The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-04-25

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81 understand the foxes are very
troublesome.
Warner threw down his spade and
strobe up to where we stood. His
eyes had in them the dumb agony OF
a wild thing In trap.
II am a married man. sir" he said.
For my wife's sake take me away
quietly"
Il have not come to arrest you.
Jake Warner" said Peace. III you
are responsible for your masters
death, it was by sheer accident. But
the question is, are you responsible7 !"
mo, sir, am not. But | can never
prove it.
perhaps it would be best II you ex-
planned"
We remained where we were, with
the fence between us. while he told
! his story.
1T was on Monday afternoon. sir,
said Jake Warner. addressing Ad-
dington 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 | fell In with mtddle-aged.
specialized gentleman. who was stroll
ing along with a tin coilecting-case
on his back, such as botanists use.
We fell to talking, and one thing leo
to another. until, when | turned on
down to the lake to see after my
ducks, he came with me. He never
meant no harm as | know OF, but
would give all have never to have
seen him."
What was he nke?" asked the IN
spector.
"A short fellow, with a brown full
beard and slight stutter. Very
pleasant he was to talk to; but this Is
outside the point, sir, as you will 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
been plagutng me cruel this spring.
Sir William never would have one
shot, though he had given up hunting
many years. AS for the young mas
ter, couldn't say as to his views.
for had never set eyes upon him.
The stranger, he sympathized very
kindly with me, and | told him my
troubles. How they can expect a
Keeper to rear a decent lot OF wild
duck with a plague OF foxes in his
mi Of
He allowed that a fox who would kill
ducks like that was as bad as a man
eating tiger. She's a cunning old
vixen as won't let me get within shot
OF her, | 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 a fox he says: why, keeper.
it's the very thing! Think of the sim
plicity Of it and the certainty of it
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
spring gun? 1 told him no; and then
he explained how he had friend
from India who had often used them
to kill jackals. Whether | did right
or wrong, the fact is that l agreed
to set the gun when he sent me the
instructions.
well, sir, his letter arrived yes
at
plans and ALL loaded my gun with
buckshot and carried it down to the
causeway shortly after dusk / had
lost several more ducks each day, and
my mind was made up to have that
old vixen. l fixed the gun, with a
thread of strong cotton across the
path and round the trigger. You may
think took a wicked risk, but l had
hardly ever known any one to pass
along the causeway In the daytime,
far less at night. Yet, for safety's
sake. | meant to take 1t up again at
dawn.
Il walked home and sat smoking
my pipe for while. But l was wor-
ried and disturbed. l couldn't get It
from my mind that there was danger
in that spring gun left to itself as it
were. Even If l bagged the old vixen
some one might hear the shot and
find the body. A dead fox would
make me marked man amongst all
the hunting people about l didn't
like that thought neither. At last |
couldn't stand It no longer, and set
of back to the causeway. | was more
than halfway when heard the shot,
and that set me running. When / saw
the policeman | was nightly afraid
he would be finding the vixen dead.
That's why l lied to him."
Il know the rest, Warner" said
Peace: "but want a few details. Did
you see any sign of another man?"