The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1909-11-18
GABRIEL PERLEY, GUIDE.
Dy PERSiS WHITE. 81


A
Saoaeas0eo~c~
Gabriel Perley, guide, looked at
nv suitcase suspiciously. l looked at
too. and shuddered. He was thin,
viry and surly, with a mouth like
muscalonge.
"Aint you leaving at a funny
Hme?" he quizzed. His accent was
that Of a French Canadian halfbreed,
and such mongrel he was.
az should wait If 1t weren't for that
business.
'Day after tomorrow" he unused,
fshily
"Yes," | snapped, 81 know when
the season opens as we'll as you do"
Gabriel replied only by taking some
pink gum from his mouth and wrap
ping It in a dirty scrap of birch bark;
Ny eyes, too, were magneted back
to IT,
Look here" he whispered, draw
ing too close and leering horribly;
"you know I'm a poor man. All the
snowshoes l made last winter only
brought me in $50, and that's gone.
And besides, you know I'm onto you
and your game" Here he stopped,
aware that the CLINT of his eyes was
more eloquent than words. "In half
an hour we'll be at Greenville, and
then it will be up to you to take your
choice You can either"
Just at that instant my suitcase fell
on it, side and reeled. Gabriel
laughed
"Confound it," I growled; "these
bathtub boats are all right enough,
but why do they need to play billiards
with the landings like that?"
Gabriel made no answer. The Ka-
tahdin was whiting herself away from
the wharf. I could make out Green
vile nova higgeldy-piggledy town,
In the heart of the great Maine forest.
A noise startled me and l discov-
cred that my suitcase was in Gabriel
Perley's clutches.
Put that down." I stammered.
Gabriel merely glared. ooh, come
on" l added, pulling out my pocket
book; you know just what l am.
There you go. It'll have to be
enough, too.'
Gabriel looked about the empty
deck, then counted the money, while
set my back against him. What
pity, thought, to come at this stage
OF the game to blackmail and brib-
cry!
The guide touched me on the
shoulder. His expression was alto
gether changed; instead of wearing
me bullying, big-chief air. he had
simmered down to a meek cigar-store
Indian.
Just once!" he was pickering,
pointing to the valise.
What do you suppose I paid you
ior' you fool?" l said in a low voice,
peerlng round the deck. Think I'm
going to run the risk of-you know
What-for your sake?"
Gabriel licked his chops. "Oh, let
her go, then. / thought If you
weren't so blamed stingy I'd tell you
astory that would fit your case like a
.neh IN a shotgun. But, anyhow,
'nere amt no time to tell it proper;
wen be tied up at the Greenvllle
"nart in ten minutes"
reflected. Apparently there was
NJ one ON deck. pulled a flask of
s,n from my pocket and thrust 1t into
his hands.
I'm! so you carry 1t round with
'vu' 20 you?" he whined, emptying it
~' a. one gulp. much as one frog
swallows another. Then he began:
used to be something of SNUG
sior myself once. 1t was up at the
L'''ie Fork camp. That's the biggest
Te outht in Aroostook, you know.
v" wen | remember that night!
MI the lumbermen was accusing
naine out for being a milk-and-ice-
r'a pa.er state, and fussing about prohi-
., '''on' Say, that booze of yours is
strong eh?
wen l told 'eIn, l says, l could
se' EN- all the rum they wanted, from
Ta a"aua' II they'd pay me proper.
y 'y says they would, SO started.
IL was an early season. and the ice
% Just beginning to melt. The riv-
at that time of the year, you
oN amt high, but they're liable
set nigh powerful sudden.9
hurry up with your story" ]
-HHNu. We'ra rfubf
already" eA 81 ueen'''ie'
n, ne drunken guide squinted flm-
~ ot me and went on: "Well, / got
e rum at st. Joseph. l knowed a
h.ehchman there and hired him and
a. 'eam and started TO tote the spir-
an, we crossed the American line,
~, Lu GOT to the northwest branch all
me-. tnats where l was a-going To
nv IN loaded the rum into a lum.
an a,aan scow and started down
b,.a me river, as l say, wa'n't
en and the current want swift
lnse 'ne scow want loaded low. so j
o"ed IL was my chance to make
1nSs ume' But was too slow; some
u'ahs told mo there was a posse on
~ uaii In canoes. That settled the
esn" business for me; l borrowed q
da% e from them and shifted my
~., e' That set her darn low in the
,w,eI out l knowed she'd stand /,
sns % got to the Big Thunder Rips
tha nv ,nen callated to cache part OF
- "quor. Geei that suitcase OF
so"fs Is all the tirna eatting ..s
loot, amt it?" ~
Hurryl" begged.
Habriel reeled eastto,,ta+os