CHAPTER II
GOOD SAMARITANS
"Here! Quit that!" exclaimed Andy, panting a bit from his exertion."Drop that whip!"
The farmer wheeled around, for Andy had come up behind him. Surprise andanger showed plainly on the man's flushed face, and blazed from hisblood-shot eyes.
"Wha--what!" he stammered in amazement.
"I said quit it!" came in resolute tones from Andy. "Don't you hit himany more! You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Using a whip! Why don'tyou take some one your size, and use your hands if you have to. You're acoward!"
"That's right!" chimed in Chet Anderson.
"It's a blooming shame--that's what it is!" protested Tom Hatfield."Let's make a rough-house of him, fellows!"
"What's that?" cried the farmer. "You threaten me, do you? Get out of mybarnyard before I treat you as I did him! Get out, do you hear!"
"No!" exclaimed Andy. "We don't go until you promise to leave himalone," and he nodded at the shrinking youth.
"Say, I'll show you!" blustered the big farmer. "I'll thrash you youngupstarts----"
"Oh no, you won't!" exclaimed Tom, easily. And when big Tom Hatfield,left guard on the Milton eleven, spoke in this tone trouble might alwaysbe looked for. "Oh, no you won't, my friend! And, just to show you thatyou won't--there goes your whip!"
With a quick motion Tom pulled the lash from the man's hand, and sent itwhirling over the fence into the road.
"You--you!" blustered the farmer. He was too angry to be able to speakcoherently. His hands were clenched and his little pig-like eyes rovedfrom one to the other of the lads as though he were trying to decideupon which one to rush first.
"Take it easy, now," advised Tom, his voice still low. "We're five toone, and we'll certainly tackle you, and tackle you hard, if you don'tbe nice. We're not afraid of you!"
Perhaps the angry man realized this. Certainly he must have known thathe would stand little chance in attacking five healthy, heartyyoungsters, each of whom had the glow of clean-living on his cheeks,while their poise showed that they were used to active work, and readyfor any emergency.
"Get out of this yard!" roared the farmer. "What right have you gotinterfering between me and my hired man, anyhow? What right, I'd like toknow?"
"The right of every lover of fair-play!" exclaimed Andy. "Do you thinkwe'd stand quietly by and let you use a horse-whip on a young fellowthat you ought to be able to handle with one hand? And he with his armin a sling! To my way of thinking, you ought to be ashamed of yourself."
The farmer growled out something unintelligible.
"We ought to do you up good and brown!" exclaimed Tom, his fistsclenched.
"He's only playing off on me--he ain't hurt a mite!" growled the farmer."He's only fakin' on me."
"I certainly am not," spoke the young fellow in firm but respectfulterms. "I sprained my arm unloading your wagon, Mr. Snad, and I can'tdrive the team any more to-day. I put my handkerchief around it becausethe sprain hurt me so. I certainly can't work!" His voice faltered andhe choked. His spirit seemed as much hurt as his body--perhaps more.
"Huh! Can't work, eh? Then get out!" snarled Mr. Snad. "I want noloafer around here! Get out!"
"I'm perfectly willing to go when you pay me what you owe me," said thehelper, quietly.
"Owe you! I don't owe you nothin', you lazy lout!" snapped the farmer.
"You certainly do. You owe me twelve dollars, and as soon as you pay meI'll get out, and be glad to go!"
"Twelve dollars! I'd like to see myself giving you that much money!"grumbled the farmer. "You ain't wuth but ten dollars at the most, an' Iwon't pay you that for you busted my mowin' machine, an' it'll take thatt' pay for fixin' it."
"That mowing machine was in bad order when you had me take it out,"replied the young fellow, "and you know it. It was simply an accidentthat it broke, and not my fault in the least."
"Well, you'll pay for it, just the same," was the sneering reply. "Nowbe off!"
"Not until I get my wages. You agreed to pay me twelve dollars a month,and board me. My month is up to-day, and I want my money. It's about allI have in the world; I need it."
"You'll not get it out of me," and the farmer turned aside. Evidently hehad given up the idea of further chastising his hired man. The presenceof Andy and his chums was enough to deter him.
"Mr. Snad, I demand my money!" exclaimed the young farm hand.
"You'll not get it! Leave my premises! Clear off, all of you," and heglared at the schoolboys.
"Mr. Snad, I'll go as soon as you give me my twelve dollars," persistedthe youth, his voice trembling.
"You'll get no twelve dollars out of me," snapped the man.
"Oh, yes, I think he will," spoke Andy. "You'd better pay over thatmoney, Mr. Snad."
"Eh? What's that your business?"
"It's the business of everyone to see fair play," said Andy.
"And we're going to do it in this case," added Tom, still in even tones.
"Are you? Well, I'd like to know how?" sneered the farmer.
"Would you? Then listen and you will hear, my friend," went on Tom."Unless you pay this young man the money you owe him we will swear out awarrant against you, have you arrested, and use him as a witness againstyou."
For a moment there was a deep silence; then the farmer burst out with:
"Have me arrested! Me? What for?"
"For assault and battery," answered Tom. "We saw you assault this youngman with a horse-whip, and, while it might take some time to have himsue you for his wages, it won't take us any time at all to get anofficer here and have you taken to jail on a criminal charge. The matterof the wages may be a civil matter--the horse-whipping is criminal.
"So, take your choice, Mr. Snad, if that's your name. Pay this young manhis twelve dollars, or we'll cause your arrest on this assault charge.Now, my friend, it's up to you," and taking out his pocket knife Tombegan whittling a stick picked from the ground. Andy and his chumslooked admiringly at Tom, who had thus found such an effective lever ofpersuasion.
The angry farmer glanced from one to the other of the five lads. Theygave him back look for look--unflinchingly.
"And don't be too long about it, either," added Tom, making thesplinters fly. "We're due at Kelly's for a little feed, and then we wantto get back to Milton. Don't be too long, my friend, unless you want tospend the night in jail."
The farmer gulped once or twice. The Adam's apple in his throat went upand down. Clearly he was struggling with himself.
"I--I--you----" he began.
"Tut! Tut!" chided Tom. "You'd better go get the money. We can't waitall day."
"I--er--I----" The farmer seemed at a loss for words. Then, turning onhis heel, he started toward the house. He was beaten.
"I--I'll get it," he flung back over his shoulder. "And then I'll swearout warrants for your arrest. You're trespassers, that's what you are.I'll fix you!"
"Trespassers? Oh, no," returned Andy, sweetly. "We're only goodSamaritans. Perhaps you may have read of them in a certain book. Also weare acting as the attorneys for this gentleman, in collecting a debt duehim. We are his counsel, and the law allows a man to have his counselpresent at a hearing. I hardly think an action in trespass would lieagainst us, Mr. Snad; so don't put yourself out about it."
"That's the stuff!"
"Good for you, Andy!"
"Say, you got his number all right!"
Thus Andy's chums called to him laughingly as the farmer went into thehouse.