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The Seaforth News, 1938-06-02, Page 7THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1938 oo.®ao—®w�a—.wee®eu�am�.aaa—b ........-.praogielyasw..o Duplicate Monthly Statements We cah save you money on Bill and I Change Forms, standard sizes to fit ledgers, white or' colors. 8 s 1 It will pay you to see our samples, I Also best quality Metal. Hinged Sea - I I tional Post Binders and Index, i I I I The Seaforth. News I i I I Phone 84 ALONG THE RIO 'GRANDE. 1('Con'tinued Isom ,last week.) "'Certainly, Pete," he said, "'The re, ward shall be yours if you 'beat Tom at his town game. ,Fact is, I'll do bet- ter than I promised. I'•ll add another ten dollars to the reward, and I'll buy the 'hide at 'twenty-five dollars! There you are—a total of eighty-five dollars! Now •go to it and see what you can do I" That .night, after 'the long intermis- sion, the scream of the panther again Came from across the river, distant and barely aud'uble, Taking his car- bine, Tom slipped into' the thick lbrush along the stream, hid himself and in a cry that in tone and volume was mar- velously dike the real cat's repeated the call. 'His cry was a direct response and an invitation to the 'beast on the farther side; but, though he repeated it once or 'twice, he 'could get no an- swer. "Ahal" he chuckled grimly. "Skeer um, ;!fey?" While listening for further sounds of the 'panther, Tom 'became suddenly alert, crept deeper into the thicket and wormed his way under -a pile of mesquite brush. He was within ;two hundred yards of the St. John resid- ence. The planter himself had gone to town, but Buck Weaver, the red-head- ed hired man, was tooting down with 'his gun for a shot at the lion, which for the first time seemed !bold enough to set 'up its soreamin'g or the east side of the river. Book came directly to the stream and then thrashed .about the 'bank, kicking the very pile of 'brush that Tom was beneath, as if trying to scare out a rabbit. Tom lay very still, 'knowing that the least rustle would draw a shot, for Buck would take no chances while engaged in'sueh a tick- lish undertaking. !Presently, conclud- ing that the lien was. !gone, Book re- turned to the 'house, and Tom rose and made his way quietly up the stream, where he hid under the brush below Pete's house. Waiting patiently, he was rewarded in the course :of half an hour by seeing a man come pad- dling across the stream. Tom readily THE SEAFORTH NEWS 1 "r r PAGE SEVEN recognized the squat figure of ,Pete, (Getting ashore, the litble ]:Hollander for a long minute stood .listening, He was pertudbed and, not hearing any- thing; broke t'he silence himself, "I yist pester keep oudt dot voods now, "1 vis'h I !know voider vus it a lion or vis it Tom. 'I go py his house and ask him he hear s'omeding, Anyvays, he got soon stew." The stern force of the Lndian relaxed in a grin. "Ole Pete ljess 'batty of his head!" he mu'btered,"Bime'by some- body shoot um, mebbe so, M'e, Tom, don't 'hurt um ''tali! Good ole squaw hungry, eh?" Two hours later, having eaten Tom's stew, played a few hands of seven up and elicited the statement that Tom had heard no lion, Pete was •bidding his host good night at the door of the cabin. "`Lion no steal Senor John's shote 'ta'll," Tom remarked, with apparent irrelevancy. "Our'us ain't it?" Pete replied. "Nope, Lion got heap sense. Steal um 'John's pigs, git 'ketc'hed shore! Good man, J'ohnl. Goode frien' Pete. Good frien' Tom!" Pete looked et his companion with a 'questioning, 'penetrating stare and went away with a puzzled, thoughtful expression on his 'face. With a slow •Indian smile Tom watched him go. '`John no lose pig 'tall," he ejaculated in great satisfac- tion. tOOnion man, huh—Swede man, liuIi--'no care, mel" The next day Tom and his pony .dis- appeared; he had gone (back to his trap line, the planters surmised, and, as usual, without notifying anyone of his intentions. 'Rumors spread rapidly in the coun- try. Mr. St, ;John became fully oon- vinced , o'f the fact When he went to town a few days after Tom had gone. Some one had dropped a hint that the pig thief might not be an animal at all, 'but a human 'being posing as one. Who could make a success of that sort of thing? Torn Ohactaw, of •course) He could imitate any animal; everyone knew that. He had a lion's skin, too, 'How did they know? Pete had seen it and also the pads, which had (been cut off the skin. What would be easier for Tom than to make tracks with those pads, and, wearing the lion skin, to guard against anyone's seeing and reoognizing hint? "But:' protested Mr. St. John vig- orously, "Tom was not at home when the stock disappeared," "O:f course not," said McMurray, who was acting as spokesman; "that proves the case, way I see it. If he stayed round here, people might see what he was up to. 'Stead, he pretends to go off trappin', but probably he ain't ten mite from here, in cahoots with some, gang of Mexicans. When they feel like it a couple of 'em get What could be more complete than a combina- tion offer that gives you a choke of your favourite magazines—Sends you your local newspaper— and gives yourself and family enjoyment and entertainment throughout the whole year — Why not take advantage of this remarkable offer that means a real saving in money to you? This Offer Fully Guaranteed— All Renewals Will Be Extended MAIL THIS COUPON TODAY Please clip list of Magazines after checking Publications desired. Fill out coupon carefully. Gentlemen: 3 enclose $ Please send me the three magazines checked with a year's subscription to your newspaper. STREET OR R.R SELECT ANY THREE OF THESE MAGAZINES E Maclean's (24 Issues) 1 yr. ❑ Chatelaine 1 yr. ❑ National Home Monthly 1 yr. ❑ Canadian Magazine - 1 yr. ❑ Rod and Gun - - - 1 yr. Pictorial Review Combined With Delineator - • 1 yr. D American Boy - - - 8 mo. ❑ Can. Horticulture and Home Magazine - - 1 yr. ❑ Parents' Magazine • 6 mo. ❑ Silver Screen - - - - 1 yr. ❑ Open Road for Boys -16 mo. ❑ American Fruit Grower 1 yr. TOGETHER W/TH TH/S NEWSPAPER ALL FOR THIS LOW 7 PR/CF , TOWN AND PROVINCE ;$ A V'E M: i'HEESEAFORTH NEWS SEAli'ORTH, ON 1:vx1O. into a boat and row up here; Tom squalls round a few times; they knock a pig or two in•the head, put 'em into a boat, and away 'bhey go. 'Member, Tont •wasn''t much interested,witen we all went across ,the river to look for the critter!" •"Why don't you try to make out a case against me, Mac?" asked 'Mr. St. John ,indignantly, "I have lost no hogs l" "That was exactly what set us to thinkin'. Torii needs a friend to help him out if he .gets into :trouble, and he wou'khit steal from you, anyhow, be- ing an Indian." The matter assumed such a serious aspect that the sheriff came out to search Toot's cabin, which was never looked. Pete and McMurray accom partied him. They readily found the lion's skin, which was cleverly tanned and used as a bedcover. After a 'little search they found the pads also. The sheriff called Mr, St. John, and he had to admit that' both skin and pads look- ed as if they had seen recent service out of doors. So they took the pads over to Pete's place and pressed bhem into some of tete old tracks there. They -fitted exactly. The sheriff looked grave. Pete said little, 'but MdMurray was outspoken in his :denunciations of the Indian. He declared that if he caught him pr'owl- in'g round he •w'otild shoot him on sight as he would shoat a wolf. He even took Mr. St. 'John to task for having protected the Indian. Mr. St. (John stoutly maintained his entire faith in Tom's innocence, and be could not 'forbear adding that it required a minimum of courage to ac- cuse a man during his absence, "It is all well enough for you to talk," !McMurray said with a sneer, "but wait until you lose your winter's meat yourself, and then see what you have to say." The truck farmer's words 'might 'have been prophetic, for straightway Mr. St, !John did begin to lose hogs. three of them the ,first night and sev- eral more subsequently. His answer was to mount his horse and ride toward Tom's camp. It was a long ride, partly by . compass through the untracked chaparral, 'but Mr. St. John was accustomed to hunt- ing unting in 'the mesquite. He reached Tom's camp before dark. He found Tom and his Mexican partner 'busy stretching skins. They. were happy over their prospects, for the catch was excellent, and high prices were certain. Both deer and 'bear meat were in.. camp, for they hadriana:ged to trap a large black bear. Tom was highly pleased to see his friend +`John," and, if he surmised that in riding so far Mr. St. John had sone object other than a simple visit, his face did not betray it. • In the morning Mr, St. John came to the point at once. "Tom," he said, "do you know what they are saying about you at hone?" ''"Ya -as," was the unexpected reply. 'Say Choctaw kill um deer. had man! Steal um pig, too, mebbe so, ya-as. Pete say Antono tell um mc;' and he pointed to his partner. "Pete say An- tono telt unn Tom not come back some more; cow -punch shoot um up, mebbe hang um, ya-asl" "Weil, I must say that it was kind of Pete to warn you after helping to search your 'house and informing the sheriff that you had a Bon skin." "Ya -as. Me know. 'Pete foolish of his head. Big chump! You don't think Tom steal um pig, John?" he ques- tioned with ;pathetic iearnestness. "':No, I do not, for a minute. But the matter must be cleared up now, and you are the man 'to do it." "Uh-huh. All same big 'lie. !No ketch um, no :prove um! Critter no steal unr your pig, critter no stead my pig— don't care 'tall, mel" "But he has 'been taking my hogs —a half dozen of them this week!" cried Mr. St, John. "Hey?", so; s•tealang them from the pen and from the pasture in spite of •the fact that Buck and I watched at the ,barn," • For the first time Tom showed concent and anger. "The son of a gun!" he exclaimed, "Nothin' stop hien ''tall!" "Man or brute,—and I'm beginning to doubt that it is an animal now,— can you catch .him, Tom?" "Si, Senor John. Catch uni shore!" "'Good boy, Toni," said .Mr. St. John. "When will you be home?" "Mebbe to -night, malaise to-morra night Delft tell somebody 'tall. Pete feel 'bad,' ''cause he say don't come some more".. 'Hang IPetel 'Looks as if the old rascal were doulble-'crossing you same - where. If you never came back, they Would swear it was yout But just as you wish; I will not tell him or may - cote else that you are coming," 'Voss so, Jess so! said Tom. "I fix urn right!" Notwithstanding Tom's ipromise to catch the marauder, another hundred - pound sham disappeared from the St. John peri after he got hone, a circutu- stante that caused tke planter to take a hand in the detective •business. The rear window of his !barn overlooked his hog yard, and Bock had been sleeping in the barn lof t; but Mr, .St. John concluded that the young fellow had been too tired to' keep awake. Ile moved his own bed to the barn to keep Buok company; armed with s'ho't- gun and rifle, Otte or the other would be on guard all night. On the occasion of Mr. St. John's latest toss, Pete asserted that he, boo, had ,been. ro'b'bed of a shote, and Mc- Murray declared that two of his had d'isap'peared at the same time. About McMurray's yard there were 'tion tracks, but 'Faint impressions of moc- casins showed as well. The thing was becomaing. intolerable. The planters seriously planned to raise a posse to go in search of Tom and his ,gang. No one had seen Team himself. On the first night of Mr. St. John's vigil the moon was on the wane and would riot be up' before twelve o'clock. I't grew dark early, and when he and Buck went to their loft they. heard things rather than saw them. The riv- er in its wall of ,five oaks was merely a dense velvet shadow on the general dankness. lO'n the stream wild dunks quacked •softly, great hoot owls were noisy in the woods, coyotes yelped far back in the chaparral, and a book deer whistled loudly across the river. Though no one had seen Tom, he was at 'home, nevertheless; he had been at home since the night before. For once his cabin door was securely locked. With a grim chuckle he no- ticed that his lion skin was gone. At ten o'clock he left the cabin, so clever- ly disguised that his best friend •would not have known him. Keeping .well under cover, he reached the river and hid 'himself at the top of the steep brushy !bank. He waited long, with true Indian patience and •Fortitude, Ht was a cold night. but, dressed as he was, he did not mind the gold. A boat stole quietly to the Landing. Then there was a colloquy of under- tones, and one man carne up the path. He was dressed in a lion's skin, but his Feet protruded from the hind legs, and his hands from the forelegs;_ the cowl, which had been a lion's head, hung at his back. In one hand he car- ried a 'heavy short -handled hammer, in the other a large sack.•He disappeared in the direction of the St, John pen and after ten htinitea reappeared, dragging a heavy burden in the sack. He had almost reached the river bank. when, with a vicious growl, a huge black -bear sprang out upon him and gave him a MillgitY4 blow that almost upset him. The 'bear must have 'been a wise fellow, for. instead of dependilig on his o!aws, he carried a weapon, a sort of paddle •filled with :harp protruding nails. The pretended lion, going a tre- mendous yell of fear and pain, sprang for an oak, which he climbed. His progress was hastened by steady and forcible slaps front the hear's paddle. Every slap brought from hint renewed yells of terror. On the river a boat swiftly and silentio left the hank. Mr. St. John had same to sleep at once. 'When he was aroused by a Thant from Bock 11: (tad no idem !flow long he had slept. Volts of fear and of !rain were coming from somewhere between the pigpen tnl the river. ac- companied by a regular slap. slap! whack, whack! He and Buck 'grahaea their guns and, rushing down the stairs of tete barn, ran rapidly toward the place whence the yelling and calls for help same. The moon had risen, and they halted in amazement at the strangest sight either of their had ever seen, ‘Veil up toward the top of a slim young. oak that was almost bare of leaves a mountain lion was making vain efforts to escape a great black bear. The bear, keeping right at .the cat's heels, now and then gave him a clip with a huge paw. 'And at each clip the cat 'gave forth a roar of pain "Bear!" howled the lion, "Helupl Helup! Shoot him, Buck. He bites me all up!" The excited Buck might hare com- plied; in ,fact, he had raised his gun when the 'bear called softly, "No shoot um, Buck; tnebhe hit lion!" Buck stared for an instant, duns- founded; then he dropped his gun and doubled up with laughter. '`Got 'em tbothl" .he exclaimed. "Bear or lion— take ,your choice!" 'Phe :bear and the lion came down and were divested of their skins. Pete was sudden with resettttnent at the 'trick played an him, and he 'was smarting from the paddling. His 'guilt was mot to be denied, for they found the hammer in the 'bottom of the sack with the shote, and they were undeniably Pete's hammer and Pete's saok, "You knew who was doing it all time, Tom," Mr. St. !john accused the mai. Coni aoknowledged that Inc had 'be- come convinced of Pete's guilt se soon as he had seen the tracks of the lion below the Hollanders cabin tracks that he had recognized as hav- ing'been .made by his own !ion pads,' which had temporarily disappeared. He could sec, toe, that some one had used his lion skin for some purpose,,. though the .skin had 'keen returned be - I D® Hm McInnes Chiropractor Office — Commercial Hotel Hours—Mon, and Thurs. after. Electro Therapist Massage noons and by appointment FOOT CORRECTION by manipulation—Sun-ray treat- ment Phone 22V. fore Tom got'honte, Tom's further ex- planation of his own actions was ra- ther lame; Pete had always treated hint 'well, and each had broken bread and eaten meat at the table of the other, 'According to the Ohoctaw's ethics, Pete had committed no great crime—at least non that ,greatly con- cerned shim, Toni—until Mr. St. John, his *:friend and chief and also iPete's friend, .began to 'be rolblbed, That Pete should commit the thefts and 'permit, the blame to be saddled on Tom was 'bad, according to the Indian, 'but it was no such grave offense as robbing his chief. In Tom's opinion that was an outrage which showed Pete to be entirely 'Lacking in,principle. "Me'bbe so, Pete don't da um. 'cept for onion man," Tom 'concluded, 'Onion man! You mean !Maltz - ray?" said Mr. St. John. ''What had he to do •with it?" 'Onion man get away in 'boat. Pete j.ess 'batty -onion loan fool um all tans, He git all the pork, eh, Pete?" ,Pete nodded, :Now that he and 'Mc - 'Murray were detected, he was quite willing to shift as much of the 'blame as he could to his oonfederate, "Wouldn't that ,kill you!" 'exclaimed Buck in 'profound amazement, "Anal all the while him tryin' hard to have Tom hung for it!" No one saw 'McMurray again. He seemed to have continued rowing straight down the river. They locked Pete up, 'but in the morning he, too, was 'gone. 'Mr. ''St. John suspected that Tont had something to do with Pete's escape, :but he thought it (best not to question him. They recovered part of the stolen meat from 'McMurray's smokehouse and divided it equally among those who had dost stock. The lion of the Nueces was heard no more, LOOK AND BEWARE We should like to recall, once again, says the •C -I -L Oral, warnings regarding the ,finding . of carelessly discarded dynamite caps or blasting caps by Children who, out of curios- ity, are apt to play about the scenes of recent blasting operations. Blast- ing caps are most likely to he .found lying on or partly buried in the Around. 'Elec'tric blasting caps have wires attached the cap itself being a small metal cylinder which may be copper, black or c,alor.d. Some caps are made of aluminum. The danger in all these small metal cylinders lies in the tiny charge of high explosive which is concealed at the bottom or closed, end. While all :blasting caps are made with the element of safo•ty uppermior in the minds of the manu- fa•etorer:, children should be warned n'e,: r. to tick one up or to touch one but to report their find to an adult. No turn will result if a blasting cap is •pi.kel an carefully and dropped Into 'til;.' ne arch 'body of water or bur- ied in the ground where it cannot again he exposed. Blasting caps s ton;d memo be left lying &bout for the next person ra discover. and if handle;! carefully .and disposed of in- telligently many serious accidents will be avoided. DEAD HORSE .GULCH In the 'great !Klondike stampede for gold that talk ,place in 118918-99 the first sta:ge of the journey began at tidewater at the !little village of Skagway in Alaska, and from that town the gold seekers climbed up over the mountain passes to the sum- mit and then floated clown the great Yukon River on their voyages to Dawson, six Hundred and forty miles to the north. The most dangerous and difficult trail of all was the .first .one encoun- tered which wound up through the valley to White Pass, some twenty miles north of Skagway. Men, mules, horses and dogs struggled up this Mail its the dead of winter and heat of summer, all heavily !laden with burdens far beyond what they should have attempted to carry, 'The most hazardous place on the White Pass route became known ,as "Dead Horse Gulch"' and here nixie. than three thousand mules and horses laid down their lives in their service to man. These poor .creatures died from lack of food, their legs were broken in the logs and rocks and they were mired in the swamps: Sometimes. they were mercifully Shot and al other times were left to die lingering deaths in the darkness ani! cold, but the survivors .moved :painfully on laud on. In one instance alone, severity men and women with their pack ani- mals were blotted out by a single avalanche.