THE CHALLENGE
"Well what do you think of that?" asked Ned. "Talk about queer
coincidences, here's one! Now if only the crazy man would appear we--"
"Some one is coming," exclaimed Frank, as a noise was heard near the
hut.
The next instant a short stout man, with black hair and a blacker
moustache, came around the corner of the hut. On his head he wore a
little gilt crown.
"There's the King of Paprica!" whispered Bart, but not so low as to
prevent the man hearing him.
"At your service," replied the man, with a bow.
For a few seconds the boys did not know whether to laugh or run. It was
certainly a very strange affair, coupled with what the old man had said
to them.
"Are you really--" began Fenn, when the man held up a warning hand.
"Please don't speak of it," he said in a mild voice. "I am here for a
certain purpose. Have you seen an old man in these woods? Rather a
strange character."
"Something like yourself," said Ned, but in the faintest whisper.
"Yes, we did," replied Frank, who seemed somewhat excited over the sight
of the man with the gilt crown. "He said you would know he was on guard.
He also--"
"Yes, I know all about it," was the quick answer. "It's very unfortunate.
I beg of you not to mention it to any one. I may rely upon you?"
"You may," said Frank so earnestly that his chums wondered whether he
knew more about the queer happenings than they did. "We will say
nothing."
"It will all come out right in the end," went on the man with the crown.
"Which way was he going?"
"He seemed headed in this direction," replied Fenn.
"Then he will arrive in time for the audience," said the King of
Paprica. "I must bid you farewell now," and with that he went into the
hut and closed the door after him.
The boys stood for a few seconds gazing at the silent cabin with it's
odd inscription, and then Bart exclaimed:
"Come on! Let's get out of here. First thing you know we'll be getting
crazy ourselves. This place isn't safe!"
He hurried on through the woods and the others followed.
"What do you make of it?" asked Ned.
"Why, it's plain enough," spoke Frank. "The old man we met first is
crazy, and this one is his keeper. He's brought him out here into the
woods to cure him, and he probably has to humor him by pretending to be
a king. That's all there is to it. I've often read of such cases."
"Seems to me you're fond of reading about lunatics," said Bart.
"I am. I read all I can on such cases. It is very fascinating."
"Excuse me," broke in Ned. "I'd rather have something cheerful."
"Oh, but you have no idea what strange fancies some of the unfortunates
have," said Frank earnestly. In his eyes there glowed a strange light,
and his chums, looking at him, felt he had more than ever that queer air
of mystery about him.
"Well, we'd better be moving faster than this or we'll be held up again
by the King of Paprica's guard," spoke Ned. "I think you're wrong about
it, Frank."
"How do you mean?"
"I think both those chaps are crazy. It's a puzzle to tell which one is
worse."
"I agree with you," said Bart. "I wouldn't want to meet either one of
them here alone in the woods after dark."
"Nonsense," exclaimed Frank. "Why, a lunatic is the easiest person in
the world to get along with. All you have to do is to humor him."
"Let him kill you if he feels so disposed?" suggested Fenn.
"No, but if you should meet one, and he asks you to let him shoot you,
fall in with his idea."
"Hand him a gun, eh, Frank?" asked Bart.
"No, but, after he sees you are not going to oppose him, incidentally
suggest that the moon is in the wrong quarter for a successful killing,
or that the hour has not yet arrived, or that you have nine lives like a
cat and that he had much better murder some one who has only one life.
Ten chances to one he'll agree with you and let you alone."
"I guess that one chance would fall to me," observed Fenn, "and I'll
give the lunatics a wide berth. You can have 'em all, Frank."
"Well, I've read that's the best way to act."
"Oh, you and your reading!" exclaimed Ned. "Let's talk about something
cheerful."
The boys hurried on through the woods. More than once they got off the
path and had to spend some minutes finding it again, so they did not get
home until nearly supper time.
"See you Monday," called Frank to his chums, as he took the road that
led to his uncle's house.
"There'll be a ball game next week, I guess," came from Bart. "You may
get a chance to play."
"All right," and Frank was off down the road.
"I'd like to see the inside of that hut," observed Ned as he and the
other two boys walked on.
"Still harping on that, eh?" asked Fenn. "I want to forget it."
"Think we'd better mention anything about the queer men we saw?" asked
Bart, as he and Fenn strolled through the shopping district, which was
always a lively place on Saturday nights.
"Who to?"
"The police, of course."
"I don't see as it's any of their affair. The men are harmless."
"But they're lunatics at large."
"I guess it's as Frank says, one is the other's keeper. We'd better
mind our own affairs. Besides Frank promised, for us, that we'd keep
quiet."
"Then I suppose we'd better. But maybe something will happen."
"What, for instance?"
"They might murder some one."
"Say, have you been reading any five-cent libraries lately?"
"No, but--"
"Forget it," counseled Fenn. "Ah, good evening," he added, bowing to a
pretty girl who passed them. "Excuse me, Bart. I want to speak to
Jennie," and Fenn left his chum.
"That's the way," growled Bart. "A fellow's no good once he gets girls
on the brain," and he walked on alone, and quite disgusted with Stumpy.
"Oh, Fenn!" exclaimed Jennie Smith, as the boy joined her. "Isn't it
just like a play to see all the lights and the people hurrying back and
forth? 'All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely
players.' I think that's just grand! Oh I wish I could thrill large
audiences!" she added, for her secret desire was to become an actress.
"What is this I see before me! Is it a dagger, the handle--!"
But just then Jennie collided with a fat man in front of her. He
turned, good-naturedly and remarked:
"No, young lady, I'm not a dagger, though I'd like to get thin enough to
be taken for one."
Jennie blushed, and Fenn was a little embarrassed. Soon after that Fenn
bade Jennie goodnight.
Monday morning when the chums reached school there was a buzz of
excitement among those gathered on the campus waiting for the nine
o'clock gong to ring.
"Here they come now," called some one. "We'll see what they say."
"What's up?" asked Bart, as he saw the crowd of boys hurrying toward him
and his chums.
"We've got a challenge!" exclaimed Lem Gordon, pitcher of the school
nine, of which Bart was catcher.
"Who from?" asked Bart.
"The Lakeville Prep. school. It's for Thursday. Dare we take 'em on?"
"We dare do all that may become our school," paraphrased Frank. "Why
not?" He did not play on the regular nine.
"They're out of our class," said Lem. "Haven't lost a game this year,
and they're way ahead of us. Have better grounds and more time to
practice."
"Well, we don't want to show the white feather," said Fenn. "Maybe we'll
have a chance."
"We sure will if Lem pitches as he did in the game two weeks ago," spoke
Bart. "That certainly won the game for us if anything did."
"Your catching had a lot to do with it," put in Lem, "and so did Ned's
fielding."
"To say nothing of Stumpy's work at short," added Bart. "I say let's
give 'em a game. They can't any more than wallop us!"
"Hurrah!" yelled the crowd of boys. "Three cheers for Bart!"
"Cut it out!" said Bart. "Think I'm a political candidate? We'll go in
with the idea of winning!"