LITMIR.BIZ

      CHAPTER XLI.

       BIG GABE.

       Table of Contents

      The big man roared and raged, but he did not do any shooting.

      "I'll see yer ag'in," he shouted, "an' burn my eyebrows, ef I don't make yer settle fer this yar!"

      Then he saw the mounted boys on the opposite side of the cove, and he stared at them inquiringly.

      "Wa-al," he shouted, "who be you, an' what do yer want?"

      "We will meet you and make an explanation," Frank shouted back.

      The two lads began riding along the shore of the cove, and the big man moved to meet them, regarding them with no little suspicion.

      They finally met at the head of the cove, where the giant stood, with folded arms, scowling blackly at them.

      A short distance away two dust-covered horses were standing, hitched to trees, their heads hanging low, while they still breathed heavily.

      They were the animals abandoned by the man and girl.

      "Ef you youngsters want ter steal anything, ye'd best mosey outer this yar part uv ther kentry," growled the big man, sullenly. "First it's a gang uv pleasure seekers thet comes an' takes my sailboat, then it's a man an' gal thet kerries off my canoe, an' next it's two boys as ain't got anything yit, but looks like they want something."

      "We do," palpitated Frank. "We want some kind of a boat in which to follow those people—the man and the girl."

      "Wa-al, yer won't git it."

      "We will pay you—we have plenty of money."

      "Ter thunder with yer money! What duz Gabe Blake want uv money! All I want is ter be let alone. Ther fust crowd promised me money fer my boat, but I told 'em ter take her an' bring her back before night. They took her, an' I ain't seen hide ner ha'r uv 'em sense. Ther man an' ther gal took my canoe without askin' leave."

      "They left those horses——"

      "Burn their hawses! What do I want uv hawses! Hawses ain't no good harabouts. Ther fust gang left four hawses, an' I've got ther critters ter feed. Hyar's two more! Burn ther hawses!"

      It was plain the giant was in anything put a pleasant frame of mind. He scowled blackly at the boys.

      "If you will furnish us with a boat——" began Frank.

      "Ain't got no more boats. Can't go out fishin'. An' I'm too blamed lazy ter build another boat. Built ther sailboat an' canoe afore I got lazy livin' hyar. Man thet lives hyar six weeks gits too blamed lazy ter work. What 'm I goin' ter do when I want ter go out fishin'?"

      Bart Hodge made a gesture of dismay.

      "Do you know where we can get a boat?" he asked.

      "Thar's none round hyar."

      "Then we cannot follow that man and girl?"

      "Not 'less yer kin walk on ther water."

      "It's hard luck," declared Frank. "I did not believe they would be able to slip us."

      "What did yer want uv 'em?" asked the big man, his curiosity getting the better of his anger.

      Frank dismounted.

      "Might as well get off and give the horses a breathing spell, Bart," he said. "They are blowed."

      "But the party pursuing us—what of them?"

      "Let them come."

      "Are you going to give up thus easily?"

      "No; but I am not going to run like a criminal. Why should I? Let them come."

      "You do not mean to fight?"

      "Not if a regular officer attempts my arrest."

      "What they goin' ter arrest yer fer, youngster?" asked the man, becoming still more curious. "Hev yer bin stealin' hawses?"

      "No."

      "Wa-al, yer needn't tell ef yer don't want ter!" resentfully said the giant. "I don't keer."

      "I will tell you the whole story," said Frank. "When you have heard it you may be able to advise us about continuing the pursuit."

      Bart dismounted, and the boys sat down on the ground. The man took a seat near at hand, and brought forth a cob pipe, which he leisurely filled and lighted. He was brawny, weather-tanned, and healthy in appearance. He did not look like a person who had ever seen an hour of illness.

      "Fire away, youngster," he urged. "Somehow, I kinder take ter you. You've got an honest face on yer, burn me ef yer hain't!"

      Frank expressed thanks for the compliment, and then, as concisely and plainly as possible, he told of his experiences since meeting the girl on the train.

      The big man listened closely, his interest growing each minute. When the boy had finished, the man slapped his thigh and cried:

      "Brand me deep ef I don't reckon ye've guv it ter me fair an' squar! I know somethin' about this yar gang uv queer-makers."

      "You do?"

      Both lads ejaculated the words.

      "You bet!"

      "What do you know?"

      "I hev heard ez how they has a young gal who is queen uv ther band, an' she shoves ther queer on ther market fer them."

      "Is that all?" asked Frank, with a trace of disappointment.

      "Hold yer critters!" advised the big man, with a lazy wave of one hand. "Don't git too oneasy. I said I know something erbout 'em. What I told yer wuz what I had heard."

      "Well, tell us what you know."

      "See them mountains over thar, beyond ther lake, right whar I'm p'intin'?"

      "Yes."

      "Purty wild place over thar."

      "Well?"

      "Thet's whar ther den uv them thar counterfeiters is."

      Frank clutched the man's arm, his face full of eagerness.

      "How do you know?"

      "I hev bin over thar."

      "What did you discover?"

      "Say, I don't keer ter mix in no rows, an' so I ain't troubled myself ter inform on 'em."

      "But you will tell us what you discovered? We will pay——"

      "Pay be derned! I tell yer I don't keer a hoot erbout money. Ef I git enough ter buy some terbacker an' clothes, an' sech provisions ez I want, thet's all I ask. I don't keer how much bad money is in circulation, an' thet's why I ain't meddled with them critters. Ef I blowed, they might take a notion ter call on me, some time, an' make it derned onpleasant fer me."

      The hopes of the boys dwindled.

      "But think what it may mean to me—my liberty, honor, everything!" cried Frank. "You must understand the situation in which I am placed."

      "I do. Ef them critters hedn't run off with my boat, I might hev kept my mouth shet; but now, burn me deep, ef I don't git squar!"

      The hopes of the lads rose again.

      "I'll tell yer whut I found over thar," the big man went

Скачать книгу