Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-06-06
CHAPTER Kill


All fellow-sOjourners in the wilder
ness awaken keen interest. and the nm
broken silence and solitude OF a bound
less forest make a fellow human be-
ing one We are glad TO accost
A party OF lumbermen welding axes
causes one 20 turn aside and call on
them. A sportsman's camp seen on a
lake shore or near q streams bank
always invites a landing 10 interview
whoever may be there.
All this interest was now felt by
Old Cy and Ray. and with it an added
sense OF danger. no friendly hunter
or trapper would thus Ignore them I'm
the woods. This practically minded
thief must have seen them. for the
spruce-clad oval. perhaps half a mile
in width. was comparatively free from
underground where they had been
working. He had crossed 10 within
fairly open sight Of them. had found
the otter hanging from a limb. had
taken e, and thence on 20 rob their
canoe, daub 90 with that hideous EN-
blem. worldwide I'm meaning. and then
had gone on his way. Almost could
old Cy see him watching them from
behind trees. skulking along when
their backs were turned, a low. con
temptible thief
old Cy knew that bordering this
oval ridge on its farther side was a
swamp. that a stream flowed through
II. and surmising that this fellow might
have come up or down this stream, he
left their cabin prepared for two or
three days sojourn away from a..
which meant that food, blankets and
simple cooking utensils must be taken
along
No halt was made 20 visit traps.
Old Cy was trailing bigger game now;
and when the point where they had
left the canoe the day previous was
reached. the canoe was pulled out on
the streams bank. the rifles only taken
and the trailing began. He followed
up the brook valley a little way 70
find that only one track came down !:
he then circled about the canoe. until.
like a hound. he found where the clear
ly defined trail left the swamp again.
Here in the soft carpet under the
I spruce trees one could follow this
trail on the run. and here also Old
Cy found where this enemy had halted
beside trees evidently while watching
them. as the tracks indicated. When
the bordering swamp was reached. the
trail turned IN a westerly direction
Skirting thus for half a mile. and here
also. evidences of skulking along were
visible.
Another trail Was now come upon
but leading directly over the ridge, and
just beyond this juncture both the
trails now joined, entered the swamp
and ended at a lagoon opening out
from the stream. Here. also, evidences
Of a canoe having been hauled up into
the bog were visible.
That sneakin' pirate come up this
stream" Old Cy observed TO Ray, a,
the two stood looking at these unmis
taxable signs. He left his canoe her,
n crossed the ridge above US n dowr
TO whSr we left the otter n on 10 oui
canoe. Then he come back the wa,
We follered, n my idee is he had hi
eye on US most o the time callst'
he has been laughin' ever since a
what we'd say when we found tina
mud daub on our canoe. durn himl"
But their canoe was now q half-mil,
away. and for a little time Old c!
looked at the black. currentless stream
and considered. Then he glanced "
at the sun.
I've a notion we'd best fetch ou
canoe over here" he said at last, ~an
follow this thief a spell farther w
may come on to suthin'."
Wont he shoot at us?" returne'
Ray. more impressed by this possible
danger than was Old Cy.
wal, mebbe and mebbe not" ST
swered the old man. "Shootin's a gam
two kin play at. an we've list ez 500
a right 10 foller the stream ez he has.
But when their canoe had been cal
ried over and launched in this lagoon
Rays spirits rose. II was an exped
ton into new waters, somewhat yer
turesome, and for that reason it al
pealed to him.
Then they had two rifles; Old G
had taught him TO shoot; he had a
ready killed one deer and some small
er game. and the go-west-and -kill-II
dian impulse latent in all boys was
part Oi nay hdluiC' DcSiuoss
had an unbounded faith IN Old Cy'
skill with the rife.
For two hours they padded alon
this serpentine highway, and then IN
vastness Of this morass began TO in
press them. No sign OF current Ia
been met. All view OF the spruc,
grown upland they had left was oil
secured by distance. Now and then
dead tree bleached and spectra