WHEN CRAWLEY LOST HIS HEAD
Teddy did not move, nor did Dolph. They could not have done so, even
had they wanted, so enthralled did that strange scene hold them.
No one looked toward the window, fortunately, and consequently the
presence there of the two peeping canoe boys was not discovered.
Of course, this sudden coming of Crawley upon the scene had created a
diversion. The girl started up with a little cry of grief, as though
bewailing the possible finish of her pleasure. Hearing all this, Amos,
too, ceased to draw his bow across the strings, and as the music
abruptly ceased, he opened his eyes.
“Go on, consarn ye!” exclaimed Crawley, in a voice that fairly trembled
with eagerness, “keep right along wid yer fiddlin’ I tell yer. Don’t
yer _dar’_ ter stop jest thar—finish that piece like ye was a-doin’!
By glory! ain’t I been a-tryin’ ter git the second part o’ that
Traveler tune this ten months, an’ allers swingin’ right around inter
the fust half agin. Go on, boy, play it all ther way through, I tells
yer! I’m jest fairly wild ter hear how she goes. By gum—but ye _kin_
make thet ole fiddle o’ mine talk some. Ye jest fair seem ter burn the
strings wid yer bow. I ain’t never herd sech music. Go on! Go on, boy,
play!”
Crawley was so excited that he fairly shouted these words at Amos,
who hardly understood what it all meant, but sat there with his bow
upraised, staring.
Teddy came very near laughing out loud at the singular coincidence. He
remembered hearing his father tell of an old Italian professor of music
in Cincinnati, Tosso by name, who, whenever he played this favorite
selection in public used to tell a humorous story in connection with it.
This was to the effect that once upon a time he was riding horseback
through the backwoods of Arkansas, and asked for accommodations over
night of the owner of a cabin, who was sitting on a bench sawing
away at a fiddle. So while he kept on going over and over the same
melody, in his rude way, he shook his head as if he did not like to be
interrupted, and just took time to say he had no room or food to spare;
after which he harked back, and began the same old strain over and
over.
Thereupon the music master had asked for the loan of the battered
fiddle a few minutes, and he would show him how the Arkansaw Traveler
should be played all the way through. The settler’s delight was
unbounded. He declared the traveler must stay over night, even if he
and the old woman had to sleep in the loft; and he was welcome to all
the food and whiskey they possessed; for he said that for ten years he
had been constantly trying to catch onto that second half, which always
eluded him.
So history sometimes repeats itself.
Amos finally seemed to comprehend what was wanted, and that he was not
to be made a victim of violence. With a satisfied grin, he once more
tucked the end of the old fiddle under his square chin, and began to
draw the bow squeakingly across the taut strings, presently starting
off upon the desired tune.
And when he jumped from the first to the second part it was simply
amazing to watch the manner of the greasy old game poacher.
His face lighted up with ecstacy, his hand twitched, as if drawing the
bow back and forth, the fingers of the other worked convulsively as
if engaged in touching the strings, while even his moccasined feet
started to tread a measure—so great is the power of music over the
human soul.
Teddy wondered what effect this new peculiar incident might have upon
the relations existing between Amos and his captors.
Would Crawley allow his gratitude to the boy to interfere with the
scheme which he and Big Gabe were endeavoring to put through?
Remembering that Gabe would have to be reckoned with in the matter, and
that no love of music was apt to sway him from the course he had mapped
out, Teddy felt very doubtful on this score.
Crawley would not let the boy stop playing when he reached the end of
the tune.
“Play her some more, boy, play her frequent-like! I’ve been awaitin’
ter git thet same chune complete so long now, seems like I never could
hear it enuff. It’s great, that’s what, ain’t it, Sallie, girl? Don’t
yer feel glad now to see yer ole dad lookin’ so happy like? Play on,
Amos, play right along! Don’t ye _dar’_ stop—it’d be nigh as much as
yer life was wuth to disapp’int me now.”
And Amos played, with a humorous look on his face, and perhaps a sly
wink in the direction of the girl, who had resumed her former rapt
pose, with her chin buried deep in the cup of her hand.
Crawley could not have been drinking, at least to excess, so it was not
liquor that influenced him; but as the music proceeded, his feet began
to move in unison, and his arms took to swinging. Almost before Teddy
realized it, the bulky form of the trapper was gyrating around the
room; he was so wrought up that he could not keep still.
Crawley had a pretty hard name among the loggers, and those who sought
the pelts of the various wild animals of the Northern pines. He was
known as a quarrelsome man, and a fighter who had wrought more or less
trouble wherever he roved—in the camps of timber cruisers, among the
lumberjacks, and with other trappers; but he certainly did not look
like a dangerous citizen at that particular moment, while circling
around the shanty, snapping his fingers, trying to keep on whistling
the recovered air, so as to impress it on his memory, and otherwise
conducting himself after the manner of a happy, carefree squatter,
regardless of the morrow.
While Teddy was trying to make up his mind as to what the eventual
outcome of this strange situation might be, he saw another form appear
in the doorway.
Big Gabe Hackett!
The timber cruiser strode into the cabin, his red face filled with both
astonishment and anger.
Plainly the weird strains of the “Arkansaw Traveler” did not appeal
to any emotion in _his_ soul. Music might have charms to soothe the
savage, but it failed to awaken any responsive chord in the breast of
this giant of the pine woods.
Crawley had now seized upon his child, and was holding her to him while
making ungainly attempts to keep time with the rhythm of the music.
Sallie actually smiled for the first time since Amos had entered the
place; and it was a smile that lighted up her elfin features until in
the boy’s mind they looked almost angelic.
Imagine the disgust of the scheming Big Gabe to come rushing into the
cabin and discover such a remarkable thing as this going on.
His heavy voice sounded above the music, and the beat of Crawley’s feet
on the floor.
“Stop it! Say, Crawley, hev ye gone clean crazy? What sorter kerryin’
on d’ye call this here, anyhow? Quit it, I say and act sensible. Hoy
dye ’spect we’re a goin’ ter work out our game if ye play the big baby.
Stop fiddlin,’ boy!”
Amos, of course, obeyed, and with the inspiration of the music gone,
the traveler also ceased capering around the room.
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.
While Teddy did not actually fear the rascal, still, he believed it
wise to remain hidden from those they meant to hoodwink, as long as
possible, at least.
Indeed, it was still a question in Teddy’s mind whether or not Big Gabe
had discovered their presence. He was as cunning as the fox itself, and
might have refrained from betraying any evidence of his discovery, but
once beyond range of the boy’s vision, was apt to start some shrewd
flank movement calculated to encompass their capture.
Under these conditions Teddy considered it the part of wisdom to crouch
down in the shadows and wait for some little time, until they could be
positive the men had returned to their ambush.
They could hear Amos and Sallie talking, as though they had become
great friends in the short time they had known each other; though Teddy
guessed that the magic fiddle had drawn them both together, more than
anything else.
He had swept his eyes around the interior of the cabin when first
peering in through the little window, and beyond a few rusty traps,
some furs used for sleeping purposes, a few moth-eaten blankets and
several cooking utensils, it did not seem to contain much else, yet
things were as clean as Sallie could make them, and even a broom
fashioned from twigs showed that the child swept the old floor
regularly.