The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-30
The Frisking Of Caribou Joe

sehu EN- my way. l seem 10 De
kind of receiver for all such that's
missed the squirrel house I'm as
handy as a day nursery in a department
store. and as willin' as a new hired girl.
When IL comes TO references, there's
Purdy Pell. I've just been dom stunt
for him that ought to get me a recon-
mend. 1t amt clear to me yet, though,
how I come to be put on the job.
Course, know him more or less, havin-
been out to his place on the sound a few
times, and he's been one of my reg'lars
here at the studio for quite a spell: but
i can't say we ever got real thlch.
Purdy Pell amt that kind. He couldn't
timber up any more'n length or gas
pipe.
Now, Mrs. Purdy Pells just the other
way. She's a borD/miXer, she is: and
so long as it's herfnakeS out the invita-
ton lists, you're liable to run into an
sorts out to RockyWOld. Not that Pur-
dy don't try hard enough TO be sociable;
but unless he gets in with his own kind
he acts about as much to home as an
icicle at May party-you know. one
of them human cold storage plants.
Still even the frostiest of 'em has
their little fads. Trout fishin' is his.
You let anyone come along and open
up about fly rods and click reels and
brush castin', and Purdy thaws out like
a water pipe that's been given the bon
fire test. He's about the last man you'd
look for to develop any sportin blood;
Hut l guess it's there. Every spring he
4oes way off into Maine, where all the
places has names ending in "unticT
and "bago." and stays with the game
a couple of weeks.
Maybe I'd heard about his ,havin'
been up there this year, and maybe
hadn't. The news wouldn't have kept
me awake nights. if l had. But when
10 lNan fh TlaiNT
he seems TO take it for granted that I've
had a full report and know all the de-
tails.
professor McCabe," says he dts
never Shorty with him, always profess
sor). II really don't know what l am
going 10 do about Caribou Joe.
That so?" says /. "Is IL CHAMBERS, or
q touch OF the mango that ails him.?
BEG pardon" says he; y don't get
the connection"
Me either" says I. You was sayin'
something about some Joe or other; but
YOU didn't mention whether he was
trottin' horse or a bulldog"
why" says he. Caribou Joe is my
old trout guide-the best guide in the
Raneeleys-and he is making his first
trip 10 the city"
well" saws |, eff he's a guide he
ought 10 be able to find his way round
a place that's as well labeled as New
York. What's the trouble?"
He is coming as my guest" says
Pell ''and unfortunately there is a d.
rectors' meeting which prevents my
meeting him at the train. as promised
10 do
That's too bad" says /. Now, If |
knew this Joe of yours by sight, I'd
just as soon sub for you as not.
"Oh. you couldn't help knowing HIM
after he had once been described" says
Pen. Besides, have a photo of him
in my pocket. and if il wouldn't be too
much trouble. professor. l should be"
why, sure" says l. "Show us his
map. and I'll try my hand at the re-
trievin' act"
Say, you'd think I'd been stuug
times enough to know better'n that,
wouldn't you? But that first offer of
mine was only a bluff, and when ne
took me up on il unexpected there was
nothin' to do but look cheerful He
= don't leave me any chance to renig.
but starts in givin me a description
and life histry Of this Caribou gent.
Seems that Joe was a French ca
muck who'd drifted over the border into
Maine so long ago that he was almost a
native. and had worked up reputation
i'm the guide business that must have
gone TO his head. AccOrdin' TO Purdy,
Joe could smell trout lyin' under a log
at the bottom OF q twenty-foOt pool and
mesrnerize him into thinkin' he was
hungry for rubber flies. Anyway, this
last trip he'd steered Pell to a place
where he caught 'em big enough so
they didn't need much lynn about, and
Purdy has such a spasm of gratitude
that he turns around and invites Joe to
come down and have a look at the red
dest spot on the chart. Joe s1ies al
first. but after Purdy gets home and
MFRS. Pell hears him tell what wonder
Joe is. she makes him send another in
vite wrapped up in railroad passes.
That fetches him. I'll bet if il had been
a one way pass to the Main Sulphur
Works, Joe wouldn't have missed takin'
a free ride. And he was due on the
O'CLOCK Boston express
TITS awfully kind of you" says Pell.
There isn't another person l could
trust with this Grand: for Joe is such
a wild. impulsive fellow-rather a des-
perate character. fancy. But you have
the knack of managing such"
Say" says l. II didn't know they
grew any bad men up Bangor way
What's his speciality, gun fightin' or
knife carvin'?"
well. really" says Pell. II can't say
that he Is as bad as that. In fact.
have never seen him do anything really
violent or vicious; but have gathered,
from things he has said, that perhaps
he was somewhat VI a. OGSpCl dNC CntlA
acter when he crossed"
'Oh. you got it from him. did your
says /.
He had. He thought. too. there was
n wild strain in Joe that might make
him bloodthirsty at times. if not ham
died right.
"Geei' says I. II hope he don't bring
his appetite for gore all the way TO New
York. I'd look nice. wouldn't l, bein
chased down Fifth avenue by a moss
back from the state of Maine.
But Pell says that as soon as | men
ton his name there won't be any trou-
bic. and all l has to do is to spot Joe
when he gets off the express. steer him
round TO the New Haven local. take him
out to Rockywold, and hand him over
to Mrs. Pell.
So that afternoon finds me over to the
Grand Central waitin in the concourse,
holdin' a snapshot picture in one hand
and lookin' sharp for stoop Shout
dered. long haired gent. with a pair Of
little black eyes, and a grizzly mus
tache long enough TO tie under his chin.
II I hadn't always tended out reg lar
on the sportin' shows at the Garden,
maybe I'd been expectin' somethin' pic
turesque in the why of costume; but
I've seen enough Maine guides to know
20, hi = -aA n