BIG GABE.
The big man roared and raged, but he did not do any shooting.
"I'll see yer ag'in," he shouted, "an' burn my eyebrows, ef I don't make
yer settle fer this yar!"
Then he saw the mounted boys on the opposite side of the cove, and he
stared at them inquiringly.
"Wa-al," he shouted, "who be you, an' what do yer want?"
"We will meet you and make an explanation," Frank shouted back.
The two lads began riding along the shore of the cove, and the big man
moved to meet them, regarding them with no little suspicion.
They finally met at the head of the cove, where the giant stood, with
folded arms, scowling blackly at them.
A short distance away two dust-covered horses were standing, hitched to
trees, their heads hanging low, while they still breathed heavily.
They were the animals abandoned by the man and girl.
"Ef you youngsters want ter steal anything, ye'd best mosey outer this
yar part uv ther kentry," growled the big man, sullenly. "First it's a
gang uv pleasure seekers thet comes an' takes my sailboat, then it's a
man an' gal thet kerries off my canoe, an' next it's two boys as ain't
got anything yit, but looks like they want something."
"We do," palpitated Frank. "We want some kind of a boat in which to
follow those people--the man and the girl."
"Wa-al, yer won't git it."
"We will pay you--we have plenty of money."
"Ter thunder with yer money! What duz Gabe Blake want uv money! All I
want is ter be let alone. Ther fust crowd promised me money fer my boat,
but I told 'em ter take her an' bring her back before night. They took
her, an' I ain't seen hide ner ha'r uv 'em sense. Ther man an' ther gal
took my canoe without askin' leave."
"They left those horses----"
"Burn their hawses! What do I want uv hawses! Hawses ain't no good
harabouts. Ther fust gang left four hawses, an' I've got ther critters
ter feed. Hyar's two more! Burn ther hawses!"
It was plain the giant was in anything put a pleasant frame of mind. He
scowled blackly at the boys.
"If you will furnish us with a boat----" began Frank.
"Ain't got no more boats. Can't go out fishin'. An' I'm too blamed lazy
ter build another boat. Built ther sailboat an' canoe afore I got lazy
livin' hyar. Man thet lives hyar six weeks gits too blamed lazy ter
work. What 'm I goin' ter do when I want ter go out fishin'?"
Bart Hodge made a gesture of dismay.
"Do you know where we can get a boat?" he asked.
"Thar's none round hyar."
"Then we cannot follow that man and girl?"
"Not 'less yer kin walk on ther water."
"It's hard luck," declared Frank. "I did not believe they would be able
to slip us."
"What did yer want uv 'em?" asked the big man, his curiosity getting the
better of his anger.
Frank dismounted.
"Might as well get off and give the horses a breathing spell, Bart," he
said. "They are blowed."
"But the party pursuing us--what of them?"
"Let them come."
"Are you going to give up thus easily?"
"No; but I am not going to run like a criminal. Why should I? Let them
come."
"You do not mean to fight?"
"Not if a regular officer attempts my arrest."
"What they goin' ter arrest yer fer, youngster?" asked the man, becoming
still more curious. "Hev yer bin stealin' hawses?"
"No."
"Wa-al, yer needn't tell ef yer don't want ter!" resentfully said the
giant. "I don't keer."
"I will tell you the whole story," said Frank. "When you have heard it
you may be able to advise us about continuing the pursuit."
Bart dismounted, and the boys sat down on the ground. The man took a
seat near at hand, and brought forth a cob pipe, which he leisurely
filled and lighted. He was brawny, weather-tanned, and healthy in
appearance. He did not look like a person who had ever seen an hour of
illness.
"Fire away, youngster," he urged. "Somehow, I kinder take ter you.
You've got an honest face on yer, burn me ef yer hain't!"
Frank expressed thanks for the compliment, and then, as concisely and
plainly as possible, he told of his experiences since meeting the girl
on the train.
The big man listened closely, his interest growing each minute. When the
boy had finished, the man slapped his thigh and cried:
"Brand me deep ef I don't reckon ye've guv it ter me fair an' squar! I
know somethin' about this yar gang uv queer-makers."
"You do?"
Both lads ejaculated the words.
"You bet!"
"What do you know?"
"I hev heard ez how they has a young gal who is queen uv ther band, an'
she shoves ther queer on ther market fer them."
"Is that all?" asked Frank, with a trace of disappointment.
"Hold yer critters!" advised the big man, with a lazy wave of one hand.
"Don't git too oneasy. I said I know something erbout 'em. What I told
yer wuz what I had heard."
"Well, tell us what you know."
"See them mountains over thar, beyond ther lake, right whar I'm
p'intin'?"
"Yes."
"Purty wild place over thar."
"Well?"
"Thet's whar ther den uv them thar counterfeiters is."
Frank clutched the man's arm, his face full of eagerness.
"How do you know?"
"I hev bin over thar."
"What did you discover?"
"Say, I don't keer ter mix in no rows, an' so I ain't troubled myself
ter inform on 'em."
"But you will tell us what you discovered? We will pay----"
"Pay be derned! I tell yer I don't keer a hoot erbout money. Ef I git
enough ter buy some terbacker an' clothes, an' sech provisions ez I
want, thet's all I ask. I don't keer how much bad money is in
circulation, an' thet's why I ain't meddled with them critters. Ef I
blowed, they might take a notion ter call on me, some time, an' make it
derned onpleasant fer me."
The hopes of the boys dwindled.
"But think what it may mean to me--my liberty, honor, everything!"
cried Frank. "You must understand the situation in which I am placed."
"I do. Ef them critters hedn't run off with my boat, I might hev kept my
mouth shet; but now, burn me deep, ef I don't git squar!"
The hopes of the lads rose again.
"I'll tell yer whut I found over thar," the big man went on, slowly. "I
found ther place whar ther queer-makers hang out."
"You did?" fluttered both lads.
"Thet's whatever. Thar's a hidden cabin on a cliff, an' thet thar is
their headquarters."
"Will you guide us there?"
"Wa-al, what do you two youngsters think you could do? Thar's a gang.
You say yer wuz pursued by officers. Wa-al, I know Jack Long, ther
sheriff, an' I kin fix it with him, ef he is in ther crowd. He wuz one
as brought me hyar ter die uv consumption two years ago."
The boys looked at the giant in amazement.
"Brought you here to die of consumption?" cried Frank. "You--you?
Impossible!"
The giant smiled lazily.
"I don't look like a consumptive, now, do I? Wa-al, ther doctors said
thar warn't one chance in a thousan' fer me. They hed guv me up. I come
hyar ter die; but I got well. This is ther greatest place I ever struck
fer bracin' up a feller's lungs; but it takes all ther ambition outer
him. It hes made me so I don't care ter do anything but be lazy. Let
ther old world wag, Gabriel Blake won't bother with her none whatever."
"How can we reach the mountains over there?" asked Frank.
"Reckon we'll hev ter go round ther shore, thet's all ther way."
"And you will guide us?"
"Ef Jack Long shows up an' wants ter go, I s'pose so."
Blake said this somewhat reluctantly, as if he dreaded the exertion.
"If Long should not show up--what, then?"
"It won't be nary dern bit uv use fer one ur two uv us ter go rampin'
off over thar. Ef Jack Long locates their hangout, he'll bring a posse
an' scoop 'em."
The boys found the giant was set in his ways, and it was not strange
that, as they were boys, he should consider them of minor importance in
case of a collision with the counterfeiters.
He once more expressed his conviction that the lads were "squar," and it
was his belief that he could thus convince Jack Long.
"Can we use our horses in getting round the lake?" asked Frank.
"Wa-al, I dunno but I kin pick out a trail fer yer; but fer me it'd be
as much work ter travel hawseback ez afoot."
He then invited them to his cabin, and they followed him, leading the
horses. He gave no heed to the animals the man and girl had abandoned.
Big Gabe's cabin was tucked away in a secluded nook, close to the shore
of the lake, and not far from the cove. It was fairly comfortable in a
rude way.
"Long will come hyar," he said. "Ef he wuz with yer pursuers he'll show
up afore a great while. Make yourselves comfertable till he comes."
The lads did so.