Balmoral Hall School - Optima Anni Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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13 S P 0 R TS D A Y and the white spray of the falls rising in the air. Then the chug of an old motor startled him. Again the old station wagon followed. He drew aside to let it pass and as it did so, he noticed a sign on the car: ''Commandant-Gibson Re- serve. Just an old Indian going home, Joe mut- tered with relief. He stopped the car and pulled a map out of his pocket. This had been given to him by a cell-mate at the Penitentiary. Tom was half Indian and knew the country well. The map showed where he could steal a boat, and the route up the river to a fisherman's shack that he could use for a hideout. He decided to abandon the car and walk to the cottage. Tom said the owners were there only at weekends and the boat would be at the dock. Torn had chopped wood for the people and knew their habits. Joe hurried along the road and was happy to meet no one. Sure enough, there was the cottage Tom had described, and no one was in sight. He ran down to the dock, pulled the cover off the motor, started it, and drove up the river at full speed. It was a beautiful calm day and the peace was broken only by the roar of the powerful motor. A proud sea gull flew overhead and shrieked in his best manner, but Joe, driving the boat furiously, did not even bother to look up. He kept up the speed until he had passed all the cottages on the river. He now saw the beauty that Tom had described. He wondered how the tall majestic trees could grow out of the great bare rocks. He slowed the boat and looked for a place to land. The river narrowed, and the current became swift. He passed through a channel which had been cut through the rocks, and found a place to land. He felt that he must be near the shack now. There seemed to be a trail through the woods. He followed it, hastening silently along the blanket of pine needles. Then he noticed a very old unpainted cabin which looked deserted. He opened the door slowly. Standing quietly with a gun in his hand was the old Indian he had seen in the station wagon. He smiled, Been expecting you, Joe. Figured that nephew of mine, Tom, would send you here. Cl Y V V V X 97, What haxe vou ot a vun for, old man. Joe - D snlckered. The old Indian was smiling no longer. I am chief here, young man. The police will be along in a minute. JESSICA RATTHAY?Gl'1lCl6 VIII A Winter Scene The field was covered with a blanket of snowg The sun had gone down with a last red glow, And all was still. Then suddenly the silence was gone, As across the snow leapt a doe and fawn. They were breathing hard and their eyes showed fear, And they bounded away in wild career, And all was still. Then there suddenly came an eerie howl, And shadowy wolves began to prowl. We heard a scream, and nothing more, And all was still. RIARGARET BERRY-Gl'Lid8 VIII

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12 again, but was interrupted by the flustered little school nurse who bustled into the room muttering, Oh dear! What a time for Sandra to sprain her ankle! She will never be able to ski at Lake Placid next weekend! Oh dear! Carol and Sheila groaned and slowly returned to their room. There, they were joined by Dale Phillips, the fourth member of their ski team, and they began to discuss Sandra's accident. No one gave a thought to delicate, blue-eyed Greta Helvitia who listened attentively and soon dis- covered that a ski team must be composed of four girls in order to be eligible for the Slalom Race at Lake Placid. Greta was almost completely ignored by Dale, Carol, and Sheila during the next three days as they tried to find a fourth skier. The slalom run behind the school was excellent but it appeared cruelly steep and treacherously bumpy, and not many girls would even attempt it. Although she was a brilliant student and laboured continuously to please everyone, there was something lacking in Greta's life at Eagle Mount. She did not converse with the other girls because her slight Swiss accent seemed to embarrass her. She did not partake in any school activities, but one evening when the girls had almost given up hope of skiing at Lake Placid, Greta approached Carol. I would like to help you, she stuttered. I could be the fourth member of your team, if you would let me. My father is sending my skis, and they should arrive tomorrow. The quiet simplicity of the girl made an impression on the bold Carol Austin, but she could not understand why such a shy, self- conscious creature could ever hint that she was worthy of being on the ski-team. We shall be practising on the slope tomorrow. Bring your skis over and we'll time you, she replied harshly. Greta could not help hearing Dale and Sheila tittering behind her back, or seeing Carol's wink which seemed to say, It will be comical to watch her anyway. Greta's skis arrived just before the appointed time. The ski team was standing at the base of the slope and the red fiags of the slalom course fiapped in the breeze. Mrs. Lewis, standing with the girls, was the first to sight Greta at the summit of the hill. Carol signalled her to begin and started the timer. Zigzagging between the poles, the Swiss girl made the slalom look easy. The snow flew up about her on all sides making her look like a spectre flying through the air. Each manoeuvre came naturally to her, and she soon passed the girls, her skis whirring merrily across the glistening powder. The ski team looked wide-eyed at the clock which proved that her time surpassed Sandrafs best by fourteen seconds. Sheila, Dale, and Carol ran to congratulate her. Mrs. Lewis smiled and felt glad that she had not told them that Greta's father owned a ski resort in Zermatt, Switzerland, and that Greta had had expert teaching in skiing all her life. It was better for Greta to overcome her shyness, and better for the other girls to learn that, just be- cause a person does not boast does not mean she is not talented. SUSAN RILEY-Grade IX Prize- winning Story- Intermediate Literary Competition Pastimes Climbing rocky cliff-sides, Running home to tea, Walking over warm sands, Swimming in the sea, Swinging in the back yard, Sitting in a tree, Lying in the long grass- These appeal to me. DORA Dmrrsrmn-Grade X The Fugitive We interrupt this programme to give a special announcement. Joe Martin, an armed robber, escaped from Lyndale Penitentiary at five o'clock this morning. The man is twenty-one years of age 5 weight one hundred and Hfty pounds g height five feet, nine inches, brown hair, gray eyes, and a scar on his right cheek. He was seen in a stolen car, racing toward the Muskoka resort country. Anyone having information . . . Joe snapped the car radio off angrily. This was getting on his nerves. Every car that followed behind him seemed suspicious. Finally all the cars but one turned off on different roads. This car was an old station wagon. No cop would drive an old crate like that, Joe told himself. After a while Joe reached the outskirt of the village of Bala. Here he passed a few cottages and motels scattered amongst the trees along the strolled along warm summer shores of Long Lake. Tourists toward the village, enjoying the day. As he approached the centre of the village, he noticed the Provincial Police car. Were they watching for him? There was no time to find out. He turned sharply along a side road, and raced across the railroad tracks just in time to miss a long, slow, freight train. Well, that takes care of the police for a. while, Joe muttered. Only then did he notice the beauty around him. All colours of wild flowers carpeted the side of the road. Huge trees formed an arch overhead. Through the trees he saw the blue water of Moon River sparkling in the sunlight,

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14 A New Day The moon has left a silver trail Across the midnight sky. The stars are quickly growing dim Now that the dawn is nigh. Then gradually the stars grow dim And seem to take their fiight, In other distant lands to shine- The watchers of the night. And now the sun is springing up, A glory in the east. As though it had been fastened there Then suddenly released. Then birds begin to sing their songs, And trees begin to sway, For they are now all heralding God's gift-a brand new day! BRENDA SIMMIE-Grade IX Prize-winning Poem- Intermediate Literary Competition Unexpected Visitor The wind seemed to assault the trees on the boulevard. The base of the houses seemed to be torn apart by the onrushing violence. The hail- stones tapped against the window pane and fell on the ground like beads of a broken necklace. Sandy Anderson tried to read to forget the wild storm. The reckless wind howled through the fireplace and made her shudder. Although she had a sweater on and a woollen blanket around her legs, her blood seemed to freeze within her veins. The swaying limbs of the trees outside made shadows on the wall which moved like dancing monsters, making Sandy cringe with fear. She heard a noise and raced to the window to see what it was. It was only the neighbour's cat mewing pitifully at its mis- fortune in being left out in the rain. She went back and sank down on the sofa, wrapped the blanket more firmly around her legs, and settled down to read. Wild monsters with orange faces and green hair kept creeping through her mind. The book she was reading had gradually lost its interest ever since her parents went out. Impatiently she slammed the book closed and threw it into the darkness of the corner. Her dog was lying in that unfortunate corner and yelped at being maltreated in that way. Sandy fairly flew to the unlucky spot to seek forgiveness from her playfellow. He wagged his tail furiously and licked her hand sympathetically. With a reassuring pat, Sandy sauntered out to the kitchen and left him to his nap. Silently, she ransacked the cupboards and made the most mouth-watering jam sandwich imaginable. Just as she was sinking her teeth into a sweet, moist Hood of jam and bread, she heard a gentle knock on the door. With her mouth full, she muttered that it was completely her imagination. A few moments later, a second knock was heard, but this time more impatient and abrupt. The knife she was holding clattered to the floor. An icy hand seemed to clutch the pit of her stomach. More monsters drifted and danced through her mind. Cautiously she picked up a metal tray which was lying near her shaking hand. She crept silently to the door. Her dog whined and whimpered as if in fear for his mistress's safety. On the way to the door she glanced at her face in a mirror. It looked like a fresh bank of snow. She swallowed uncomfortably when she heard the knock again. She slowly directed her shaking hand to the doorknob. She found courage and flung open the door, ready to hit the unlucky night- caller over the head with the tray. The tray slid from her hands. Through wind and rain I come! proclaimed the visitor, to help you with the mathematics you had trouble with this morning, laughingly ended Sandy's friend, Judy, as she stepped inside. PAMELLA KAYsER-Grade VIII ONE fvfouh' 0OfV6, ,-:vue -ro 60 f 9 if Qx V n fre?-X J fi i 1 Kgli Q'Q'o',j j., 1' N4g A Q 1 Q ,. . if -m SUZANNE EVANS-GRADE XI The Great Moment Amak was now seventeen and had reached manhood according to the ways of the Eskimos. Tomorrow he would start off on his first seal hunt unaccompanied by his father. When he returned, he would marry Toushi, the girl with whom he had been paired since her birth. His