A MEETING WITH CHOWDEN
"Studying or talking?" asked a voice in the hall outside of Jack's
room, and the door was pushed open to admit John Smith. Jack and Nat
looked at each other. The same thought seemed to come to both of
them.
"Him!" they exclaimed together.
"What's this, a game, or a joke?"
"A little of both," Jack said. "Tell him about it, Nat."
Nat explained the receipt of his uncle's invitation.
"We were just wondering who would make the third member of the party,
when you came in," he said, "and we both decided on you."
"It was very kind of you to invite me," John said. "I guess I can
arrange to go. Where is this ranch?"
"Near Denville, Colorado," replied Nat.
John started and looked at Jack.
"Nothing the matter with that place, is there?" asked Jack.
"No. On the contrary it couldn't be better," replied John. "That's
where we want to go to settle the mystery--"
He stopped, evidently on account of Nat's presence.
"Oh, Nat knows all about it," said Jack. "I see what you're driving
at."
"Yes," went on John. "Denville is not many miles from Denver, and at
the latter place, you remember, we can go to the Capital Bank, and
get the address of Orion Tevis."
"Yes, and then maybe we can locate my father," Jack exclaimed. "Say,
Nat, this couldn't have happened better. It's fine of you to think of
me."
"The same here," put in John.
"Well, I don't know of any fellows I'd rather have than you two,"
replied Nat.
"Thanks," his two friends answered.
"I'm going to write a reply at once," Nat went on. "I'll go to town
and mail it to-night. I guess Dr. Mead will let me."
"Let's all three go," suggested Jack. "I'll ask permission. We've not
been caught in any scrapes lately, and our records are fairly good.
It's early."
Dr. Mead readily gave permission for the three chums to go to the
village where the post-office was.
"But you must be in by eleven o'clock," he stipulated. "I shall
instruct Martin to watch out for you, and if you are not in at that
hour it will mean demerits all around. I would not let you go, only
you have had very good records of late." On their way to the village
the three chums talked of nothing but the proposed trip. To Nat it
was enough excitement to think of merely going west. But to Jack, who
wanted to solve the mystery of his father it meant much more. He
hoped since the eleven years of voluntary exile were almost up, to
induce his father to come east and make his home.
"That is, if I can find him," thought Jack. "I hope I can. First I'll
have to locate Orion Tevis, to see what he knows."
"I'll be glad to get out on a range once more," said John Smith.
"I've got enough Indian blood in me to feel cooped up in a house. It
will be sport out there, riding ponies and seeing the cattle."
The boys reached the post-office about nine o'clock and Nat mailed
his letter.
"It's early to go back," said Jack. "Isn't there something that we
can do?"
"There's a moving picture show in town," said John. "Let's go to it
for awhile."
This was voted a good idea. The boys enjoyed the scenes thrown on the
screene, and were particularly taken with a depiction of a cowboy
roping a steer.
"That's what we'll soon see in reality," whispered Nat.
They started through the village, and, as they turned down a quiet
street that led toward Washington Hall, Jack saw a dark figure
sneaking along on the opposite side, in the shadow of some buildings.
"Looks as if some one was following us," said Jack to himself.
As our hero pulled out his handkerchief there flew out with it a
letter. The sight of it reminded him that he had promised Professor
Hall to mail it that evening. It had slipped his mind, even though he
had been in the post-office.
"I'd better run right back with it," said Jack. "Mighty stupid of me.
Well, there's no help for it, and I don't want to disappoint Hall.
He's a good friend of ours."
He picked the letter up, and held it in his hand to insure that it
would not be forgotten again.
"I say!" called Jack to his companions, who were now some distance
ahead of him. "I've got to run back and mail a letter. Go on and I'll
catch up to you."
"All right," said John. "We'll walk slow."
Intent on rectifying his forgetfulness, Jack turned back on the run.
He did not see three figures sneaking into the shadow of a dark
doorway just as he turned.
"We'll have him just where we want him," whispered one of the youths
who had been following the students.
"You're not going to be three to one, are you?" asked one of the
trio.
"No, I guess Jerry Chowden is a match for Jack Ranger any day," was
the answer. "You two can look on, and see me wallop him."
Jack made good time back to the post-office, and came hurrying along
the street, whistling a lively tune. In the meantime the three
plotters had walked ahead, taking care not to get too near Nat and
John. The latter, however, had walked faster than they intended, so
that they were a good quarter of a mile ahead of Jack.
As the latter came opposite the last building that stood on the edge
of where there were a number of vacant lots, he was surprised to hear
a hail.
"Hold on there!" someone cried.
"Who are you?" asked Jack, looking around. Then, as three figures
emerged from the shadows and blocked his path, he exclaimed:
"Oh, it's you, is it, Jerry Chowden? Well, what do you want?"
"I want to get square with you," replied the bully, in an angry tone.
"And you bring two of your toadies along to help you, I suppose,"
said Jack, unable to keep a sneer from his voice.
"Look here!" exclaimed one of Jerry's companions. "I don't know who
you are, except by name, but I'm not going to have you insult me.
Jerry is a friend of mine--"
"Sorry for you," interrupted Jack cooly.
"None of your lip!" exclaimed the other strange youth.
"Jerry says he has a bone to pick with you," the one who had first
addressed Jack went on. "He told us he was going to have it out with
you, and invited us along. We're not going to take any part, you can
rest assured of that, and there'll be fair play. But if you're
afraid, why that's another matter."
"Who said I was afraid?" demanded Jack hotly.
"You seem to act so."
"I don't know that I ever did you any harm, Jerry Chowden," Jack
said, more quietly, "but if you feel so why I can't help it."
"I do, and I'm going to get even," spoke Jerry, advancing closer to
Jack.
"Stand aside," demanded Jack, as the bully almost brushed against
him.
"Not until you've given me satisfaction."
"What do you mean?"
"You know well enough what I mean."
"Do you want to fight?" asked Jack calmly.
"Certainly I do!" exclaimed the bully, aiming a blow at the lad in
front of him. Jack stepped quickly back, Jerry nearly lost his
balance and just saved himself from falling.
"You're a coward!" cried Jerry angrily.
"I am, eh?" cried Jack. "Well, if I must fight I'm going to do it for
all I'm worth!"
The next instant he had his coat off, and was ready to defend
himself. Jerry, nothing loath, closed in, and there in the darkness,
illuminated only by the stars, the fight began.
Jerry was well built and strong, but he had little science. On the
contrary, though Jack was not as muscular nor as heavy as his
antagonist, he more than made up for it in his quickness and his
ability to hit hard. Jerry came up with a rush, and aimed a vicious
blow at Jack's face. Jack cleverly dodged it, and countered, landing
on Jerry's chin with a force that made the bully see stars.
"I'll pay you for that!" he cried.
He would have done better to have kept quiet, since he took his
attention from Jack's fists, which, in the darkness, were hard enough
to see at best. A second later Jerry found his nose stopping a solid
blow, straight from the shoulder.
"Ow!" yelled Jerry, in spite of himself.
Then he clenched with Jack, and the two went at it rough-and-tumble.
Jack got in a number of good blows, and Jerry tried his best to get
away and deliver some in return. He did manage to punch Jack on the
body, causing that worthy's breath to come in gasps.
Back and forth went the fighters, the two spectators dancing about to
see all they could of it, They kept their word not to interfere, and
it was a fair struggle between Jack and Jerry.
Though Jack did his best he could not avoid getting some severe
blows, and one, on his eye, he felt had done considerable damage. But
he more than paid Jerry back for it, and, in a little while the bully
was fairly howling for mercy.
"Help!" he cried. "He's not fighting fair."
"Don't be a baby!" Jerry's friends called to him, somewhat disgusted
with his actions. "Give it to him!"
Jerry made one more effort to deal Jack a blow that would win the
victory, but in his eagerness he lowered his guard. Our hero shot out
a swift left, and it landed full on Jerry's chin. He staggered for a
second, and then went down in a heap.
He was up again in a couple of seconds, not much the worse, but all
the fight was gone out of him. He held his head in his hands for a
while, and then fairly ran up the dark street, while his two friends,
surprised at the sudden outcome of the fight, followed more slowly.
"I'll get even with you yet!" Jerry called back.
"Well, if you do I still will have the satisfaction of knowing that I
trounced you good and proper," Jack said, as he held a cold stone to
his bruised eye.
Just then, from across the lots there came a hail:
"Hey, Jack! Where are you?"
"Coming," was Jack's reply.
He heard some one running toward him as he began to pick up his coat,
and put on his hat.