“Then why can’t me an’ Jake have ’em?”
“Now jest listen at the blockhead!” Matt almost shouted. “Ain’t you got sense enough to know that if a guide should happen to ketch you runnin’ about the woods with one of them guns in your hands you would be ’rested an’ locked up for a thief? I didn’t take them guns ’cause I wanted ’em, but jest to drive them city sportsmen away from here. They ain’t goin’ to bring fine things into these woods when they know that they stand a chance of losin’ ’em. An’ if there ain’t no guests to come here, what’s the guides an’ landlords goin’ to do to make a livin’?”
“I’ve made a heap of money for you, pap, by sellin’ them fish-poles an’ takin’ back the scatter-gun you hooked outen one of them camps, an’ you ain’t never give me nothin’ for it,” said Jake. “I reckon it’s about time you was settlin’ up.”
“All right, I’ll settle up with you this very minute,” answered his father, cheerfully. “You can have this here canvas canoe for your own. Does that squar’ accounts betwixt us?”
It wouldn’t if I had had a voice in the matter, or possessed the power to protect myself; but I was helpless, and from that moment Jake claimed me as his property. He agreed, however, to lend me to his father as often as the latter thought it safe to go prospecting for unguarded camps. Half an hour later I was floating in the creek alongside the scow, and Matt and his boys were building a fire and preparing to regale themselves upon the big bass which Fly-rod had unwittingly caught for their supper. While they were thus engaged they talked over their plans for the night, and decided what they would do with the valuable things they expected to capture in Joe Wayring’s camp.
“This here is the great p’int, an’ it bothers me a heap, I tell you,” said Matt, flourishing the sharpened stick that he was using as a fork. “Joe an’ his friends are purty well known in this part of the country, an’ so’s their outfit; an’ if we steal all they’ve got, as I mean to do afore I am many hours older, about the only things we can use will be the grub.”
“Don’t you reckon they’ve got new fish-poles to take the place of them you hooked from ’em up in Sherwin’s pond?” inquired Sam.
“I know they have, ’cause they wouldn’t come here without nothing to fish with, would they? But ’twon’t be safe to try to sell ’em right away, ’cause if we do folks will suspicion something.”
“I’ll bet you I won’t take’em up to the lake to sell ’em,” said Jake very decidedly. “The folks up there know that you stole them fine guns we’ve got hid in the bresh, an’ they’d ’rest me for helpin’ of you. But there’s one thing I want, an’ I’m goin’ to have it too, when we get Joe’s property into our hands, an’ that’s some new clothes,” added Jake, pulling his coat-sleeve around so that he could have a fair view of the gaping rent in the elbow. “These duds I’ve got on ain’t fitten to go among white folks with.”
“I don’t see what’s to hender you gettin ’em, Jakey,” said his father, encouragingly. “If we get the skiff an’ everything what’s into it, in course we shall get the extry clothes they brung with ’em, an’ you an’ Sam can take your pick.”