Arthur Somers Roche

“ Indeed, as I dropped my fish and skates, retaining only my ax, the muff was entirely wrenched from her fingers by a man whose back was to me. But the other man, who seized her shoulders and forced her back against a pine tree while the other backed away, bending over the captured fur, was Jim Ravenell. ”

“ Here I chopped a hole in the ice with my ax, and here I remained for a couple of hours, until I had gathered a string of six fine pickerel.
Then I skated about the lake for another hour, until I felt that it was time for me to get back to the hotel if I wanted my pickerel for dinner. I came to a stop near the path behind the hotel and took off my skates. As I rose I thought I heard voices in the woods, thought I recognized Miss Gilman’s tones, raised, so it seemed, in expostulation, in fright, perhaps. ”

“ IN PURSUANCE of this laudable intention, next morning, I left the hotel immediately after breakfast, with a pair of skates, an ax, and fishing tackle and bait which Captain Perkins had given me. I skirted the hotel and immediately descended the path through pine woods, not over a hundred yards or so in length, that wound down from the rear of the Inn to Rider’s Pond. Today even more of the ice was visible. ”

“ Now, a grown man of thirty, he had the brain of a boy of sixteen.
“As good a boy as ever breathed, too,” said the captain. “I’ve left him all I got, in trust so he can’t be robbed of it, and I do my best to see that he has a good time. I don’t ask him to do no work less’n he feels like it. But he’s a good boy and likes to help around. Here he is, now,” he added in an undertone.
The wailing of the violin had died away while we talked and its owner now descended the stairs, carrying the instrument under his arm. ”

“ As for Ravenell, the captain guessed that that worthy was a sportsman, come down to Folly Cove for some fishing through the ice.
“Leastwise, he says so,” stated Captain Perkins.
I did not enlighten him, but let the captain ramble on about the natural advantages of Folly Cove for both Summer and Winter sports. And they were many.
Fronting the hotel was the “Head,” a sort of promontory that jutted into the sea. It was heavily covered with pine growth, through which ran the “Indian trails” to be found at every Maine resort. ”

“ You were trying to string me. But go on scrapping with your friend. When thieves fall out, you know——”
“Oh, there’s no use getting sore, any of us,” said Minot. “We’re both after the same thing. Though why, when you had it in your hand—I get it! It wasn’t in her muff and you knew it and planned making a hit with her. Very clever!”
He eyed me admiringly.
“Wasn’t it?” I smiled. “And now—suppose you gentlemen retire down this path and get to the village along the lake-front? I’ll have Captain Perkins send your bags down to the station.” ”

“ Miss Gilman will hardly care to see your faces again. I don’t know whether she’ll have you arrested or not. I hope she does. I’ll cheerfully testify against both of you. But anyway, it will take time to get a sheriff up to the Inn, and I don’t propose to have her annoyed by the knowledge that you’re around. ”