CHAPTER VI. THE BATTLE WITH BLOWS.

The gruff-voiced conspirator rushed furiously toward me, and I retreated a few paces. The two in charge of the tar-kettle picked it up, and saved a portion of its contents. My heavy assailant was roused to a high pitch of anger by the opposition I made to his plans, and seemed to be disposed to proceed to extremities. He had picked up a club, and continued to advance. Once or twice he made a pass at me with his weapon, but I dodged the blow.

I was not angry, and I was cool. I saw that my foe was clumsy, if he was stout. As he threw his heavy cow-hide boots about, he reminded me of an elephant dancing a hornpipe. I saw two or three chances to hit him, but I refrained from doing so, for I did not want a broken head upon my conscience.

“Come here, Martin!” shouted he to one of his fellow-conspirators; and this was the only name I heard used during the whole of the strife.

“Why don’t you knock him?” demanded the person called, as he sprang forward to assist the big fellow.

I continued to retreat, and intended to fall back upon my boat for protection; but the second assailant got in behind me, and presently I saw more stars than I was anxious to behold in broad daylight. I concluded that I was a fool to indulge in squeamishness on such an occasion, when my head was in danger of being “caved in” by the heavy blows of the rascals. Besides, the rap I had received had a tendency to rouse my ire; in fact, it did rouse it; and at the next convenient opportunity, I struck the big fellow a smart blow on the head. Evidently it hit him in a tender place, for he dropped flat upon the ground.

I was alarmed at this catastrophe, and fortunately the second assailant was affected in the same way. I had secured a position where I could not be attacked in the rear, and having disposed of the heaviest of my foes, I turned upon the other. The fate of his companion was a salutary lesson to him, and he retired to the side of the fallen champion.

But the big fellow was not so badly damaged as I had feared. He was not even stunned, and soon sprang to his feet, rubbing his head, and endeavoring to collect his scattered ideas. My own head felt as though a cannon-ball had dropped upon it. I took off my cap and examined the place with my hand. There was a big “bump” on the side of my head to certify the damage I had received.

“Come up here, fellows!” shouted the leader in the enterprise, with a savage oath, when he had in some measure recovered from the shock of the blow I had given him.

They arranged their disguises anew, and held a consultation. I could not hear what they said, but I knew that I was the subject of their remarks. Each of them then provided himself with a club, and I realized that they intended to make an organized attack upon me. If they captured me, my chances of being tarred and feathered were about as good as those of Waddie. It would have been the most prudent thing I could do to retire from the field, and permit the party to carry out their vicious purpose upon the little magnate of Centreport. Though I had been “punished” as much as I cared for, I felt so much interest in the affair that I was not willing to leave.

I saw two of the party, who had not before been engaged, start at a smart run, with the evident intention of getting between me and the water. I broke into a run myself, and made for the boat. Jumping on board, I pushed her off far enough to save me from molestation. But then I observed that the other two ruffians had not engaged in the pursuit. The two who had done so stationed themselves on the bank of the lake, and appeared to be so well satisfied that I began to think something was wrong.

Suddenly it flashed upon my mind that the big fellow intended to outwit me; that he and his companion would do the dirty job while my two guards kept me at a safe distance. Having put my hand to the plow, I had too much pride, if not principle, to permit myself to be outflanked in this manner. As the case now stood, the big ruffian had won the battle. I was disgusted with myself, and hastened to retrieve the mistake I had made. I pushed the boat in toward the shore, and my two sentinels stepped down to meet me.

“That’s a fine boat you have, Wolf,” said one of them good-naturedly, as he leaped on the half-deck.

The other one followed him, and I deemed it wise to pick up my boat-hook.

“She is fine enough,” I replied.

“Will you let us look at her?” said the speaker, winking at the other.

What did he wink for? That was what I wanted to know. Why were they so good-natured? It was not a very difficult problem, after all. Why should they not be good-natured, if they could keep me where I was while their companions did their vile work upon Waddie? They were smart--they were!

“Certainly you may look at her, if you like,” I replied very pleasantly, all of a sudden, for I intended to be as smart as I could.

“They say you are a first-rate fellow, Wolf,” continued the one who had first stepped on board, as he jumped down into the standing-room, where I was.

“Oh, I am!”

“I can’t see why you stick up for such a mean boy as Waddie Wimpleton.”

“I don’t stick up for him. I only like to see a fellow have fair play,” I replied, seating myself, as though I had nothing more to desire or hope for.

“He don’t give anybody fair play. This is about the best boat I ever saw,” the speaker added, as he looked into the little cabin.

“She is first-rate,” I answered carelessly.

“Cabin, beds, carpet, stove.”

“Yes, and there is a chance to set a table there,” I went on, after the second guard had contrived to push the boat away from the shore, as he supposed, without attracting my attention. “Go in, if you like, and I will show you how we dine on board of the _Belle_.”

I spoke with becoming enthusiasm about the boat and her fixtures, and I think my guests believed that they had drawn away my attention from Waddie. At any rate, the first speaker went into the cabin, and, at my suggestion, the second one followed him.

“Now, do you see that board which is turned up against the mast?” I proceeded, as I pointed to the table.

“Yes, I see it.”

“Well, just turn the button and let it down.”

It stuck pretty tight, as I knew it would, and both of them took hold to lower the board. While they were thus engaged, I drew the slide and banged the doors to, before they suspected what I was doing. Slipping in the padlock, I locked it, and while my guards were turning the table in the cabin, I performed the same office outside. They were prisoners, and I felt that I might reasonably expect to find them where I had left them. They might damage the cabin of the _Belle_, but that was all they could do.

I hauled the boat in, and, as I leaped on shore, I heard another piercing scream from Waddie, which assured me that the tragedy had been renewed. I leaped on the land, and, with the boat-hook still in my hand, hastened to the scene of active operations. As I approached the spot I saw the two ruffians tearing Waddie’s clothes from his back, in readiness to apply the tar-swab. The wretched victim screamed piteously. I saw that I had no time to trifle with the affair. I decided to be the aggressor this time. I rushed furiously at the big fellow whom I had hit before. He did not see me till I was within fifty feet of him. He had laid aside his club, and I “pitched in.” I dealt him a heavy blow on the side of his head, and he retreated to the place where he had left his weapon. I made at the other one then; but the terrors of the boat-hook were too much for him, and he fled to obtain his club.

While they were falling back upon their ammunition I took my knife from my pocket, and, rushing up to the tree, cut the cord which confined Waddie. He was free; but his hands were still tied together. I told him to follow me; and, gaining a moment’s time, I released his hands.

“I’ll never forget this, Wolf,” said he. “I will not, as true as I live.”

“We haven’t got out of the scrape yet. Pick up that stick, and keep close to me. We must fight it out now.”

“I’ll fight as long as I can stand,” he replied resolutely.

The fellow with the gruff voice swore like a pirate when he saw that Waddie was free, and he and his companion immediately gave chase to us. I had no longer any reason to fight, and I was not disposed to do so, except in self-defense; but I was determined to bring off Waddie unharmed, whatever happened.

We made a détour toward my boat, closely pursued by the two ruffians, now foaming with rage at the failure of their wicked scheme. We outran them, and soon had placed a sufficient distance between us and them to justify a halt. But we were not a great way from the boat.

“What has become of the other two fellows?” asked Waddie, puffing under the exhaustion of his hard run.

“They are safe,” I replied; and involuntarily I put my hand into my pocket, to search for the key of the padlock on the cabin slide.

“Where are they?”

“In my boat, locked up in the cabin.”

I continued to fumble in my pockets for the key; but I could not find it, and the conclusion was forced upon me that I had stupidly left it in the lock. If my two guards could not release themselves, this service could easily be performed by their associates. I had made a bad mistake; though, after all, the blunder would only save them the trouble of breaking the lock, and otherwise damaging the boat.

I found that keeping still was the best method of baffling our pursuers, since they had evidently lost sight of us. I heard their voices, but the sound receded, and it was plain that they were moving toward the lake.