The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1924-01-03

= I
) sunburn.
ia IL dreadfulIy-muddyr he mum
. bled.
Guest and preacher though he was
he was still a tenderfoof. Counter
mans mucous laugh exposed the huge
wad Of tobacco between bis jaws.
Nick took the unlighted pipe from be-
tween his lips. and his roar wheeled
. wisp Of sand snipe that happened al
the moment 10 be giancing up the bar.
Not AS muddy as lt-sounds." he
chuckled. grabbing a match out Of bis
trousers pocket
That settled a. The preacher. APP
parentiy resigned 70 whatever further
hardships fate might have IN store for
him. sat watching the shore line. with
Us wifehery Of tapping water, It's Dor
dering fringe Of pebbles and white
shells. draw slowly By.
The fishermen landed. The live boz
was hitched 10 a stake as before. the
hhlf-reluctant preacher left 10 hold
the brazil stick. while the others rowsd
out and around the fifty yards or
more of murky water that lay between
the point and the shore.
Hardly had the circuit been com
pleted when II began 70 be apparent
that Counterman's judgment would be
amply justified
The nnai haul proved to be much
The best OF the day. The good nsh
we're dropped into the live box. the
others tossed back into the river, and
the fishermen set about preparing TO
return 10 the village. The bran sticks
we're united. the seine rolled up. and
the woodsman walked Up ths bar for
the boat
He stopped over the craft. possibly
recalling the circumstance OF the six
gun concealed in the frock coat laid
his hand 10 the bow 10 push II on I;
Strengthened after a moment walked
some distance farther up the bar and
stood gazing intentiy toward the mar
row upper end OF the arm OF water
where II disappeared under the over
tapping branches OF trees and tangled
vines Shrugged away under the tangle.
In = manner that must have made II
practically Invisible. except from that
one point. lay a. small houseboat.
A trininx circumstance enough
houseboats were common on the Wa
bash-but why theref The place was
dark and dank. tbs bank boggy, and |
there was no spring short OF Alpine |
Island The woodsrnan turned and |
motioned TO his companions
11.av H.a han x.af.hl.. Af... ..a Il
his sign came trooping up the bar
the preacher tagged and tagging be
hlnd-and gathered around him. Fol- |
lowing the direction OF his finger, they /
peered In under the overlapping trees.
counterman grinned around at the
others after moment and jerked his
thumb back toward the skin.
"sposin' We row up an pay I'm a
yisitr ia like Z see a man with sieh
an eye rr campin' place"
Uncle Nick tossed up his chin. grunt-
al. and led the way down the bar 20
where he had beached the boat.
The preacher appeared 70 be consld-
erabiy yesed al the further prolonga-
tlon % e trip that was growing more
and more irksoms 10 him. II might
almost have been imagined that a
frown rufiied the studious primness OF
hls brow. Hut as the skin gllded up
The narrowing arm OF dead water. he
appeared 10 get himself In hand again.
The frown disappeared and his air be-
fame that % man only mildly inter.
sstsd In what went on about him.
There Is little formality among men
n the river and tho woods-a fne ,
'nouxh deiicacy. though. when big mo-
nsnts come. They brought the bow
u the skin up under the stern OF tho
secluded little craft and climbed ,
board.
There was both a fore and an aft ,
loor 10 the tiny cabin that occupied /
no whole mid section OF the deck. but
10 windows on either side. Both doors !
vers heavily padlocked-a further ,
roof OF the owners cxcluslvcness
IA the dusty boards there were q num- !
or Of footprints. some OF thsm-euri. \
usiy enough-msde by boot that .
aust have been stylish. even dainty. h
Uncle Nick leaned upon the railing :
{ the forward deck and prodded his h
lpc. while the oneeyed fisherman a
nawed himself fresh chew from y
wcaty plug that he clRwed up out OF q
Is overslls pocket. the two OF them I,
seeralizinx on the circumstance Of "
Iylish boot tracks. no windows and &
sdlocked doors a
me preacher had Joined In the dis q
ission aud was Just telling them. IN q
Is haltborsd drawi that II might be q
,me naturalist taking unusual pains
) preserve his specimens when Jack "
iarhope. sim standing In the skin :,
"a holding u 10 the stern % the house r,
at. picked up one of tho shiny o.
,ots frum the prcacher's stack % q
ofhes Ia the bow. and. hidden from
% others ~ the cabin. pressed the v.
- % u down hard beside one ef the ~
81 prints "a the dusty afterdeck. al
TIE two pTtats easnsided perfectly N