The gruff-voiced conspirator rushed furiously toward me, and I
retreated a few paces. The two in charge of the tar-kettle picked it
up, and saved a portion of its contents. My heavy assailant was roused
to a high pitch of anger by the opposition I made to his plans, and
seemed to be disposed to proceed to extremities. He had picked up a
club, and continued to advance. Once or twice he made a pass at me with
his weapon, but I dodged the blow.
I was not angry, and I was cool. I saw that my foe was clumsy, if he
was stout. As he threw his heavy cow-hide boots about, he reminded me
of an elephant dancing a hornpipe. I saw two or three chances to hit
him, but I refrained from doing so, for I did not want a broken head
upon my conscience.
“Come here, Martin!” shouted he to one of his fellow-conspirators; and
this was the only name I heard used during the whole of the strife.
“Why don’t you knock him?” demanded the person called, as he sprang
forward to assist the big fellow.
I continued to retreat, and intended to fall back upon my boat for
protection; but the second assailant got in behind me, and presently
I saw more stars than I was anxious to behold in broad daylight. I
concluded that I was a fool to indulge in squeamishness on such an
occasion, when my head was in danger of being “caved in” by the heavy
blows of the rascals. Besides, the rap I had received had a tendency
to rouse my ire; in fact, it did rouse it; and at the next convenient
opportunity, I struck the big fellow a smart blow on the head.
Evidently it hit him in a tender place, for he dropped flat upon the
ground.
I was alarmed at this catastrophe, and fortunately the second assailant
was affected in the same way. I had secured a position where I could
not be attacked in the rear, and having disposed of the heaviest of my
foes, I turned upon the other. The fate of his companion was a salutary
lesson to him, and he retired to the side of the fallen champion.
But the big fellow was not so badly damaged as I had feared. He was
not even stunned, and soon sprang to his feet, rubbing his head, and
endeavoring to collect his scattered ideas. My own head felt as though
a cannon-ball had dropped upon it. I took off my cap and examined the
place with my hand. There was a big “bump” on the side of my head to
certify the damage I had received.
“Come up here, fellows!” shouted the leader in the enterprise, with a
savage oath, when he had in some measure recovered from the shock of
the blow I had given him.
They arranged their disguises anew, and held a consultation. I could
not hear what they said, but I knew that I was the subject of their
remarks. Each of them then provided himself with a club, and I realized
that they intended to make an organized attack upon me. If they
captured me, my chances of being tarred and feathered were about as
good as those of Waddie. It would have been the most prudent thing I
could do to retire from the field, and permit the party to carry out
their vicious purpose upon the little magnate of Centreport. Though I
had been “punished” as much as I cared for, I felt so much interest in
the affair that I was not willing to leave.
I saw two of the party, who had not before been engaged, start at a
smart run, with the evident intention of getting between me and the
water. I broke into a run myself, and made for the boat. Jumping on
board, I pushed her off far enough to save me from molestation. But
then I observed that the other two ruffians had not engaged in the
pursuit. The two who had done so stationed themselves on the bank of
the lake, and appeared to be so well satisfied that I began to think
something was wrong.
Suddenly it flashed upon my mind that the big fellow intended to outwit
me; that he and his companion would do the dirty job while my two
guards kept me at a safe distance. Having put my hand to the plow, I
had too much pride, if not principle, to permit myself to be outflanked
in this manner. As the case now stood, the big ruffian had won the
battle. I was disgusted with myself, and hastened to retrieve the
mistake I had made. I pushed the boat in toward the shore, and my two
sentinels stepped down to meet me.
“That’s a fine boat you have, Wolf,” said one of them good-naturedly,
as he leaped on the half-deck.
The other one followed him, and I deemed it wise to pick up my
boat-hook.
“She is fine enough,” I replied.
“Will you let us look at her?” said the speaker, winking at the other.
What did he wink for? That was what I wanted to know. Why were they
so good-natured? It was not a very difficult problem, after all. Why
should they not be good-natured, if they could keep me where I was
while their companions did their vile work upon Waddie? They were
smart--they were!
“Certainly you may look at her, if you like,” I replied very
pleasantly, all of a sudden, for I intended to be as smart as I could.
“They say you are a first-rate fellow, Wolf,” continued the one who had
first stepped on board, as he jumped down into the standing-room, where
I was.
“Oh, I am!”
“I can’t see why you stick up for such a mean boy as Waddie Wimpleton.”
“I don’t stick up for him. I only like to see a fellow have fair play,”
I replied, seating myself, as though I had nothing more to desire or
hope for.
“He don’t give anybody fair play. This is about the best boat I ever
saw,” the speaker added, as he looked into the little cabin.
“She is first-rate,” I answered carelessly.
“Cabin, beds, carpet, stove.”
“Yes, and there is a chance to set a table there,” I went on, after the
second guard had contrived to push the boat away from the shore, as he
supposed, without attracting my attention. “Go in, if you like, and I
will show you how we dine on board of the _Belle_.”
I spoke with becoming enthusiasm about the boat and her fixtures, and
I think my guests believed that they had drawn away my attention from
Waddie. At any rate, the first speaker went into the cabin, and, at my
suggestion, the second one followed him.
“Now, do you see that board which is turned up against the mast?” I
proceeded, as I pointed to the table.
“Yes, I see it.”
“Well, just turn the button and let it down.”
It stuck pretty tight, as I knew it would, and both of them took hold
to lower the board. While they were thus engaged, I drew the slide and
banged the doors to, before they suspected what I was doing. Slipping
in the padlock, I locked it, and while my guards were turning the table
in the cabin, I performed the same office outside. They were prisoners,
and I felt that I might reasonably expect to find them where I had left
them. They might damage the cabin of the _Belle_, but that was all they
could do.
I hauled the boat in, and, as I leaped on shore, I heard another
piercing scream from Waddie, which assured me that the tragedy had
been renewed. I leaped on the land, and, with the boat-hook still in
my hand, hastened to the scene of active operations. As I approached
the spot I saw the two ruffians tearing Waddie’s clothes from his
back, in readiness to apply the tar-swab. The wretched victim screamed
piteously. I saw that I had no time to trifle with the affair. I
decided to be the aggressor this time. I rushed furiously at the big
fellow whom I had hit before. He did not see me till I was within fifty
feet of him. He had laid aside his club, and I “pitched in.” I dealt
him a heavy blow on the side of his head, and he retreated to the place
where he had left his weapon. I made at the other one then; but the
terrors of the boat-hook were too much for him, and he fled to obtain
his club.
While they were falling back upon their ammunition I took my knife from
my pocket, and, rushing up to the tree, cut the cord which confined
Waddie. He was free; but his hands were still tied together. I told him
to follow me; and, gaining a moment’s time, I released his hands.
“I’ll never forget this, Wolf,” said he. “I will not, as true as I
live.”
“We haven’t got out of the scrape yet. Pick up that stick, and keep
close to me. We must fight it out now.”
“I’ll fight as long as I can stand,” he replied resolutely.
The fellow with the gruff voice swore like a pirate when he saw that
Waddie was free, and he and his companion immediately gave chase to
us. I had no longer any reason to fight, and I was not disposed to do
so, except in self-defense; but I was determined to bring off Waddie
unharmed, whatever happened.
We made a détour toward my boat, closely pursued by the two ruffians,
now foaming with rage at the failure of their wicked scheme. We outran
them, and soon had placed a sufficient distance between us and them to
justify a halt. But we were not a great way from the boat.
“What has become of the other two fellows?” asked Waddie, puffing under
the exhaustion of his hard run.
“They are safe,” I replied; and involuntarily I put my hand into my
pocket, to search for the key of the padlock on the cabin slide.
“Where are they?”
“In my boat, locked up in the cabin.”
I continued to fumble in my pockets for the key; but I could not find
it, and the conclusion was forced upon me that I had stupidly left
it in the lock. If my two guards could not release themselves, this
service could easily be performed by their associates. I had made a
bad mistake; though, after all, the blunder would only save them the
trouble of breaking the lock, and otherwise damaging the boat.
I found that keeping still was the best method of baffling our
pursuers, since they had evidently lost sight of us. I heard their
voices, but the sound receded, and it was plain that they were moving
toward the lake.