TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN
"This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.
"What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.
"No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or
stay here."
"It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry. "Go ahead
and drop down."
"It may not be very far," said Bob, "but I don't want to take the
chance."
"Afraid you'll sprain your ankle?"
"No, but I don't want to fall into the cistern."
"Cistern? What are you talking about?"
"Well," went on Bob, "there's a cistern right under this ladder opening.
The mule pulled the cover off last night, and whoever drops down is
going to land goodness knows where."
The others soon confirmed what Bob had said. When the cabin was built a
cistern had been sunk in the middle of the ground floor. This had been
covered, and the ladder rested on it when the travelers went to bed, but
the mule, probably in search for a drink, uncovered it.
"Can't get down without a ladder," observed Ned.
"What's the matter with jumping from one of the outside windows?" asked
Jerry.
They thought the idea a good one until they saw that the only one there
was opened onto a pile of sharp rocks, into which even a jump of fifteen
feet might be dangerous.
"What's to be done?" asked Bob.
"Guess we'll have to wait until Jones comes to see if we are dead,"
replied Jerry. "Then he can cover the cistern and raise the ladder."
"I guess we'll have a long wait for Jones," commented Ned. "He's so
afraid of this place that he'll never come within hearing distance of
it."
"Let's yell out of the window," suggested Bob.
They did so, uniting their voices in a volume of sound. It seemed to
have no effect though, for there was no movement about the colored man's
cabin.
"Once more," urged the professor.
This time they produced a result, for, down the road they could see
Jones come to the door of his shack and peer out. Thereupon they waved
their hands to him, and in a few minutes the colored man was standing as
close as he seemed to dare to come to their shelter.
"Is yo' all daid?" he asked in awed accents.
"Not quite all of us," answered the professor, "but we will be unless
you come in and hoist the ladder for us."
"Did th'--th' ghost knock it down?" asked Jones.
"It did," replied Bob, solemnly.
"I knowed it! I knowed it! Maybe you'll believe me next time. Golly! I
ain't goin' t' stay here," and Jones was about to run off down the road.
"Here! Come back!" commanded the captives, and the colored man
reluctantly did so.
"I doan laik t' stay round yeah!" pleaded the negro. "'Tain't no ways
healthy. What yo' done want, anyhow?"
"We want you to hoist the ladder for us," said the professor. "Come now,
don't be silly. The only ghost there was, and we saw it, was an old
white mule with a chain on its neck."
"Co'se it were! Dat's de form it took when I seed it!" cried Jones. "But
it can take on any shape, dat ghost can. Next time it'll be a lion er a
tiger er a elephant. Monstrous terrible things, ha'nts is. So de ghost
done knocked de ladder down! I knowed it would do suthin'."
Amid a show of genuine fear the colored man entered the cabin, and after
replacing the cistern cover cautiously raised the ladder. Then he ran
out as if the ghost were after him.
"I guess we'll never be able to convince Jones that there isn't a ghost
here," said Jerry as they came down and started down the road toward the
colored man's cabin, where they were to have breakfast.
"Here's something that may prove to him that the mule was the ghost,"
spoke Ned, picking up a horse shoe, which was on the cabin floor.
They showed it to the negro, but he only shook his head.
"It looks like a hoss shoe, dat I admit," said Jones, "but it's
enchanted. It'll turn inter a snake er a tiger er suthin' terruble 'fore
long. I don't want nothin' t' do with it," and he cast it into the
bushes by the side of the road.
The excitement of the night had taken none of the travelers' appetites
away, and they made a good meal. Then, once more they took the road,
disappearing in a cloud of dust, while Jones, his wife, and the seven
children stood and stared in wonder.
They traveled all that day with only an occasional glimpse of
civilization in the shape of some house or cabin. No villages were
reached, it being a centre of vast grazing lands, where only a lonely
herder, or, perhaps two, remained to guard the cattle. That night they
camped in the open, and found it rather uncomfortable, for it began to
rain about midnight.
"I wish we were back in the cabin, with the ghost-mule and everything
else," muttered Jerry, as he tried to find a dry spot to lie down on.
But troubles can not last forever, and morning came finally, bringing a
clear day and a bright sun which was very welcome.
Breakfast over they took the road once more. About noon they came to a
small town that boasted of what was called the "Imperial Hotel."
"I suppose we'd better try the Imperial," suggested Ned. "It don't look
very scrumptious, but you can't always tell by the appearance of a toad
how far he can jump."
The auto drew up in front of the inn with a noise that brought a score
of men from the barroom.
"Jumpin' Gila Monsters and rattlesnakes!" cried one of the men,
evidently a miner from his dress. "I've read about them Satan go-carts,
but I never believed in 'em. Sakes alive, but they do look funny
without a hoss in front."
He and the others gathered about the car, asking so many questions that
it took all the boys and the professor as well to answer them. When
curiosity had been partially satisfied the boys went into the hotel.
While there was nothing to make a weary traveler glad he had found it,
the place was not as bad as many where the Motor Boys had stopped. They
had a good meal, and decided to rest a few hours before proceeding.
It was along about three o'clock. The crowd of men in the barroom had
become larger as new comers arrived. It was also noisier and loud
voices, and occasional threats to shoot, made the travelers think it was
about time to move on.
They were about to go to their machine when they were approached on the
porch where they were sitting, by the miner who had first remarked about
the auto. He had evidently been drinking more than was good for him, and
was in a quarrelsome mood.
"If you don't want to play with me you needn't," he called, evidently
to some one inside. "I can find some one to shuffle the cards with me.
Here, you kid"--to Jerry, "you come an' we'll have a little game."
"Thank you, I don't play," said Jerry quietly.
"What's that?" came the sharp return.
"I said I didn't play."
"Why hang my buttons! You got to play when I tell you to," cried the
miner. "Pete Simmons ain't used to bein' told no. Here, sit down to
this table an' deal the cards," and he grabbed Jerry by the arm, and
attempted to force him into a chair.
"Let go my arm!" exclaimed Jerry.
"You do as I tell you or I'll make you!" exclaimed the brute. "I'm used
to havin' my way!"
"Take your hand off!" commanded Jerry, drawing back his fist, for he was
strong and hot tempered.
"Now be nice, be nice!" sneered the man.
"Let go of him!" exclaimed Ned coming forward and standing beside his
chum, while Bob also ranged up alongside. "We'll all take a hand in this
if you force us to."
"I can tackle the three of you with both hands tied behind my back,"
cried the miner, flushing with anger at being defied by the boys.
"Count me in too," spoke Professor Snodgrass, joining the lads. "I don't
want to fight, but I will if I have to."
Now the professor, though a mild man, was, by reason of his out-of-door
life, in fine physical condition, and no mean antagonist, which fact the
miner saw.
"Oh well, I was only foolin'," the ugly chap remarked with a poor
attempt at a smile. But his face showed his rage. He moved away in a few
seconds, and shuffled to the end of the porch, where he soon fell asleep
on a bench.
Bob looked over and saw him, as the boys were discussing the program for
the remainder of the day.
"Let's play a trick on that brute," said Bob.
"What kind?" asked Jerry.
"You watch," replied Chunky. "You'll see some fun."
Now it happened that the professor had among his collection of specimens
several large stuffed snakes, for he was an expert taxidermist. There
were also several horned toads and big lizards. Bob got several of the
ugliest ones and, with the aid of the scientist, who entered into the
plan to pay a well deserved lesson to the miner, arranged the things
about the sleeper, on the bench and on the floor of the porch.
By this time most of the crowd at the hotel was aware what was going on,
and, as few of them had any too much love for Simmons they waited the
outcome with interest. When the reptiles were placed in a circle about
the sleeping miner, one of the men fired his revolver in the air. At the
sound Simmons awoke.
At first he did not notice the reptiles, as he was on his back, staring
up at the sky. Then he suddenly sat up, and caught a glimpse of the ugly
looking things. For a moment he seemed to be in doubt as to what he
beheld. Then he let out a yell that could have been heard almost a half
mile.
"Wow!" he cried. "Take 'em away. I'll never drink another drop! Honest
I won't! Oh! Oh! the horrible snakes! I'll shut my eyes so I can't see
'em!"
But when he opened them again the reptiles were still there.
"Oh! Oh! I see 'em still!" he yelled. "Take 'em away, somebody, please
do. Oh I forgot! They ain't real! I only imagine I see 'em!"
He got up on the bench and was dancing about in terror. Then he drew his
revolver, and was about to fire into the midst of the snakes.
"He'll ruin my specimens!" cried the professor.
One of the men ran forward, and began collecting the reptiles. Simmons
saw them being gathered up, and noticed that they were not wiggling.
Then the truth of it dawned on him, and he knew he had been fooled. His
companions laughed loud and long. But Simmons, unable to stand the jokes
and jibes he knew would be poked at him, leaped over the porch railing
and ran down the road as fast as he could go.
"Serves him right!" was the general verdict.