TRAPPING A WOLF.
When Shirley Roseleaf left the hotel that morning he carried a fishing
rod, a rifle, a gamebag and other acoutrements of the sportsman. In his
earlier years, before he ever came to the city, he had been accounted
something of an expert with these implements. Since being in this
country where there was so much to tempt a Nimrod he had made a number
of similar excursions. Although it was some distance to the locality
where he intended to go the young man did not take a conveyance of any
kind. He walked briskly over the road, breathing the pure air of that
early hour, and whistling in a low tone to himself as he went along.
Among the other things he carried was a light lunch, for he did not care
to break his fast so early in the day. He had, besides, a contrivance
for making coffee and for broiling the fish he expected to catch. Even
if his jaunt lasted till night his physical needs were well provided
for. One would not have imagined, to see his free and easy swing over
the road, that he had anything of greater moment on his mind than to
watch for some stray rabbit, or a possible deer track.
Not less than six miles from his starting point, he came to a small
lake, to reach which he had followed a narrow path that led through the
wood. On the shore was a primitive rowboat, or rather canoe, which he
had purchased on another occasion from a native for an insignificant
price. Into this boat the novelist stepped, and after safely depositing
his traps, took up the paddle and used it skillfully. When he had
reached approximately the centre of the lake, he sat down, prepared his
fishing tackle and began to angle for the denizens of the water below.
With the patience of a true fisherman Roseleaf sat quietly for two
hours, during which time he had drawn out but few specimens. The long
walk had, however, given him the appetite he needed, and he now pulled
his frail craft toward the shore, with the intention of lighting a fire
and preparing a meal. But even when he had nearly reached land he saw
splinters flying beneath his feet, and immediately after heard a dull
sound which showed what had caused the trouble.
A stray bullet, from some careless hunter, had penetrated his canoe. The
hole was large enough to render the boat useless, for the water began to
come in rapidly. With two more stout movements of the paddle Roseleaf
forced his craft against the shore and sprang upon dry land. Then he
quietly picked up the things he had brought with him, and walked a
little away from the scene.
"These fellows are getting altogether too careless," he muttered, as he
inspected his damp belongings. "A little more and that thing would have
been tearing splinters in me."
Scraping some dead wood together, he soon had a fire started, and the
cooking of his breakfast was begun. He went about the work
methodically, whistling again in that low key he had used when on the
way from his hotel, and stopping now and then as the noise of a woodbird
or some wild quadruped of the smaller kind came to his ears. He sniffed
the coffee that was boiling furiously and the freshly caught fish that
sent out an appetizing aroma. No meal served at the Hoffman, the
Imperial or the far-famed Delmonico restaurant, could equal this
primitive repast, for him.
Finally, all was ready. Helping himself to a large plateful of the
delicious food, and pouring out a huge tin cup of the coffee, Roseleaf
sat down as if to take his ease while breakfasting. But, instead of
touching the viands he had been at such pains to prepare, the next thing
he did was to fall prone on the ground. And at the same instant a second
bullet whizzed past him and buried itself with a tearing of bark and
wood in the tree just behind him.
If Roseleaf had laid down with suddenness he rose with no less speed. As
he sprang to his feet he picked up his rifle. He made a dozen steps
forward, and then, bringing the weapon to his shoulder, cried to some
one in front of him:
"Halt, or I fire!"
A human form that had been creeping away on its hands and knees, now
stood upright. It was perhaps thirty yards from the speaker, and when it
faced him he saw that the countenance was black.
"Don't come any nearer and don't go any farther off," said the novelist,
gravely. "You are at a convenient distance. I can shoot you best where
you stand."
The negro looked considerably crestfallen. He seemed doubtful whether to
break and run or stay and try to face it out.
"I can't help an accident," he said, at last, when the other remained
covering him with the rifle.
"No," was the answer. "An accident is liable to happen to any one, they
say. But two accidents, of the same kind, on the same day--accidents
that might either of them have been fatal if you were not such an
awfully bad marksman--are too many. When _I_ get ready to fire, there
will be no accident."
The negro was plainly uneasy. He cast his eyes on the ground and
writhed.
"You have dropped your gun," said Roseleaf. "That was right. It would
have incommoded your flight, and its only cartridge was used. You would
have had no time to reload. I know that gun very well; I have heard it
many times in the last six weeks. I knew the sound of it to-day when you
fired the first time. A rifle has a voice, like a man; did you know
that? I knew it was your gun and that you were at the end of it. With
that information in my possession, of course you couldn't catch me
napping twice. I pretended to watch my cooking, but in reality I watched
nothing but you. There is no need that you should say anything,
Hannibal. You could not tell me much, if you tried."
The speaker examined his rifle carefully, still keeping the muzzle
turned toward the person he was addressing. The latter did not seem to
grow less uneasy.
"I spent some time last evening," continued Roseleaf, presently, "in
listening to a little conversation you had with a certain young lady
living a mile or so from this spot. That surprises you, does it? I
thought it might. I learned how you had ruined her peace of mind, how
you had artfully contrived to make her appear the opposite of what she
really was. Now, you have tried twice within the last hour to murder me.
For this I could have forgiven you. What you did to that young woman is,
however, a more serious matter. I don't think anything less than pulling
this trigger will expiate that."
He placed the rifle to his shoulder again, as he spoke, and glanced
along the sight. The negro half turned, as if of a mind to attempt an
escape, and then, realizing the hopelessness of such a move, sank on his
knees and raised his hands piteously.
"If you have anything to say, be quick!" said the hard voice of the man
who held the rifle.
Then Hannibal blurted out his story. He told how he had been led, step
by step, to hope that he might rise above his station, until the wild
idea entered his brain that he could even make Daisy Fern love and marry
him. He pleaded the disappointments he had suffered, the terrible
revulsion of feeling he had undergone, the broken life he had been
obliged to take up. He did not want to be killed. If allowed to go he
would swear by all that was good never to cross the path of the Ferns,
or Roseleaf, or any of their friends again. When his treaties brought
no verbal response he grew louder in his tone, feeling that something
must be done to move the deaf ears to which he addressed his petition.
"If I allowed you to leave here, you would try to shoot me the next time
you had a chance," said the novelist. "I should merely be giving my life
in exchange for yours, which I do not consider a good bargain."
"No, I swear it before God!" came the trembling words in reply.
"I cannot trust you."
A slight sound attracted the attention of Roseleaf as he uttered the
latter words. It was the sound that oars make when dipped in water. With
a quick glance to one side he beheld a rowboat, in which were seated
Archie Weil and Daisy Fern, and they were coming directly toward him.
"Here are some of the others you have wronged," he said, pointing. "I
will wait to see if their opinions agree with mine."
Daisy saw him first, as Weil was handling the oars, and she called her
companion's attention to him. Archie called his name.
"Come here!" was Roseleaf's reply. "I have winged a black duck and I
cannot leave."
A few more movements of the oars brought the boat to the shore, and the
surprise of its occupants can be imagined when they saw the tableau that
awaited them. Hannibal was still groveling on the earth, and the
attitude of Roseleaf plainly showed the cause of the negro's terror.
"What has he done?" was the first question, and it was Daisy's voice
that asked it.
"Let him tell," replied Roseleaf, nonchalantly. "Tell the lady what you
did, Hannibal."
With a courage born of his knowledge of the young lady's kind heart,
Hannibal now turned his attention toward her. He begged her to plead
with his would-be executioner to give him one more chance for his life,
and reiterated his promises to cease meddling with all of their affairs
if this was granted. As he spoke Daisy crept nearer to Roseleaf's side,
and when he paused for a moment to gain breath, she laid her fair hand
on the rifle.
"You would not kill a fellow creature?" she said, gently.
"A fellow creature?" he retorted. "No! But a wolf, a snake, a
vulture--yes."
She shook her head slowly, while Mr. Weil looked on, uncertain what to
do or say. He wanted more than anything else in his life to lay hands
upon the cause of all her woes.
"You have not told me yet what he has done," she said.
"He shall tell you," replied Roseleaf, sharply. "Stand up, Hannibal, and
answer truly the questions I am about to propound to you."
The crouching figure tottered to his feet. The negro was weak from fear.
"Did you try twice this morning to murder me?"
"Yes," replied the shaking voice. "But I was insane with my troubles--I
did not realize what I was doing--I--"
Daisy's slight hand, still on the barrel of the rifle, was bearing it
steadily to the ground.
"Once," she said to Roseleaf, impressively, "you told me you loved me!
Have you regard enough left to grant me a favor?"
He shook his head.
"There are favors," he said, "that are crimes. It is one's duty to
exterminate vermin, in the interest of the human race."
But, even as he spoke, she was having her way. Her slight strength had
taken the weapon from him.
Then, with the face of a forgiving angel she turned toward the negro and
uttered very softly one word, "Go!"
Glancing at the others to see if he might safely follow this direction,
Hannibal disappeared in the thick woods behind him. He walked with an
unsteady step. There was a strange lightness in his brain. Some distance
away he found the boat in which he had come, and entered it,
staggeringly. Pushing from the shore with a feeble touch on his paddle
he set out for his home.
* * * * *
The negroes who found his body, a week later, could not decide whether
he had perished by accident or by deliberate intention. The boat was not
capsized, but it was partially filled with water, indicating either that
he had tried to sink the craft or had leaned too heavily to one side in
something like a stupor. When his gun was discovered on the shore, new
speculations were set in motion.
Those who knew him recalled that he had been moody for a long time--in
fact, ever since he came from the north. They remembered him as a young
fellow, four or five years previous, not very different from his mates;
and they had stared in wonder when he returned with fine clothes and
money in his pocket. The dislike between him and his old acquaintances
was mutual. They could not understand him; and what an inferior mind
does not comprehend it always views with suspicion.
A grave was made near the border of the lake, and the single word
"HANNIBAL" was written on the board that marked the spot. But later some
envious hand scrawled beneath it:
"HE WANTED TO BE A GENTLEMAN!"