STEALING DUCKS
After Toby had secured Mr. Stubbs's brother so that he could not
liberate himself, he ran into the house to inquire for Abner.
The news this time was more encouraging, for the sick boy had awakened
thoroughly after his long sleep, and had asked how the work on the tent
was getting on. Aunt Olive thought Toby could see him, and, after
promising that he would not remain very long, or allow Abner to talk
much, he went up-stairs.
The crippled boy was lying in the bed bolstered up with pillows, looking
out of the window that commanded a view of the tent, and evidently
puzzled to know whether the large sheet of brown paper which he saw on
one side was there as an ornament, or to serve some useful purpose.
Toby explained to him that it was the poster Reddy had made, and then
told him all that had been done that day towards getting ready for the
great exhibition which was to dazzle the good people of Guilford, as
well as to bring in a rich reward, in the way of money, to the managers.
Abner was so interested in the matter, and seemed so bright and cheerful
when he was talking about it, that Toby's fears regarding his illness
were entirely dispelled; he came to the conclusion that Abner had simply
been tired, as Aunt Olive had said, and that he would be better than
ever by morning.
This belief was strengthened by the doctor, who came while Toby was
still with his friend, and who, in answer to a question, said, cheerily:
"Of course he'll be all right; he may not be quite smart enough to go
out to-morrow, but before the week is ended I'll guarantee that you'll
have hard work to keep him in the house."
Toby's heart was light again as he attended to his evening's work; and
when he met Joe, on his way to the pasture, he laid plans for the coming
exhibition with a greater zest than he had displayed since the matter
was first spoken of.
Now that the tent was up, and Abner on the sure and rapid road to
recovery, Toby thought it quite time that Mr. Stubbs's brother should be
taught to take some part in the performance. Joe was of the same
opinion, and they decided to commence the education of the monkey that
very night, giving him two or three lessons each day until he should be
thoroughly trained.
The cows were not exactly hurried on the way home that night; but they
were not allowed to loiter by the roadside when they saw particularly
tempting tufts of grass, and as soon as they were in the barn Mr.
Stubbs's brother was taken to the tent.
He was in anything rather than a good condition for training, for he
evidently remembered his frolic of the afternoon, and was anxious to
repeat it. Toby thought he could be made to leap through hoops as a
beginning of his circus education, and all the energies of the boys were
bent to the accomplishment of this.
But the monkey was either remarkably stupid just then, or determined to
take no part in the show, for although Joe held the hoops until his arms
ached, and Toby coaxed and scolded till he was hoarse, Mr. Stubbs's
brother could not be persuaded even to attempt to leap.
"It's no use to try any more to-night," said Toby, impatiently, when it
was nearly dark inside the tent, and his pet was showing signs of anger.
"We'll commence the first thing in the mornin', an' I guess he'll do
it."
"I'd whip him if I was you," said Joe, who was thoroughly tired, and
angry at the monkey's obstinacy. "If you would give him a good
switchin', he'd know he's got to do it."
"I wouldn't whip him if he never did anything," said Toby, as he hugged
his pet tightly, almost as if he feared Joe might attempt, as one of the
partners in the enterprise, to whip the unwilling performer.
"'Tain't my monkey, so I hain't got nothin' to say about it," and Joe
was impatient now; "but if he was mine, I'll bet he'd do what I told him
to."
It seemed almost as if Mr. Stubbs's brother knew what had been said
about him, for he nestled close to Toby, hiding his face on the boy's
neck in a way that would have prevented his master from whipping him
even if he had been disposed so to do.
"We'll put him in the shed, an' I guess he'll be good enough to-morrow,"
said Toby, cheerfully; and then, after fastening the flag in the front
of the tent in such a way that the wind would be kept out, if nothing
more, he and Joe walked towards the house, discussing the question of
the kind of tickets they should use at the show.
While they were yet some distance from the wood-shed in which Mr.
Stubbs's brother was lodged, Aunt Olive called Toby to come quickly to
the house.
"You put him in the wood-shed, an' fasten him in snug," said Toby, as he
handed the monkey to Joe, and started for the house at full speed.
Now Joe knew perfectly well where Mr. Stubbs's brother was kept; but, as
he had never seen him put away for the night, he was uncertain whether
he should be tied there, or simply shut in. It hardly seemed to him that
Toby would leave the monkey tied up by the neck all night, so he set him
up comfortably on a bench, and carefully shut the door.
Toby had been called to go to the druggist's for some medicine, and he
came out of the house in such haste, calling to Joe to follow him, that
nothing more was thought of the insecurely prisoned monkey.
When Toby returned, it was so late that Uncle Daniel advised him to go
to bed if he had any desire to be "healthy, wealthy, and wise," and he
obeyed at once.
Positive that Abner was on the road to recovery, sure that all his work
had been done, and with nothing to trouble him, it was not very long
that Toby lay awake after he was once in bed.
It seemed to him that he had been sleeping a long while, when he was
awakened by the sound as of some one hunting around in his room; and,
before he had time to call out, the candle was lighted, showing that the
intruder was Uncle Daniel, only partially dressed and in a high state of
excitement.
"What is it? What's the matter?" asked Toby, in alarm, thinking at once
of Abner, and fearing that something had happened to him.
"Hush!" said Uncle Daniel, warningly; "don't make a noise, for some one
is trying to get into the hen-house, an' I am going to make an example
of him. I suppose it's one of the tramps who went by here to-day, an' I
want to find that gun I saw in here yesterday."
There was such a weapon in Toby's room, or, at least, what had once been
a gun was there, for a hired man whom Uncle Daniel had employed left it
there. It had been an army musket, and appeared to have been used as a
collection of materials to repair others guns with, for the entire lock,
ramrod, and at least four inches of the stock had been taken away,
leaving it a mere wreck of a gun.
"It's up there in the corner behind the wash-stand," said Toby, coming
out of the bed as quickly as if he had tumbled out, and alarmed at the
thought of burglars. "It hain't no good, Uncle Dan'l, for there's only
a little of it left."
"It will do as well for me as a better one," said Uncle Daniel, grimly.
"I don't want to shoot anybody, only to give them a severe fright, and
perhaps capture them."
"Then what'll you do with 'em?" asked Toby in a whisper, almost as much
alarmed by Uncle Daniel's savage way of speaking as by the thought of
the burglars.
"I don't know, Toby, boy--I don't know. The tramps do trouble me
greatly, an' I'd like to make an example of these; but I suppose they
must be hungry, or else they wouldn't try to get into the hen-house, I
guess if we catch one we'll give him a good breakfast, and try to
persuade him to go to work like an honest man."
Uncle Daniel's anger usually had some such peaceful ending, as Toby
knew; but he did look bloodthirsty as he stood there in his
shirt-sleeves, with one stocking on, and his night-cap covering one ear
and but a small portion of his head, while he handled the invalid gun
recklessly.
By the time he was ready to go in search of the supposed chicken-thief,
Aunt Olive, looking thoroughly frightened, came into the room with his
other stocking and his boots in her hand, insisting that he should put
them on before he ventured out.
It must have been a very tame burglar who would have continued at his
work after the lights had warned him that the inmates of the house were
aroused; but Toby did not think of that. He saw that Aunt Olive had
armed herself with the fire-shovel, that Uncle Daniel kept a firm hold
of the gun even while he was trying to put his boots on, and he was
frightened by the warlike preparations.
Toby put on his trousers and shoes as quickly as possible, and when
Uncle Daniel was ready to start, he stationed himself directly behind
Aunt Olive, a position which he thought would afford him a fair view of
what was going on, and at the same time be safe.
"Now be careful of that gun, Dan'l, an' don't go so far that they can
hurt you, for there's no telling what they will do if they find out you
mean to catch them," and Aunt Olive looked quite as badly frightened as
did Toby.
"There, there, Olive, don't be alarmed," said Uncle Daniel, soothingly,
"they will probably run as soon as they see the gun, and that will end
it. I only hope that I can catch one," and Uncle Daniel went down the
stairs as determined and savage looking a man as ever started in search
of a supposed chicken-thief.
Aunt Olive insisted on carrying the candle, though Uncle Daniel urged
that it would not be possible for him to surprise the burglars if she
held this light as a warning; but she had no idea of allowing him to go
out where there was every probability that he would be in danger,
unless she could see what was going on.
When the party reached the kitchen, the sounds which came from the
hen-house told plainly that the party they were in search of had not
ceased his work because the household had been alarmed. The snapping of
wood could be heard, and if Aunt Olive had not been thoroughly aroused
before, she was then, for laths were being broken, and one of her
choicest broods of ducks was secured only by such frail barriers against
either two or four-legged thieves.
"Stop them quick, or all the ducks will be out," she screamed; and, thus
urged, Uncle Daniel made a bold stand.
"Get behind me, and hold your hand over the light," he whispered, and
then he shouted, as he brought the gun up to his shoulder in a very
threatening manner, "Come out here, and give yourselves up at once."
There was no answer made to this peremptory command, and, strangely
enough, the work of destruction was continued as vigorously as if Uncle
Daniel and his broken gun were a thousand miles away, instead of on the
spot and ready for action.
"Come away from there instantly, and save yourself any further trouble,"
shouted Uncle Daniel in a louder voice, stamping his foot, while Aunt
Olive brandished the fire-shovel to give emphasis to his words.
There was silence for a moment, as if the burglar had stopped to
consider the matter, and then the work was continued with greater energy
than before.
"Well, I declare!" exclaimed Uncle Daniel, as he brought the butt of his
gun down on his own foot with such force that he was obliged to give
immediate attention to the wounded member.
Toby had always had a wholesome dread of a gun; but his fear became
greater than ever when he saw how much mischief could be done with one
as near a total wreck as that was, for Uncle Daniel had seated himself
on the grass, regardless of the dew, and was hugging his foot as if he
feared he should lose it.