“Hope we never set eyes on Gabe again,” remarked Teddy, after they had seen him pass out of sight, up the river.
“Well, since he seems to be heading in the same direction we’re bound, we might run across the man again,” remarked Dolph. “But honest now, between us, Teddy, I couldn’t swallow all he said about hunting roots. You see, the man doesn’t even have an idea what wild ginseng looks like; and as for golden seal, he would pass it by every time, judging from some remarks he made. Now, what would such an ignorant man want, hunting valuable medicinal roots up here?”
“But if not that, what is he after then?” queried Teddy with a frown on his young face, as though a faint suspicion had even begun to trouble him.
“He knows you are the son of Mr. Overton, the president of the lumber company; and he admits that he used to work for the opposition. Perhaps he’s still in their employ, Teddy; perhaps he means to do something to you, something that will give his company the whiphand over your father.”
It was Amos who said this; but Teddy laughed at such an idea. He declared that the most they had to fear from Big Gabe was his thievish propensity. Possibly he might be sorely tempted to come back, and try to loot the camp. His actions had shown them that he was envious of the fine guns they carried, as well as all those other things, the like of which the man had never seen before.
“I’m going to put in a couple of shells of the finest bird shot I’ve got,” he went on to say, grimly; “and whichever one is on duty must carry my Marlin. Then, if our friend does come creeping around, we’ll pretend that we think it a bear or a cat, and blaze away. He’ll get his jacket dusted, and limp a little, maybe; but he won’t try that dodge again, I reckon.”
“A good idea,” declared Dolph; and even Amos grinned; for in imagination he could see that ill-natured giant, who had always been the bully of the logging camp, going limping away, grunting with the pain of the fine shot that Teddy kept for summer woodcock shooting in the brush, where close shots were the rule.
They sat down to talk a little before making arrangements for the night; because both Teddy and Dolph were curious to hear what the woods boy knew concerning the past tempestuous life of Big Gabe.