JOE'S PLANS IN DANGER.
Silas Morgan made no attempt at pursuit, for he had learned by
experience that he could not hold his own with Dan in a foot-race; but
he knew how to bide his time.
"Never mind, son," he shouted. "I'll catch you to-night after you have
gone to bed."
"These threatening words arrested Dan's headlong flight, and he stopped
to shout back:
"You just lay an ugly hand onto me, and it'll be worse for you and
them setter dogs that you've got shut up in the wood-shed. I know well
enough that nobody ever give 'em to you, and that that man with the
long black whiskers who was here last year would be willing to give
something handsome--"
The ferryman couldn't stand it any longer, for the boy was getting too
near the truth to suit him. He began looking about on the ground for
something to throw at him; whereupon Dan turned and took to his heels
again, and quickly disappeared around the corner of the cabin.
"I wish that black-whiskered man had them setter dogs, and that I was
shet of them," muttered Silas, as he walked slowly up the bank. "I did
think that mebbe I could get a big reward for giving them back; but I
don't care for such things now. The money that's hid in the cave is
what I'm thinking of these times."
The ferryman was left to his own devices for the rest of the day; for
Joe, highly elated over his unexpected fortune, had gone to meet his
mother, so that he might tell her the good news without being overheard
by any of the rest of the family, and Dan was on his way to Mr.
Hallet's to offer him his services as game-warden.
But Silas was glad to be alone at this particular time, for he had
something mysterious and exciting to think about--a cave in the
mountains that had an abundance of treasure in it. He had long looked
forward to something of this sort, for he had often dreamed about it;
and when he read in a torn newspaper, which came from the store wrapped
around one of his wife's bundles, that some workmen, while digging for
the foundations of a public building in a distant city, had come upon
an earthen jar that was filled to the brim with American and Mexican
coins of ancient date--when he read this, Silas took it as an omen that
his bright dreams of acquiring wealth without labor were on the eve of
being realized.
The man's first care was to let out the dogs and unhitch the horse from
the wood-rack, and his second to hunt up a shady spot on the bank and
look for the letter which he had stowed away in his pocket.
But it was not to be found. The ferryman's clothes, like all the other
things that belonged to him, were sadly in need of repairs, and when
he went to shut up the dogs, the letter had worked its way through
his pocket, down the leg of his trowsers, and fallen to the ground
in front of the wood-shed door, where it lay until Dan came along and
picked it up.
Meanwhile Joe was strolling leisurely along the road in the direction
from which he knew his mother would come, when her day's work was over.
"She will be glad to learn that she has done her last washing and
scrubbing for other folks," the boy kept saying to himself. "When
winter comes, and the roads are blocked with drifts, she can sit down
in front of a warm fire and stay there, instead of wading through the
deep snow to earn a dollar. I am in a position to take care of her
now, and I could do it easy enough if father and Dan would only let me
alone. They call me stingy because I will not share my hard earnings
with them; but they never think of sharing with me, nor did I ever see
one of them give mother anything. On the contrary, if they know that
she's got a dime or two saved up for a rainy day, they never give her a
minute's peace till they get it for themselves. Now, is there any way I
can work it so that mother can have everything she wants, and yet be
able to say that she hasn't got a cent in the house?"
While Joe was revolving this problem in his mind, he heard a familiar
bark behind him, and faced about to see his brother Dan approaching on
a dog-trot. He was followed by the only friend and companion he had in
the world--a little black cur, which no self-respecting boy would have
accepted as a gift.
But mean and insignificant as he looked, Bony was of great use to his
master. He was the best coon, grouse and squirrel dog in the country
for miles around, and it was by his aid that Dan earned money to buy
his clothes and ammunition. Bony got more kicks than caresses in return
for his services, but that did not seem to lessen his affection for Dan.
"I allowed that I knew where you was gone, and that I'd come up with
you directly," said the latter, as soon as he arrived within speaking
distance. "Say, Joe, have you thought over that little plan of mine?"
Joe replied that he had not.
"Then, why don't you think it over?" continued Dan. "Of course, I don't
expect you to go pardners with me for nothing. I've got my consent to
do all I can to help you. I'll even agree to cut the wood, cook the
grub, keep the shanty in order, and do all the rest of the mean work,
while you are taking your ease or looking after the birds. All you've
got to do is to say the word, and me and you will have the finest kind
of times this winter."
But Joe didn't say the word. In fact, he did not say anything, and,
of course, his silence made Dan angry again. The latter was bound to
handle at least a portion of his brother's wages, and he did not care
what course he took to accomplish his object.
"You ain't forgot what I told you awhile back, I reckon, have you?"
said Dan, with suppressed fury.
"No, I haven't forgotten it. I can recall everything you said to me."
"Then, why don't you pay some heed to it? Do you want to see your
business busted up? Look a here, Joe Morgan: You say you are going to
give all that there money to mam. If you do, I'll have some of it in
spite of you. I'll tell mam that I want my share, and she'll hand it
over without no words, 'cause she knows well enough that I'll turn the
house out doors if she don't do as I say. She's heard me calling for
somebody to hold me on the ground, and she don't like to see me that
way, 'cause she knows I'm mad."
"I know that you have worried a good deal of money out of mother, first
and last," said Joe, angrily, "but you needn't think you can frighten
her into giving you any of mine, because she won't have any."
"You stingy, good-for-nothing scamp! you're going back on your mam, are
you?" shouted Dan, who could scarcely believe that he was not dreaming.
"I never thought that of you. You're going to have the softest kind of
a job all winter, and make stacks and piles of money, and never give a
cent of it to mam, be you?"
"Mother will have everything she wants, but still she will not touch a
cent of my earnings," answered Joe, calmly.
"Whoop! Hold me on the ground, somebody!" yelled Dan, striking up his
war dance. "Then how'll mam get the things she wants?"
"On a written order, and in no other way."
"Who'll give that there order?"
"Mr. Warren, whom I shall ask to act as my banker. I've got to do
something to keep you from bothering the life out of mother, and that
is what I have decided upon."
"Whoop!" shouted Dan again. "Pap won't agree to no such bargain as that
there, I bet you, and neither will I."
"What has father got to say about my business?"
"He's got a good deal to say about it, the first thing you know,"
answered Dan, with a triumphant air.
His only object in hastening on to overtake his brother was that he
might torment him by calling his attention to a point of law that Joe
had never thought of before.
"You ain't twenty-one year old yet, my fine feller, and pap's got the
right to make you hand over every red cent you earn. He told me so;
and he furder said that he was going to take the last dollar of them
hundred and twenty that you are going to make this winter. So there,
now. I told you that there was them in the world that's just as smart
as you think you be, and me and pap are the fellers. He's a mighty hard
old chap to get the better of, pap is, and so be I. You can't do it
nohow you fix it."
It looked that way, sure enough, thought Joe, who was greatly surprised
and bewildered.
He knew very well that his father could take his earnings, if he were
mean enough to do it, but, as we have said, the matter had never been
brought home to him before. He had always given his money to his
mother, and Silas had never raised any objection to it.
The reason was because he did not think of it, and besides, the amounts
were too small to do him any good; they were not worth the rumpus which
the ferryman knew would be raised about his ears if he interfered and
tried to turn Joe's earnings into his own pocket.
But things were different now. The young game-warden's prospective
wages amounted to a goodly sum in the aggregate, and Silas was resolved
to "turn over a new leaf," and assert his authority as head of the
house.
Joe, on the other hand, was fully determined that his mother alone
should profit by his winter's work, and as he was a resolute fellow,
and as fearless as a boy could be, it was hard to tell how the matter
was destined to end. But there was trouble in store for him; there
could be no doubt about that.
"What do you say now?" asked Dan, who had little difficulty in reading
the thoughts that were passing through his brother's mind, they showed
so plainly on his face. "You're thinking of kicking agin me and pap,
but I tell you that you'd best not do it. Will you be sensible and go
pardners, or have your business busted up?"
"Neither," answered Joe, turning so fiercely upon his persecutor that
the latter recoiled a step or two. "Now, if you don't let me alone, I
will go to Mr. Warren and see if he can find means to make you."
"Sho!" said Dan, with a grin, "you don't mean it?"
"Yes, I do. It may surprise you to know that you have put yourself in
danger of being locked up."
"Not much, I ain't," said Dan, confidently. "I ain't done a single
thing yet."
"But you have made threats, and Mr. Warren could have you put under
bonds."
"He'd have lots of fun trying that," replied Dan, who laughed loudly at
the idea of such a thing. "Why, man, I ain't got none."
"Of course you haven't, and you couldn't furnish them either, so you
would have to go to jail."
"Great Moses!" Dan managed to ejaculate.
There was no grin on his face now, nor even the sign of one. He was
astonished as well as frightened.
It had never occurred to him that his brother could invoke the law to
protect him, but he saw it plainly enough now, and he knew by the way
Joe looked at him that he had been crowded just about as far as he
intended to go.
When the latter moved on down the road, Dan made no attempt to stop
him. He backed toward a log, sat down on it, and kept his eyes fastened
upon Joe until a bend in the road hid him from view.