PREPARING FOR THE ATTACK.
The boys showed Jack a way through the timber to a wooded hill opposite
Peakslow's house. There Link climbed a tree to take an observation.
[Illustration: OLD WIGGETT.]
"I can look right over into his barnyard," he reported to his companions
below. "There's old Wiggett with his ox-cart, unloading something out
of Peakslow's wagon; and there's Peakslow with him. Hark!" After a
pause, Link laughed and said: "Peakslow's talking loud; I could hear him
say, 'That air hoss,' and 'Not if I live!' Now old Wiggett's hawing his
oxen around out of the yard."
"I must head him off and have a word with him," said Jack. And away he
dashed through the undergrowth.
Reaching a clump of hazels by the roadside, he waited till the old man
and his slow ox-team came along.
"What's the news, Mr. Wiggett?" Jack said, coming out and accosting him.
"Whoa! hush! back!" the old man commanded, beating his cattle across the
face with a short ox-goad. He shook with laughter as he turned to Jack.
"It's dog-gone-ation funny! He had a quirk in his head, arter all.
Hankers arter that reward of twenty dollars!"
"What did you say to him?"
"Told him he had no shadder of a claim,--he might sue ye through all the
courts in seven kingdoms, he couldn't find a jury to give him the reward
for stolen prop'ty found in his hands. He said for that reason he meant
to hold ontew the hoss till you'd agree to suthin."
"Where is the horse now?"
"In Peakslow's stable. He wants to turn him out to pastur', but he's
afraid you're hangin' round. He has set his boys to diggin' taters over
ag'in Betterson's lot, where they can watch for ye. What he re'ly wants
is, for you to come back and make him an offer, to settle the hash; for
he's a little skittish of your clappin' the law ontew him."
"I wonder he didn't think of that before."
"He did, but he says you'd showed yerself a kind of easy, accomodatin'
chap, and he'd no notion o' your gettin' so blamed riled all of a
suddint."
"That shows how much good it does to be easy with a man like him!" And
Jack, thanking old Wiggett for his information, disappeared in the
woods.
He found the boys waiting for him, and told them what he had learned.
"Now my cue is," said he, "to make Peakslow think I've gone home. So I
may as well leave you for the present. Please take care of my saddle and
bridle and gun till I call for them. Good by. If you _should_ happen to
come across the Peakslow boys--you understand!"
Rufe carelessly returned Jack's good-by. Then, leaving Wad and Link to
go by the way of the spring and take care of the pail and fork, he
walked down through the woods to the road, where he found Zeph and his
older brother Dud digging potatoes in Peakslow's corner patch.
"Hullo!" Dud called out, so civilly that Rufe knew that something was
wanted of him.
"Hullo yourself and see how you like it," Rufe retorted.
"Where's that fellow that owns the hoss?"
"How should I know?"
"He stopped to your house."
"That's so. But he's gone now."
"Where?"
"I don't know. He told us to keep his saddle and bridle and gun till he
called for 'em, and went off. You'll hear from him before many days."
Rufe's tone was defiant; and the young potato-diggers, having, as they
supposed, got the information they wanted, suffered their insolence to
crop out.
"We ain't afraid of him nor you either," said Zeph, leaning on his hoe.
"Yes, you are afraid of me, too, you young blackguard! I'll tie you into
a bow-knot and hang you on a tree, if I get hold of you."
"Le's see ye do it!"
Rufe answered haughtily: "You wouldn't stand there and sass me, if you
didn't have Dud to back you. Just come over the fence once, and leave
Dud on the other side; I'll pitch you into the middle of next week so
quick you'll be dizzy the rest of your natural life." And he walked on
up the road.
"Here! come back! I'll fight you! You're afraid!" Zeph yelled after him.
"I'll come round and 'tend to your case pretty soon," Rufe replied.
"I've something of more importance to look after just now; I've a pig to
poke."
Dud went on digging potatoes; but Zeph presently threw down his hoe and
ran to the house. Shortly after, he returned; and then Jack, who had sat
down to rest in a commanding position, on the borders of the woodland,
was pleased to see Peakslow lead Snowfoot down the slope from the barn,
and turn him into the pasture.
Rufe got home some time before his brothers, who seemed to linger at the
spring.
"There they are!" said Lill; "Link with the fork on his shoulder, and
Wad bringing the pail."
Rufe was sitting on the grindstone frame, as they came into the yard.
"Did you hear me blackguard the Peakslow boys? They think Jack--Hullo!"
Rufe suddenly exclaimed. "I thought you was Wad!"
"I am, for the present," said Jack, laughing under Wad's hat. "Do you
think Peakslow will know me ten rods off?"
"Not in that hat and coat! Lill and I both took you for Wad."
"I am all right, then! Where's your father? I wonder if he wouldn't like
to try my gun."
Lord Betterson now came out of the house, fresh from his after-dinner
nap, and looked a good deal of polite surprise at seeing Jack in Wad's
hat and coat.
"Mr. Betterson," said Jack, "Peakslow thinks I have gone home, and he
has turned Snowfoot out to grass. Now, if I _should_ wish to throw down
a corner of the fence between his pasture and your buckwheat, have you
any objection?"
"None whatever," replied my lord, with a flourish, as if giving Jack the
freedom of his acres.
"And perhaps," said Jack, "you would like to go down to the
buckwheat-lot with me and try my gun. I hear you are a crack shot."
"I can't boast much of my marksmanship nowadays; I could fetch down a
bird once. Thank you,--I'll go with pleasure."
"You are not going to get into trouble, Jack?" said Vinnie, with lively
concern, seeing him tie the halter to his back.
"O no! Mr. Betterson is going to give me a lesson in shooting on the
wing. I'll take the bridle, so that if Snowfoot should happen to jump
the fence when he sees me, I shall be ready for him, you know. Now I
wonder if we can take Lion along without his being seen. He is tired of
sitting still."
"We can take him to the farther side of the cornfield, easily enough."
"That will answer. Come, Lion!" The dog bounded with joy. "Keep right by
my heels now, old fellow, and mind every word I say. Don't be anxious
about us, Vinnie. And, Rufe, if you could manage to engage the Peakslow
boys in conversation, about the time we are shooting hens pretty near
the fence, you might help the sport."
"I'll follow you along, and branch off toward the potato-patch, and ask
Zeph what he meant by offering to fight me," said Rufe.
"I'm going to get up on the cow-shed, and see the battle," said Link.
"On Linden when the sun was low, and the buckwheat-patch was all in
blow,--I'm a poet, you know!"