As soon as he reached the “carry” the sheriff gave a shrill whistle and ran forward at the top of his speed, leaving the guide to follow with the prisoners. When we came within sight of the cabin a few minutes later I saw the entire posse gathered around it, and the sheriff and Rube standing in the doorway, the latter rubbing his eyes as if he had just been aroused from a sound sleep.
“Sold again,” said the officer, as Mr. Swan came up.
“There, now!” exclaimed the guide, who was profoundly astonished. “Well, I told you that Matt was a sly old fox, and that you’d have to be mighty sly yourself if you caught him. The young ones are chips of the old block, and can dodge about in the woods like so many partridges. How did he find out that we were coming, do you reckon?”
“That’s a mystery,” answered the sheriff.
I could have told him that it was no mystery to me. The officer and his posse had made a good deal of noise in coming through the woods, and of course Matt Coyle heard them long before they came in sight. Knowing that they would have to go to the hatchery in order to procure boats to cross the outlet, he took to his heels in short order, made the best of his way to the cabin, and started his family off into the woods. That was all there was of it, but it proved the truth of the remark Mr. Swan once made in Joe Wayring’s hearing—that Matt Coyle always had luck on his side. The fugitives did not awaken Rube, for they knew that he had nothing to fear from the officers of the law. I had often wondered what sort of a game the watchman was up to (I was as sure that he was playing a part as Matt was), and now I was given some insight into it.
“You would ’a’ ruined Hanson if you’d arrested Matt Coyle,” said Rube, when the guide ceased speaking. “If you take him up afore them guns is found he’ll lose a dozen good customers next season, Hanson will, ’cause they say they’ll never come back to his hotel till their property is given up to ’em. You don’t want to be in too big a hurry. Both the boys has offered to give me the guns for half the reward, an’ as soon as they tell me where they are hid I’ll bring ’em up to the lake. Then you can ’rest Matt, as soon as you please.”
“I wasn’t after Matt, although I should have taken him in if I had found him here,” answered the sheriff. “I was looking for Jake.”
“What’s he been a doin’ of?”
“We think he knows something about the money that was stolen from the Irvington bank.”
“I know he does,” said Rube, earnestly. “I thought so yesterday morning, when I was readin’ about it in the paper that Swan give me, an’ I thought so last night when I stood at the head of the outlet an’ saw him go up the lake in the canvas canoe. Say,” he added, in a lower tone, “is them two fellers the robbers?”