Page:Hendryx--Connie Morgan with the Mounted.djvu/93

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What Happened on Cameron Creek
75

don't know, ye mout step acrost to his cabin, an' ef he ain't there, ye mout take a guess at it. How'd ye s'pose I know where Cosgrieve*s at. Dang him! He——"

"He, what?" asked McKeever, quickly. But the other only eyed him insolently.

"He what! He what!" mocked the old man. "Ye talk like a jackass. He what—he what—he haw—he haw!"

McKeever curbed his wrath, and the two officers ate in silence, while old Jap glared malevolently from his seat on the pine counter. When they arose to go the old man followed them to the door: "Toddle along up the crick an' have a look at ye're dear Injuns. See ef some of 'em's be'n stole by us Cameron Crickers. An' then toddle back an' climb in ye're canoe an' report to Dawson that all's well—like ye allus do. Ye're a smart bunch—youse Mounteds is—but ye ain't the ondly smart folks in the world— Ta-ta!"

"I'll get that old scoundrel yet!" gritted McKeever. "They's somethin' crooked about this whole blame creek—but we've never be'n able to hang anythin' on 'em."