The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-30
lOopyTiEht lgll.l
.HE morning had dawned sufi-
GENTLY clear and promising to
- warrant our carving out our


early on our trouting expedition. 1t was
a good ten miles from our hotel to the
little encampment back in the heart OF
the hills were like diminutive lake lay
enshrined like a glistening diamond in
an emerald setting, and inasmuch as we
both felt rather fit after our two weeks
stay at the Northern Pines, we decided
to walk it. Moreover, Rawson wanted
to 60 quietly and unobserved of man
kind, for in a sense we were interlopers.
While fishing on Lake Sparkle was not
actually forbidden, the place really be-
longed to a private individual of consid-
cradle prominence who used If not only
for sport, but for occasional periods of
aloofness from his fellows, and COM
plete rest from heavy business cares.
For myself l saw at the outset no rea-
son why the thing should be done under
any cloak of secrecy, but Rawson had
insisted that say nothing about our ex-
petition to any 'one, and that we fade
away from the hotel at so early an hour
that no one would be aware of our
going.
I'm a poor hand at poaching, Billie"
said l, somewhat protestingly, land If
We are going to fish on Mr.. Barnstable's
lake I'd rather have his permit than
not"
$50 would l." said Rawson, "and in
any other circumstances I'd go to Barn
stable and ask him for it, although l
know dinged well wouldn't get it He's
funny about that lake He doesn't al
low anybody up there, not even his own
family; so doubt I'd have what you
would call a swell chance of getting in
on his card. Moreover, Jinksy, it so
happens that the particular fish / am
after, when landed, will prove to be so
big a catch that even if Barnstable were
the soul of hospitality l am sure he
would say no if were entirely frank
with him as to my real intentions. You
needn't come if you don't want to, but
I'd much prefer you did; not only for
the pleasure of your company, but be-
cause you are such an Immortality poor
liar that if anybody should happen to ask
you what had become OF me I'm blest
if I don't think you'd blurt out the truth |
and make mess of my fish"
We'll be missed anyhow, won't WEI"
I suggested.
Maybe So" said Rawson, but not
SO much as team as individually. You
see, we are so much together, Jinksy
that if you are seen around here without
me there will naturally be inquiries as
to my whereabouts, and that l am
anxious to avoid. Suppose we COM
promise. Come along with me, but
don't fish, eh?"
"Oh, III go the whole if I go at all,
whether I like it or not" said l. Whats
the quarry?"
Whales" said Rawson, with broad
smile. Big ones, too. fairly blubbering
with oil"
Bully" said I. Whales in a trout
stream. That is a novelty"
Sure" laughed Rawson. That's
queer thing about the fish I usually 60
after, Jinks. Do you come, or don't
you?"
81 do, Billie" said I, with some fer
vor, for l began now to see that it was
not the casual but the professional Raw
son was dealing with. >
Horace Barnstable was not exactly
the sort of man the smaller fry of HUI s
nanity would care to trihe with. He
was a man of dominating, not to say 5
iomineering, personality; and more +
Than ruthless. in the exercise OF his '
power, which in the world of finance was
l had never gone so far "
IS to believe that Barnstable was a seal Z
awag, but from one or two intimate '
glimpses OF his real character, which l c
lad now and then got from friends who a
lad had dealings with him, l knew that c
he calcium, if ever turned full upon the I
inner man, would pot show him spot
ess. As president of the Commercial
Exchange Trust Company of the North
lis financial arm was long enough to t
each far-as far as the law allowed t
nd sometimes, or so his enemies as il
serted, even farther; but he was so SATAN S
cally clever about it all that nobody u
IS yet had been able to fasten anything
PARTICULARLY reprehensible upon him. e
"All right, Billie" said l. 81 don't il
Ike the job, but I've never deserted Mr..
dicawber yet, and l don't propose to
10 so now. Only if Barnstable catches s.
S. n
It'll be another case of the old darby 81
rho was pulled out of his boat into the b
Tater by whopper of tarpon, links" n
aid Rawson. "The question will be Y
With US, as with him, Am dis niggar er
-hshin' or am dis fish a-niggerin'?' fl
Wherever you land, however, I'll guar Z
ntee you an immunity bath Fact is, II
rithout consulting Barnstable at all, 1 Sc
A@n