Adventure stories; Puget Sound Region (Wash.) -- Juvenile fiction; Ranch life -- Juvenile fiction; Young men -- Juvenile fiction
The man moved on away from them, until he stopped at the edge of the
overhanging rock, where he stood for a moment or two. Then he leaped out
suddenly and alighted on the top of a boulder about which the white
froth whirled. Frank fancied that only a very powerful person could have
safely made such a leap, and there was no doubt that whatever it was
that had caused the man's unusual gait, it had not affected his agility.
The next moment, he jumped again, and, coming down rather more than
knee-deep in the rapid, floundered through it and vanished into the
shadow beneath the trees. Then Harry looked around at his companion with
a smile.
"I'll own up that Barclay's smart, after all," he said. "He's sure on
the trail. Anyway, perhaps we'd better head back to camp in case some
more of them come along."
It was quite dark when they reached the fire the Siwash had made and
found Mr. Barclay, who now seemed rather wet as well as ragged, sitting
beside it with his pipe in his hand. When they had compared their fish
with those he had killed they lay down among the withered needles on the
opposite side of the fire.
"It's good fishing, sir, but you must be very keen to come so far for
it," said Harry, looking up innocently at Mr. Barclay.
The red light of the fire was on Mr. Barclay's face and Frank saw that
he glanced thoughtfully at Harry.
"It certainly is," he answered. "I believe you have already said
something very much like your last remark. Still, you see, I don't
propose to come often."
Frank suppressed a chuckle. If Harry had intended to surprise the man
into some admission he had not succeeded yet.
"And we go on to the rancherie in a couple of days," Harry added. "From
what the Indians told me I don't think we'd get any fishing there.
Wouldn't it be better to stay here a little longer?"
"No," said Mr. Barclay, "quite apart from the difficulty of sending your
father word, what you suggest doesn't strike me as advisable, for one or
two reasons."
Harry seemed to realize that he was making no progress, and, looking
meaningly at Frank, suddenly changed his tactics.
"There's something I should perhaps have told you, sir, though I don't
know whether it will interest you. Anyway, not long ago Frank and I were
up at the Chinese colony behind the settlement near our ranch. Perhaps
you have been there?"
"I've heard of it," said Barclay dryly.
Then in a few words Harry described how the man they had endeavored to
trail had vanished at the Chinaman's shack, and Frank saw a look of
eager interest cross Mr. Barclay's usually stolid face.
"You suggest that the fellow didn't want you to see him?" he asked.
"That was certainly how it struck me."
"And he walked rather curiously and one shoulder seemed a little higher
than the other? I think you mentioned that?"
"I did," repeated Harry.
Mr. Barclay seemed to reflect, but there was now sign of deeper interest
in his expression.
"Did you notice whether he had red hair and gray eyes?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account