ABNER'S RUSE.
To say that Rudolph was angry when he recovered from the temporary
insensibility occasioned by his fall, would be a very mild expression.
He had not only been thwarted in his designs, but suffered violence and
humiliation in presence of the boy of whom he regarded himself as the
guardian. He thirsted for revenge, if not on Abner, then on Tony, whom
it would be safer to maltreat and abuse.
Anger is unreasonable, and poor Tony would have fared badly, if he had
fallen into Rudolph's clutches just then. It made no difference that
Abner had exonerated Tony from any share in the unpleasant surprise he
had met. He determined to give him a severe beating, nevertheless.
There is an old proverb: "You must catch your hare before you cook it."
This did not occur to the tramp. He never supposed Tony would have the
hardihood or courage to give him the slip.
The remainder of the night spent by Tony in sleeping was less
pleasantly spent by Rudolph in the barn.
He meant to be up early, as he knew he was liable to arrest on account
of his last night's attempt, and lie in wait for Tony, who, he
supposed, would wait for breakfast.
He was right there. Tony did remain for breakfast. The farmer--Mr.
Coleman--had already been informed of Rudolph's attempted burglary, and
he did Tony the justice to exonerate him from any share in it.
"What are you going to do, my boy?" he asked at the breakfast table.
"I am going to set up for myself," answered Tony, cheerfully.
"That's right. Have nothing more to do with that man. He can only do
you harm. Have you got any money?"
"I've got five cents."
"That isn't enough to buy a farm."
"Not a very large one," said Tony, smiling.
Abner nearly choked with laughter. This was a joke which he could
appreciate.
"I don't think I'll go to farming," continued Tony.
"You can stay here a week or two," said the farmer, hospitably, "till
you get time to look round."
"Thank you," said Tony. "You are very kind, but I don't think it will
be safe. Rudolph will be on the watch for me."
"The man you came with?"
"Yes."
"Guess he won't touch you while I'm round," said Abner.
"I don't think he'll want to tackle you again," said Tony.
"Didn't I lay him out though?" said Abner, with a grin. "He thought it
was you, ho! ho!"
"He didn't think so long," said Tony. "I haven't got such an arm as
you."
Abner was pleased with this compliment to his prowess, and wouldn't
have minded another tussle with the tramp.
"Where do you think that chap you call Rudolph is?" he asked.
"He's searching for me, I expect," said Tony. "If I'm not careful he'll
get hold of me."
Just then a neighbor's boy, named Joe, came to the house on an errand.
He was almost Tony's size. He waited about, not seeming in any hurry to
be gone.
"Abner," said the farmer, "if you've got nothing else to do, you may
load up the wagon with hay, and carry it to Castleton. We shall have
more than we want."
"All right," said Abner.
"May I go, too? May I ride on the hay?" asked Joe, eagerly.
"Will your father let you?" asked the farmer.
"Oh, yes; he won't mind."
"Then you may go," was the reply. "Do you want to go, too, Tony?"
Tony was about to say yes, when an idea seized him.
"If the other boy goes, Rudolph will think it is I, and he will follow
the wagon. That will give me a chance of getting off in another
direction."
"So it will," said Abner. "What a head-piece you've got," he added,
admiringly. "I wouldn't have thought of that."
Abner's head-piece was nothing to boast of. He had strength of body,
but to equalize matters his mind was not equally endowed.
The plan was disclosed to Joe, who willingly agreed to enter into it.
This was the more feasible because he was of about Tony's size, and
wore a hat just like his.
The hay was loaded, and the wagon started off with Abner walking
alongside. Joe was perched on top, nearly buried in the hay, but with
his hat rising from the mass. This was about all that could be seen of
him.
They had gone about half a mile when from the bushes by the roadside
Rudolph emerged. He had seen the hat, and felt sure that Tony was
trying to escape him in this way.
"Well," said Abner, with a grin, as he recognized his midnight foe,
"how do you feel this morning?"
"None the better for you, curse you!" returned the tramp, roughly.
Abner laughed.
"That's what I thought," he said, cracking his whip.
Rudolph would like to have punished him then and there for his
humiliation of the night before, but Abner looked too powerful as he
strode along manfully with vigorous steps. Besides, he had a heavy whip
in his hand, which the tramp suspected would be used unhesitatingly if
there were occasion. The prospect was not inviting. But, at any rate,
Rudolph could demand that Tony be remitted to his custody.
"Where's my boy?" asked the tramp, keeping at a safe distance.
"Didn't know you had a boy," said Abner.
"I mean that villain Tony. Is that he on the load of hay?"
"Kinder looks like him," answered Abner, grinning.
Rudolph looked up and caught sight of the hat.
"Come down here, Tony," he said sternly.
Joe, who had been instructed what to do, answered not a word.
"Come down here, if you know what's best for you," continued the tramp.
"Guess he's hard of hearing," laughed Abner.
"Stop your wagon," said Rudolph, furiously; "I want to get hold of him."
"Couldn't do it," said Abner, coolly. "I'm in a hurry."
"Will you give me the boy or not?" demanded the tramp, hoarsely.
"He can get off and go along with you if he wants to," said Abner. "Do
you want to get down, Tony?"
"No!" answered the supposed Tony.
"You see, squire, he prefers to ride," said Abner. "Can't blame him
much. I'd do it in his place."
"Where are you going?" demanded the tramp, who hadn't discovered that
the voice was not that of Tony.
"I'm going to Castleton," answered Abner.
"Are you going to leave the hay there?"
"Yes, that's what I calc'late to do."
"How far is it?"
"Six miles."
"I'll walk along, too."
"Better not, squire, you'll get tired."
"I'll risk that."
Of course Rudolph's plan was manifest. When the hay was unloaded, of
course Tony would have to get down. Then he would get hold of him.
"You can do just as you've a mind to," said Abner. "You'll be company
to Tony and me, but you needn't put yourself out on our account, hey,
Tony?"
There was a smothered laugh on top of the hay, which the tramp heard.
His eyes snapped viciously, and he privately determined to give Tony a
settlement in full for all his offenses just as soon as he got hold of
him.
So they jogged on, mile after mile. Abner walked on one side, swinging
his whip, and occasionally cracking it. The tramp walked on the other
side of the road, and the boy rode along luxuriously embedded in his
fragrant couch of hay. Abner from time to time kept up the tramp's
illusions by calling out, "Tony, you must take keer, or you'll fall
off."
"I'll catch him if he does," said Rudolph, grimly.
"So you will," chuckled Abner. "You'd like to, wouldn't you?"
"Certainly. He is my son," said Rudolph.
"Do you hear that, Tony? He says you're his son," said Abner, grinning
again.
There was another laugh from the boy on the load of hay.
"You won't find anything to laugh at when I get hold of you," muttered
Rudolph.
So they rode into Castleton.
From time to time Abner, as he thought how neatly the tramp had been
sold, burst into a loud laugh, which was echoed from the hay wagon.
Rudolph was not only angry, but puzzled.
"Does the boy hope to escape me?" he asked himself. "If so, he will
find himself badly mistaken. He will find that I am not to be trifled
with."
"Say, squire, what makes you look so glum?" asked Abner. "Maybe it's
because I didn't let you in when you called so late last night. We
don't receive visitors after midnight."
Rudolph scowled, but said nothing.
"How long has the boy been with you?" asked Abner, further.
"Since he was born," answered the tramp. "Ain't I his father?"
"I don't know. If it's a conundrum I give it up."
"Well, I am, and no one has a right to keep him from me," said the
tramp, in a surly manner.
"I wouldn't keep him from you for a minute," said Abner, innocently.
"You are doing it now."
"No, I ain't."
"I can't get at him on that hay."
"He can come down if he wants to. I don't stop him. You can come down
if you want to, Tony," he said, looking up to where the boy's hat was
visible.
Tony did not answer, and Abner continued:
"You see he don't want to come. He'd rather ride. You know he's been
sick," said Abner, with a grin, "and he's too delicate to walk. He
ain't tough, like you and me."
"He'll need to be tough," muttered the tramp, as he thought of the
flogging he intended to give Tony.
"What did you say?"
"Never mind."
"Oh, I don't mind," said Abner. "You can say what you want to. This is
a free country, only you can't do what you've a mind to."
Rudolph wished that he had a double stock of strength. It was very
provoking to be laughed at and derided by Abner without being able
to revenge himself. A pistol or a knife would make him even with the
countryman, but Rudolph was too much of a coward to commit such serious
crimes when there was so much danger of detection and punishment.
At last they entered Castleton.
The hay was to be delivered to a speculator, who collected large
quantities of it, and forwarded over the railroad to a large city.
It had to be weighed, and Abner drove at once to the hay scales.
"Now," thought Rudolph, with exultation, "the boy must come down, and I
shall get hold of him."
"I guess you'd better slide down," said Abner. "I can't sell you for
hay, Tony."
There was a movement, and then the boy slid down, Abner catching him as
he descended.
Rudolph's face changed ominously when he saw that it wasn't Tony who
made his appearance.
"What does this mean?" he demanded furiously.
"What's the matter?"
"This isn't Tony."
"Come to look at him, it isn't," said Abner, with a twinkle in his eye.
"Didn't you say it was Tony?" asked the tramp, exasperated.
"I guess I was mistaken, squire," said Abner, grinning.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know, I'm sure. It seems he didn't come. Guess he must have
given us the slip."
The tramp, unable to control his rage, burst into a volley of
execrations.
"Hope you feel better, squire," said Abner, when he got through.
The tramp strode off, vowing dire vengeance against both Abner and
Tony.
[Illustration: "What does this mean?" demanded the tramp furiously.
"This isn't Tony."--(See page 45.)]