DOWN THE RIVER
"Dinner is ready, folks! Please gather around the table!" called Mrs.
Baxter, as she rang a big bell vigorously.
Lanky instantly jumped from his chair as though on springs.
"That's a welcome sound, sure," he said aside to Ralph. "I reckon I'm
about as hungry as a wolf."
"You mean that escaped prisoner, who must be mighty near famished. He
looked like a wolf to me. Ugh! after hearing about those terrible eyes
of his I just imagined I could see them, though it was too far away for
that," returned his comrade, also moving to the other room.
Of course the boys had liberally splashed water, and used soap to such
advantage that all the marks of the fire had been removed from their
faces. They looked at the bountifully filled table with satisfaction,
such as any three hungry lads might feel under similar circumstances.
The old farmer sat at the head, and there were fully a dozen others,
some of his own immediate family, and the rest relatives who had been
invited to share in this first Christmas dinner in the new home.
Of course a gigantic turkey graced the board, one of the farmer's own
raising. There was much merriment and laughter as the dinner proceeded.
And yet Frank, as he looked now and then at the faces of both Mr.
Baxter and his wife, thought he could see traces of seriousness there.
"Of course, what else could you expect?" he said to himself. "Perhaps
the shock of having that fire, and the attempted robbery has upset
them. People at their time of life feel such things much more than
young folks."
The dinner came to an end at last, and as Lanky arose, he was shaking
his head as though he had some doubts concerning his ability to
continue that long trip down the Harrapin to Columbia.
"And what will the folks say when I sit down to another feed like that
to-night? They'll tell me I'm the limit, sure," he remarked dolefully.
"Oh! don't worry about that, Lanky. The run back will shake things down
a bit, and the chances are you'll be in pretty good trim to hit up your
usual pace when seven o'clock comes around," remarked Frank, who knew
the capacity of his chum in the line of a feed.
"I hope so, for it would be a shame to miss all the good things my
folks expect to ring in on the bill of fare to-day," grunted the other,
at which Frank laughed, and remarked to Ralph:
"I've always been told that the fish in the basket never looks so fine
as the one in the water. It's so with Lanky, any way. He wants to
forget the splendid dinner he's just put away, and think only of the
one ahead. How is it with you, Ralph?"
"Just now I don't care whether school keeps or not. It seems to me I
could never get real hungry again, and I wonder how it feels to be just
wild for a bite. But I know that will wear away, as you say, Frank.
When do we get busy and start for home?" came the reply.
Ralph was of course thinking of other things, wondering whether any
one could have arrived at Columbia station since they left town that
morning; and if he would be greeted by a mother's caresses when he
reached there.
Frank knew what was passing in his mind. He did not say anything, but
could sympathize with the anxious lad.
"I suppose we might as well start at once, and take things a little
easy on the return trip. One thing seems to be in our favor, and that's
the wind," he said after considering a moment.
"Yes, it will be at our backs much of the time," declared Ralph.
"And then again, fellows," remarked Lanky, as he joined the talk,
"we'll be going down-hill all the time. That may not be noticeable, but
it counts in the long run. I wonder now----"
"What's struck you, Lanky? Thinking of a place where we might stop
halfway home to put out some more fire and earn another meal?" asked
Frank.
"Huh! what d'ye take me for, a reservoir, a grain elevator or a
cemetery? Now, I was thinking of that runaway chap in the striped suit.
He went down-river, you know. What if we meet him?"
"In that case I rather guess Bill would hide in the brush. He's seen
all he wants of this crowd for to-day. Don't you believe he'd attack
us! The chances are he's got no weapons, having just escaped, and he
knows he'd have little show with us empty-handed. Forget Bill, Lanky.
He's a back number so far as we're concerned," and Frank waved his chum
aside.
The entire company came out to see them depart. Again there was a
vigorous handshaking all around.
"Be sure and come and see us again soon, boys," said the motherly Mrs.
Baxter, as she stood there, her gray head covered by a gingham apron.
"We'll certainly drop in on you whenever we're up this way again, good
folks," declared Frank, breaking away from the detaining hands of the
girls.
"If you ever need a lively hustling lot of firemen, just remember us,
will you, please; and let it be on a holiday too," cried Lanky, with
one of his rare smiles.
And so they walked away toward the river, chatting as they went.
Several times Lanky turned around to wave his handkerchief, and the
others of course joked him unmercifully.
"Which is it you're waving farewell to, Lanky, that glorious dinner, or
the red-cheeked girl, Dora Baxter?" demanded Ralph.
"You think it's smart, don't you, to say that?" retorted the other,
indignantly. "Well, just turn your head and look back. Is that a turkey
rack you see waving a kerchief after me, or does it look like a plump
little girl, with the prettiest eyes and rosiest cheeks you ever saw?"
"Beg your pardon, old fellow. You've made an impression, all right.
How is it you didn't know this Dora before? Didn't they used to live
somewhere near you?" Ralph asked, curiously.
"She was away most all the time at her grandma's away up in the State.
I reckon, part of the family stay there, now that the old folks are
getting feeble. There's a heap more of 'em than you saw to-day. Hey!
what was that moved in the bushes up yonder? Bet you it was that
critter sneaking back."
But it turned out to be a foraging pig that had escaped from the sty,
and was apparently wandering around looking for some soft spot to root,
which it was hardly likely to find in such bitter wintry weather.
But the conversation was not resumed at the point where the
interruption occurred, and so Ralph never knew just how large a family
the farmer possessed.
They reached the stream, and again fastened on their skates.
"Don't know whether I can keep up with you fellows," groaned Lanky, as
he started to strike out; "but please don't leave me far behind. That
striped zebra might think it a fine chance to take it out on me for his
being chased away up yonder."
"What if he did? Think of the pleasure of suffering for the family of
rosy cheeked Baxters. Don't you imagine that Dora would think more of
you than ever if you captured that fellow single-handed? It might be
the chance of a lifetime to win imperishable glory," taunted Frank.
"Rats! What I'm thinking of is being able to skate so soon after
dining. 'Taint the right thing to do. All doctors agree on that. We
ought to lie around for an hour or so. Hold up, fellows, not quite so
rapid a pace to begin with. Remember your wise old plan, Frank, and
have mercy."
But after he found himself warmed up Lanky was better able to put forth
more exertion, and do himself justice. The three sped along like the
wind, and the miles were placed behind them as if by magic.
"What time was it when we started?" asked Ralph.
"A little after one," replied Frank, who carried a watch.
"And how far is Columbia from the farm?"
"Something like fifteen miles, I should judge, by the river; not more
than a dozen by the road," continued Frank, readily.
"Well, the way we're going we ought to bring up at home by half-past
two at the latest. And there's a train at two-twelve," Ralph went on,
as if talking to himself.
"Poor fellow," muttered Frank, on hearing these words. "I wish his
weary watch was over with. But it can't last much longer now. Any day,
any hour, I feel that he is going to be made the happiest boy in all
Columbia. And he deserves the best there is, Ralph does."
On they pushed resistlessly. Once or twice Lanky thought he caught a
glimpse of something in the bushes that looked like the striped suit
worn by the man who had escaped from confinement, but none of the
others bothered their heads on this score.
"There's Clifford!" said Frank, as they turned a bend, and saw skaters
on the ice; but without stopping to bandy words with any of them they
kept straight along.
"And that's Rattail Island ahead," remarked Ralph, presently, "just two
miles now, and we'll be home."
As they swept past the island both Frank and Lanky looked toward the
shack on the shore; but no signs of the tramp could they see.
"I guess he's away, trying to sell some of the fish he caught this
morning. It's a pretty blue Christmas for poor Bill, perhaps,"
commented Frank.
"Bill--seems like I was going to say it then, and plague take it if the
words didn't just stick in my throat," groaned Lanky, shaking his head.
Then they sighted the outlying houses of Columbia ahead, and none of
them were sorry, for they were somewhat stiff, and a trifle sore.
Once ashore Ralph and Frank said good-bye to Lanky, and hurried toward
the railroad station, for Ralph could not contain his impatience
longer.