CHAPTER II
AN ENCOUNTER ON THE ROAD
"I'll race you to the path," said Sam, when the woodshed was leftbehind.
"All right," answered Tom, who was always ready to run. "Toe themark here. Now then--one, two, three! Go!"
And away they went across the meadow, leaping two ditches with theagility of a pair of deer, and tearing through the small brushbeyond regardless of the briers and the rents their nethergarments might sustain. At first Tom took the lead, but Samspeedily overhauled and then passed him.
"It's no use--you always could outrun me," panted Tom, as hecame to a stop when Sam crossed the footpath ten yards ahead ofhim. "I can't understand it either. My legs are just as long asyours, and my lungs just as big, too, I think."
"You want to do your running scientifically, Tom. That athleticinstructor in New York--"
"Oh, bother your scientific things, Sam! Uncle gives us enough ofthat, so don't you start in. I wonder if Dick has got a letterfrom Larry Colby? He promised to write last week. He is going toa boarding school soon."
"We'll know in a few minutes. I wonder where Larry--Gracious,listen!"
Sam broke off short, as a loud cry for help reached their ears.It came from the footpath, at a point where it ran through a groveof beech trees.
"It's Dick's voice! He wants help!" burst from Tom's lips. "Comeon!" and he set off as rapidly as his exhausted condition wouldpermit. As before, Sam readily outdistanced him, and soon cameupon the scene of a most brutal encounter.
A burly tramp, all of six feet in height, had attacked Dick Roverand thrown him upon his back. The tramp was now kneeling upon theprostrate boy's chest, at the same time trying to wrench a watchfrom Dick's vest pocket.
"Keep still there, or I'll knock you on the head!" cried thetramp, as, letting go of the watch chain, he clapped a dirty handover Dick's mouth.
"I--won't--kee--keep still!" spluttered Dick. "Let--me--up!"
"You will keep still--if you know what is best for you. I haveyour pocketbook, and now I am bound to have that watch and thatring."
"No! Don't rob me of the watch! It belonged to my father!" pantedDick, and as the watch came out of the pocket he made a clutch atit. "Help! help!"
"Will you shut up!" burst out the tramp fiercely, and struck atthe youth with his fist.
It was at this juncture that Sam put in an appearance. A glancetold him how matters stood, and without waiting an instant he cameup behind the tramp, and, catching him by the shoulders, hurledhim backward.
"Sam! Good for you!" burst out Dick joyfully. "Don't let him getaway!"
"What do you mean, boy?" demanded the ruffian, as he turned overand leaped to his feet.
"You let my brother alone--that's what I mean," was the answer.
"Give me my pocketbook and that watch!" went on Dick, for thetramp held both articles, one in each hand.
"Yes, I will--not," was the ready reply, turning, suddenly, thetramp started through the grove of trees on a run.
Without waiting, Sam ran after him followed by Tom, who had nowarrived. Dick came behind, too much winded by being thrown on hisback to keep up with them.
"He is making for the river!" cried Tom, after running for severalminutes without gaining on the thief. "If he has a boat he'll getaway!
"I don't think he has a boat, Tom. He looks like a regulartramp."
"We'll soon find out."
They could not see the ruffian, but they could hear him quiteplainly as he crashed through the brush beyond the grove of trees.Then came a crash and a yell of pain.
"He has stumbled and fallen!" said Sam, and redoubled his speed.Soon he reached the spot where the tramp had gone down. He wasabout to proceed further when a well-known object caught his eye.
"Here is the pocketbook!" he burst out, and picked the article up.A hasty examination showed that the contents were intact; and thetwo boys continued the pursuit, with Dick still following.
They were now going downhill toward the river, and presentlystruck a patch of wet meadow.
"We must be careful here," observed Tom, and just then sank up tohis ankles in water and mud. But the tramp could now be seenheading directly for the river, and they continued to follow him.
They were still fifty yards from the shore when Sam uttered a cryof dismay. "He's got a boat!"
"So he has. Stop there, you thief!"
"Stop yourself, or I'll shoot one of you!" growled the tramp, ashe leaped into a flat bottom craft moored beside a fallen tree.He had no pistol, but thought he might scare the boys.
They came to a halt, and an instant later the flat-bottom craftshot away from the river bank. By this time Dick came up, all outof breath.
"So he has gotten away!" he cried in dismay.
"Yes," answered Sam, "but here is your pocketbook."
"And what of my watch--the one father gave to me before he leftfor Africa?"
"He's got that yet, I suppose," said Tom.
At this Dick gave a groan, for the watch was a fine gold one whichMr. Rover had worn for years. Dick had begged for the timepiece,and it had been entrusted to him at the last moment.
"We must get that watch back somehow!" he said. "Isn't thereanother boat around here?"
"There is one up to Harrison's farm."
"That is quarter of a mile away."
"I don't think there is any nearer."
"And the river is all of two hundred feet wide here! What shallwe do?"
It was a puzzling question, and all three of the boys staredblankly at each other. In the meantime, the thief had picked up apair of oars and was using them in a clumsy fashion which showedplainly that he was not used to handling them.
"If we had a boat we could catch him easily," observed Tom. Thenhis eyes fell upon the fallen tree. "I have an idea! Let us tryto get across on that! I won't mind a wetting if only we can getDick's watch back."
"Yes, yes; just the thing!" put in his elder brother quickly.
All hands ran down to the fallen tree, which was about a foot indiameter and not over twenty-five or thirty feet in length. Itlay half in the water already, and it was an easy matter to shoveit off.
"We can't do much without oars or a pole," said Tom. "Wait amoment," and he ran back to where he had seen another fallen tree,a tall, slender maple sapling. He soon had this in hand; and,cleared of its branches, it made a capital pole. Dick and Sam satastride of the tree in the water, and Tom stood against an uprightbranch and shoved off. The river was not deep, and he kept onreaching bottom without difficulty.
By this time the tramp was halfway across the stream, which wasflowing, rapidly and carrying both boat and tree down toward abend quarter of a mile below.
"Go on back, unless you want to be shot!" cried the man savagely,but they paid no attention to the threat as no pistol appeared;and, seeing this, the thief redoubled his efforts to get away.
He was still a quarter of the distance from the opposite shore,and the boys on the tree were in midstream, when Sam uttered ashout. "There goes one of his oars! We can catch him now--ifwe try hard!"
It was true that the oar was gone, and in his anxiety to regainthe blade the tramp nearly lost the second oar. But his effortswere unavailing, and he started to paddle himself to the bank,meanwhile watching his pursuers anxiously.
"We'll get him," said Dick encouragingly, when, splash! Tom wentoverboard like a flash, the lower end of his pole having slippedon a smooth rock of the river bottom. There was a grand splutter,and it was fully a minute before Tom reappeared--twenty feetaway and minus his pole.
"Hi! help me on board, somebody!" he spluttered, for he had goneoverboard so quickly that he had swallowed a large quantity ofwater.
Both Sam and Dick tried to reach him, but could not. Then thecurrent caught the tree and whirled it around and around untilboth boys began to grow dizzy.
Seeing they could not aid him, and getting back a little of hiswind, Tom struck out for the tree. But the wate
r running over hisface blinded him, and ere he knew he was so close the tree camecircling around and struck him on the side of the head.
"Oh!" he moaned, and sank from sight.
"Tom's hit!" gasped Sam. "He'll be drowned sure now!"
"Not if I can help him!" burst out Dick, and leaped overboard tohis brother's assistance. But Tom was still out of sight, and forseveral seconds could not be located.
Sam waited anxiously, half of a mind to jump into the riverhimself. The tramp was now forgotten, and landed on the oppositebank unnoticed. He immediately dove into the bushes, anddisappeared from view.
At last Dick caught sight of Tom's arm and made a clutch for it.Hardly had he taken hold than Tom swung around and caught him bythe throat in a deathlike grip, for he was too bewildered to knowwhat he was doing.
"Save me!" he groaned. "Oh, my head! Save me!"
"I will, Tom; only don't hold me so tight," answered Dick. "I--can'tget any air."
"I can't swim--I'm all upset," was the reply; and Tom clutchedhis elder brother tighter than ever.
Seeing there was no help for it, Dick caught hold of the fingersaround his throat and forced them loose by main force. Then heswung himself behind Tom and caught him under the arms, in themeantime treading water to keep both of them afloat.
"Sam, can't you bring that tree closer?" he called out.
There was no reply, and, looking around, he saw that the tree andhis younger brother were a hundred yards away, and sailing downthe river as rapidly as the increasing current could, carry themfor quarter of a mile below were what were known as the HumpbackFalls--a series of dangerous rapids through which but few boatshad ever passed without serious mishap.
"I reckon Sam is having his hands full," he thought. "I must getTom to the shore alone. But it is going to be a tough job, I cansee that."
"Oh, Dick!" came from Tom. "My head is spinning like a top!"
"The tree hit you, Tom. But do keep quiet, and I'll take care ofyou."
"I can't swim--I feel like a wet rag through and through."
"Never mind about swimming. Only don't catch me by the throatagain, and we'll be all right," was Dick's reassuring reply, andas his brother became more passive he struck out for the bank uponwhich the thief had landed.
The current carried them on and on, but not so swiftly as it wascarrying the tree. Soon they were approaching the bend. Dick wasswimming manfully, but wasnow all but exhausted.
"You can't make it, Dick," groaned Tom. "Better save yourself."
"And let you go? No indeed, Tom. I have a little strength leftand--Hurrah, I've struck bottom!"
Dick was right: his feet had landed on a sandbar; and, standingup, both boys found the water only to their armpits. Under suchcircumstances they waded ashore with care, and here threwthemselves down to rest.
"That thief is gone," said Dick dismally.
"And my watch too!"
"But where is Sam?" questioned Tom, then looked at his brothermeaningfully.
"The Humpback Fall!" came from Dick. "Sam! Sam!" he yelled;"look out where you are going!"
But no answer came back to his cry, for Sam had long since floatedout of hearing.