Chick, Ruddy and Tony, the three smaller boys, who had hastened to
the side of Larry at his call, now that they really understood the
situation, quickly stepped away as Larry advanced toward Rob.
“Golly!” said the irrepressible Chick, “there’s going to be some fun.
I’ll put my money on Little Hickory.”
“He ain’t so big as Larry,” replied Ruddy, doubtfully.
“This ain’t no quarrel of mine, Larry,” said Rob, “and if you get the
worst of it you mustn’t blame me.”
“Who’s a-blaming ye, Rob Bayne, and who’s getting the wust of it?”
retorted the other. “It’s high time we knowed who’s boss here.”
“If we settle it in this way, Larry, will you agree to stand by the
consequences?”
“You bet I will. I reckon I’m taller and bigger and stouter, and jess
as spry. Oh, I’m itching all over to get at ye. Ye show ye are afraid
of me! I reckon there ain’t no cops round here to meddle, and I’ll hev
the fun of my life with ye. But if I whup ye, I’m to be guv’ner. Is
thet yer say, Little Hickory?”
“Yes, Larry; but if ye get----”
The other did not wait for him to finish, but sprang forward with the
evident intention of overpowering Rob before he could defend himself.
But Rob was not to be caught off his guard so easily. Warding off the
blow aimed at his body, Little Hickory fairly lifted his adversary from
his feet by a dexterous movement under the other’s guard, to send him
flat upon the ground.
Chick cheered, but the rest looked on as if spellbound.
Larry was soon on his feet again, to find Rob calmly confronting him,
with his arms folded low down upon his body in the favorite position of
the professional pugilist.
“Ye took me unawares!” cried Larry. “I’ll down ye to pay fer thet, and
once I get my knee on ye I’ll choke the blood out’n ye!”
It would have been better for Larry to have said less, and tried more
to curb his anger. But he advanced more warily this time, making
several feints to the right and left, when, thinking he saw Little
Hickory’s front exposed, he concentrated all his strength to deal him a
blow that should send him upon his back.
No doubt he would have done it had he hit Rob. But he had mistaken the
maneuvers of Little Hickory. The latter had purposely offered this
apparent opportunity, and then, as Larry threw himself into the attack,
he sent his arm upward and planted his own fist under the other’s chin
with a force that made his teeth chatter and sent him reeling backward.
Larry managed to save himself, and then he called for assistance by
crying to his companions:
“Come on, Tom and Jerry! gi’n him fits!”
These boys evidently felt it their duty to help defend their companion,
for they rushed to his assistance, both of them seizing upon Rob from
the rear.
Assailed on every hand it began to look as if Little Hickory would have
more than he could attend to. But he was not one to give up. Giving the
twain behind a tremendous kick, which sent Jerry flying heels over head
into the dirt, he closed in with Larry.
By that time the outcries had reached those at the house, and Joe, Mrs.
Bayne and Aunt Vinnie all came running to the scene, excited over the
rather startling situation.
Unheeding them or their cries, Little Hickory continued to struggle
with Larry, while the other two boys, Jerry having recovered himself,
lent their assistance as best they could.
Aunt Vinnie called for her boys to come away, and Rob’s mother appealed
to him to desist. Joe Willet was alone silent. She had seen that Larry
was discontented and jealous of Rob’s influence, and better than the
others, knew that it could not be overcome in any other way than to
show him he was not master by brute strength. She would fain have
assisted Rob, but saw no way of doing it. It would be better, too, for
Rob to win his victory alone, if he could win it at all.
So the four boys--three against one--struggled to and fro, back and
forth. Larry had seized on Rob’s collar with a grip he could not break,
while Tom and Jerry were pulling at his legs, and trying by all means
in their power to trip him.
Finally Little Hickory managed to get his hand on the collar of Tom,
when the latter suddenly found himself lifted up and ranged by the
side of Larry. Then, with his right hand on the shoulder of Larry,
he suddenly brought the heads of the two boys together with a force
which filled the air about them with stars, and caused them to utter
involuntary cries of pain.
At that moment Jerry succeeded in pulling one foot from under Rob, and
the last was forced down upon one knee, when it seemed as if Larry and
Tom, who had rallied, would crush him to the ground.
“It’s a shame!” cried Joe, running forward to lend her assistance to
Little Hickory. “Three to one----”
By this time the blood of Little Hickory was up, as the expression
goes, and half a dozen boys like Tom and Jerry could not have availed
against him. A smart kick sent Jerry flying a rod away, where he lay
cramped with pain, and uttering piteous cries, as Rob bore both Tom and
Larry backward to the earth, a hand about the throat of either.
“Oh--oh--oh!” groaned the pair in unison. “You’re--choking--me!”
Now that he had obtained an advantage Little Hickory resolved not to
let either up until he had obtained an acknowledgment of submission
from both.
Thus he pressed still harder upon them, as he said in his low,
determined tone:
“Ye have lost, Larry! I’m too much for all of ye. What are ye going to
do about it?”
But Larry remained silent, his stubborn nature not allowing him to
yield at once. Again Rob made his demand, in his suppressed excitement
falling into the slang of the streets, which he had dropped to a
considerable extent since coming to Break o’ Day. His fingers closed
harder upon the other’s throat.
Larry made a painful cry, and moved as if he would rise.
“Do ye cave to me, Larry? Nod yer head if ye mean it.”
The eyes flashed, but his head did not move.
“Ye are true grit, Larry, but ye shall never get on to yer feet till
ye hev promised to do as I want ye to after this, or else go away from
Break o’ Day. Are ye ready to answer?”
Another squeeze, and the head of Larry nodded slightly.
“Hev ye got yer answer ready, Tom?”
The latter nodded quickly.
Then, as Little Hickory loosened simultaneously his holds on the
throats of his assailants, he said:
“Mind ye, boys, no treachery. I hev asked ye a square question: Are you
going away from Break o’ Day or stay?”
“I’m going to stay,” muttered Larry.
“And do as I say?”
“I knuckle, Little Hickory. I thought I could whup ye, but ye are too
menny for us all.”
“And ye, Tom and Jerry?”
“I’m with ye, Rob,” replied both.
“Good,” said Little Hickory, though there was no sign of triumph in his
manner as he stepped back. “I’m glad you are going to stay.”
“So am I,” said Joe, taking Larry’s hand. “You made a good fight,
Larry, and I like you better for it, now that you are all right. It is
only right Little Hickory should be at our head. We’ll agree to mind
him in all he says.”
Larry made no reply, though the others knew well enough the victory had
been fully won by Little Hickory. Chick would have given three cheers
and a tiger or two, but the conqueror stopped him.