Elk City mining news., 1913-07-03
y, 5LETCE3EP RODINSON

Is S|5T/'TTT
tinueo the little man. with benevo-
ieht interest
There was still no reply.
Il understand the foxes are very
troublesome.
Warner threw down his spade and
strode up TO where we stood. His
eyes mad in them the dumb agony OF
wild thing in trap
Il am a married man, SIR" ne said.
For my wife's sake take me away
quietly"
Il have not come to arrest you,
Jake Warner" said Peace IF you
are responsible for your masters
death, IL was by sheer accident. But
the question is, are you responsible ?'
No. sir, am not But | can never
prove it,
Perhaps II would be best If you ex-
planned
We remained where we we're, with
the fence between US. while he tolo
his story.
1t was on Monday afternoon. SIR"
said Jake Warner. addressing Ad-
dfngton Peace of the Criminal Investi-
cation Department of Scotland Yard
Il was crossing the public path that
runs near the other end of the lake.
when 1 fell In with middle-aged,
spectacled gentleman, who was stroll
Ing along with a tin collectingccase
on his back such as botanists use.
We fell TO talking. and one thing led
TO another. until. when | turned on
down to the lake to see after my
ducks, he came with me. He never
would give all | have never to have
seen him"
What was he like?" asked the In
spector.
"A short fellow, with a brown full
beard and a slight stutter. Very
pleasant he was to talk to; but this ID
outside the point, sir, as you viii see.
we walked down the causeway, and
just before the pavilion what should
we come across but three dead birds,
all with their heads bitten clean on
1t made me wild, for the foxes have
peen plagutng me cruel this spring.
Sir William never would have one
snot, though he had given up hunting
many years. As for the young mas
Ter couldn't say as to his views,
Tor had never set eyes upon him.
Inc stranger, he sympathized very
Kindly with me, and l told him my
troubles. How they can expect a
Keeper to rear a decent lot OF wild
ouck with plague of foxes In his
midst, I'm dashed II | know / said
He allowed that fox who would Kill
ducks like that was as bad as a man
eating tiger. She's cunning old
vixen as won't let me get within shot
OF her. l told him, but I've half a
mind to set spring gun for her on
the causeway here
Bless my soul, how that fellow
laughed He threw back his head and
crowed with Joy at my idea. "A spring
gun for fox he says; why, keeper,
It's the very thing! Think of the sim
pl1cfty OF 1t and the certainty of 1t
and the security Of it. Those were
his words After that he sobered
down and began talking more serious.
Did | really understand how to set a
spring gun? told him no; and then
No explained how he had a friend
from India who had often used them
to kill Jackals. Whether I did right
or wrong. the fact Is that | agreed
to set the gun when he sent me the
instructions.
Well, sir, his letter arrived yes
terday morning with careful little
plans and all. I loaded my gun with
buckshot and carried 1t down to the
conseway shortly after dusk. | had
Lost several more ducks each day. and
my mind was made up to have that
ord vixen. l fixed the gun. with a
thread Of strong cotton across the
path and round the trigger You may
think l took wicked risk, but had
hardly ever known any one to pass
along the causeway In the daytime.
far less at night Yet. for safety's
sake, l meant to take 1t up again at
dawn
Il walked home and sat smoking
my pipe for a while. But I was vor-
ried and disturbed. l couldn't get II
from my mind that there was danger
In that spring gun left to itself az It
were Even If bagged the old vixen
some one might hear the shot and
find the body. A dead fox would
make me a marked man amongst all
the hunting people about didn't
like that thought neither. At last l
couldn't stand 1t no longer, and sst
on back to the causeway l Kaa mona