TOM HALSTEAD’S FIGHT AGAINST ODDS
TOM’S sea-trained muscles could always be relied upon to stand him
in good stead at need. He strove, now, like a young panther, to free
himself. But this was a battle of one boy against two men, and one of
the latter had the boy’s arms wrapped close to his body in a tight
embrace.
There was a short, panting struggle, after which the young skipper was
bent over. He lurched to the earth, face downward, while his yet unseen
assailant fell heavily upon him.
“Fight fair, can’t you?” growled the captain of the “Rocket.”
“This isn’t a fight,” retorted the voice of the newcomer. “It’s a
matter of self-preservation. Lie still, can’t you. I don’t want to have
to club you out of your senses. It isn’t a gentleman’s kind of work.”
“You’re right it isn’t,” gritted Halstead, though he now lay more
quietly, for the auburn-haired Rexford had thrown himself, also, upon
him. “There isn’t anything about this business that smacks of the
gentleman,” the boy added, tauntingly.
“Hold your tongue, will you?” demanded the unknown one, angrily.
“When it pleases me most,” growled Captain Tom, fast getting into an
ugly, reckless mood.
“Rexford, I can hold him,” went on the man. “Station yourself by the
youngster’s head. Go as far as you like, if he tries to make any noise.
Now, young man, I think you would better listen, while _I_ do the
talking. We’re sorry enough to treat you in this fashion, but it’s all
your own fault.”
“How is that?” challenged the youthful skipper.
“We gave you a fine chance to make your fortune. You wouldn’t have it.
Now, if we let you go, you’d spoil all our plans by repeating what has
happened to your employer.”
“Right!” snapped Captain Tom. “That’s just what I’m going to do.”
“Just what you’re _not_ going to do,” retorted the man. “It’ll be many
a day before you’ll see anyone we don’t want you to see.”
“What are you talking about?” demanded Halstead, gruffly.
“You’ll find out. Rexford, get out some cord, and we’ll tie this young
Indian up. If he tries to yell, hit him as hard as you like, and after
that we’ll gag him. Remember, Halstead, you’ve got to keep quiet and go
with us. If you behave quietly you won’t be hurt at all. You’ll only
be held for safe keeping for a few weeks. Then you’ll be turned loose,
with a little purse to console you for your present loss of liberty.”
That didn’t sound very dangerous, but the young motor boat skipper was
not one who would tamely submit to any such proposition. Yet he said
nothing as the unknown man rose from his back, to kneel beside him
while Rexford tied his hands.
Just as that shifting was accomplished, however, Tom Halstead rolled
swiftly over on his back. With a cry of anger the man made a swift
movement to bend over the lad. It was an unfortunate move. One of
Halstead’s flying feet caught him squarely in the face. Another kick
was aimed at Rexford, who sprang back out of the danger zone.
“Now I don’t care what you do to the boy!” snarled the unknown, after
venting a groan of pain and raising his hands to his face, which,
however, had not been struck hard enough to mark it. “Sail in, Rexford,
and help me teach the young idiot a lesson.”
But Captain Tom had made brisk use of that moment of freedom. As his
heels struck the earth again he threw his arms and body forward,
leaping to his feet. In the instant he started running.
“Here, you can’t get away—don’t attempt it!” growled the unknown,
bolting after the boy.
Rexford, being at one side, ran so as to head off the young skipper ere
he could reach the road. And Rexford at once showed signs of being a
sprinter.
If either of the pair caught hold of him Tom Halstead knew that capture
would be swift enough. Well ahead of the unknown, Halstead veered
enough to give him another momentary start on Rexford.
Tom darted to a young oak tree, one of whose branches hung low. This
gave an opportunity not to be overlooked at such a moment. Leaping at
the branch, grappling with it with both hands, Halstead drew himself up
with a sailor’s speed and surety. From that he stepped like a flash to
the next higher branch. Now, he grinned down at his enemies.
Rexford and the unknown collided with each other just beside the trunk
of that tree.
“I hope you won’t either of you try to follow me up here,” hinted
Captain Tom, mockingly. “If you do, I shall have to kick one of you in
the face.”
Holding on above him, he swung one foot suggestively. It was not too
dark for the pair below to realize how much bodily risk there would be
in attacking this gritty youngster in his present place of advantage.
“You’re all right up there,” admitted Rexford, coldly. “We can’t come
up after you without getting damaged heads. But, my boy, what is to
hinder us from throwing enough stones up there to make it pretty warm
for you?”
Tom’s grin of confidence suddenly vanished. He had overlooked the
possibility of being dislodged by a volley or two of stones. Had the
field been clear for a six-foot start from his tormentors he would have
felt like taking the chance of leaping down and taking to his heels
once more. But they were right at hand, below. The boy felt himself
trapped.
“Don’t let him get away,” advised Rexford. “I’m going into the road
after a few stones.”
The unknown got even closer to the base of the tree. Rexford, after a
careful look at the relative positions of trapper and trapped, ran out
to the road.
“Who are we? Who are we? C-o-l-b-y! Rah! rah! rah!”
Down the road came volleys of ringing yells, as though from the throats
of a lot of happy savages.
“Rah! rah! rah!”
“College boys, or a lot of young fellows masquerading as such!” flashed
jubilantly through Tom Halstead’s brain.
“Rah! rah! rah! Wow! Right here! Trouble! Hustle!” roared Tom, as
huskily as his lung power permitted.
“Stop that, you infernal imp!” snarled Rexford, leaping back from the
road.
“Colby! Here on the run! Trouble!” roared Halstead at the top of his
voice.
“What’s that? Who’s there?” came a hail from up the road.
Whizz-zz! Thump! A stone, guided by Rexford’s hand, came through the
air, glancing from one of Halstead’s shins.
“Hustle here quick! Follow the voice!” roared Tom.
He ducked his head just in time to avoid a stone propelled at his face
by Rexford.
“Rah! rah! Hold on! We’re coming. Trouble, you say? Colby to the mix-up
and the happy ending!”
“Come, Rexford! We’ve got to sprint,” advised the unknown.
Up the road the sound of charging feet came nearer. Rexford and his
companion sprang into the woods, running as fast as they could go. But
Halstead wisely concluded to remain treed until he beheld more than a
dozen athletic looking young men under the tree. Then he slid to the
ground.
“Did you call ‘trouble’?” demanded one of the newcomers.
“I did,” the young skipper admitted.
“Then hand over the goods! Show us the face of trouble, or take your
punishment as a raiser of false hopes!” insisted the leader of the boys.
“And be quick about it. We haven’t seen any trouble in an hour,”
proclaimed another of the boisterous crowd.
“Come into these woods with me,” begged Halstead. “Scatter and sprint.
There are two men trying to get away—the rascals! If you can find them
for me I’ll try to have them held by the police for assault.”
“What do they look like?”
Halstead gave a quick description of Rexford. Of the unknown one the
young skipper could say only that he was a dark-haired man of thirty,
clad in a gray suit.
The spirit of adventure being upon these young fellows, they scattered,
dashing through the woods on a chance of finding anything that might
look like a scrimmage. Five minutes of strenuous chasing, however,
failed to discover Rexford or his companion, who must have known these
woods well. Then the rah-rah boys, hot and disgusted, came back to the
road.
“See here, young man,” remarked one of their leaders, severely, “you
haven’t been trifling with our young hopes, have you?”
“On my word of honor, no,” Tom replied, earnestly. Then a happy,
somewhat vengeful thought struck him.
“See here, fellows,” he went on, “I know pretty near the spot where a
roll of five hundred dollars lies in the woods yonder. If you can find
it I guess it will be yours, for frolic or dividing, just as you like.”
But that proved an almost dangerous piece of information to offer.
“Five hundred—what?” scowled the leader of the young men.
“We’ve found a crazy boy!” roared another.
“To the asylum with him!”
“No! Drag him along and duck him—that will be enough!”
Whooping, these irresponsible young fellows charged down upon Halstead.
But he knew better than to run. Laughing, he stood his ground.
“Oh, well, if you won’t believe me,” he said, with mock resignation,
“let it go at that. But what are you going to do?”
“Listen, child!” roared the leader of the crowd. “We are pushing
forward for the surprise and capture of East Hampton. Willst go with
us, and witness scenes of military glory?”
“I’m gladly with you for going to town,” replied the young skipper.
“Then come along. Preserve the utmost silence and stealth, all ye, my
brave men,” ordered the leader, leaping out into the road.
“Rah, rah, rah!” they answered him, roaringly, and turned their faces
townward. Tom glad to get out of it all so easily, stepped along with
them.
“What was that about trouble, younker?” one of the supposed college
boys asked Halstead. “Did you think you saw a shadow among the trees?”
“It was a good deal more than a shadow,” insisted Halstead. “I was
attacked by two men.”
Tom’s questioner looked at him searchingly, then replied good-humoredly:
“Oh, well, say no more about it, and I guess the fellows will forget.
It gave us a good excuse for a sprint, anyway.”
To Halstead it looked as though these college boys suspected him of
some hoax, but were good-naturedly willing to overlook the joke on
them. The young skipper was willing to accept the protection of their
boisterous, husky companionship on any terms until safely out of the
woods and over the bridge once more. As he found himself entering the
town again Tom slipped away, unobserved, from the noisy dozen or more.
Two or three minutes later he was back at the hotel.
Inquiry showed that Messrs. Delavan and Moddridge had not yet returned.
Captain Tom again sought a veranda chair, and, sitting down, awaited
their coming.