CHAPTER IX
A COWARDLY TRICK
"We seem to have this car almost all to ourselves," remarked Mouser,looking around.
"We ought to call it the Rockledge Special," laughed Pee Wee.
"Perhaps Tommy might object to that," said Bobby.
"Go as far as you like," grinned Tommy.
The travel was indeed very light on that particular day. There were onlysix or eight people scattered through the car. This was due in part tothe snowstorm. Nobody would do much traveling on such a day unless itwas absolutely necessary.
Half-way down the car, and on the other side of the aisle, a very oldman was seated. He was evidently traveling alone. His hair was gray andscanty and his face was seamed with wrinkles. It was clear that he wasvery tired, and every once in a while his head would drop on his breastin a doze from which he would awake with a start at any sudden jar ofthe train.
"It's too bad that such an old man should have to be going on a journeyall alone," remarked Bobby with quick sympathy.
"Yes," agreed Fred. "He must be awful old. He looks as if he was as muchas eighty."
"He's a Grand Army man too," observed Mouser. "You can see that from thehat he has there up in the rack."
"He may be going to visit some of his children," suggested Pee Wee.
"More likely he's going to the Old Soldiers' Home," conjectured Bobby."You know there is one a little way the other side of Rockledge."
"I'll bet he could tell some mighty good stories about the war," saidFred.
"I'd like to see all that he has seen," mused Bobby.
"Or do all that he has done," added Mouser. "It must be great to havebeen in a big war like that."
"Maybe he was at Gettysburg," guessed Pee Wee.
"Or marched with Grant or Sherman," chimed in Fred.
Their youthful imaginations quickened as they recalled the excitingscenes in which the veteran might have played a part, and they had adeep respect for him now as he sat there in his old age and weakness.
"I'd almost like to go up and get him to talking," ventured Fred. "Wemight get him started on the war. It's all very well to read about it,but there's nothing like hearing from one who has been through it."
"I don't think I would if I were you," objected Bobby. "He's probablytoo tired to do much talking and would rather be left alone."
"There's another fellow going up to him now," replied Fred, "and I'llbet he'll get some good stories out of him."
He indicated a large overgrown boy who seemed to be about fourteen yearsold. Up to now, he had been seated on the other side of the aisle fromthe veteran. But now he had risen and gone over in his direction. Butinstead of slipping into the seat beside him, as the boys had expected,he sat down in the seat directly behind him.
"Guess again, Fred," laughed Pee Wee good-naturedly.
"Everybody's hunches go wrong sometimes," answered Fred defensively.
"What's the fellow up to anyway?" asked Mouser, with a sudden stirringof curiosity.
The newcomer seemed to have a long feather in his hand such as iscommonly used in feather dusters. While the old man's head drooped in adoze, the boy reached over and tickled the back of the old man's neckwith the tip of the feather.
The veteran reached up his hand fretfully as though to brush away a flythat was annoying him. The boy drew back and snickered audibly.
The boys looked at each other indignantly.
"What do you think of that?" demanded Mouser.
"Queer sense of fun some people have," snorted Pee Wee.
"He's a cheap skate," declared Fred angrily.
"He ought to have a thrashing," exclaimed Bobby.
Several times the scene was repeated, and the would-be joker was in highglee at the success of his trick.
At last the old man gave up the attempt to sleep, and straightened upwearily in his seat.
The joker looked around the car as though seeking for applause, but thesilly grin on his face stiffened into a scowl as he met onlycontemptuous glances.
But his delicate sense of humor was not yet exhausted. The old man rosefrom his seat to go to the back of the car to get a drink of water. Ashe passed the fellow's seat, the latter reached out the tip of his foot.The veteran tripped against it, stumbled and had all he could do to keepfrom falling by clutching the back of a seat.
This was the last straw and the boys were furious. By a common impulsethey sprang out of their seats and went quickly down the aisle to wherethe fellow was sitting.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" snapped Bobby.
"You're too mean to live!" blazed out Fred.
"A fellow that'll torment an old man like that ought to be tarred andfeathered," blurted Mouser.
"And ridden on a rail," finished Pee Wee.
The fellow looked at them with surprise that was mingled with alarm ashe noted their wrathful faces. He jumped up and stood with his backtoward the window.
Now that they saw him at closer range, their first impression of him wasconfirmed. He was strong and muscular, but the strength of his body wasbelied by the weakness of his face. It was a thoroughly mean face,pallid and unhealthy looking, with a loose mouth and shifty eyes thatdropped when you looked straight into them.
"What's the matter with you boobs?" he demanded, in a voice that hetried to make threatening. "You'd better mind your own business. Whoasked you to butt in?"
"We didn't need any asking," replied Bobby. "We saw what you did to thatold man. You seemed to think it was funny, but we think it's mean andsneaking."
"And you've got to stop it," put in Fred.
"It will be the worse for you if you don't," added Mouser.
"I'll do just exactly what I want to do," was the ugly reply, "and I'dlike to see you Buttinskis stop me."
"We'll stop you quick enough," said Bobby, "and the first thing we'regoing to do is to make you change your seat."
"Oh, you own the car, do you? I've paid my fare on this train and I'llsit anywhere I want to. Any one would think you were president of theroad to hear you talk."
"We'll do something besides talk in a minute," Mouser came back at him.
"What'll you do?" jeered the bully, though his voice now was gettingunsteady as he saw that the boys were in earnest.
Fred leaned forward, snatched the fellow's cap from his head and threwit in a seat some distance away.
"Follow your hat and you'll find your seat," he cried.
The fellow started forward in a rage, but just then the conductor cameinto the car. He came forward briskly.
"Here, none of this!" he exclaimed. "You boys mustn't do any scrappingon this train. Get back in your seats now, all of you, and behaveyourselves."
The boys slowly obeyed, although Fred, whose fighting blood was up, hadto be urged along a little by the others.
"No sense in not minding the conductor," counseled Bobby. "We've carriedour point and that's enough."
They had indeed carried their point, for the fellow, having regained hiscap, slumped down in the seat where Fred had thrown it, and for the restof the trip the old man was left in peace.
Nor did the bully try to get even for his discomfiture. But if lookscould kill, the boys would surely have been withered up by the angryglances he shot at them from time to time.
"He's a sweet specimen, isn't he?" chuckled Mouser.
"A nice thing to have around the house," commented Pee Wee.
"He'd brighten it up on rainy days," laughed Bobby.
"A cute little cut-up, all right," affirmed Fred.
"I'd hate to have him at Rockledge," said Mouser.
"Perhaps he's going there, for all we know," Pee Wee suggested.
"I hope not!" exclaimed Fred. "Bronson and Jinks are about all we canstand as it is."
"Wouldn't Bronson and Jinks be glad to have him there?" said Bobby."They'd be as thick as peas in a pod in less than no time."
But further comment was cut
short by the brake man throwing open thedoor and shouting:
"All out for Rockledge!"