WHAT HAPPENED AT THE BARN
"Nat has fallen into the water!"
"Where is he? I can't see a thing."
"He must have gone down in some cistern."
These and other cries rang out, and all of the boys of Oak Hall were
filled with consternation. Dave had located the splash fairly well, and
as quickly as he could he felt his way in that direction.
"Nat, where are you?" he called out.
"Here, down in a cistern! Help me out, or I'll be frozen to death."
Dave now reached the edge of the cistern. Two of the boards which had
covered it had broken, letting Nat down quite unexpectedly. Fortunately
there was only three feet of water in the cistern, so there was no fear
of drowning. But the water was icy and far from agreeable.
As Dave leaned down to give Poole his hand, the door of the barn was
flung open and a farmer strode in, a lantern in one hand and a stout
stick in the other. The man held the light over his head and looked
around suspiciously.
"Wot yeou fellers doin' here?" he demanded.
"Come here with the light--one of our party has fallen into the
cistern!" cried Dave.
"Into the cistern, eh? Mebbe it serves him right. Ain't got no business
in my barn," answered the farmer, as he came closer.
"We ran in because your dogs came after us," explained Roger.
"An' where did yeou come from? Ye don't belong around here, I know."
"We came from the train--it's off the track," said Dave. "But help us
get this boy out first and then we'll explain."
"Train off the track? Well, I snum!" cried the farmer. Then he set down
the lantern and aided in bringing Nat Poole to the flooring of the barn.
"Putty cold, I'll bet a quart o' shellbarks," he added, grinning at the
lad's wet and shivering figure.
"Can't we get him into the house by the fire?" asked Ben. "We'll pay you
for your trouble."
Now if there was one thing Shadrach Mellick loved, it was money, and at
the mention of pay he was all attention. He asked a few questions, and
then led the way out of the barn and towards his house. The dogs wanted
to follow, but he drove them back.
"Their bark is worse nor their bite," he explained. "They wouldn't hurt
yeou very much." Then he asked about the train, and the students gave
him the particulars of the mishap. In the meantime Mrs. Mellick bustled
around and got Nat Poole some dry clothing and allowed him to change his
garments in a side room that chanced to be warm.
The boys soon learned that Shadrach Mellick owned a sleigh large enough
to accommodate the entire party, and also four good, strong horses. For
ten dollars he agreed to take them to Oak Hall, stopping at Oakdale on
the way, to see if the school sleigh was waiting for them.
"The sooner we start the better," said Dave. And then he added in a
whisper to Roger and Phil: "If we don't, some other passengers from the
train may come up here and offer him more money for his turnout."
"Let us pay him part and bind the bargain," suggested the senator's son.
"I'll do it," answered Dave, and gave Shadrach Mellick two dollars.
"Good enough--thet binds the bargain," said the close-fisted farmer.
Nat Poole was a sight to behold in a well-worn suit several sizes too
big for him, and the boys could not help but laugh when he made his
appearance.
"That's a real swagger suit, Nat!" cried Sam Day. "Won't you give me
the address of your tailor?"
"Nat can't do that," added Ben. "He wants the artist all to himself."
"Which puts me in mind of a story," broke in Shadow Hamilton. "A
countryman went into a clothing store to buy a suit and----"
"Wow!" came from several of the students in a chorus.
"That story is a hundred and fifty years old."
"It's full of moth-holes, Shadow."
"It isn't--I've only told it about----"
"Two hundred and eleven times," finished Dave. "Shadow, you really must
get a new joke-book to read."
"Never mind my clothing," grumbled Nat Poole. "I couldn't help it that I
fell in the cistern. The farmer had no right to cover it with rotten
boards."
"Yeou had no right to be in the barn," answered Shadrach Mellick, with a
grin. "Howsomever, we'll let it pass. I'm satisfied ef yeou air."
The sleigh was soon ready, and the students bundled in, making
themselves as comfortable as possible. Nat Poole's wet clothing was
placed in a sack and tied on behind. Then the farmer mounted to the
front seat.
"All ready?" he queried.
"All ready--let her go!" sang out several of the lads.
At that moment the dogs began to set up another bark, and then came a
call from the darkness.
"Hi, there, wait a minute!"
"Who is that?" questioned Dave. "Hullo, if it isn't the stout man!"
It was Isaac Pludding, true enough. He had been walking rapidly and was
nearly out of wind.
"Whe--where are you going?" he panted, to the farmer.
"Goin' to take these chaps to Oakdale."
"That is where I want to go." Isaac Pludding glared at the students. "I
don't like to ride with those boys, but I suppose I can stand it. Got
room for another passenger? I suppose they told you how the train broke
down."
"They did," answered Shadrach Mellick. "Reckon I can carry one more," he
added. "But yeou'll have to pay me. These boys are paying me ten dollars
for the trip."
"How much do you want?" demanded Isaac Pludding.
"About a dollar, I guess."
"It's enough, but I'll go you," answered the stout man, and prepared to
climb into the big sleigh.
As soon as Isaac Pludding appeared, Dave held a whispered conversation
with Roger and some of the others. Now he turned to Shadrach Mellick.
"Excuse me, Mr. Mellick, but we don't propose to take another
passenger," he said, decidedly. "At least, not this man."
"No?"
"No, sir. We hired this sleigh for ourselves alone."
"And paid part of the money to bind the bargain," added Phil.
"What! do you mean to say I can't ride if I want to?" cried the stout
man, as unreasonable as he had been on the train.
"You can't ride with us," said Roger.
"What do you say?" asked Isaac Pludding of the farmer.
Shadrach Mellick scratched his head.
"A bargain is a bargain, Mr. Mellick," said Dave, hastily. "We hired
this sleigh, and that is all there is to it."
"That is true, but--er----"
"Wouldn't you rather earn ten dollars than one or two?" asked Ben. "If
that man is to ride we won't."
"So say we all of us!" came from a number of the others.
"Then I can't take yeou," said the farmer to Isaac Pludding. "These
young fellers come fust."
"It's an outrage!" cried the stout man. "I'll--I'll have the law on you
for it."
"Guess yeou air a fool," muttered Shadrach Mellick, in disgust. "Git
alang there, ye lazy critters!" And with a crack of his whip he sent the
double team on their way, leaving Isaac Pludding standing by the
gateway, shaking his fist at the vanishing students.
"He is mad now, if he never was before," observed Phil.
"I wonder if we'll see any more of him," said Ben.
"I don't want to see him again," answered Dave.
The wagon-road to Oakdale did not run near the railroad, so they saw
nothing of the train passengers as they moved along. Luckily the
snowstorm was letting up, so the ride was not as disagreeable as they
had anticipated. In spite of the delay the boys were in excellent
spirits, the single exception being Nat Poole, who sat huddled in a seat
corner, saying nothing. The boys sang songs, told funny stories, and
"cut up" generally, and thus, almost before they knew it, they drew up
alongside of the railroad station at Oakdale.
There was no turnout there to meet them, and from the station master
they learned that Jackson Lamond, the Hall driver, had been down with
the carryall, but had gone back when he had learned that the train had
broken down and would not arrive until morning.
"Well, it doesn't matter," said Dave. "We've hired our driver to take us
to the Hall, anyway."
"All hands off for a hot soda!" cried Phil, as they rounded the
drug-store corner, and the sleigh was stopped and they rushed in to get
the refreshment. They treated Shadrach Mellick to two glasses, which put
the old farmer in fairly good humor.
"I don't blame ye for not wanting thet man," said he, after he had heard
their story about Isaac Pludding. "Guess he's about as mean as they make
'em."
"He said he had some cattle deal on in Oakdale," said Dave. "Perhaps you
know something about that?"
"Oh, mebbe I do. There's a city consarn buying cattle up here,
now--started last fall. They're tryin' to do old Joe Parker out o' his
bus'ness. Mebbe this fat feller is the city company's agent. If he is,
old Joe Parker won't want him up here."
"Where does Joe Parker live?" asked Dave, with interest.
"We'll pass his house in a minit. There it is--over yonder, by the
willer trees."
"Let me off a minute at that place," went on Dave.
"That's the talk!" cried Roger, catching Dave's idea. "We'll put a
spoke in Pludding's wheel--if he is the rival cattle dealer."
Arriving at the Parker cottage, Dave and Roger leaped down in the snow
and knocked on the door. A heavy-set and rather pleasant-looking man
answered their summons.
"Is this Mr. Joseph Parker?" asked Dave.
"That's my handle, lad. What can I do for you? Will you come in?"
"No, Mr. Parker--I haven't time. I wanted to ask you, do you know a Mr.
Isaac Pludding?"
At this question the brow of Joe Parker darkened.
"I certainly do."
"He is working for some opposition in the cattle line, isn't he?"
"Yes, and trying his best to do me out of my little income," was the
grumbled-out answer.
"Well, I thought I might do you a favor," went on Dave, and then told of
his meeting with the cattle agent, and of how Pludding was trying to
reach Oakdale without delay.
"Is that possible!" cried Joseph Parker. "If it is, I'll have to get a
hustle on me, I'm thinking. I told Farrington I'd let him know about
those cattle to-day or to-morrow. I'll go right over and close the deal
now--before Pludding gets here. It's Farrington's cattle he is after. I
am very much obliged to you."
"You are welcome," said Dave.
"I only hope you get the better of the fat man," added the senator's
son; and then he and Dave went back to the sleigh, and the journey to
Oak Hall was resumed.