“Good for you, Jim!” said Thad, admiringly; “but I suppose you understand what risk you’re taking in trying that game? From all I’ve heard about Cale Martin, he’s surely a terror; and then the threat he made about your ears would be enough to scare most men away.”
Jim drew a long breath as he answered this.
“Lot’s o’ people doan’t know Ole Cale like I does. He hain’t so black nor they jes’ paints him. Them game wardens is afeerd o’ him, and they piles all kinds o’ things on his shoulders thet he hain’t no business to kerry.”
“Yes, I’ve heard before about giving a dog a bad name, and then he has to bear the sins of the whole neighborhood,” remarked Thad. “There is never a sheep killed but that Dog Tray is the guilty one. And so you think Cale isn’t altogether so bad as we’ve heard?”
“He’s a big man, and he’s gut an’ orful temper; but it’s them tew critters he goes with thet’s the wust cases. They jest draw him inter slick games, Cale, he’d never think o’ tryin’, left by hisself. But we heerd as haow he’s struck a new thing, if so be he on’y knows enuff ter keep it agoin’, an’ shakes them other fellers. An’ if anybody kin make a success o’ fox raisin’, I jest guess Cale is ther man, ’cause he knows all erbout the slick little varmints from A ter Z.”
“Fox raising?” exclaimed Thad, at once deeply interested. “Tell me about that, Jim. Seems like it ought to be worth while listening to.”
“Why,” said Jim, apparently only too well pleased to say something in favor of the big and reckless parent of his little wife; “yer see, thar’s a company as hes been formed away daown in Bosting, tew raise foxes o’ all kinds, jest tew git the pelts. I s’pose yew knows as haow them skins air agittin’ more valerable every blessed year. More people tew wear furs, an’ less animals tew give ’em. Why, thar was twelve hundred dollars paid fur a black fox pelt jest last Spring; an’ I seen the check with my own eyes.”
“Yes,” Thad went on, deeply interested. “I’ve understood that tremendous prices were being paid out for that scarce skin; but is Cale meaning to try and raise black or silver foxes for the market? I was told by several people that they considered the silver fox only a freak, and that they would never breed true to species. How about that, Jim?”
“I’ve allers hed an ijee thet way myself,” returned the short guide, scratching his head in a reflective manner; “but Cale, he thinks the other way; an’ Cale, he sure knows more about foxes in a day than I wud in a year. Wall, we done heard as haow he hed made a contrack with this company fur a number o’ years, tew act as manager o’ ther farm. It’s in another part o’ ther State; an’ when Cale, he leaves here arter a leetle while, he never ’spects tew come back again. Wouldn’t be surprised naow if he hed a few foxes over tew ther old shack as he means tew kerry away with him when he quits up here.”
“But do you suppose he’ll stick to those two tough characters, and keep them with him in his new job? Won’ they queer his game with the company, Jim?”