SOMETHING OF A CHASE
"It is easy enough to say go after the tramp, but where are you going
to find him?" said Whopper. "We went after those deer, but we didn't
get any."
"If he put on the skates, he must have taken to the lake," answered
Snap. "Anyway, I don't think it will hurt to look around."
"Somebody ought to stay at camp and watch things," said Shep.
"Whopper, will you do that?"
"Yes."
"Then you can lend your skates to me, while I go after Mr. Kiddy
Leech," said Snap.
So it was arranged, and a few minutes later Snap, Shep and Giant set
out to look for the tramp who had so unceremoniously disappeared.
"If he took to skating he most likely went down to Lake Cameron," said
Snap. "From there he could get to the river and go wherever he
pleased."
Once on the ice the three boys skated around on the lake until they
saw other skate marks. These they began to follow and soon saw that
they led down towards the neck that connected Firefly Lake with Lake
Cameron.
"I believe he did not imagine we'd get back so soon," said Giant. "He
reckoned on getting over Lake Cameron to the river before we could
spot him."
Wherever there was a ridge of snow on the ice they could see the marks
left by the tramp quite plainly. They skated with vigor, for they felt
that Kiddy Leech would do all in his power to escape.
"He may be lazy, but he'll hump himself now," declared Shep.
"And to think he'd do such a thing as this, afar what we did for him,"
said Giant. "He can't have any sense of gratitude."
On they went until they entered the rocky passage between the two
lakes. Here they had to walk through several ridges of snow and saw
that the tramp had done the same.
Out on Lake Cameron the ice was tolerably free from snow, so it was
not so easy to follow the trail. But they watched the ice closely, and
kept their eyes open for the tiny scratches made by the skate runners.
At one point, in a snow drift, they saw where the tramp had taken a
tumble and rolled over.
"Served him right," grumbled Snap. "I wish he had taken a dozen
falls."
They were nearing the end of the lake when they swept around a curve
of the shore. At once, Snap, who was in the lead, set up a shout:
"There he is!"
"And skating for all he is worth!" added Shep.
"Hi, you! stop!" yelled Giant. "Stop, you rascal!"
At first Kiddy Leech did not hear, but presently, as they drew closer,
he turned in a startled way. Then he tried to skate harder than ever.
"Stop where you are, or I'll shoot you!" called out Snap, who had
brought his shotgun along.
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" yelled the tramp, in wild alarm.
"Then stop," went on Snap.
The tramp skated a few strokes more and then halted. Soon the three
boys swept up to him.
"Don't shoot!" cried Kiddy Leech again. "It's--er--all a mistake.
I--er--I didn't mean any harm."
"You didn't?" said Snap, indignantly. "No harm to steal our things?
You're a rascal if ever there was one. We ought to hand you over to
the authorities."
"No! no. I--er--I wasn't stealing anything. It's all a joke. I was
coming back. I thought I'd scare you a little, that's all."
"Hand over that game-bag," said Shep.
"And that storm-coat," said Giant.
"And my skates," put in Snap. "And all the other things you took. And
be quick about it, too."
"You'll not go near our camp again," answered the leader of the Gun
Club.
Finding himself surrounded, Kiddy Leech gave up the things he had
taken, including the skates.
"Now hand over the money you got from us," continued Snap, sternly.
"Why, can't I keep that?"
"Not a cent of it."
Kiddy Leech tried to, protest, but the young hunters would not listen
to what he had to say.
"We ought to give you a good thrashing," said the doctor's son. "If we
were near town I'd have you arrested."
"Don't you ever show your face near our camp again," said Giant, who,
even though small, was bound to have his say.
"If you do, we'll make it red-hot for you," added Snap.
Stripped of all he had taken, the tramp stood glaring at the boys in a
sullen manner.
"I'll fix you for this," he began, when Snap cut him short.
"Say another word and we'll thrash you good," he said. "Now get--just
as fast as you can walk." And he pointed toward the river.
Muttering under his breath, Kiddy Leech moved on, and the three young
hunters watched him until a distant bend hid him from view.
"Doesn't walk as if his back was lame," was Giant's comment.
"Oh, I guess that was all put on--just to arouse our sympathy,"
answered Snap.
The boys turned back in the direction of their camp, talking about the
affair and glad that they had had no worse trouble in getting back
their things. In the meantime Kiddy Leech walked on, fast at first and
then more slowly, until Rocky River was reached. Here he came to a
dilapidated building once used as an ice-house and sat down on a bench
in the sun to rest.
"I'm having bad luck right along lately," he muttered to himself.
"Thought sure I'd get away to-day with those things. Gee, but I'm glad
they didn't shoot me! That fellow they call Snap looked mad enough to
do it. And to think they took that money back too--after giving it to
me! Say, I'd like to fix 'em for that!" And he shook his head
savagely.
Kiddy Leech had been sitting on the bench less than quarter of an hour
when he saw several boys coming along the frozen river on their
skates. He looked at them indifferently at first, but soon became
interested in two of the number. These boys were Ham Spink and Carl
Dudder. The third youth was Barney Hedge, one of Spink's cronies.
"The same boys!" muttered the tramp to himself.
"Hullo, look at the scarecrow!" called out Ham Spink, as he swept up
on an elegant pair of silver-plated hockey skates.
"Wonder what cornfield he came from," put in Carl Dudder.
"Got any old clo's' to sell!" cried Barney Hedge, imitating a street
merchant.
Kiddy Leech scowled at the trio and said nothing at first. Then, as
Ham Spink threw a snowball at him, he arose and beckoned the boys
nearer.
"I want to talk to you two," he said, motioning to Carl and Ham.
"We haven't any money for you," answered Ham.
"You can't get a drink out of me," added Carl Dudder. "And by the
way," he added suddenly. "You're the tramp my father fired out of our
barn one night last week."
"That's true," answered Kiddy Leech, calmly. "But he won't do it
again."
"I know he won't--you won't dare to come around," jeered Carl.
"Humph! I We'll see about that, sonny. Maybe I'll call on your father
to-morrow."
"The scarecrow is crazy," said Barney Hedge.
"No, I ain't crazy. But I know a thing or so, and I want to talk to
you two in private," went on the tramp, and motioned again to Ham and
Carl.
"What do you want?" asked Ham, curiously. He could see that the tramp
was not crazy.
"Come here,--or send that other boy away."
"Gosh, got a state secret, eh?" said Barney Hedge. "All right--I'll
keep out of it. If you want help, call," he added, as he circled away
to a distance.
"What do you want anyway?" questioned Carl, half angrily. "We are not
in the habit of associating with tramps."
"We are gentlemen's sons," added Ham, drawing himself up proudly.
"Say, do gentlemen's sons blow up boathouses?" asked Kiddy Leech, in a
low but distinct tone.
At this question consternation seemed to seize both Ham Spink and Carl
Dudder, and their faces grew pale as they stared at the tramp.
"Wha--what's that?" stammered Ham, faintly.
"I asked you if gentlemen's sons blew up boathouses."
"What do you know about blowing up a boathouse?" asked Carl.
"I don't know much about doing the job. But I saw one blown up not
long ago, and--"
"And what?" came eagerly from Ham and Carl.
"And I know you two boys did the job," finished Kiddy Leech,
significantly.