CHAPTER VI
TAD BUTLER IN ACTION
It may have been the tenderness of Chunky's youth, or the look thatflashed from his eyes, but Smoky Griffin, after a moment, strode overto Tad Butler who sat calmly writing a letter to his mother.
"Writin' letters?" jeered the bully.
"Your impudence and your grammar are quite in keeping with eachother," answered Tad laughingly. "If you consider it any of yourbusiness--I don't--then I'll say that I am writing to my mother."
The loungers, overcome by their curiosity, now began slowly creepingout into the open where they might witness what they were sure wouldfollow. The face of Smoky Griffin flushed a deeper red than itsnatural color at the cool audacity of the boy.
Tad had again turned to his writing.
"None of my business, eh?"
"I do not consider that it is. If you will be good enough to keepquiet until I finish writing, I shall be glad to talk to you."
This was too much. The loungers fully expected to see Tad toppleover backwards with a bullet in his body. Nothing of the sortoccurred, however. But something else, still less expected, didhappen. With a growl, Smoky stretched forth a big paw, snatching thepad and letter from Tad's knee. The bad man grinned broadly as helooked at the written page.
"'Dear Maw,'" he read.
Tad rose slowly, stepping down from the porch. A dull red flush hadgrown into his cheeks.
"'Dear Maw,'" continued Griffin, after darting a quick glance at theapproaching Pony Rider Boy. "'I am writing you today to--'"
"Kindly hand over that letter," ordered Butler in the quiet tone thatto his companions meant trouble.
"Mighty perk today, ain't ye?"
"Hand over that letter!" Tad's tone was pitched a shade higher.
"Hand Over That Letter!"]
For an instant Griffin glared into the face of the resolute youngfellow who stood confronting him. Then Smoky threw the letter on theground and trod on it.
"I reckon Dear Maw won't--"
Whack!
Tad had brought the flat of his hand across the fellow's red face ina resounding slap that was heard by every person there. Even Chops,now hiding behind the store, heard it, and his eyes grew large, forhe expected to hear the report of a revolver following close upon theslap. In that case it would be high time for Billy Veal to flee.
With a roar of rage the bully reached for his revolver. But his handdid not quite touch the butt of the gun. Ere it had reached theweapon his head was jerked backward in a violent jolt.
Tad smote the ruffian a blow on the jaw that turned Smoky half wayaround. A quick left-hand swing caught the man on the back of thehead, sending him flat on his face.
"Walt, look out for the ponies!" commanded Tad sharply, at the sametime stooping over and deftly removing the bully's pistols, which he"broke," scattering the shells on the ground, then tossing therevolvers to the store porch.
Walter, a little paler than usual, walked steadily to where the stockwas tied and leaning against the tie rail, one hand on his revolver,awaited further developments. They came quickly.
The loungers, now augmented by a half dozen men who had appeared sosuddenly as to puzzle the boys as to where they came from, began tomurmur angrily. It was all right so long as Smoky was having funwith another, but now that one of their kind should have been knockeddown by a stranger stirred their blood within them.
Smoky was getting to his feet. The blood had gone from his face,leaving it pale under its coat of tan. Reaching for his revolvers hefound the holsters empty and Tad Butler standing before him with asarcastic smile on his face.
"Stand fast, fellows!" directed Tad in a low voice, nodding to Chunkyand Ned.
The mountaineers began crowding closer.
"Stand back, men," warned Ned Rector. "This is going to be fair play.The first man who reaches for his gun is going to get his right thereand then. We didn't start this row, but we're going to see it to afinish now. The one who gets thrashed gets thrashed, and that's allthere is about it."
Ned's resolute voice, backed by a six-shooter in his own hand andanother in Stacy Brown's, had its effect. The mountaineers backedoff a few paces, muttering. Some were plainly tickled at the insultto the bully, but they, of course, did not express their satisfactionin words. It was not safe to do so just yet. Perhaps Smoky mighttake his revenge on them after having finished with the slender ladso calmly facing him. They did not believe there was a possibilityof Tad's coming out of the fray with a whole skin.
At this juncture Professor Zepplin came tearing out.
"Here, here! Stop that!" he commanded sternly.
"Keep back, Professor," warned Rector. "The fellow assaulted Tad. Iam keeping the others back. You must stay back with the rest."
"But--but--but--"
"The only 'but' that has any influence here is the butt of myrevolver just now," answered Ned, never for an instant taking hiseyes from the mountaineers.
"Gimme a gun!" roared Griffin.
"The man who tries to give you a gun gets a bullet in his anatomy,"answered Rector. "I'll shoot the first man who tries to pass you agun; then I'll drill you, too," added Ned.
Smoky glared, first at the boys who were twirling their revolversabout their forefingers, then at his friends still further back. Itwas plain that he could look for no help from his associates. Oncemore Smoky roared. At least, he could punish the fellow who wasresponsible for this situation. Smoky made a leap and a wild lungefor Tad, but there was no Tad there. The Pony Rider Boy had leapedaside, laughing lightly.
"Come on. Smoke up! I'm waiting for you!" urged Butler in atantalizing voice.
Griffin tried it again, but with no better result than before. Thebully was thoroughly at home with a gun in his hands, but without aweapon he was as awkward as a sucking calf with its first pail ofmilk. Already the bully was breathing hard.
"Short-winded, eh?" grinned Tad. "You'll be more so after I havefinished with you. It's my opinion that you need a lesson. It willbe doing the community a service to give you one and I'm going to doit."
Smoky launched a vicious kick at the Pony Rider Boy. Tad dodged it,and ere Smoky could recover his balance Butler had planted a blow onthe man's nose that literally turned that member upward. A secondswift blow landed on the same tender spot.
With a wild howl of pain, Griffin began beating the air with hisfists, striking; blindly and wildly. This was exactly what Tadwanted. His antagonist had wholly lost control of himself. His wasa blind, murderous rage. Butler was playing with him like a cat witha mouse. Now and then the Pony Rider Boy would send in a punch, everaiming for the damaged nose of Smoky Griffin, and Smoky was spinningabout so frequently that he had grown dizzy. He was bellowing likean angry bull, but every time he opened his mouth to bellow, Tad'shard fist smote him on the nose.
Now the Pony Rider Boy got in closer and began beating a tattoo onthe bully's face. It was eyes, nose and mouth, now, that got theblows. Tad was showing no preference. It was plain to the otherboys that Butler was determined to teach a lesson that Smoky wouldnot soon forget. Tad's face now wore a set grin. He did not appearto be in the least ruffled, but the grin looked as if it had grown onhis face and had been there for years.
"Put him out, why don't you?" jeered Chunky.
"Smoky, have you had enough?" asked Tad, stepping back a few paces.
For a brief instant the bully glared through his bloodshot eyes, asif scarcely able to believe his senses. That a slender lad, such asthe one before him, should possess so much skill and such a punch--itseemed to Smoky like the kick of a mule--passed all comprehension.But the longer he gazed the more sure was Griffin that he had but tostretch out his hand and crush Tad Butler.
Smoky tried it then and there. As a reward he got three blows, on asmany different parts of his face, that sent him staggering backwards.
Tad now saw that he must fight to a finish. Smoky never would giveup as long as he were able to l
ift a hand. For that the Pony RiderBoy admired him.
From that moment on it was a one-sided battle. Griffin's resistancewas without effect, though had he been able to get a grip on hisslender antagonist it would have ended the fight. Tad swung theblows in so fast that his companions were unable to count them, andat last the bully, Smoky Griffin, sank groveling in the dirt,blubbering and crying like a child who has been thoroughly spanked.
For the moment Tad Butler felt sorry for the fellow, sorry that hehimself had been responsible for such a spectacle.
"Get up!" commanded the lad. "Perhaps this may teach you a lesson tomind your own business in the future, and--"
But Tad was interrupted by a howl from the spectators. They brokeout into cheers for the plucky lad who had downed the bully of twocounties. As quickly as his maimed condition would permit Smokymounted and galloped away, trusting to his pony to find the way, forSmoky's eyes were swollen nearly shut.
Tad Butler had destroyed forever the power of the bully to terrorizeHunt's Corners.