Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 39: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

30 secret of the letter, he switched me off, and made the most natural explanation in the world of his night journey to McVeyville. “You must have had a hard time of it, Jake,” I said with a glow of grati- tude; “for it was as dark as a pocket, and I never traveled over a rougher road.” “ But you see I knowed it so well I could’ve done it with my eyes shut. Now and then one foot went into a hole up to my neck, or I tumbled over a _ rock that I’d forgot about, but that warn't nothing, and I landed in McVey- ville long before daylight. It didn’t take me long to knock up Gaffkins and tell him I[’d come to town to git his pony for a gentleman as was making us a little visit.” “You did splendidly.” “Qh, I don’t know,” replied Jake indifferently; “when I got into the saddle it was fun to set the pony flying up the road. It was rather risky, and he stumbled now and then, but we hadn’t gone very far when day begun breaking, and then it was dead easy. I let him out, and arriv on time. Dad tells me they’ve moved Dick War- man.” I did not catch the meaning of this abrupt remark until the father ex- plained : “Yas; knowing jest where Dick took his dive off his hoss jest *bout time I pulled trigger last night, I went down that way airly this morning to look round: Dick ain’t thar.” “ His friends have removed the body,” I suggested. “Yas; Dick’ll have a reg’lar bang up funeral.” “Wonder if they'll invite us,” re- marked the son, with one of his ex- pansive grins. “ Jacob,” said the mother reproving- ly, “it ain’t right to joke on such things ; 1t would hurt the feelings of his friends fur us to show ourselves at the funeral.”’ “It’s a blamed sight more likely we'd THE ARGOSY. be the ones that would git our feelings hurt.” And, overcome by his own witticism, the Auckland heir stopped eating for a moment, leaned back in his chair, and shook with laughter. CHAPTER IX. THE BI,IND. No time was wasted in preliminaries. The parents understood that I had en- gaged Jake to accompany me upon a little excursion we had in mind and they interposed no .objection, nor did they manifest any curiosity to learn its nature. One of the most striking character-- istics of these mountaineers is the phil- osophy with which they accept the most momentous events. Since there was no saying whether I should return by this route, I took my traveling bag with me, my only weapon being the revolver which had served me well, though it had not seen any active service. I might have se- cured a Winchester in that home of firearms, but preferred to rely upon the smaller weapon. When we started down the mountainside and across the narrow valley to Rattlesnake Ridge, Jake Auckland was a few paces in ad- vance, his cartridge belt buckled round his slim waist and his rifle resting on his shoulder. I couldn’t restrain a feeling of adm1- ration for this lank, muscular youth, who, although only eighteen years old, was as tall as his mother. Unable to read or write, he was versed in the lore of the woods, and fitted to serve as a model for one of Cooper’s border char- acters. What first impressed me was that although he wore the largest and heaviest of cowhide boots, and seemed to walk with his usual gait, he did it with the noiselessness of an Indian warrior stealing through the forest in his moccasins. Crossing the highway reit> ihe eco