The Huron Expositor, 1933-12-01, Page 7DECEMBER 1, 1933,
GAL
Phone No. 91
JOHN J. H GGARD
Barrister, Solicitor,
Notary Public, Etc.
Beattie Block - - Seaforth, Out.
HAYS & MEIR
•
Succeeding R. S. Hays
Barristers,,Solicitors, Conveyancers
and Notaries Public. Solicitors for
the Dominion Bank. Office in rear of
the Dominion Bank,. Seaforth. Money
to loan.
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VETERINARY
JOHN GRIEVE, V.S.
Honor graduate of Ontario Veterin-
ary College. All diseases of domestic
animals treated. Calls promptly eat -
tended to and charges moderate. Vet-
erinary Dentistry a specialty. Office
and residence on Goderich Street, one
door east of Dr. Mackay's office, Sea-
ford'. ,
A. R. CAMPBELL, V.S.
Graduate of Ontario Veterinary
College, University of Toronto. All
diseases of domestic animals, treated
iby the most modern prirciples.
Charges reasonable. , Day or night
calls promptly attended to. -Office on
Main Street, Hensall, •opposite Town
Hall. Phone 116. Breeder of Scot-
tish terriers. Inverness Kennels,
Hensall.
•
MEDICAL .
DR. F. J, R. FORSTER--
Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat
Graduate in Medicine, University of
Toronto.
Late assistant New York Opthal-
snei and Aural Institute, Moorefield's
Eye and Golden Square Throat Hos-
pitals, London, Eng. At Commercial
Hotel, Seaforth, third Monday in
each month, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
58 Waterloo Street, South, Stratford.
•
DR. W. C. SPROAt •
Graduate of Faculty of Medicine,
University of Western Ontario, Lon-
don. Member of College of Physic-
ians and Surgeons of Ontario. Office
in Aberhart's Drug Store, Main St.,
Seaforth. Phone 90.
.,.
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DR. F. J. BURROWS
Office and residence Goderich Street,
east of the United Church, Sea -
forth. Phone 46. Coroner for the
County of Huron.
DR. C. MACKAY
C. Mackay, honor graduate of Trin-
ity University, and gold medalist of
Trinity Medical College; member of
the College of Physicians' and Sur-
geons of Ontario. ,
DR. IL HUGH ROSS
!Geaduate of University of Toronto
Faculty of Medicine, pi.ember of Col-
lege of Physicians d Surgeons of
Ontario; ,pass raduate corse in
Chicago Clinical School of Chicago;
Royal Ophthalmie Hospital, London,
England; University Hospital, Lon-
don, England. Office -Meek of Do-
minion Bank, Seaforth. Phone No. 5.
Night calls answered from residence,
Victoria Street, Seaforth. .
DR. S. R. COLLYER
Graduate Faculty of Medicine. Uni-
versity of Western Ontario. Member
College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Ontario. Post graduate work at
New York City Hospital and Victoria
Hospital, London. Phone: Hensall,
56:- Office,`King Street, Hensall.
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DR. J. A. MUNN
Graduate of Northwestern Univers-
ity, Chicago, Ill. Licentiate Royal
College of Dental Surgeons, Toronto.
Office'over Sills' Hardware, Main St.,
Seaforth. Phone 151.
r.
•
DR. F. J. BECHELY
-x.firtgiltrift*-1400,1 ,bollege of Dental
Surgeons,Toronto. Office over W. R.
Smith's rocery, Main Street, Sea -
forth.' Phone: Office, 195 W; resi-
donee, 1853.
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TILTS HIXRON E
?g,,7
OSI,TQR •
TRY
HOTELVAVERLEY
NEXT VISIT'
A WESTERN ROMANCE
BY CHARLES H. SNOW
(Continued from last week)
"But shesinty girl, suh! A11 I've
got in this world! Withopt her-"
.The colonel's voice broke.
lit was not Colonel Beaufort's of-
fer of the reward that sent scores of
men on this new search, • It was the
anguish of his fine old face, and the
town's lave for-bie pre-tty daughter.
There was not a man in all the fam-
ed diggings who would not have laid
down his life to save Nancy Beau -
forte.. Elven the Mexicans loved her,
for she had been kind to them when
most of the Americans had been cal-
lous, often brutal.
Lanterns, torche,s, were brought,
and 'before-merning every cabin, ev-
ery trail, every gulley and slope with-
in a radius of eve miles was to be
combed.
The straggling line of migrating
deer halted only long enough to. al-
low Ellery and Uncle Sim to gallop
across the depression, and resumed
its steady trot. Ellery flung himself
from the saddle near where he had
discovered the horse tracks. Uncle
Sim was mildly excited as he claret-
bered off the little sorrel mare.
• ("Look lhere, Uncle Sim," Ellery
commanded as he bent over a clean
tradk. "What do you make of that."
'In a boss track, a' right," grunt-
ed the old mime "but it's some dif-
ferent from most. Looks like a race-
hoss shoe, Jim."
"That's the track of the horse
Nancy Beaufort was riding!"
"Naw? Ye don't mean that?"
Something incredulous, . then hard,
gleamed in -Uncle 'Sim's eyes. "Jim,
that jest cain't be so."
'Ellery now explained how he had
m -et Nancy Beaufort on the trail and
how he had removed the stone from
the shoe, but he did not think it nee-
/Asary to confess that he had so dis-
Iinourably taken the girl in his arms
and kis-sed her.
"Uncle Sim, -I'd know that shoe any-
where on earth. I examined it close-
ly because the instant I saw it T knew
it waset'he shoe of a race -horse. It's
a hand -forged shoe, and the nails are
hand -forged.. Can't you see the ham-
m.er marks?"
"Wal, by Gawd!„" muttered Uncle
Sim. He bent more closely now and
made out the tiny irregularities in
the track to which Ellery -called, his
attention. "They tinusit 'a' run acrost
Miss Nancy, and stole her hoss!"
"Stolen :her horse!" Ellery ejacu-
lated. "Uncle Sim, I'm afraid they've
kidnapped her, too!"
Uncld" Sim apparently did not hear
for he Was on his feet, and walkin,g
slowly as he scrutinized the tracks,
All his instincts were now those of
the born mountain man, to whom tiny
signs tell great stories, yet as he
tramped slowly ahead he could not,
for the life: of him, tell whether or
not there had been a rider on the.
horse.
"One thing's certain," he finally an-
nounce]. .'That race-hoss was bein'
lcd. Ye kin see fer ,yers'elf how he
fellers right behind t'other. T'other
un is offside yander."
Ellery was now seized with a sud-
den fear that because of his meeting
with the girl he had thrown her into
the hands of the bandits.
"Uncle Sim," he demanded, "do
you ,think they've got her?"
Te old map tilted his head and
peered up to where the storm w-ind
was soughing through a tall pine.
"This hyar's goin' to be a reg'lar
old southeenter, Jim."
"Answer my question, Uncle Sim!"
West keep yer shirt on, young un,"
advised the old man. "I'in a feller
what kin think o' one thing and talk
'bout 'nother. Ian 'dined to think
they ain't got Miss Nuncy, Jim,
'cause I don't see what bank rob-
bers'd want to be hampered with a
gal fer, 'special on a trip like this
hyar and in sech weather. She'g
shore goin' to snow grey geese, and
plumb pronto."
'With a lowering and thickening of
the clouds the night dropped with
uncanny.. stwiftnes!s. Gusts of wind
brought a few desultory snowflakes,
and soon the darkening air was grey
with them. The treigreati ilk deer
quickened their pace, while along
their flanks sleek, tawny pumas stalk-
ed, eager to make their kills when
blackness had come and the deer had
bedded down till morning.
"Thar ain't nonse o' us tryin' to
go futher to -night," announced Uncle
Sim,.
"But we must, we'lien just got to,
Uncle Slim! They nay have the
girl!"
Uncle Sim cocked his head and re-
garded Ellery coolly. He emptied his
-mouth of a big cud of tobacco.
"Wal, by Gawd, if ye want to keep
goin', jet keep on," he announced.
"Uncle Siin Knight from Turkey
Track Holler's goin' to find him a
place to carap. Ye drat dasted young
fool, inside a hour these hyar woodsll
be darker'n a stack o' black cats
with all the niggers o' Cliny throwed
in, and the best man on earbh'd git
lost. Thar ain't no trails. I'm go -
in' to find me a place to turl up till
mornin'. Jest ke-ep a goin' if ye like,
though."
Impatient, angry, Ellery stalked to
and fro. Never in all his life had
he wanted to do anything as he now
wanted to press forward on the trail.
Suddenly he ,stopped and peered at
the old man with doubt and fear on
his face.
"Uncle Sim, do you suppose they
might have illd Miss Nancy and
then taken 'her horse?" he demanded.
"She may even now be lying dead,
outraged, somewhere back in the
oode. Let's take the back trail!"
g Uncle !Sim pon-dered this, while a-
bout them the storm winds howled
and sighed and the pines divested
themeelves of dry twigs and branch-
es and needles. -
"What ye'say might be true, Jim,"
he said slowly, shaking his head.
"Them fellers ain't men to treat a
gal with respeck, and she may be
daid, but 'twouldn't do rue no good to
take the back trail -gess we had cat's
eyes. Tides, when old Uncle •Sim
Knights sets out to do a sartain
thing, he's shore sot on doin' it till
it's done one way or t'other. Come
on, we got to find a place to hole -
up in."
;Mery did not Mount the tired
thoroughbred again, but leading the
animal, --he trudged after the old man
on the sorrel mare. His heart was
heavydesith the certainty that Nancy
Beaufort lay dead somewhere back
in the darkening forest, or was in
the ruthless hands of the bandits;
and that at least for the time he was
powerless to aid her.
• CHAPTER VIII
The forest was spectral now, but
with instinct as unerring as bhat of
the deer, Uncle' Sim led the way to a
arnall • glade. ie tumlbled off the
mare and began gathering fuel. El-
lery dragged the saddle from his
weary horse, then unsaddled the
mare.
By this time Uncle Sim had a fire
going, and as the blaze leaped up it
shone upon ilaming-leafeti, maples
and dogwoods against the background
of tall conifers and spreading black -
oaks. Snow was falling slowly.
"We'll jest canni. hyar till mornin',"
said Uncle Sien as • he spitted a slice
of venison on the end of a green
stick. "Thar ain't no use traipsin'
on. Kind 0' seems good to see it
snow."
There was no beauty for Ellery in
the flying flakes. He was thinking
of Nancy Beaufort. ,
"Uncle Sim," he demandedin Ido
you know where we're going?" '•
'Coffee was simmering in a tin can.
Uncle Sim stirred it with a stick.
"Wal now, do 'ye 'low them deer
back thar know whar they're going',
Jim? Git soine grub inside ye, and
y.e'll feel better."
The wind had died now, and snow
fell Continuously, in big fleecy flakeS
that floated out of the blackness like.
white feathers. Linde Sim looked up
at the heavens. .
"The old wonean's shore pickin'
some big geese to-nig,ht, Jim. I told
ye ye needn't halve no doubt 'bout
sun dawgs. They illus mean storm."
"It's goirig to be a hard night On
the 'horses," said Ellery, thinking
more of his beautiful thoroughbred
than ofehrneeelf.
, Slowly, implacably, as if the black
eky were a bottomless reservoir, the
flakes fell. When the horses ceased
trying to get the dry grass Ellery
tied them in the shelter, of a thicket
and came hack to the fire. Uncle Sim
found a log, and soon had a long fire
!Mernintn a short distance from it. Be-
tween the fire and the log the scant
camp equipment was placed. The men
spread their saddle. .blankets over
thein and pillowed their heads on
their sad-dles. Out in the blackness
a puma screamed. The sound made
Ellery's blood turn cold. It was a
half -feline, half -human cry.
"Good God, Threle-Siffift;" he groan-
ed, "if the girl's out -in this storm!"
"Wel, if she is thar ain't nothin'
us two kin do to help her; Jim. If
she's not she's either safe back' in
Columbia, or with them robbers."
The old Carolina men, had a fac-
ulty of sleeping "with one eye open",
as he put it. At inteuvals he awoke
to look at the fire, hut each time saw
that Ellery had attended to it. El-
lery, unable to sleep, had kept a track
clear by pacing to and fro. His coat
was wrapped tightly. His face was
grint.
"Why'n hell don't ye try to ill; some
sleep, boy?" Uncle Sim demanded.
"Worry never did get a feller noth-
in,.',
"I can't, .Uncle Sim. I've tried a
dozen times."
Dawn began to break at last, cold,
miserable, grey, but no greyer than
Ellery's thoughts, Uncle Sim rose as
though he had slept all night on a
feather bed. He stretched his' sinewy
old arnw, colmlbed his fingers through
his whiskers.
"Wlal now, that warn't a bad night.
I've had many a worse un, Jim."
Snow lay a foot deep pn the level.
The forest was weighted with it. It
was a white world except for the
dark Splotches under the pines and
firs. Branches now and bhen emptied
themselves of their White. loads.
Ellery was impatient to be off, but
Uncle Sim insisted on preparing and
eating their breakfast with provok-
ing slowness.
'Thar ain't no use gittin.' up a
evifeat," he declared. "Thar ain't
nothin!. to be gained by hurryin', Jim.
If harm's been done that gal it's
been done, and if it ain't thar "ain't
no use rushin'. Did ye ever see a
panther stalkin' a deer?"
Ellery had compared Uncle Sim
with a grey old grizzly. Now he
thought he saw something pantherish
in the old man,, slow, unperturbed,
calculating, yet ready to strike with
the shelf tnees of lightning. Uncle
Sim took eare that his rifle and re-
volver did not get wet. At his order
Ellery led the horses from the thick-
et. The backs of the animals were
hunched.. and their hair , seemed to
have grown a half-inch during the
night. Ellery's heart filled with pity
for Real, who seemed so entirely out
otf place here in the snow -laden for-
est,
"Boy," he said as he stroked the
fine h-ead, "this is certainly no place
for you."
"Thar's more places 'n a race track
to try out a thorerbred on," remark-
ed Uncle Siert "Jim, I'm jest be-
ginnin' to wonder whether ye're a
thorerbred or jest a tonsmon •plug."
Ellery's wide shoulders went back
as he regarded the old man. He swore
under his breath that he wodld not
be outdone by any such griizled runt
•
of a mountain Man as this one.
"Uncle Sim," he declared hotly,
"I'm with you till the and. I take
your orders now .simply,because I
think they're better than mine. Lead
on!"
Instead of leading on, Uncle Sim
finished cinching his saddle. Then
he sat down on a log.
."I done a heap o' thinkin' in the
night," Tie said, "and I done come to
the 'elusion the gal's all right as fer
as bein' alive is, Jim,"
t`Yea, Uncle Sim?"
"Ye see, Cannel Beaufort's a pow-
erful rich man and 'cause o' this thar
may .be a reason them robbers'd take
the gal 'long with her hoss. Air ye
danged shore o' that hoss track;
Jim?"
"I'd swear on my life it was made
by Nancy Beaufort's' horse! Uncle
Sim, do you think they have kidnap
ped her?"
"Call it what ye like, kidnapped
took, or jest plain stole. If she's
been took figger thar won't any
'harm come to her fer at least a while
That'll give us Eine."
1"Ilui leaving everything in your
hands till we conte up with them,'
Ellery said. "Aften that I can't
promise anything."
"And if we do come pp with 'em,"
warned Uncle Sim, his eyes gleam-
ing angrily, "don't ye git too clanged
rash. Thar's, only two things what
Hrter be in a hurry. One's a bullet
Vothe.r's a knife. When either one
o' them Starts to travel they got to
travel fast. Now hyar's one thing I
want to warn ye 'bout, Jim."
Ellery waited, impatient to be off,
but with a growing confidence in the
old man.
"It's danged likely thar'll be other
men after these hyar robbers and the
gel, Jim," explained Uncle Sim. "Now
if we happen to run acrost any o'
'ern, I want ye to promise ye won't
tell 'em nothin' 'Will ye gime
me yer word?"
Ellery thought this a foolish idea,
and searched the old man's fa. -ie for
an explanation of it.
"Then you think were more chance
of success alone, Uncle Sim?"
'Dint clang yer hide, boy, if I
didn't I wouldn't 'vise it! Ye heerd
the sayin' that too many cooks 'spoil
the broth? Wal, too many men on
a trail's apt to mess that thar trail
up. 'Sides, this hyar ain't a country'
'for a passel o' howlin' hounds. Will
ye promise?"
"I give you my word, Uncle Sim."
Ellery little dreamed that within an
hour he would have dire reason to
regret that promise.
Dawn had disclosed that camp had
been made in the 'bottom of a horse-
shoe shaped cove. To north rose a
timbered dome. To south a tall ridge
curved around.
goin' to ride up to that thar
sugar -loaf and have a look round,"
said Uncle Sim, pointing to the donie.
"I know this hyar country like a book
in summer,butsnow makes a hell o'
a difference. If ye don't want to wait,
jest take a pasear up yon ridge and
see what's on t'other side. Meet ye
hyar in 'bout half a hour."
Uncle Sinn rode away avoiding with
almost uncanny skill the snow laden
branches. He was hunched in his
saddle. His .sinewy neck was drawn
down until it seemed he had no neck
at all. The tail of his buckskin shirt
carefully coveted the nipple of his
heavy Hawkin rifle.
Eager to be doing something, El-
lery swung into the saddle and head-
ed in the opposite direction. Hhe
gained the crest of the ridge and
teined up. Below him was where the
head of a long canyon, running south-
ward, ended in a wide swale. Beyond
the swale was a higher ridge, and be-
yond this the -white landscape stretch-
ed away till it merged with the lead-
en clouds banked low on the summits.
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TORONTO
of the hotel and looked toward the
snowy mountains and the low -drawn.
cloud caps. David IMilner stood be-
side hem. The banker had been up
all nigtht, for he, too, loved Nancy
Beaufort, and his worry was second
only to that of her father. •
""Colonel," said Milner, "the more I
think about it, the mere •4 think it's
absurd for us to think -Miss Nancy
met with an accident. She's too .fine
a •horseewoman."
'Nancy did not meet with an ac-
- cident, suh,"replied • the colonel.
"Something dire has befallen her. I
, feel it here, David," he pressed a
hand to his breast. He was gaunt,
haggard, almost a doddering old man
now. "Damn it, suh, Iewould give all
the money I own, all I hope to own,
and all my interest in heaven if I
only knew she was safe!"
Milner laid a hand upiin the nob-
onel's arm.
"There is one thing that may have
happened," he s.uggested. "I have re-
fr ined from mentioning it until
, Colonel Beaufort turned quickly,
hope in his eyes.
"Tell me, suht"
"Isn't it possible that Nancy may
have had an affair unknown to you,
Colonel,' with some presentable young
man? There might have bee -n an-
er-elopement. It could have merely
been coincident with the robbery. I
am simply. making the suggestion,
sir."
From a doddering old man Beau-
fort suddenly became his old self,
erect, dignified. Anger, pride of race
shone in his eyes. He lifted a hand.
"Damn you!," he cried. "I• should'
kill you, Milner. for even suggesting
such a possibility as that my Nancy
would have an affair unknown tome!
Naney Beaufort is a lady .of the
South, and you -you-" He was
going to add that Milner was a damn-
ed Abolitionist, but the banker check-
ed,,Ehienen
pardon, Colonel, beg pardon!
was merely suggesting it. Of
course--"
"Then by God, if you value your
life, do not suggest such a thing a-
gain!" The colonel's arm dropped as
if lifeless. His shoulders sagged and
he uttered a grose as he turned a-
way.
"Dairtned old hot-headed fire-eater,"
comment .d Milner as the colonel
shuffled into the hotel. Of course
it's possible that even .his daughter
has eloped. One of mine did."
!Eight men quickly surrounded El-
lery. They all carried rifles, and
most of them had revolvers and bow-
ie knives dangling from their belts.
Ellery searched their faces for one
that resembled Finney's or Rugg's on
Hailey's, and failed to find a sirnilar
feature. If .this was the bandit gang
then another band than the one he
had seen at Rancho Linda Vista had
committed the robbery.
tA tall fellow with sandy hair Ind
beard stepped forward and grasped
Real's bridle.
-I'm Jake Curtis," he said. "I'm
the lea,;er of this posse. Who the
hell are you, feller, and just what
are you (loin' here? Talk. quick!" ••
Ellery eyed the big man coolly. A
corner of his mouth twisted upteard.
"My name is James Ellery, suh.
What I ami doing here is none of
your damned business!" •
The hell it ain't?" Curtis exnlod-
ed. 'Drag ' him off, boys and we'll
show him."
Half a dozen pairs of hands pull-
ed Ellery from the saddle before he
could reach his weapon. Again Cur-
tis faced him.
"We'll give you just five iminutes to
tell where the hangout is, hombre!"
he stated. !
"What are you talking about?" El-
. lery demanded, his hands instinctively
darting toward his now empty hol-
skrs. "I don't know anything about
any hangout."
"Don't try to fool us!" Curti-.
shout -ed. "We know you're one of
the gang that robbed the Columbia'
bank and got away with Colonel
Beaufort's gal. Where's the gal, hom-
bre? Where's the rest of the gang?"
Ellery stared, at first indignantly,
then blankly from face to face.
"Bank been robbed?" he queried.
"You say a girl has been kidnapped?
This is the first I had heard of it,
gentlemen."
When it seemed that his words
and looks were about to convince Cur-
tis and most of the others, a man
shouted:
'Looky hyar, Jake! This .settles
it. '''Knowed he was lyin' from the
first." He was pointing to the brand
on the left stifle of the beautiful
horse. "That's the Diamond E brand
of Rancho Linda Vista, by God. We
know that at least two of the other
fellers that held up the bank rid Don
Cayetano's hosses!"
bought this horse, gentlemen,"
Ellery declared.
"Where?" demanded Curtis.
Frinn Don Cayetano Esqueval."
When'd you buy him?"
"Day before yesterday." It was
just what Ellery should not have an-
ewered, for being at :Rancho Linda
Vista the day before yesterday, and
here to -day was proof to the hungry
and tired possemen that. he might
have been in the vicinity of Columbia
yesterday afternoon."
1"I reckon that's enough," Curtis
declared after he had examined the
brand and asked Ellery a few more
questions, to which he received no
answers at all. "Get rope, some-
boAdylm" an sped away to the thicket
where the horses and fire were hidden
•
Ellery decided to pick his way
through the timber and brush., and
gain the higher ridge for a wider
eiew. He was half -way down the
slope to the swale when Real thrust
his ears forward and whistled softly
though his nostrils. Ellery reined
him eineend reached for one of his
Colts. His face was tense, his eyes
alert. He sniffed, caught the tang of
wood smoke. He • looked ahead for
the source of the smoke, convinced
that he had stumbled upon the ban-
dit camp, and was debating whether
to attack alone or slip back for Un-
cle Sim when the branches of a fir
thie0t, parted at his- left and a man
stepped into view. The man had a
rifle at his shoulder.
"Hands, up!" he growled. "Or I'll
put a slug through you."
A swift glance at the bearded face
the cold eyesiebeeketof the rifle, and
Ellery's hands shot into the air.
"Hyar, boys!" shouted the man
without lowering the gun. "I got
one! Come on!"
Forty yards away was a dense
thicket of small firs. In a moment a
man appeared' from it, then another
and another. They started toward
Ellery, each grasping a rifle. Other
men were by this time emerging from
the thicket.
!The rain descended upon Columbia
that night was , interspersed with
flurries of snow, big, soggy flakes
that melted as they fell. It was a
desolate night, but not one one-hun-
dredth as desolate as the soul of
Colon -el Beaufort.
Throughout the interminable hours
the colonel waited in the hotel, or
•aced the streets, or went into the
saloons, hoping for sone word. Each
place he visited, each man or group
of men he met had only disappoint-
ment and sympathy for him.
All through the night men strag-
gled in from the fruitless search,
bringing with them not one faint ray
,of hope. The colonel, even in his .an-
guish, offered them money, but not a
man would take it,. He had left or-
ders at the saloons, that all the men
should hva'de free whiskey.
Tin the Old dawn he sbood in front
;
' IKUVW....1114.41,4.11
and cal TO Vanning lakak'Nettle #.•FlOar.
By tide #nae, alleree• 4444 had be
bound tehind his hank. Ats nedia-1,
was slipped about his neck 41,1$m
growled:
"Well 'gime you just One MP,,
chance to bell where the gal and the
rest of your outfit are, feller. Ta14
fastif you want to keep
,,Ip that neck
of yours nothing
totnretehisub,"-
re-
turned Ellery. "If told you any-
thing, you wouldn't believe me."
o'Damned right we wouldn't, and
You ridin' a Cayetano Esieneyal hose,"
a man growled. This was greeted by
a chorus of approving chuckles.
"We're lucky to get one of 'em,"
declared !Curtis. "H'ist him up, boys."
'Ellery was lifted into the saddle.
To struggle would have been futile.
The horse was led under a ing'black
oak with a low limb. The end of the
rope was flung over the branch. Men
grabbed it, drew it tight, made it fast,
to the trunk of the tree, forcing El-
lery to lift in his stirrups to keep
from choking. His face was grim
now with bitter determinatioa.
A man grasped the horse by the
bridle. Another stood just back of
the trembling animal.
"Want to talk?" Curtis demanded.
"It'll damned soon be too late!"
. "I have nothing to say," Ellery re-
plied. "Go ahead, but understand,
with me you may be throwing away
all chance of success."
"-lEllery knew that in a few short
sentences he could cheek these de-
termined men, but he had given a
prones.e. 'Moreover, there had grown
upon him a certainty that Nancy
Beaufort was either dead or safe at
home. The enormity of his offence
against.the girl when he had met her
made him want to die. He could not
kill himself, so why not let these
men do the job? He was amazed at
the little bravery it seemed to take
to look certain death in the face.
'Curtis waved to the man back of
the horse.
"All right, Pete, let 'er go!"
Pete Overton's descending sombre-
ro was within six inches of the rump
of the horse when the white forest
reverberated with the report of a
rifle.
As the horse leaped ahead • Ellery
was jerked out of the saddle. He slid
across the animal's rump, sprawled
ben his back in the snow, and stared
up at the severed end of the rope
dangling from the limb.
CHAPTER IX
The shot, the wild leap of the horse,
Ellery's scrambling fall, were so un-
expected that they might have been
a prank of the forest gods them-
selves. A man grasped the bridle as
the horse jumped past, but every
other man whirled' toward the ridge,
gaped, then leaped for the rifles that
leaned against the tree, thoughto-
ward the ridge not a living thing was
in sight.
Ellery scrambled to his feet, and
with shrugs and twists of his neck
managed to loosen the noose about
it. He, of all the men, had an idea
as to the origin of the shot, and he
was by no means certain.
Men leaped for the protection of
trees. Three plunged into the thick-
et. 'The man who held the horse sud-
denly dropped. the bridle, but Ellery
ran to the animal. and by turning his
back managed to hold the dragging
mins. Real was shying and -whistling
through his red nostrils.
"Keep under cover, men!" Curtis
shouted frcim behind a tree. "It's
the rest of the gang! Shoot the first
man that shows himself, and shoot
this one if he makes a move to run."
"I -shan't run," said Ellery. He
was now the only man in plain view
of the ridge, and he was smiling
broadly.. •
"Whoever cut that rope with a
hullers a dead,shot." Curtis declared.
"Be keerful he don't get a bead on
any of you men."
Two minutes passed, then from the
ridge came a high-keyed voice, vi-
brant with anger and mirth:
"Ye drat clanged white -livered
pups, if ye think ye're skeered 'bout
'neugh. ye nought come out and show
yerselves. If ye ain't-"
"Who the hell are you?" Curtis
shouted barely peeping aroris
d h
tree. 'lust show yourself!
A wild war -whoop rang through
the forest,. It was a shrill, tremuz
lou.; cry that made the skin creep a-
long the eren's spines. even fillery's.
"I'm Uncle Sim Knight from Tur-
key Track Holler back in the Blue
Mountings o' C'liny and 1 wuz wean-
ed on cawn likker and cut my teeth
on the bar'l 0' a squirrel rifle, If any
o' ye want to see whuther I'm a ly-
in'. jest ye show the corner o' one
eye!"
There was a short silence, rhen a
man shouted:
nothin' hut old Sim Knight!
Wal, by Gawd!" The relief in the
tone was imme-asurable.
The next instant Uncle Sim him'self
appeared from .behind a pine on top
of the ridge. His rifle was ready.
His coonskin gap was over ,one ear,
and he was chuckling loudly. Down
the snow -panoplied elope he came,
not unlike an avenging patriarch of
the forest. :Men emerged from their
hiding places now.' Fifty feet from
the nearest. Uncle -Sim stopped. He
had ceased chuckling.
"Ye drat -dented litter o' illegiti-
mate pups, what ye mean a tryin' to
hang this hyar friend o' mine? It
war a clanged good thing I showed
up. I orter take out my old toad
sticker and cut all yer danged
throats!"
Adalintihn,
egmaepnologz
triediintgo. talk,at once,
ex
'But what on earth are you (loin'
here, Uncle Sim?" Curtis demanded.
iBefore the old man replied he
strode forward and jerked the noose,
from Ellery's neck. Then with a
sweep of his long knife he slashed the
helt that bound Ellery's wrists.
"Thank you, Uncle Sim," said El-
lery, flexing his arms and smiling._
"Don't mention i 1Tiat. Ye'tre
shore welcOrne as hell. Jake Curtis,
ye drat danged ,fool, if ye want to
know why me 'it' Jim's hyar, we wuz
jest roamin' round lookin' fer a big
grizzly I run acrost t'other day, big-
gesit b'ar I ever seed the tracks of,
by Gawd! When Jim showed up at
My camp yistiday, and 1 told him
'bout that 'War' we 'cided git him
afore he holedup fer the winter."
TJnele Sim suddenly strode up to the.
4
etr
1
UIL
SAVE'
11
ILMQUIE)737
STOVE
A.STEE
115*
astounded Curtis, and thrust out his
beard. His old blue eyes were fiery.
"Wlhat ye Mean a tryin' to hang this
hyar friend o' mine, ye damned
senseless varmint? 1 got a notion to
eut yer ornery throat!'
Wie-we just thought he was one
of the bank robbers," Curtis stutter-
ed. "Or •one of the fellers that got -
away with the gal, Uncle Sim. We're
-we're damped sorry we imade a mis-
take."
!"Wal, ye -better be! Bank robbers?
Gal? What ye a talkin"bout,, Jake!
We ain't heerd o' no 'bank be -in' rob-
bed or no gal stole."
"That's what I told them, Uncle
.Sim," interrupted Ellery, "but they
wouldirt believe me."
"He was dritlin' a hoss with the
Cayetano brand," ,declared a mart.
"Two of the robbers rid nags with
that brand, and that was proof en-
ough for us."
The men grouped about Uncle Sini
and all 'talked at once in their en-
deavour to tell of the robbery, and
justify their action. Uncle Sim's in-
dignation had been superb. Now his
incredulity was beyond fault.
"Wal, drat my hide!" he muttered.
"This hyar's news to me. We didn't
know nothin' 'bout no robbery or
nothin', wuz out after that b'ar
wuz tellin' ye 'bout.. Ain't that right;
Jim?"
"It's the Lord's truth, Uncle Sim?"
(Continued -next week.)
Agricultural prices in Sweden are
bower than at the same time last
year, despite a guaranteed price, ef-
fective June 1 1934, on which pres-
ent prices necessarily are based.
For the three months' ended Octs-
her, 945,748 cwt. -of bran, shorts, etc.,
were exporte-d frond Canada as a-
gainst 661.193aewts. in the corres-
Reading period of last year.
Authorities Agree
That tuberculous infection does
not, as a rule, take place in adult
life, but that the disease, breaking
out in later years, is an outcome of
child infection -the dormant germ
only awaiting some run-down con-
dition, some lowering of vitality, to
break into activity, authorities now
agree. • -- .
Children are especially suscept-
ible to infection; there is scarcely
a chalice ofescapeif the,,,• hare al-
lowed to remain in the omes of
the tUberculous.. ,'e have, there-
fore, in this disease a vital child.
problem. Guard them from contact
with consumptives. Keep them in
the fresh air -day and night; cleanse
and nourish their bodies so that
they may grow up strong. healthy
men and women, and the fight
against consumption will be won.
For children already infected
there is the Queen Mary Hospital
where they should be taken without
delay, for only through such treat-
ment as is afforded at this institu-
tion, is there hope of recovery.
As this hospital is maintained
largely by voluntary contri'oution3
-please send your gift to George
A. Reid, Treasurer, Queen Mary
Hospital for Consumptive children.
223 College Street, Toronto 2.
•.----- - • - • ^ -
.LONDON AND WINGHAM
South.
Wingh P.M.
m.
1.53
Belgra -e 2.11.
CLBioliinilittihaenshoro ' .. 2.23
2.30
Brucefield 3.27
Kippen 3.35
Hensall 3.41
&le-01er 3.55
North.
A.M.
Exeter 10.42
Hensall 10.55 '
Kippen 11.01
Brucefield 11.09
Clinton 11.54
Londesboro 12.10
Blyth 12.19
Belgrave 12.30
Winghain 12.50
C. N. R.
East.
Goderich
Clinton
Seaforth
Dublin
Mitchell
West.
Dublin
eeaforth
clinton
Goderich
A.M.
6.45
7.08
7.22
7.33
7.42
11.19
11.34
11.50
12.10
C. P. Rd TIME TABLE
East.
Goderich
Menset
McGaw
Auburn
Blyth
Walton
McNaught
Tbroeto
West.
Toronto
McNaught
Walton
Blyth
Auburn
McGaw
Menget
Goderich
1
P.M.
2.30
3.00
3.13
3.31
3.43
9.32
9.45
9.59
10.25
A.M.
5.50
5.55
6.04
6.11
6.25
6.40
6.52
10.25
A.M.
7.40
11.48.
12.01
12.12
12.28
12.8
1
12.46
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