Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

100 ° ‘THE ARGOSY. Hi came up to the Landing that afternoon, and stopped in at old Bob’s home. When Carrie asked him if he had heard the news, he colored up and expressed the same opinion as Ab Thompson, that “ Tom had only been made constable so that he could catch Hi for killing deer out of season and land him in jail.” ) The girl naturally defended the man to whom she had so lately plighted her troth, and said further: “ Hi, if you’d only brace up and be somebody like Tom, you’d please every one who cares for you a great deal more than doing as you do, just tak- ing life easy.” “ But, Carrie, I work hard winter and summer.” “Yes, but why weren’t you made constable?” returned the girl. “ Because I kill deer out of season, that’s why.”’ Hi looked down at the girl beside him with just a bit of the outlaw’s bravado in the expression of his face. “ You don’t like me no less for that, do you, Carrie?” . She couldn’t help smiling at the honest look of trust, for the thought passed through her mi .« that this law breaker was confessing his misdeeds to the promised wife of a game constable. Hiram mistook the smile for one of encouragement in his lawless shoot- ing and went on: ‘What would Tom say if he knew what I’m going to do tonight. I’ve made a salt lick back near Toad Pond. Making licks is against the law, you know. ‘Then I’m ; oing to watch there tonight with a jacklight. That’s also against the law. ‘Thirdly, as the judge would say, if I was caught, which I won’t do, Ill be shooting out of season, and, lastly, I’m going to use buck- shot. Now, how’s that for a combination of busting the shooting laws?” and Hiram threw back his head and laughed in his hearty, whole souled way. Carrie didn’t laugh. She sat still looking out up the lake, thinking the only evil thought that ever came into the girl’s mind. She tried to make it her duty to tell Tom of what Hi was going to do that night, but she knew perfectly, the word duty only concealed the idea that if Tom caught Hiram, the latter could not come into her life with that true blue nature of his that she couldn’t help loving, until she was married and had closed her heart to the old love forever. “ What the matter, Carrie? You look as if I’d been caught and was being locked up for a year. Don’t you want me to do it?” In her soul the girl wanted to warn the lad against the risk he was going to take that night, but she crushed her natural impulse with the words: “Ves I do,” “ for then Tom’ll catch you,” she said to herself. Then aloud again: “ But what do you want to take all that trouble for? Don’t you kill enough in the daytime? ” “Yes but I’ve been seeing big bucks’ tracks up near Toad. Then, since Tom’s a constable, it’ll be better not to hunt in the daytime with the chances of meeting him and accidentally mistaking him for a deer, you know,” and a knowing look came into Hiram’s eyes. “ What! Hi Chester, do you mean that you’d be a murderer, besides the . . worst breaker of the law on the lake? Then you call yourself a fair man, and GOH GoOOO ‘SS COLNT