He did look a little shame-faced as he turned upon his confederate; but at the same time there was a triumphant glow in his eyes as he burst out with:
“Why, hang it, Gabe, the boy kin play Arkansaw all the way through—what d’ye know about thet? Here I been jest wild ter ketch the hang o’ thet second half fer a coon’s age. P’raps yer don’t jest understand what thet means ter me, Gabe. Blame yer games—what do I keer, so long’s I lerns thet chune. Why, I’d risk my bones ter git hold of it.”
“Wall, if ye keep on a goin’ like I seen ye jest now, chances be ye’ll resk more’n yer bones; fer I’ll be tempted ter fill yer full o’ holes. What d’ye think I’ll stand fer, Crawley? I ain’t playin’ this game fer the fun of it. Money talks, and purty loud too, sometimes. Now’s one o’ ’em. S’pose ye let all this monkey-shine business drop fer the present, an’ play the game fer what it’s worth. Put that fiddle down, boy, drat ye, and don’t tech it agin, ’less ye want ter feel the heft o’ my hard fist. Crawley, come with me, back ter whar we was lyin’ in ambush.”
Big Gabe spoke in a determined way, and evidently possessed considerable power over his weaker-willed companion. For Crawley, although scowling, took a step forward, as if to obey.
It was then that little Sallie caught hold of the hand of her rough father, and sought to detain him. She understood what these men had in view, and taking advantage of the temporary softening of her parent, due to the power of the music on his soul, he hoped she might persuade him into refusing to take part in the attempted abduction of the millionaire’s son.
“Stay here with me, daddy, won’t you?” she pleaded. “He knows ever so many more tunes, and he’ll play ’em all, if ye wanter hear ’em, won’t you, Amos? Don’t go out again, please don’t? Let Big Gabe alone; he’ll only get you into trouble. Stay here with your little Sallie, won’t you, daddy?”
The man seemed to hesitate. He looked doubtfully in the face of the child, whereupon Hackett broke out in harsh language. He also made a suggestive motion with the Marlin repeating shot gun, which he had taken possession of; and whatever the spasm of better feeling that had dominated Crawley lately, it was speedily vanquished by his love of gain.
He suddenly muttered some words, and flung the detaining hand of his child from him. The conflict between the elements making up his nature had not lasted long.
So Crawley, with a scowl toward Amos, as though blaming the boy for bringing about all this trouble, strode out of the door after his companion, and the two in the cabin were left alone again.
Teddy had pulled his companion down alongside him before this happened; indeed, when Hackett first appeared upon the scene; for he feared lest the restless eyes of the big timber cruiser, like unto those of the red fox which he had often been compared with for craftiness, might in roving around, discover the two who were peeping in at the small window, and trouble of a serious nature ensue.