Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-02-04
CHAPTER LII.

CHAPTER II.
We had been at the shooting box in
the Cardinal Woods five days when
telegram was brought to Barris by a
mounted messenger from the nearest
telegraph station, Cardinal Springs,
a hamlet on the lumber railroad which
joins the Quebec e Northern at Three
Rivers Junction, 80 miles below.
Pierpont and l were sitting out un-
der the trees, loading some special
shells as experiment; Barris stood be-
side us, bronzed, erect, holding his
pipe carefully so that no sparks should
drift into our powder box. The beat
of hoofs oyer the grass aroused us,
and when the lank messenger drew
bride before the door Barris stepped
forward and took the sealed telegram.
When he had torn it open he went into
the house and presently reappeared,
reading something that he had writ
ten.
This should go at once" he said,
looking the messenger full in the face.
'At once, Col. Barris," replied the
shabby countryman.
Pierpont glanced up and l smiled at
the messenger, who was gathering his
bride and settling himself in his stir
rups. Barris handed him the written
reply and nodded good-by; there was
a thud of hoofs on the greensward, a
jingle of bit and spur across the gravel
and the messenger was gone. Barris
pipe went out and he stepped to wind
ward to relight it.
1T is queer" said l. that your mes
senger-a battered native-should
speak like Harvard man."
''He is a Harvard man." said Barris.
And the plot thickens," said Pier
pont; are the Cardinal woods full of
your secret service men, Barris?"
NO" replied Barris, but the tele-
graph stations are. How many ounces
of shot are you using, Roy?"
| told him, holding up the adjust
able steel-measuring cup. He nodded.
After moment or two he sat down
on campstool beside us and picked
up a crimper.
THAT telegram was from Drum
mond," he said 'the messenger was
one of my men, as you two bright lit
tie boys OWNED. Pooh! If he had
spoken the Cardinal county dialect
you wouldn't have known"
His makeup was good" said Pier
pont.
Barris twirled the crimper and
looked at the pile of loaded shells.
Then he picked up one and crimped it.
Let 'em alone" said Pierpont; (;
tyou crimp too tight"
"Does his little gun kick when the
shells are crimped too tight?" in
quired Barris tenderly; well, he shall
crimp his own shells then-wheTe's
his little man."
His little man" was a weird Eng
lish importation, stiff, very carefully
scrubbed, tangled in his aspirates,
named Hewlett. AS valet, gilly, gun
bearer and crimper he aided Pierpont
to endure the ennui of existence by
doing for him everything except
breathing. Lately, however, Barris'
taunts had driven Pierpont to do few
things for himself To his astonish-
ment he found that cleaning his own
gun was not a bore, so he timidly
loaded a shell or two, was much
pleased with himself, loaded some
more, crimped them and went to
breakfast with an appetite. So when
Barris asked where "his little man"
was. Pierpont did not reply, but dug a
cupful of shot from the bag and poured
it solemnly into the half-filled shell.
Old David came out with the dogs,
and of course there was a pow-wow
when Voyou, my Gordon, wagged his
splendid tail across the loading table
and sent dozen unstopped cartridges
rolling over the grass, vomiting pow
der and shot.
'Give the dogs a mile or two" said
I; 1--WE will shoot over the Sweet Fern
Covert about four o'clock, David"
Two guns, David" added Barris.
Are you not going?" asked Pier
pont, looking up, as David disappeared
with the dogs.
Bigger game said Barris, shortly.
He picked up mug of ale from the
tray which Hewlett had just set down
beside us and took a long pull We
did the same, silently. Pierpont set
his mug on the turf beside him and
returned to his loading.