CHAPTER XV.
THE FOX FARMER.
"Say, this is the greatest venison I ever tasted!" declared Bumpus,after he had disposed of his share, and sighed to think that the rulesof the game debarred him from having a second piece; because they hadhad a bumper supper only a few hours before.
"Just dandy!" added Giraffe, who was in the same class as his fatcampmate, and would have been only too glad for an invitation to "cut,and come again."
"Oh!" exclaimed Step Hen, suddenly, "I reckon we've got to congratulateyou, Giraffe."
"Me? Er, what d'ye mean, Step Hen?" replied the tall scout, at the sametime beginning to look a trifle confused.
"Why, you know you told us we'd be _surprised_ when we got back,"the other went on to say, a little maliciously; "and I reckon you'vegone and done it at last; and now you're ready to show us just how easyit works."
Bumpus could not refrain for the life of him from giving a sarcasticchuckle, which of course added to the evident embarrassment of Giraffe;who, however assumed a serious air upon making his reply.
"Well,--er--not exactly, Step Hen. I've got her figgered out all right,in my mind, so that in the morning I c'n go ahead, and work out thedetails. I calculate a short half hour ought to see me wind up in just ablaze of glory. But just yet it's a toss-up who the ice-cream's going tobe on, Bumpus or me."
"Oh! I ain't worrying even a little mite," asserted the confidentBumpus.
"Well, you wait and see!" declared Giraffe, defiantly. "You don't allknow what I've got up my sleeve. The feller that laughs last laughsloudest, they say. And I give you all fair warning that's going to beme."
Meanwhile Thad managed to get in close touch with Jim Hasty. When theothers were joking, and having a merry time, he was wondering how theguide's little affair had been working out.
Many hours had passed since he had seen Jim, and he wondered whether thelatter could have had any further communication from Old Cale, or evenrun across the father of his wife in the pine woods.
Jim was looking a little more serious than ever; but so far as Thadcould discover there was nothing about him to indicate that he had beenin violent collision with an enemy. And there were both his ears intheir proper places; which fact might be taken as positive proof thatthe giant poacher had at least so far not attempted to carry out histerrible threat.
Jim seemed to know what was passing through the boy's mind; for hesmiled faintly, and shook his head in the negative.
"Nothing new happened, then, Jim?" questioned the patrol leader.
"Naw. I hain't been far from camp the hull blessed day; an' consequentlynever had no chanct tew run up against Pa Martin," replied the other."But I'm more sot than ever tew see him face tew face, afore I quitsthis here region. It's jest _gut_ tew be done, else I wudn't hevther nerve tew face Little Lina agin. She made me promise; an' bythunder! nawthin' hain't agoin' tew skeer me off. If he doan't hunt meout, by ding! I'll take a turn at hit, an' find Cale Martin myself, efso be I gotter tramp all the way tew his shack, wich I knows on'y tewwell."
"Good for you, Jim!" said Thad, admiringly; "but I suppose youunderstand what risk you're taking in trying that game? From all I'veheard about Cale Martin, he's surely a terror; and then the threat hemade about your ears would be enough to scare most men away."
Jim drew a long breath as he answered this.
"Lot's o' people doan't know Ole Cale like I does. He hain't so blacknor they jes' paints him. Them game wardens is afeerd o' him, and theypiles all kinds o' things on his shoulders thet he hain't no business tokerry."
"Yes, I've heard before about giving a dog a bad name, and then he hasto bear the sins of the whole neighborhood," remarked Thad. "There isnever a sheep killed but that Dog Tray is the guilty one. And so youthink Cale isn't altogether so bad as we've heard?"
"He's a big man, and he's gut an' _orful_ temper; but it's them tewcritters he goes with thet's the wust cases. They jest draw him interslick games, Cale, he'd never think o' tryin', left by hisself. But weheerd as haow he's struck a new thing, if so be he on'y knows enuff terkeep it agoin', an' shakes them other fellers. An' if anybody kin make asuccess o' fox raisin', I jest guess Cale is ther man, 'cause he knowsall erbout the slick little varmints from A ter Z."
"Fox raising?" exclaimed Thad, at once deeply interested. "Tell me aboutthat, Jim. Seems like it ought to be worth while listening to."
"Why," said Jim, apparently only too well pleased to say something infavor of the big and reckless parent of his little wife; "yer see,thar's a company as hes been formed away daown in Bosting, tew raisefoxes o' all kinds, jest tew git the pelts. I s'pose yew knows as haowthem skins air agittin' more valerable every blessed year. More peopletew wear furs, an' less animals tew give 'em. Why, thar was twelvehundred dollars paid fur a black fox pelt jest last Spring; an' I seenthe check with my own eyes."
"Yes," Thad went on, deeply interested. "I've understood that tremendousprices were being paid out for that scarce skin; but is Cale meaning totry and raise black or silver foxes for the market? I was told byseveral people that they considered the silver fox only a freak, andthat they would never breed true to species. How about that, Jim?"
"I've allers hed an ijee thet way myself," returned the short guide,scratching his head in a reflective manner; "but Cale, he thinks theother way; an' Cale, he sure knows more about foxes in a day than I wudin a year. Wall, we done heard as haow he hed made a contrack with thiscompany fur a number o' years, tew act as manager o' ther farm. It's inanother part o' ther State; an' when Cale, he leaves here arter a leetlewhile, he never 'spects tew come back again. Wouldn't be surprised naowif he hed a few foxes over tew ther old shack as he means tew kerry awaywith him when he quits up here."
"But do you suppose he'll stick to those two tough characters, and keepthem with him in his new job? Won' they queer his game with the company,Jim?"
"Wall, I doan't know, of course, what his plans be, but Cale, he's agreat feller tew keep his word; an' if so be he's told this company ashe'll run things straight jest believe me they ain't agoin' tew be noplace for them two poachers around _his_ fox farm. He'd run 'em offwith his gun mighty quick. Yes, Cale keeps his word; an' thet's whatmakes me a leetle bit shy 'bout bein' able tew convince him tew leave myears whar they belongs. But Lina, bless her, sez as haow he jest cain'thold aout, when he hears what I gotter tell him; an' Lina, she orterknow."
Thad admired the man more than ever. Just because of his faith in Lina,here was Jim ready to put his head in the lion's mouth, so to speak.Thad suspected that he might be carrying some very importantintelligence to the bearded giant of the pine woods; but whatever itwas, Jim did not take the trouble to enlighten him; and Thad did notreally think he had any business to ask.
After that Jim seemed to lapse into silence, and seeing that he did notappear anxious to continue the talk along lines that concerned hispersonal matters, the scoutmaster turned to the others again.
The hour was now getting rather late, and while those who had remainedin camp during much of the day might not be unusually tired, Step Hengave signs of falling asleep by the fire. Several times his head gave alurch to one side, so that presently Giraffe caught him roughly by thearm.
"See here, d'ye want to take a header square into the blaze, Step Hen?"he demanded, as the other opened his eyes, and looked sleepily at him."I like fires as well as anybody, but excuse me from getting roasted inone. Don't you think he ought to be sent to bed, Mr. Scoutmaster? He'sso logy right now, that the chances are ten to one he'll climb in, andwrap the blanket around his head instead of his feet. Seems like you'llhave to appoint a dry-nurse to look after the poor baby, or else he mayfreeze to death in the night."
But Step Hen did not wait for any permission to retire. He just creptaway, and vanished under the folds of the second tent, which he sharedwith Thad and Davy Jones.
Indeed, the others were that sleepy they declared they would not be longin following his example. Thad himself was the first to get up andstretch.
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br /> "It's late, fellows, and we ought to be turning in, if we want to begood for anything to-morrow. And remember, that if this sort of thingkeeps up, we're going to change the programme, and let every scout havea share in keeping sentry duty, working in couples. It doesn't seemexactly fair that when Eli and Jim have to work all day with thepaddles, or in any other way, they ought to spend half the nightstanding guard. Hello! there's Eli right now, coming in on the trot, asif he had some news for us. What's up, Eli?"
The old guide had been down to the shore of the lake to take a look atthe canoes; and he was plainly bringing some sort of news, if they couldjudge from his hasty steps; and the look of concern on his dark face.
"Canoe comin' along daown yonder; mout be Cale's agoin' ter pay us avisit," he remarked; and his words aroused the sleepy boys as thoroughlyas though they had been ducked with a bucket of ice-water.
They all hastened to step off toward the shore. Bumpus even picked uphis gun, possibly under the belief that there might be a speck of war onthe horizon. Jim looked a trifle uneasy, but there was a grimness in theway he shut his jaws together that told of his set purpose to face themusic somehow or other, before leaving this country of the Eagle Lakes.
"There it comes!" announced Giraffe, in a half whisper, as he pointed tothe left.
They could soon all make out the dim, shadowy canoe that was stealingalong, some little distance from the shore, and evidently bent onpassing the camp.
"I kin jest make out two fellers in her," said Eli, who had sharp eyes.
"I reckon one of them must be Old Cale, then; he seems to be shadin' hiseyes with his hand, alookin' toward our fire, and us astandin' here,"Giraffe went on to say, though no one could be really positive, becausethe light was so poor.
The canoe passed by in this spectral fashion. There was no hail fromthose who sat in the boat, one using the paddle with the usual dexterityof a Maine guide; and of course none of the scouts thought of callingout, knowing who and what the voyagers were.
"I suppose that was Old Cale in the bow?" remarked Thad, after the canoehad faded away.
"An' he was alookin' fur me, I kinder guess," said Jim, mournfully; atthe same time, as if mechanically raising a hand to feel of his ears.