But they did not, for they had no chance. The worms crawled round and
round the canvas bag, and played at making Gordian knots with each
other, while several fish came and looked at the unbaited hook which
Dexter offered for their inspection, but preferred to leave the barbed
steel alone.
For quite half an hour Dexter sat there dreamily gazing at his float,
but seeing nothing but the past, when he started to his feet, for there
was a splash in the water close to his feet, the drops flying over him,
and there, across the river, grinning and looking very dirty, was Bob
Dimsted.
"Yah! Who stole the boat?" he cried.
Dexter flushed up, but he made no reply. Only took out his line, and
this time he baited it and threw in again.
"Yah; who stole the boat!" cried Bob again. "I say, ain't he been
licked? Ain't his back sore?"
Dexter set his teeth hard and stared at his float, as Bob baited his own
line, and threw in just opposite, to begin fishing just as if nothing
had happened.
It was a painful position. To go on fishing was like taking up with Bob
again; to go away seemed like being afraid.
But Dexter determined upon this last, drew out his line, and was
stooping to pick up his basket, when Bob broke into a derisive
war-dance--
"Yah, yah!" he cried. "Yer 'bliged to go. Yah! yer miserable,
white-faced sneak! g'ome! g'ome! yah!"
Dexter banged down his basket again, and threw in his line with a big
splash, as his eyes flashed defiance across the stream.
"Ah! it's all very fine," said Bob; "but yer dussen't do that if it
weren't for the river. Why, if I'd got yer here I'd bung both yer eyes
up for yer. Yah! yer sneak!"
"Here, you just be off. D'yer hear!" cried an angry voice; and Peter
came up, broom in hand.
"She yarn't," cried Bob? "Who are you? This ain't your field. Stop as
long as I like. Yah!"
"Wish I was over the other side and I'd pitch you in, you sarcy young
vagabond."
"So are you!" cried Bob. "You dussen't touch me. Fish here as long as
I like. Pair o' cowards, that's what you are--pair o' cowards. Fight
either of yer one hand."
"Wish we was over there," said Peter; "and we'd make you sing another
song, my fine fellow."
"Would yer? Yah! who cares for you!"
"Look here, you've no business to come opposite our place to fish!"
cried Peter, "so be off!"
"Yah! 'tain't your place. Stop and fish here as long as I like; and if
ever I meet him anywheres I'll give him such a licking as'll make him
squeal."
"You be off!"
"Shan't."
"Oh, you won't, won't you?" cried a gruff voice; and old Dan'l came from
behind a laurustinus clump. "You, Peter--you go and get a basket full
o' them brickbats from down by the frames, and we'll soon see whether
he'll stop there."
"Yah! go on with your old brickbats. Who cares for you!" cried Bob.
"Yah! look at him! Who stole the boat, and cried to go home again? Who
stole the boat?"
"Oh, if I could only get across!" said Dexter, in a hoarse low voice.
"Would you give it him if you could!" said old Dan'l, with a grim laugh.
"Yes," said Dexter, between his teeth.
"Ay, he would, Dan'l," said Peter excitedly. "I wish he was over
yonder."
"Yah! yah! look at the old caterpillar-killers," cried Bob. "Who stole
the boat? Yah!"
These last were farewell shots.
"They won't bite here," cried Bob, moving off, "but don't you think you
frightened me away. Come as often as I like. Yah! take him home!"
Dexter's face was scarlet as he watched his departing enemy, thinking
the while of his own folly in leaving his friends for such a wretched
young cur as that.
"Think he would?" said Peter.
"Ay, two on him," said Dan'l, after glancing cautiously up toward the
house.
"Shall us?"
"Ay, if you like, my lad," said Dan'l. "Say, youngster, if we help you
acrost will you go and start him outer the west medder?"
"Yes," cried Dexter excitedly.
"All right. Don't make a row."
Old Dan'l went off, and Peter followed, to return in five minutes with a
great shallow wooden cistern across the long barrow, old Dan'l looking
very grim as he walked by his side, and carrying the familiar
clothes-prop.
"There, that's as good as a punt," he said. "Look here! You'd better
kneel down on it; I should take off my jacket and weskit, and roll up my
sleeves, if I was you."
Dexter's eyes sparkled as he followed this bit of advice, while Dan'l
took one end of the cistern, Peter the other, and they gently launched
it in the little river.
"Ain't scared of him, are yer!" said Dan'l.
Dexter gave him a sharp look.
"That he ain't," said Peter. "Look here, Master Dexter," he whispered,
"don't let him hug you, but give it him right straight out, and he'll be
down and howl in two two's."
Dexter made no reply, but stepped into the great shallow punt-like
contrivance, seized the prop handed to him, and prepared to use it, but
the strong steady thrust given by Peter sent him well on his journey,
and in less than a minute he was across.
"Come on, Dan'l," cried Peter. "Don't I wish we was acrost too!"
They crept among the trees at the extreme corner of the garden, where
they could hold on by the boughs, and crane their necks over the river,
so as to see Dexter tearing along the opposite bank into the next meadow
where Bob was fishing, in happy ignorance of the approach of danger;
and, to further take off his attention, he had just hooked a good-sized
perch, and was playing it, when Dexter, boiling over with the
recollection of many injuries culminating in Bob's cowardly lies, came
close up and gave a formal announcement of his presence by administering
a sounding crack on the ear.
Bob dropped his rod into the river, and nearly jumped after it as he
uttered a howl.
"Look at that!" cried Peter, giving one of his legs a slap. "Oh, I wish
I was there!"
Bob was as big a coward as ever stepped. So is a rat; but when driven
to bay a rat will fight.
Bob was at bay, and he, being in pain, began to fight by lowering his
head and rushing at his adversary.
Dexter avoided the onslaught, and gave Bob another crack on the ear.
Then, trusting in his superior size and strength, Bob dashed at Dexter
again, and for a full quarter of an hour there was a fierce up and down
fight, which was exceedingly blackguardly and reprehensible no doubt,
but under the circumstances perfectly natural.
Dexter got a good deal knocked about, especially whenever Bob closed
with him; but he did not get knocked about for nothing. Very soon there
were a number of unpleasant ruddy stains upon his clean white shirt, but
the blood was Bob's, and consequent upon a sensation of his nose being
knocked all on one side.
There was a tooth out--a very white one on the grass, but that tooth was
Bob's, and, in addition, that young gentleman's eyes wore the aspect of
his having been interviewing a wasps' nest, for they were rapidly
closing up, and his whole face assuming the appearance of a very large
and puffy unbaked bun.
Then there was a cessation of the up and down fighting; Bob was lying on
his back howling after his customary canine fashion, and Dexter was
standing over him with his doubled fists, his face flushed, his eyes
flashing, teeth set, and his curly hair shining in the sun.
"It's splendid, Dan'l, old man," cried Peter, slapping his
fellow-servant on the back. "I wouldn't ha' missed it for half a
crown."
"No," said Dan'l. "Hang him! he's got some pluck in him if he ain't got
no breed. Brayvo, young un! I never liked yer half--"
Dan'l stopped short, and Peter stepped back against the dividing fence.
"Beg pardon, sir?"
"I said how did that boy get across the river!" said the doctor sternly.
There was no reply.
"Now no subterfuges," said the doctor sharply.