ANOTHER HUNT, AND HOW IT ENDED.
Jack had one day been surveying a piece of land a few miles east of Long
Woods. It was not very late in the afternoon when he finished his work;
and he found that, by going a little out of his way and driving rather
fast, he could, before night, make Vinnie and her friends a call, and
perhaps give Mrs. Wiggett the promised noon-mark on her kitchen floor.
Leaving in due time the more travelled thoroughfare, he turned off upon
the neighborhood road, which he knew passed through the woods and struck
the river road near Betterson's house. Away on his left lay the rolling
prairie, over a crest of which he, on a memorable occasion, saw Snowfoot
disappear with his strange rider; and he was fast approaching the scene
of his famous deer-hunt.
Jack had his gun with him; and, though he did not stop to give much
attention to the prairie hens which now and then ran skulkingly across
the track, or flew up from beside his buggy-wheels, he could not help
looking for larger game.
"I'd like to see another doe and fawn feeding off on the prairie there,"
thought he. "Wonder if I could find some obliging young man to drive
them in!"
He whipped up Snowfoot, and presently, riding over a swell of land,
discovered a stranger walking on before him in the road.
"No deer or fawn," thought he; "but there's possibly an obliging young
man."
As he drove on, fast overtaking the pedestrian, Jack was very much
struck by his appearance. He was a slender person; he walked at a
loitering pace; and he carried his coat on his arm. There was something
also in the jaunty carriage of the head, and in the easy slouch of the
hat-brim, which startled Jack.
"I vow, it's my obliging young man himself!" he muttered through his
teeth,--"or a vision of him!"
Just then the stranger, hearing the sound of wheels, cast a quick glance
over his shoulder. It was the same face, and Jack could almost have
taken his oath to the quid in the cheek.
He was greatly astonished and excited. It seemed more like a dream than
anything else, that he should again meet with the person who had given
him so much trouble, so near the place where he had seen him first, in
precisely similar hat and soiled shirt-sleeves, and carrying (to all
appearances) the same coat on his arm!
The stranger gave no sign of the recognition being mutual, but stepped
off upon the roadside to let the buggy pass.
"How are you?" said Jack, coming up to him, and drawing rein; while Lion
snuffed suspiciously at the rogue's heels.
"All right, stranger; how are you yourself?" And a pair of reckless dark
eyes flashed saucily up at Jack.
"Better than I was that night after you ran off with my horse!" Jack
replied.
"Glad you're improving. Wife on the mending hand? And how are the little
daisies? Which is the road to Halleluia Corners? I branch off here; good
day, fair stranger."
These words were rattled off with great volubility, which seemed all the
greater because of their surprising irrelevancy; while the head, thrown
gayly to one side, balanced the quid in the bulged cheek.
Before Jack could answer, the youth with a wild laugh struck off from
the road, and began to walk fast toward the woodland. Jack called after
him,--
"Hold on! I want to speak with you!"
"Speak quick, then; I'm bound for the Kingdom,--will you go to glory
with me?" the rogue shouted back over his shoulder, with a defiant grin,
never slacking his pace.
Jack gave Snowfoot a touch of the whip, reined out of the track, and
drove after him.
The fellow at the same time quickened his step to a run, and before he
could be overtaken he had come to rough ground, where fast driving was
dangerous.
Jack pulled up unwillingly, revolving rapidly in his mind what he
should do. Though he had recovered his horse, he felt the strongest
desire to have the thief taken and punished. Moreover, he had lately
seen the truckman to whom the stolen animal was sold, and had promised
to do what he could to help him obtain justice.
He might have levelled his gun and threatened to shoot the fugitive; but
he would not have felt justified in carrying out such a threat, and
recent experience had disgusted him with the shooting business.
He would have jumped from the wagon, and followed on foot; but, though a
good runner, he was convinced that his heels were no match for the
stranger's. There was then but one thing to do.
"Stop, or I'll let the dog take you!" Jack yelled.
For reply, the fugitive threw up his hand over his shoulder, with
fingers spread and thumb pointing toward the mid-region of countenance
occupied by the nose; which did not, however, take the trouble to turn
and make itself visible.
Lion was already eager for the chase; and Jack had only to give him a
signal.
"Take care of him, Lion!" And away sped the dog.
Fleet of foot as the fellow was, and though he now strained every nerve
to get away, the distance between him and the dog rapidly diminished;
and a hurried glance behind showed him the swift, black, powerful
animal, coming with terrible bounds, and never a bark, hard at his
heels.
The thickets were near,--could he reach them before the dog reached him?
Would they afford him a refuge or a cudgel? He threw out his quid, and
_leaned_.
Jack drove after as fast as he could, in order to prevent mortal
mischief when Lion should bring down his game; for the dog, when too
much in earnest with a foe, had an overmastering instinct for searching
out the windpipe and jugular vein.
The rogue had reached the edge of the woods, when he found himself so
closely pursued that he seemed to have no resource but to turn and dash
his coat into the dog's face. That gave him an instant's reprieve; then
Lion was upon him again; and he had just time to leap to the low limb of
a scraggy oak-tree, and swing his lower limbs free from the ground, when
the fierce eyes and red tongue were upon the spot.
Lion gave one leap, but missed his mark; the trap-like jaws snapping
together with a sound which could not have been very agreeable to the
youth whose dangling legs had been actually grazed by the passing
muzzle.
With a wistful, whining yelp, Lion gave another upward spring; and this
time his fangs closed upon something--only cloth, fortunately; but as
the thief clambered up out of their range, it was with a very good
chance for a future patch upon the leg of his trousers.
Leaping from his wagon, Jack rushed to the tree, and found his obliging
young man perched comfortably in it, with one leg over a limb; while
Lion, below, made up for his long silence by uttering frantic barks.
[Illustration: THE END OF THE CHASE.]
"What are you up there for?" said Jack.
"To take an observation," the fellow replied, out of breath, but still
cheerful. "First-rate view of the country up here. I fancy I see a doe
and a fawn off on the prairie; wouldn't you like a shot at 'em?"
"I've other game to look after just now!" Jack replied.
"Better look out for your horse; he's running away!"
"My horse isn't in the habit of running away without help. Will you come
down?"
"I was just going to invite you to come up. I'll share my lodgings with
you,--give you an upper berth. A very good tavern; rooms airy, fine
prospect; though the table don't seem to be very well supplied, and I
can't say I fancy the entrance. 'Sich gittin' up stairs I never did
see!'"
Jack checked this flow of nonsense by shouting, "Will you come down, or
not?"
"Suppose not?" said the fellow.
"Then I leave the dog to guard the door of your tavern, and go for a
warrant and a constable, to bring you down."
"What would you have me come down for? You seem to be very pressing in
your attentions to a stranger!"
"Don't say stranger,--you who drove the deer in for me! I am anxious to
pay you for that kindness. I want you to ride with me."
"Why didn't you say so before?" cried the rogue, rolling a fresh quid
in his cheek. "I always ride when you ask me to, don't I? Say, did you
ever know me to refuse when you offered me a ride? Which way are you
going?"
"Down through the woods," said Jack, amused, in spite of himself, at the
scamp's reckless gayety.
"Why, that's just the way I am going! Why didn't you mention it? I never
should have put up at this tavern if I had thought a friend would come
along and give me a lift in his carriage. Please relieve the guard, and
I'll descend."
The dog was driven off, and the youth dropped from the branches to the
ground.
"Pick up your coat," said Jack, "and do pretty much as I tell you now,
or there'll be trouble. None of your tricks this time!"
He held the reins and the gun while he made the fellow get into the
buggy; then took his seat, with the prisoner on his left and the gun on
his right, drove on to the travelled track, and turned into the woods;
the vigilant Lion walking close by the wheel.