Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-07-27
4 SAVAGE RooI HATE.
CHAPTER /


"If / only had decent gun, now" MUIR
INJURED Dick Tobin half aloud. Here's
the shootin' season just comm on, an all
I've got is that old muzzle-loader pap and
grandpap used in their time. An Jim
Ferris says fifteen dollars will buy dandy
breech-loader down at town. 1t might as
well be fifty dollars. Pap won't give me
money, SO there's an end of it.
From the old tavern window where
Dick stood the clearing sloped to the
rivers edge, and beyond the sparkling
stream, rubbed into rippies by the rude
autumn breezes, rose the forest all golden
and scarlet in the afternoon sun, stretching
away in sloping hillsides and sharp ridges
until 1t faded dimly into the blue October
haze. 1t was view suggestive of hunt
ing, and to Dick it was doubly tantalizing,
for well he knew that over in the woods
and hollows the pheasants and rabbits
were rustling the dead leaves, and up on
the sunny slopes the quail were feeding.
Dick was only seventeen, but from the
time he was ten years old he had handled
gun, and the free outdoor life in his
mountain home had given him perfect
knowledge of woodcraft.
His father had kept the old tavern for
more years than Dick could remember 1t
was really only a backwoods store, where
the few lumbermen at the settlement and
the trappers in the neighborhood bought
powder and shot, tea and tobacco. Once
in great while belated trapper or a
hunter from the far-of cities stopped over
night.
Jake Tobin's tavern it was still called,
though no strong drink had been sold
there for years. Dicks mother had died
when he was baby, and Dick had vague
knowledge that the cessation of the liquor
traffic dated from that sad event.
On this particular October afternoon
river salmon fishing and would hardly
return before sundown. No customer had
been near the store all day, SO Dick had
plenty of time to think, and all he thought
about was that much-coveted gun that
Jim Ferris had described to him. He
fully understood the possibilities of a
breech loader, for with his old musket he
had missed many fine chance through
loss of time in reloading, and he really
felt as though life would in future be all
bitterness without that much desired gun.
So he continued to stare very gloomily out
on the autumn landscape, the little frown
on his brow deepening as the faint report
of gun echoed once or twice over the dis
tart hills, tantalizing sound in his pres
ent frame of mind.
Presently the creaking sound of wheels
caused him to forget his troubles and, run
70 =
down the rough mountain road lumber
wagon driven by two grizzled old mount
aineers, Silas Heck and Luke Carter. As
they drove up to the tavern door Dick
noticed in the bottom of the wagon what
appeared to be big wooden box.
"Hullo, there, youngster. Is your pap
in?" demanded Luke Carter, jumping to
the ground and hitching the mule to a
young sapling.
"No, he's gone fishin'," replied Dick.
"Gone a-fshin', be's he?" cried Luke.
He hesitated moment and then said
briskly: "Wa-al, | reckon you'll do jist as
well. You see me an Silas here is goin'
down ter town tomorrow, an we hev a
package to put up here over night. We
got panther in that there box. Catched
it in a trap day afore Yesterday, and we
ought tersgit a good price fur it, bein' it's
alive an kickin'. Jest tell US whar to put
it an we'll tote it. right inside. 1t won't
do ter leave it outdoors, fur all the dogs In
the settlement'll get wind of it."
'Get out, you brute,D he cried, swapping
his whip at a angy-looking hound that
had come up unseen and was shifting about
the wagon with bristling hair.
Dick looked at the big box with sudden
interest. He hardly knew what answer to
make, for no guest of that kind had ever
been accommodated at the tavern before.
"Hurry up, youngster," cried Luke
'Ifs gettin' late an we're goin' across the
river ter Bill Williams yet ter night"
"Bring her in, then" said Dick, 'tan' put
it in the room at the end of the hall"
Luke and Silas wanted no further invita-
tion. With much putting and blowing
they carried the box up the porch and
showed it roughly along the hall Dick
ran ahead and opened The door. 1t was a
snail apartment, furnished with rude
bed, but there was no other place in the
house, and Dick certainly didn't want the
animal in the store-room. So the cage was
showed up against the wall, and they all
came out and shut the door.
"You needn't feed it, youngster," said
Luke. at was fed this mornin', and that'll
do till ter morrow"
They put up the mule and the wagon in
the tumble-down barn at the rearof the
house to wait on their return a couple of
days later, and then started off to visit
their old crony across the river, promising
to appear bright and early in the morning,
for they were going down to the town,
forty miles away, in a batteau.
They had hardly been gone ten minutes
when Dick saw his father coming up the
slope with gun on his arm
"Pve been follerin' flock of quail fur a
mile back, Dick" he said, as he entered
the tavern, San | didn't get a shot. / left
the boat down at the mouth of 'Possum
Run, an | guess you'd better go down an
bring it up. Don't lose the fish. There's
pair of the biggest salmon you ever seen,
an a fine lot of bass besides" Dick started
away at once, forgetting all about the
panther in his eagerness, and Mr.. Tobin,
Sr., pulling off his big boots, was about to
light his pipe and enjoy good rest when
shadow darkened the DOORWAY, and, look
ing up, he saw before him the tall, gaunt
figure of Torpetus Van Killing, an old trap
per, who lived some miles back in the
heart Of the mountains. He responded to
the tavern-keeper's greeting with brief
"Howdy, jake and, calling for pound
of crackers and a slice of cheese, he sat
down on the counter and began to MUNICH
them slowly.
"Bound fur town." asked Jake finally.
eYes," said the trapper, with his mouth
full "goin' down fur powder an shot," A
moments silence, and then Jake said
slowly, with an injured air: "You can buy
it right hyer on the spot. You ought to
patronize home trade, Torpetus."
The trapper took another bit of cracker
and said slowly: "Yes, an pay fort twict
over. Times air hard, Jake, an money is
money" and with this oracular assertion
Torpetus slowed the balance of his lunch
into his big pocket and rose to his feet.
kin ! hev nights lodgin'?" he de-
manded.
81 'spose So" said Jake. "Air ye ready
ter turn in?"
"Yes, ! reckon 1 am, fur I'll start afore
daylight"
"Waal, the beds ready. You kin find
yure way. Straight down the hall, fust
door. Mebbe you'll hev a., candle, Tor
petus; thar's no light, you know; only that
small winder up along the WALL,
The trapper secuted the idea of light,
and, hanging his rifle on the deer antlers