ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD.
“Want to take a ride with me?” asked Bob of Ned, one morning, about a
week following the exciting night ride. “Father wants me to go over to
Franklin to take a message to the bank there.”
“Sure I’ll go. And we’ll ask Jerry. Wait until I get my machine, and
I’ll be with you.”
The two boys were soon puffing along their motors to Jerry’s house. He
joined them and all three started off for Franklin.
The ride was a pleasant one. It was rather warm, but there was a cool
breeze, that was added to by the speed at which the boys rode. Franklin
was about twenty miles from Cresville, and was a village of good size.
The boys had some friends there, and intended calling on them before
returning.
They reached Franklin without mishaps. Bob transacted the business his
father had sent him on, and then the boys voted that a meal would not be
out of place.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to be starting back,” said Bob at length.
“Father will want to know how I made out with his matter.”
Ned and Jerry were agreeable, and they mounted their machines and were
soon on the homeward journey.
They had gone perhaps ten miles when, on making a sudden turn in the
road, they came face to face with a countryman who was driving a rather
spirited horse. At the sight and sound of the machines the animal reared
up in the air. The boys stopped their motors, but the horse would not
be quieted. Even the sight of the cycles seemed to madden the brute. In
spite of the efforts of the countryman the horse continued to rear and
prance. Then the steed made a sudden turn, and, with a cracking sound,
one of the carriage shafts broke.
“Now ye’ve gone and done it!” yelled the driver, seeming to fly in a
rage. “Ye’ll have to pay for this.”
“We’re very sorry,” began Jerry, “we didn’t intend to cause any trouble.”
“That’s always the way with peesky boys,” went on the countryman. “I’ll
have the law on ye for this! You wait until I get out.”
The horse, having done what damage he could, seemed to be satisfied, and
quieted down. The driver dismounted and tied the animal to a fence, and
then proceeded to examine the broken shaft.
“Busted clean off,” he announced in an ugly tone. “It’ll cost five
dollars to get it fixed. You’ll have to settle.”
“That’s right, make ’em pay!” exclaimed a voice from the bushes that
lined the road side, and, to the surprise of the three boys, Noddy Nixon
stepped out into view.
“I intend to,” said the countryman.
“They’ve no business on the road in their machines, frightening horses,”
went on Noddy with a grin. “The roads are for carriages.”
“Well, I like your nerve, Noddy Nixon!” exclaimed Jerry hotly. “We have
just as much right on the road as this driver has. And you’ve got a
motor-cycle yourself.”
“That’s none of your business,” remarked Noddy in a surly tone. “You
cubs frightened this man’s horse, and he has a right to demand payment.
Don’t let ’em get away until they pay,” Noddy added to the driver.
“I don’t intend they shall,” was the answer.
“Look here!” exclaimed Bob. “We never said we didn’t intend to pay, but
it’s none of your business, Noddy.”
“Don’t give me any of your lip,” the bully roared. “I’ve been wanting
to thrash you for some time, and now I have a good chance.”
“Go ahead, if you think it’s healthy,” said Bob boldly. “I’m not afraid
of you.”
“If you fight him, you’ll have to fight me,” said Jerry, coming forward
and standing beside Bob.
“Yes, and me also,” said Ned.
“I guess I’ll have to take a hand then,” said the countryman. “I want
pay for my broken shaft. If I can’t get it in money I’ll take it out of
your hides.”
“If you touch us I’ll make a complaint and cause your arrest,” said
Jerry.
“Who’s talking about arrests?” asked a gruff voice, and, from the bushes
whence Noddy had made his appearance Bill Berry stepped out.
At the sight of him Noddy grinned, and moved closer to Bob.
“That’s big talk for a small boy,” Bill went on with a laugh. “What’s
the row, Noddy?”
“Oh, these young cubs frightened this gentleman’s horse, the animal
broke a shaft, and they won’t pay for it.”
“That isn’t true,” cried Bob. “We never refused to pay for the damage.”
“Make ’em pay!” cried Bill, slapping his hand on his thigh with a sound
like a pistol shot. “Make ’em pay!”
In a fit of passion Noddy aimed a blow at Bob. The boy dodged it
cleverly, and shot out his fist toward Noddy’s face. He only landed
lightly on the bully’s nose, but that, with the overbalancing caused
when he missed his mark, sent Noddy down in a heap.
“I’ll make you pay for this!” he fairly screamed as he scrambled up.
He rushed at Bob. Ned and Jerry ran up and were about to aid their chum.
“Let me attend to him alone!” pleaded Bob.
“I’ll fix you!” screamed the bully.
Once more he aimed a fearful blow at Bob, but the latter merely stepped
to one side, and once more Noddy went down, without having been hit. He
arose with his mouth full of dust.
At that instant the countryman’s horse, probably frightened by the noise
and shouts, reared on its hind legs, broke the strap that fastened him
to the fence, and galloped off down the road.
“Consarn ye! There goes my best horse!” cried the countryman, losing all
interest in the fight. “Five dollars to whoever catches him!”
“I’m going to have a try for that!” exclaimed Bill, setting off down the
road on a swift run. “Five dollars don’t come my way every afternoon!”
“I’ll sue ye for this!” yelled the countryman, shaking his fist at the
boys before speeding down the highway after Bill in pursuit of the
horse. “I’ll have the law on ye!” His coat tails streamed in the wind as
he raced away.
Noddy had stopped mid-way in his rush at Bob as the horse broke loose.
“Well, are you going to fight?” asked Bob coolly.
But Noddy’s desire for battle seemed to have left him suddenly. He
realized that he was no match for the three, or even for two, of the
boys.
“I’ll get square with you for this,” he muttered as he slunk away in the
bushes. “I’ve several scores to settle with you three cubs.”
“Better settle ’em here and now,” advised Jerry. “It’s a good chance.”
“You just wait,” was all Noddy would say. Soon he disappeared in the
shrubbery.
“Well, I thought for a while there was going to be trouble,” said Bob,
with a laugh. “Noddy certainly seemed mad.”
“Well, I don’t see any need of staying here any longer,” said Ned at
length. “It doesn’t seem as if the countryman or Bill would come back.
If that man with the horse wants any pay let him call and collect. He
didn’t treat us very nicely. As for Noddy, I guess he’s far enough off
by now.”
“I wonder what he was doing out this way?” asked Bob.
“Yes, and lately Bill Berry is always with him,” commented Ned.
“They’re up to no good, you can be sure of that,” was Jerry’s opinion,
in which the others shared.
Then, mounting their motor-cycles, the three boys made good speed home,
meeting with no more fractious horses and puncturing no more tires.