Serve 'ern all tam right!" "Aelc hins where she is," sa whis- pered over his head. ' "Wiiere's the gal?" aernan.ded the trader, shoving more liquor to Louis. "Shioux squaw—Deeil's yeife—bow you say a inilEnglish? Leh IGeawnd Deealable," andi he m.outhea over our miepronancietion of his own tongue. "Joke, isn't it?" he went on. 'That wax -face prig—slave. to silicates Squaw. Refush—a fool. Stuffed him ,to lash— neck. 'Made him believe shinalapox was •Hamilton's wife. I mean, [Hernia ton'a wife was shmallepox. Calf bel- lowed with fright ran hornecasne, lhaelc—`tarnmea I say, 'there he tome again' `ahniall-pox in that grave,' say I. !Joke--aina it?" and he stopped to drain off another pint .of rum. "Biggest jolce out off jail," said ehe Nor' -Wester dryly, with meaning which Louis did not grasp. , "Ask him where sbe is;".. I whisper- ed, "quick! He's going to sleep." For Louie wiped his beard on ;his Sleeve and lay back hopelessly drunk. "Here yau, waken up," .commanded the Nor' -Wester, kicking 'hien and shaking him roughly. "Where'sthe 'gal?" "Sidoux—Paye d'En .Haut," drawl- ed the . youth. 'Take off your boots! Don't wear 'boots. Pays d'En Haut-- moceasins—safter," and he rolled over in a sodden sleep, which defied .all our neffosrts to shake him into .conscious- es"Is that true?" asked the Nor' - Wester, standing ab.ove the drunk man ased .speaking across to me. "Is that true about the Indian kidnapping a woman?" "True—itoo terribly true," I whis- pered 'back. "I'd like to boot him into the next world," saidi the trader, looking .dowa at Louis in a manner that might have alarmed that youth for this safety. "I've ,bagged H. R. dispatches any- way," be added with satisfaction. "Wbait'll we do with laim?"•I asked aimlessly. "It he had anything to do with the stealing of Hamilton's He hadn't, interrupted the trader. ''Twas , Diable did that, so Laplante says." *Then what shall' we do with him?" 'Do—'with--lhisn," slowly repeated the Nor' -Wester in a low, vibrating voice, "DO—with—shim?" and again I felt a vague shudder of 'apprehension atfis•tInse.silent, uncomproMising man's purpose. The camp fires were dead. Not a sound came from the men in the woods and there was a gray light on the water with a .eague 'stirring of birds through the foliage overhead 'Now I would not have any mai; judge us by the •canons of civilize tion. lUnder the aircient rule of the fuer companies over the wilds of the north, awes 'bullets and !blades !put the fear a the Lord in evil hearts. _ks we stooped to gather up the tell-tale flasks, the drunken knave, Who had lightly allowed an innocent white wo- maa to go into Indian 'captivity, lay with bared chest not a hand's length from a knife he had thrown down. Did the Nor' -Wester and I hesitate, and look from the man to the dagger, and from the dagger to the men; or is this an evil dream frons a bla'ck past? Miriam, the 'guiltless, was suffering at Isis hands; should not be, the guilty, suffer at ours? Surely Sisera was not more munistakably .delivered into the power of his enemies by the Lord than this man; and Sisera was disconi- flted by Barak and bal. Heber's wife —says the Booke-drove a tent nail— through the templee—of the eleeping man—and elew bins! Day was when 1 thought the-iOld Volume recorded too many deeds ofebloodshed in the wild- erness for the instruction of our re- aned 'generation; but 1, too, have since lived in the wilderness and learned that soft speech is not the weapon of strong men overmastering sa vagery. I know the •trader and I were think- ing the' same thoughts and reading each other's thettglits; for we stood silent above the drunk man, neither moving, nother etteeing a word. "Weld?" I finally questioned in a whisper. "Well," said the, and Ise knelt down and picked op the knife. "'Tw.ould serve him jolly right," and he knelt over Louis hesitating, My eyes followed his slow, deliber- ate nictions with horror. Terror seem- ed to rab me of the power af speech. I felt my fblood freeze with the fear of some impending 'crime. There .was the faintest perceptible ;fluttering of leav- es; and we both started up as if we 'had been 'assassins, glancing fearfully into the gloom of' the forest, tAell the woods' seemed alive with horrified eyes and whisperings. "Stop!" I gasped, "This is mad- ness of the murderer. Wh.at vvould you do?" And I was trying to 'knock :the knife. out of his hand, when among the ehadowy green of the foliage, an open space suddenly resolved itself. into a human face and there looked out epon us glearning eyes like those of a crouching panther. Squeamish fool!" muttered the Noe -Wester, raising las arm. "Stop!" T implored. "We are watch- ed. See!" and I pointed to the face, that as ' suddenly 'vanished into black- ri.eW8Le bath leaped into the thicket, pis- tol ie hand, to wreak ,punishment on the interloper. There was only an in• listiact sound as of something reced tsigi,catot.1:: darkness. `Don't 'fire," said I, "'twill alarrr he avlp PROFESSIONAL CARDS Medical DIR. E. A. MoMIASTEIR—Graduate 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 and Surgeons' of Ontario. Office on High street. Phone 27. Office fully equipped for x-ray diagnosis and for ultra short wave electric treatment, uttra violet 'sun lamp .treatment and infra red electric treatment, Nurse in attendance. DR. IGILBERT C. JARIZOTT — Graduate of 'Feoulty of Medicine, Un- iversity of Westeen 'Ontario. •M'enther of College of Physicians and'Surgeons of Ontario. 'Office 43 'Goderich street west. Phone 317. Hours 2-4.30 amt., 7.30-0. pan. Other 'hours by appoint- ment. Successor to Dr. Chas. !Mackay DR. H. HUGH ROSS, Physician and Surgeon Late of Landon Hos- pital, London, 'England. Special at- tention to diseases ot the eye, eale nose era throat. Office and seesidence behind Dominion Bank, Office Phone No. 5; Residence Phone 104. DR. F. J. 13IU1RROWS, 'Seaford'. Office and residence, ,Goderica street, east of the United Church. Coroner for the County of Huren. Telephone No: 46. - DR. F. J. R. ,FORSTER— Eye Ear, Nose and Throat. Graduate in Medicine, University of Toronto 1lS97. Late Assistant New York Ophthal- mic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's Eye, and Golden Square throat hospi- tals, London. At Commereial Hotel, Sealarth, third Wednesday in each month heart 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. DR. W. C. SPROAT Physician - Surgeon Phone 90-W. Office John St. Seam* Auctioneer, GEORGE ELLIOTT, Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron. Arrangements can he made for Sale Date at The Seaforth News. Charges moderate and satisfaction guaranteed. F'. W. A.HRENS, Licensed Auction- eer for Perth and Heron Counties, Sales Solicited. Terms on Application. Farm Stock, chattels and real estate property. R. R. No. 4, ,Mitchell. Phone 6314 r 6. Apply at this office. HARVEY McLLWAIN, Licensed Auotioneer for County of Huron. Sea - forth, R.R. 6, Phone 228 r 213. WATSON & REID REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE AGENCY (Succepsor; to James Watson) MAIN ST., SEAFOP.TY, ONT. All kinds of Insurance risks effect- ed at iowest rates in ;First -Class Companies. THE McKH,LOP ° Mutual Fire Insurance Cp HEAD OFFICE—SEAFORTH, Ont. OFIFICERS President, Thomas Moylan, Sea - forth; Vice President, Wiliam Knox, Londesboro; Secretary Treasurer, M A. Reid, Seaforth, AGENTS F. aleKercher, RAU, Dublin; John E. Pepper, Rffal, Brucefield; E. R. G. Jai -mouth, Brodhagen; James Watt, Blyth; C. F. Hewitt, Kincardine; Wm, Yeo, Hohnesville. DIRECTORS Alex. Broadfoet, Seaforth No. 3; James Sholdice, Walton; Wm. Knox, Lan deaboro; George Leon hard t, Bornhoilm No. 1; Frank 'McGregor, !Clinton No. S; James Connolly, God- erich; Alex iMeEveing, Blyth No. 1; Thomas Moylan, Seafforth No. 5; Wm. R. Archibald, Sealforth No, 4. Parties desirous to effect insurance or transact other 'business, will be promptly attended to by applications to any of the above named officers addressed to their respective post - offices. At imminent risk to OUT own lives, we puked sticks through the thicket and felt for our unseen enemy, hut found nothing. "Let's go back and peg hist, auft on the sand, where the iHtideon's By will see him when they ,come this way," suggested the Nor' -Wester, referring to ,Laplante. "Yes, or hand -cuff him and lake him along prisoner," I added, think - Louis might have 'mare information. But when we stepped back to the beach, there was no Louis Laplante. "He was too clnunk to go !himself," said 1, aglAst at the certainty, whiclh now came home to me, that we had been watched. (To be continued)