AN OLD ENEMY TURNS UP
"That was certainly an odd dream," said Dick, after a short pause.
"I am sure I never want to meet Josiah Crabtree under such
circumstances."
"It was silly, Dick--I'd forget it if I was you."
"And she never mentioned the man at any other time?"
"No. But I am certain she is glad he has left for parts unknown.
I never, never, want to see him again," and the girl shivered.
"Don't be alarmed, Dora; I don't think he will dare to show
himself," answered Dick, and on the sly gave her hand a tight
squeeze. They were warmer friends than ever since Dick had
rescued her from those who had abducted her.
The kite-flying was now in "full blast," as Sam expressed it, and
the boys had all they could do to keep the various lines from
becoming tangled up. His own kite and Fred's were side by side
and for a long time it looked as if neither would mount above the
other.
"Run her up, Fred! You can win if you try!" cried several of the
cadets.
"Play out a bit more, Sam; you haven't given your kite all the
slack she wants," said others. So the talk ran on, while each
contestant did the best to make his kite mount higher. In the
meantime the wind kept increasing in violence, making each kite
pull harder than ever.
"It's a dandy for flying," panted Tom, who was holding his kite
with all the strength he possessed. "Something must give way
soon," and something did give way. It was the string he was
holding, and as it snapped he went over on his back in such a
comical fashion that all, even to the girls, had to laugh.
"Torn! Tom! What a sight!" burst out Nellie Laning. "You should
have brought a stronger cord."
"If I had I'd a-gone up in the clouds," answered Tom ruefully.
"That's the last of that kite, I suppose; if I--"
"The string has caught on Sam's kite!" interrupted Grace Laning.
"Oh, my! See both of them going up!"
"Now you can win, Sam!" laughed Dora. "Fred, your flying is
nowhere now."
"He didn't calculate to fly one kite against two," answered Fred.
"Hold on, Sam, where are you going? The cliff is over in that
direction!" he yelled suddenly.
"I--I know it!" came back the alarming answer. "But I can't
stop myself!"
"He can't stop himself!" repeated Dora.
"Oh, stop him somebody, before he goes over the cliff!"
"Let go of the line!" shouted Dick. "Don't go any closer to the
cliff!"
"I--I can't let go! The line is fast around my wrist!" gasped
poor Sam. "Oh, dear, it's cutting me like a knife!"
"He's in a mess," came from Frank. "If he isn't careful he'll go
over the cliff, as sure as he's born!"
"Throw yourself down!" went on Dick, and, leaving his kite in Hans
Mueller's care, he ran after his brother.
By this time Sam had gained a few bushes which grew but a dozen
feet away from the edge of the cliff, that at this point was
nearly forty feet in height. With his right hand held a painful
prisoner, he clutched at the bushes with his left.
"I've got the bushes, but I can't hold on long!" he panted, as
Dick came close. "Help me, quick!"
Scarcely had the words left his mouth when the bushes came up by
the roots and poor Sam fell over on his side. Then came another
strong puff of wind, and he was dragged to the very edge of the
rocky ledge!
"I'm going!" he screamed, when, making a mighty leap, Dick caught
him by the foot.
"Catch the rock--anything!" cried the older brother. "If you
don't you'll be killed!"
"Save me!" was all poor Sam could say. "Oh, Dick, don't let me go
over!"
"I'll do my best, Sam," was Dick's answer, and he held on like
grim death.
By this time half a dozen boys were running to the scene. Dora
Stanhope followed, and as she came up she pulled a tiny penknife
from her pocket.
"Can't I cut the line with this?" she asked, timidly, as she
pushed her way to Dick's side.
"Yes, Yes; cut it!" moaned Sam. "Oh, my wrist is almost cut in
two!"
Stooping low, Dora sawed away at the kite line, which was as taut
as a string on a bass fiddle. Suddenly there was a loud snap and
the cord parted. Sam and Dick fell back from the edge of the
cliff, while the entangled kites soared away for parts unknown.
"Thank Heaven you cut the line, Dora!" said Dick, who was the
first to recover from the excitement of the situation. He saw
that Dora was trembling like a leaf, and he hastened to her
support, but she pushed him away and pointed to Sam.
"Don't mind me--I am all right, Dick," she said. "Go care for
poor Sam. See how his wrist is bleeding! Oh, how dreadful!"
"Here is my handkerchief; he had better bind it up with that,"
said Grace Laning, as she offered the article.
"We'll wash the wound first," put in Frank, and raced off for some
water. Soon he returned with his stiff hat full, and the cut on
Sam's wrist was tenderly washed by the Laning girls, who then
bound it up with the skill of a hospital surgeon.
The kite-flying continued for the balance of the afternoon. But
Sam and Dick had had enough of it, and, along with Tom, they took
a stroll along the lake front with Dora Stanhope and Grace and
Nellie. Of course both boys and girls talked a whole lot of
nonsense, yet all enjoyed the walk very much.
"This is the spot where they abducted me," shivered Dora, as they
came to the old boathouse. "Oh, what a dreadful time that was, to
be sure!"
"I don't believe our enemies will bother you any more, Dora," said
Dick. "It's not likely that old Crabtree Will try the same game
twice; and Mumps has really turned over a new leaf and gone to
work for a living."
"Yes, I was glad to hear that, for I don't believe he was such a
bad fellow at heart. He was under Dan Baxter's influence, just
as--as--"
"As Josiah Crabtree tried to influence your mother," whispered
Dick, and Dora nodded slowly. "Well, let us forget it, and--My
gracious!"
Dick stopped short, to stare in open-mouthed wonder at a small
boat shooting down the lake at a distance of several hundred yards
from the shore.
"What's up?" came simultaneously from Tom and Sam.
"Don't you see that fellow in the boat?" demanded Dick, in
increased wonder.
"Of course we see him," answered Tom.
"Don't you recognize him?"
"No; he's too far off," came from Sam..
"It's Dan Baxter!"
"Baxter!" cried Dora. "Oh, Dick!"
"Nonsense!" said Tom. "How could he be am here?"
"It does look a little like Baxter," was Sam's slow comment. "Yet
it seems impossible that he could be here, as Tom says."
"I say it's Baxter," affirmed Dick stoutly, "I'll hail him and
make sure."
"Oh, don't bring him over here!" interposed Dora, becoming
alarmed.
"Don't be alarmed--he shan't hurt anybody, Dora." Dick raised
his voice. "Hi there, Baxter! What are you doing here?"
At first there was no reply, and the boy in the rowboat kept on
pulling. But as Dick repeated his call, the rower threw up his
oars.
"You mind your own business," he growled. "Guess I can row on the
lake if I want to."
"It is Baxter, sure enough!" ejaculated Tom.
"The rascal! We ought to recapture him."
"That's the talk," added Sam. "I wish my wrist wasn't so sore--I'd
go after him."
"There's a boat below here," said Dick.
"Let's put out in that."
"He may--may shoot at you," faltered Dora. "You know how wicked
he can be at times."
"Indeed I do know," answered Dick. "But he ought to be handed
over to the authorities. It is a crime to let him go free."
"Hi, Baxter. Come over here; we want to talk to you!" yelled Tom.
"Not much!" growled the former bully of Putnam Hall.
"You had better come," said Sam. "If you don't come we'll bring
you."
"Hush, Sam, or you'll make a mess of things!" cried Dick softly,
but the warning came too late.
"Will you bring me back?" roared the bully. "Just try it on and
see how I'll fix you."
"Come on for the boat," said Tom. "We'll show him he can't scare
us."
He started off and Dick came after him. Sam was also about to
follow, when his elder brother stopped him.
"You can't do much with that sore wrist, Sam," he said. "Better
stay with the girls until we come back. You can watch events from
the shore, and run for assistance, if it's necessary."
Sam demurred at first, but soon saw the wisdom of Dick's
reasoning and consented to remain behind.
By this time Tom had shoved out the rowboat Dick had mentioned--a
neat craft belonging to a farmer living near. A pair of oars
lay in a locker on the lake bank; and, securing these, Tom leaped
on board of the craft, and soon Dick came after.
Dan Baxter had watched their movement with interest, which
speedily gave way to arm when he saw the other boat come out, and
beheld Dick and Tom each take up an oar and begin to pull for all
they could.
"I was a clam to come up here, when there is no real need for
it," he muttered. "Two to one, eh? Well, I reckon I can put up a
pretty stiff fight if it comes to the worst." Then he caught up
his oars once more, and began to row down Cayuga Lake with all
possible speed.