TOMMY TOPPLETON IN TROUBLE.
I could hardly regard Tommy Toppleton as a friend of mine. Indeed,
since the occurrences of the preceding year on the Horse Shoe, he had
set himself up as my enemy. If he particularly hated any one student in
the Institute, I was that one. The fact that his father and mine had
been strong friends for many years did not help the matter at all. On
the contrary, it made it rather worse; for the father extended to me
some consideration on account of my parents, which the son resented.
More than once the little major had aimed the shafts of his malice at
me; but, though I resented his open insults, I never hated him, and
never attempted anything like revenge for the injuries he inflicted
upon me. When I heard him cry for help I was as willing to assist him
as though he had been my best friend. Wolf and I had often talked
about Tommy, and I think I had learned from him something of that
spirit of true Christianity which inspires one to love his enemies.
The story of Wolf’s conduct when Waddie Wimpleton was captured and
threatened with a coat of tar and feathers by his enemies, had been
faithfully circulated on both sides of the lake. Some of the fellows
thought Wolf was a “spoony” on that eventful occasion; but, for my
part, I regarded his behavior with intense admiration. To forgive and
help an enemy--one’s bitterest enemy--seemed to me to be a sublime
thing, and I hoped I should have the grace and the courage to do
likewise under the same circumstances. Acting from this inspiration,
therefore, I was eager to do what I could for Tommy when I heard his
outcry.
The sound came from some distance down the road, and it was evident to
me that I could not reach the spot in season to do any good. But this
thought did not prevent me from making the attempt, and I ran with all
the speed I could command till I reached the summit of a hill, which
afforded me a view of the road for a quarter of a mile. At the foot of
the declivity I saw the wagon. Behind it were Tommy and Jed. The stout
farmer held the little magnate by the collar. There had evidently been
a struggle, from which both appeared to be resting for a moment.
“Let him alone!” I shouted, at the top of my lungs, as I hastened
forward towards the scene of action.
Jed held his prisoner fast, but did not appear to be disposed to
proceed to extreme measures at once. I concluded that Tommy, seeing
that help was at hand, ceased his struggles to escape. At any rate, I
arrived upon the ground before the conflict was resumed.
“Come, Jed, let him alone,” said I, as soon as I could speak after the
violent exertion I had made.
“I guess not!” replied Jed. “Not if I know myself; and I think I do.”
“Pitch into him, Ned,” pleaded Tommy.
“I have no quarrel with you, cap’n,” added Jed. “But I’m going to take
this Toppleton boy home with me, and teach him better manners.”
“No, you’re not!” snapped Tommy.
“You say not; but I say I am.”
“Come, Jed, don’t be foolish. You won’t make anything by such a course
as that. Let him go, and I will see that everything comes out right,” I
pleaded.
“See here, cap’n; you don’t understand this case. When I came up to
this Toppleton boy, I asked him a civil question, and he sauced me.”
“’Twasn’t a civil question,” snarled Tommy.
“I asked you if you were ready to pay for the damage you had done to
our place. Wasn’t that a civil question?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Yes, it was. Then I told him not to give me any of his impudence, and
he picked up a rock, and was going to heave it at me, when I jumped out
of the wagon and lit on him,” continued Jed, turning to me.
“I think you had better let him go, Jed,” I added.
“If I do, he’ll heave rocks at me.”
“No, he won’t.”
“Perhaps I will,” interposed the impracticable little magnate.
“There, do you hear that?”
“That’s only talk,” I explained.
“Let me alone!” shouted Tommy, beginning a desperate struggle for his
liberty.
“Let him go!” I interposed, taking Jed by the arm; for I was afraid the
stout fellow would inflict some serious injury upon his puny victim.
“I’ll let him go,” replied Jed, shaking the little major as a terrier
shakes a rat.
“Let him alone!” I repeated, earnestly, as I endeavored to stay the arm
of the stalwart farmer.
Jed evidently began to regard me as an ally of his victim, and in his
zeal he struck me a severe blow upon the head, which sent me reeling
into the bushes by the side of the road. My senses were somewhat
confused; but my ire was roused by the ungenerous blow. I looked about
me for a club; but, before I could find one, I saw Jed, whose right
hand was fastened upon the back of Tommy’s collar, seize him by the
trousers with the left hand. Lifting his victim clean from the ground,
he tossed him over the end-board into the wagon, as easily as though he
had been a spring lamb.
I could not find any club, and perhaps it was more fortunate for me
than for Jed that I could not; for he seemed to regard me as an enemy,
and was disposed to treat me as such. I picked myself up, and tried to
collect my scattered senses. I had already come to the conclusion that
the fist of the stout farmer was as hard as iron, for I felt as though
I had been struck with a sledge-hammer. I had done all I could do;
and that was nothing at all, unless I had helped to irritate Tommy’s
powerful assailant.
Jed held his victim down with one hand, while he jumped into the wagon
himself. The little major was not inclined to yield the battle even
yet, and made another ineffectual effort to release himself from the
iron grasp of his captor. Tommy screamed till the wild forests were
vocal with his cries; but no one but myself was within hearing of his
voice. The determined farmer tossed him over upon the seat, and then
took his place at the side of his conquered foe. Throwing one arm
around his body, he took the reins with the other, and drove off at the
best speed of the old mare.
Tommy had doubtless provoked this man beyond the limits of endurance;
but I was not prepared to believe that he intended to inflict any
serious injury upon him. The young gentleman had been accustomed to
being “monarch of all he surveyed,” and opposition from a common farmer
galled him sorely. Jed had pulled him from his horse the day before,
under strong provocation, and after this act Tommy could not indulge
in anything like conciliation. I tried to imagine what the captor
intended to do with his prize. I was willing to believe that he meant
to give him a sound thrashing, and thus, to use his own language,
“teach him better manners.” Perhaps a little discipline of this sort
would do Tommy no harm; but I could not make up my mind exactly what
sort of people dwelt in the farm-house. Christy Holgate appeared to be
a prisoner there; and I was not sure that the little magnate might not
be subjected to something worse than a whipping.
It was useless for me to attempt to chase the wagon on foot. It had
now disappeared behind a hill, and I was not disposed to follow it. I
decided that it would be better for me to state the case to Briscoe;
and, if Tommy did not soon return, an expedition might be sent for
him. I hastened back to the camp; but, to my surprise, I found that
the battalion had marched for Priam. The stores in the grove had been
taken. I suppose I was not missed. I had directed the wagoners to take
the articles I had piled up for them, before I left the bluff. Glancing
at my watch, I saw that the new major had not started till the hour he
had appointed for that purpose. Tommy’s pony was still on the bluff;
but he was saddled ready for use. Probably Tommy was supposed to be in
the vicinity when the column moved off, and he was to be permitted to
follow, or not, according to his imperial pleasure.
I concluded to mount the pony, and follow the battalion, though, as it
had half an hour the start of me, I could hardly expect to overtake it
before reaching Priam, which was only three miles distant. I was still
“a little mixed” about the head, and the puny steed was disposed to go
much faster than I was willing to let him. I overtook the column just
as it was entering Priam. The band was playing one of its choicest
airs, and the people were rushing out to see the show. Urging forward
the pony, I astonished Major Briscoe by presenting myself, thus
mounted, at his side.
“Where’s Tommy?” demanded he, looking exceedingly anxious.
“He’s in trouble; and I want some help to go after him,” I replied.
Briscoe halted his command, and I briefly related to him the incident
of which I had been a witness.
“If I had had this pony, I should have followed and done what I could
for him,” I added, in conclusion.
“But Jed isn’t a bad man, I judge,” replied Briscoe.
“Perhaps not; but he and Tommy are terribly incensed against each
other.”
“What can we do?”
“I don’t know that we can do anything, for probably the mischief will
be done before we can get to the farm-house; but some of us ought to
go after him.”
“That’s so.”
“There comes the Ucayga!” I added, pointing to Wolf Penniman’s steamer,
as she was approaching the landing of the town.
It was half past six, and Captain Penniman was on time, as usual. I had
an errand with the young captain, relating to the important discovery
I had made at the farm-house. Major Briscoe decided to encamp for the
night near Priam. I hastened down to the pier, and arrived just as
the boat made fast. Leaping over the rail, I climbed to the promenade
deck, where I was warmly greeted by Wolf. In as few words as possible,
I told him all about Christy Holgate and Tommy. As I supposed he would
he decided to remain over until the return of the steamer from Hitaca
the next morning. Colonel Wimpleton happened to be on board, and, as
Van Wolter, the mate, was entirely competent to navigate the boat, the
owner offered no objection to the arrangement.
We soon found the camp of the battalion; and, after some consultation
with Briscoe, I was detailed to look out for Tommy. Wolf declared that
he wanted no one but me. Hiring a horse and wagon at the hotel, we
departed upon our mission.