Good care did the two boys who were bent on the downfall of our hero
take to tell the story of Harry's father being a forger only to those
who were not particularly friendly to the lad--with the result that it
found ready credence, and was soon being repeated with all manner of
exaggerations.
"I don't believe a word of it!" declared Viola, when the report reached
her. "Harry Watson is a splendid chap. I----"
"But this isn't Harry, it's his father whose appeal from a prison
sentence has been refused," laughed a girl who had told the malicious
tale.
"It makes no difference, I don't believe Harry's father is a man who
would stoop to any such act!" retorted Viola, hotly. And, putting her
arm through Nettie's, the richest girl in Rivertown High went off with
her chum--for the story had hurt her more than she cared to have her
schoolmates see.
Though in high spirits at the amazement their announcement caused among
their schoolmates, Elmer and Pud were disappointed that the boy whose
father they were traducing did not put in an appearance.
"Where do you suppose he is?" asked Socker, after they had discovered
Harry's absence.
"Probably afraid to show his head," commented Misery. "I don't think I'd
care to exhibit myself to my school-fellows under such conditions."
"But Jerry and Paul aren't here, either," asserted another boy.
"The three of them are off together somewhere, I suppose," suggested
Pud.
"Or else they're waiting until school begins, to sneak in," commented
Elmer.
But in ignorance of all the cruel things that were being said about him,
Harry was at the river with his chums, busily helping Paul rig up his
iceboat.
Being new, there was no end of fussing and readjusting to be done before
the _Lightning_ was ready for her initial spin; and the three lads were
in the act of making a final test of her ropes, when a crowd of the boys
and girls rushed down to the river for their daily frolic on the ice
after school--and among them were Elmer and Pud.
"Who's iceboat is that?" demanded the bully, as he caught sight of the
rangy looking craft, some half mile up the river.
"Must belong to some one from Lumberport or Cardell," returned Elmer.
"It's a new one, that's easy to see. Let's skate out and look her over.
If she's any good, I'll rig up the _Glider_ and we'll have some races."
Readily the other boys agreed to the suggestion, and as soon as they had
adjusted their skates, they dashed out over the smooth, clear ice.
Not far had they gone, however, before Pud let out a whoop of glee.
"That's Paul Martin; and he's got Jerry and Watson with him!" he
shouted. "Come on, we'll have some fun with the forger's son!"
The evident viciousness of the bully did not meet with the approval of
some of the fellows, however, and they were not slow to let Snooks know
it. But the thought that he had a lever with which to make his enemy
unhappy made him impervious to any comments of his schoolmates.
Ere the boys had covered more than half the distance which separated
them from the iceboat they saw that unless something were done instantly
to delay the start, they would arrive too late, for Paul and his
companions were stretching themselves along the runners, preparatory to
getting under way.
"Hey there! Wait a minute!" yelled Elmer, putting his hands to his lips
that he might make a funnel that would carry the sound farther.
Surprised at the hail, the three boys rolled from the iceboat, looking
expectantly at the fellows hastening toward them.
"What's wanted?" shouted Paul, as the others came within easy speaking
distance.
"I just wanted to tell you that the fellow you're chumming with and
going to take on your boat is the son of a prison-bird!" exclaimed
Elmer. "I thought you ought to know it."
As he heard the brutal statement, Harry's face grew deathly pale, and he
clutched one of the guide ropes with his hand as though to keep himself
from falling, while Paul and Jerry looked from his accuser to him,
bewildered.
"Wha--what do you mean?" finally stammered Paul. "Who's the son of a
prison-bird?"
"Harry Watson!" chorused Elmer and Pud.
"That's not true!" cried Harry, in a quavering voice.
"It is! My mother received a paper from Lawrenceburgh this morning, and
it says that Amos Watson is going to prison for five years for forgery!"
announced the bully, gloatingly.
"And Amos Watson is your father, isn't he?" demanded Elmer of Harry.
"Yes. But there has been some dirty work somewhere. My father is as
innocent of the charge as you are, Elmer Craven!"
"Evidently the judge didn't think so--or he wouldn't have refused his
appeal," sneered the rich tormentor. "Before you get chummy with any
more fellows, I advise you to make sure who they are, Paul. And you
remember it was you who introduced this son of a prison-bird to Viola."
At the mention of the girl's name, Harry seemed suddenly to galvanize
into action.
"You leave Miss Darrow's name out of this, Elmer Craven!" he cried,
hotly.
"Oh, is that so? Well, I reckon it will take more than a forger's son to
tell me what I shall do and what I shall not. Paul, you've either got to
apologize to Viola for introducing this chap to her--or----"
"Or what?" demanded Harry, fairly leaping on his skates toward the boy
who had been baiting him until he had goaded him beyond endurance.
Something there was in the tormented boy's eyes that alarmed his rich
enemy, and the fellow gave ground, working himself toward the spot where
Pud Snooks was standing, as though seeking the protection of the bully.
Harry, however, was too quick for him and, with a sudden turn cut off
Elmer's attempt, forcing the boy to face him.
"Or what?" he demanded a second time.
Finding escape impossible, the rich fellow glared into the white, tense
face before him.
"Or he'll have to settle with me!" Elmer finished, but his voice was so
low that it carried none of its former bravado.
"You're wrong there, Craven. He'll be obliged to settle with me if he
does apologize. I may not be as rich as you, nor my father as yours, but
we're just as honest!"
"That doesn't seem to be what the judge thought!" repeated Elmer. "I----"
But the limit of insult that Harry could endure had been reached.
After the repetition of the remark about the opinion of the jurist who
had denied Mr. Watson's appeal, the boy had drawn back his right arm--and
the next moment, his tormentor lay stretched on the ice!
"Coward! Why don't you take a fellow of your size!" cried Pud, skating
toward Harry.
"Why don't you?" demanded Paul and Jerry, throwing themselves between
the hulking bully who overtopped their chum by three or four inches.
"What are you doing in this? Get out of my way!" snarled Snooks.
But the two boys refused to budge and, realizing that he would not be a
match for the pair of them, the bully skated away, growling to himself.
In the meantime, Elmer had gotten to his feet.
"I'll fix you for this, you see if I don't!" he snarled with a look of
fierce hatred at the boy who had knocked him down.
"I wouldn't, if I were you, Elmer. You only got what you deserved!"
returned Paul. "Come on, Harry, if we're going to have our sail on the
_Lightning_, we've got to hurry."
"Much obliged--but I don't think I'll go this afternoon," exclaimed our
hero; and despite the protests of his chums, he skated to the shore and
then for home.