STOPPED BY TRAMPS.
It was a beautiful sight from the top of Lookout Point and both boys
enjoyed it very much. They secured a good place to rest, and did not
attempt to eat anything until twenty minutes later.
"What a spot for a summer hotel," said Harry. "It's a wonder some
capitalists haven't come up here."
"It's too far from the railroads, Harry. But some day you'll see a road
in this vicinity, and then things will boom."
The boys had hoped to catch sight of the hounds, but try their best,
they could not locate the others.
"They are in the shade somewhere," said Harry. "And I don't blame them,
for this sun is rather hot."
They ate their lunch leisurely and washed it down with water from a
spring not far away. They also washed their faces and hands and this
refreshed them not a little.
"Five minutes more and it will be time to start," declared Harry, as he
consulted his watch for the fifth time. "Let us get all of our things
together. We don't want to lose a minute."
"Not much! we start on the stroke of one!" cried Link, and did as
suggested.
They had already mapped out the return trip, and when the hands of
Harry's watch pointed to exactly one o'clock they set off, first at a
walk and then almost on a run--across the top of the mountain and down
the southern slope.
"I would like to know how close they are," said Link, a little later.
"Do you think they have gained the top of the mountain yet?"
"We'll see when we come out at yonder opening."
The opening gained they looked back. Far up on the mountain they
could make out a number of figures moving about. Soon the figures
disappeared.
"They were the hounds, no doubt of it," declared Link. "Come, or they
will catch us sure!" And they set off at a faster run than before.
The bottom of the mountain reached they traveled a fine highway for
half a mile. Then they made a sharp turn to the left and went across
a cornfield and into a patch of thin woods. They had just entered the
woods when they came upon a campfire, around which were seated half a
dozen dirty and disreputable looking tramps.
"Hi! wot do youse fellers want?" demanded one of the tramps, leaping to
his feet, while several of the others did the same.
"None of your business!" cried Harry, and moved on, with Link beside
him.
"Stop dem, Cully!" said another tramp. "They mean to give us away!"
"Hi, youse fellers stop!" roared the tramp who had first spoken, and
he started to come after our young friends. Seeing this, three of the
other tramps did the same.
"Don't let them catch you!" whispered Harry, thinking of the trouble
he and Joe had had with tramps the fall previous.
"Not if I can help it!" answered Link.
Side by side the boys ran on with the tramps after them. The latter did
not relish the run, however, and presently one picked up a heavy stick
and hurled it at Harry. It struck the lad in the back and made him
pitch headlong.
As soon as Harry fell Link, not to desert his chum, stopped running and
picked up a stone.
"Leave us alone!" he cried. "Do you hear? Leave us alone!"
"We ain't goin' ter hurt ye!" said the tramp who had hurled the stick.
"You had no business to knock my friend down."
"Well, why didn't yer stop when I told yer to?"
By this time Harry was scrambling to his feet. He was not much injured.
All of the tramps lost no time in surrounding the boys.
"You hadn't any right to attack me," cried Harry, indignantly.
"You was going to tell on us, wasn't yer?" sneered another of the
tramps.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Don't yer believe him, Gassy," broke in still another of the
disreputable men. "They act innocent-like, but you can bet they are
mighty sharp."
"Come on back to the fire an' talk it over," said the tramp who had
caused Harry to fall.
"I don't want to go back."
"Neither do I," came from Link. "If you don't let us go we'll make
trouble for you."
"An' yer wants to go so yer kin tell on us, don't yer?" came from the
fellow called Gassy.
"I don't know what you mean!"
"Ah, go on wid yer! You're from dat farmhouse over dare an' I knows
it," growled the tramp. "Yer wants to go back an' say we got der
chickens. But yer ain't goin' back so easy, see?"
"Do you mean to say you are going to keep us here?" asked Harry.
"Dat's wot--fer de present. When we gits ready ter move on den youse
can go too--de udder way, see?"
The boys now realized at what the tramps were driving. They had stolen
some chickens and they imagined the lads knew of this and wanted to
bring somebody to the scene who could have them locked up. They wanted
to hold the boys until they, the tramps, were ready to clear out for
parts unknown.
"Don't youse make any fuss an' youse won't git hurted," said one of the
gang. "If youse do make a fuss----" He ended by a shake of his fist.
"Let us go back to the campfire," declared Harry suddenly, and he gave
Link a wink. "We'll give these rascals all they want," he added, in a
whisper.
Link at once understood, and they walked back to the fire slowly.
"Wot's in dat bag?" questioned Gassy. "Let me see it."
He snatched one of the bags of paper from Link and gazed into it.
"Wot is it?" asked another of the gang.
"Ain't nuttin in it but paper!" cried the other tramp, in disgust.
"Say, wot does dis mean anyhow?"
Before any more could be said there was a cry from the road and half a
dozen boys appeared, headed by Paul Shale and Fred. Then more boys came
up, for the hounds numbered fully twenty.
"Stay right where you are," cried Harry to the tramps. "The one who
tries to run away will get hurt."
"Say, look at de crowd!" gasped one of the tramps in alarm. "Dis is de
time we got caught sure!"
"Hullo!" came from Paul. "Give it up, did you?"
"No, the tramps stopped us!" called out Link. "Surround them, fellows,
and don't let one of them get away. They are nothing but chicken
thieves!"
By this time all of the hounds had come up. Some carried sticks and the
others took up stones and whatever they could find handy. The tramps
were surrounded, and when Gassy tried to break away he was promptly
hurled back and given a crack on the head by Joe.
"I know your kind!" cried Joe. "I've met 'em before. Stay where you
are!" And he flourished his stick in a threatening manner.
"Dis is all a mistake, gents!" whined one of the tramps. "We didn't
mean no harm to yer friends. We was only foolin'."
"Tell that to the bullfrogs!" came from Harry. "They forced us to stay
here. Look at the chickens and the chicken bones. They are assuredly
thieves."
"I know the farmer who lives on the next farm," said one of the boys.
"If you say so, I'll run over to his house and see if he has lost any
chickens."
"Go ahead, and be quick about it," replied Joe.
The boy made off and another boy went with him. Fortunately the farmer
was met near his barn, in company with two of his sons.
"Lost chickens?" he queried. "Jest guess I have, Bob. Lost three last
night an' four the night before. What do you know about 'em?" And when
the boys had told their story the farmer lost no time in arming himself
with a shotgun. His sons got good clubs, and then the whole party made
its way to the tramps' camp.
When the rascals saw Farmer Loftus and his sturdy sons they wanted
to run more than ever. But the presence of the shotgun and the clubs
detained them and they submitted without a murmur.
"I'd a good mind to fill ye all full o' shot," said the farmer,
indignantly. "Yes, those are my chickens, every one on 'em. I'm going
to have the hull crowd locked up."
"I'll help you," said Harry.
"So will I," added Joe.
"Let us all go along," came from Fred. "The game is over."
So it was decided, and surrounded by the boys and the farmer and his
sons, the tramps were marched off to the village of Compton, a mile and
a half away. Here they were locked up, and later on sent to prison for
their misdeeds.
"I'm glad ye collared them tramps," said the farmer, after the
excitement was over. "They have been a-botherin' me for a long time."
And then he invited the whole crowd to his house, to partake of
doughnuts, pie, and milk, and he also gave each some apples on parting.
"Not such a bad game of hare and hounds after all," said Harry, on the
way home.
"You're right," answered Link. "But it didn't wind up exactly as we
expected."