“It was mighty good-natur’d an’ free-hearted in you, an’ if it ever comes handy, you’ll see that I don’t forget sich things,” said Matt, after a little pause. “I’m free to say that I didn’t look fur no sich favors from you, for I thought you was down on me, like all the rest of the guides.”
“Well, you see that I ain’t, don’t you? I’ve been mistreated same as you have, an’ have jest as good a reason to be mad about it. Now I’ll tell you what I’ll do with you consarnin’ them guns that you’ve got hid in the bresh,” continued Rube. “You dassent sell ’em or give ’em back to the men you stole ’em from, ’cause if you try it you will be took up; but I can do it for you, an’ they won’t never suspicion any thing agin me. I can take ’em up to Hanson to-day an’ get the hunderd dollars cash money that has been promised for ’em. Say the word an’ I’ll do it, an’ go halves with you. Fifty dollars is better than leavin’ ’em out there in the woods to rust till they ain’t good for nothing.”
This seemed to be a fair offer, and I expected to hear Matt close with it at once; but instead of that he fastened his eyes on the floor once again, and drew his shaggy brows together as if he were thinking deeply. Even Jake went off into a brown study.
“If you want to make any thing out of them guns, I don’t see any other way for you to do it,” said Rube, knocking the ashes from his pipe and getting upon his feet. “I’ll make the same bargain with you consarnin’ them two boats you hooked from Swan an’ his crowd on the day they burned your camp. You can’t use them any more’n you can use the guns, an’ what’s the use of leavin’ ’em in the bresh to rot away to nothin’?”
“An’ what’s the use of my robbin’ camps if I’m goin’ to give back all the things I hook?” asked Matt, in reply.
“You needn’t give ’em all back—only jest them that you can get a reward for. Take time to study on it, an’ then tell me if you don’t think I have made you a good offer. Now I must step down to the hatchery an’ go on watch; an’ I warn you, fair an’ squar’, don’t none of you come prowlin’ round like you was waitin’ for a chance to set fire to the buildin’s or cut the nets, ’cause if you do I shall have to tell on you. I shouldn’t like to do that, bein’ as me an’ you is friends, an’ nuther do I want to lose my place as watchman at the hatchery, since I’ve been stopped from guidin’. I must have some way to make a livin’.”
So saying Rube put on his hat and left the shanty. Matt and his family remained silent and motionless for a few minutes, and then, in obedience to a sign from his father, Jake jumped up and followed Rube. After a brief absence he returned with the report:
“He ain’t hangin’ around the back of the shanty to listen to our talk, Rube ain’t. He’s gone on down the carry t’wards the hatchery. Be you goin’ to let him have them boats an’ guns, pap? Seems like it would be better to have the money than the things, ’cause we could use the money an’ we can’t use the boats an’ guns.”
“Now jest listen at the blockhead!” exclaimed Matt. “Do you reckon that if we give the things up to Rube we’d ever see a cent of the money? Do you think that ’cause he opened this shanty to us, an’ told us to use his dishes to cook our grub with, that it’s safe to trust him too fur? I don’t. Them boats an’ guns can stay where they be till they sp’ile afore I will let Rube or any body else make any money out of ’em. Nobody but me run any risk in hookin’ them guns, an’ I’m the one that oughter have the money for givin’ of ’em back.”
“I don’t b’lieve Rube’s goin’ agin us,” said the old woman. “If that is his idee, what’s the reason he don’t bring the constable here an’ have you took up? He could do it in a minute.”