CHAPTER VI

AN ENCOUNTER WITH NODDY

At first it seemed as if Noddy was about to run away, like a child surprised in some mischief. But he saw that he could not escape without going past the motor boys, unless, indeed, he jumped into the river and swam across. So he decided to bluff it out. He turned aside and appeared to be gazing into the stream as the three comrades approached.

“What shall we do?” whispered Bob. “Speak to him or not notice him?”

“Leave it to me,” said Jerry. “I’ll see what he has been up to.”

Noddy stooped and picked up several stones which he idly tossed into the water.

“When did you get back?” asked Jerry, trying to speak politely to his old enemy.

“None of your business!” retorted Noddy. “And what’s more, if I find any of you fellers has been tellin’ tales about me I’ll make you smart for it! I’ll sue you for damages! I don’t want to have anything to do with you!”

“I guess that feeling is as much on our side as it is on yours,” spoke Ned.

“Exactly,” chimed in Jerry. “And what’s more, Noddy Nixon, if you feel that way about it you’d better get off this dock. It’s private property and we don’t allow any but our friends to come here and see our motor boat. You’re a trespasser and the sooner you move on the better we’ll like it.”

“I’ll go when I get good and ready!” fired back Noddy. “I came here because I have a claim against you, and I want it settled now or you’ll be the worse for it!”

“A claim against us?” asked Jerry. “What sort of a claim? Has it anything to do with the old mine that you didn’t get?”

“You think you’re mighty smart!” exclaimed Noddy, flushing as he thought of how the motor boys had outwitted him. “This is a claim I have against you for smashing one of my rowboats last night.”

“Your rowboat!” exclaimed Ned. “Since when have you owned any rowboats?”

“There’s the bill for damages,” spoke Noddy, handing over a piece of paper.

The boys examined it curiously. It was a billhead on which was set forth that Noddy Nixon had succeeded to the business formerly conducted by James Lawrence of hiring out boats at Cresville. The bill was made out to the three chums, jointly and called for the payment of fifteen dollars for damage done to a rowboat.

“So you’ve been set up in business by your father, eh?” asked Jerry.

“My father has nothing to do with this. I’m my own boss,” snapped Noddy.

“Must have made the deal quite suddenly,” commented Ned. “Lawrence owned the business up to two nights ago, for I hired a boat from him then.”

“The deal was closed last night,” Noddy condescended to explain. “The boat Andy Rush and Sammy Morton hired and took the girls out in was the first one I let and you had to go and run it down in your old motor boat. It was a piece of spite work and you’ll have to pay for it.”

“Look here, Noddy Nixon!” exclaimed Ned. “You’ve got a lot of nerve to charge fifteen dollars for the little damage we did to your boat. It was an old one anyhow, for I know all Lawrence’s craft and he hasn’t a new one in the place. Besides I was steering and I saw what damage we did. We smashed an oar, and we’re willing to pay for that, or get you a new one.”

“You smashed my boat, and you’ll pay for it or go to jail!” fairly shouted Noddy.

“I can prove that we only broke an oar!” exclaimed Ned.

“How you going to do it?” asked Noddy in sneering tones. “It was a dark night, and I have the broken boat to show what damage was done.”

“If necessary we’ll fight this case,” spoke Ned quietly, “and we’ll call some one as a witness who can tell just how much the boat was damaged, for he was in it at the time.”

“Who’s that?” inquired Noddy, with a start.

“Your old pal Bill Berry! Bill may not relish being put on the witness stand, but he’ll have to go if you insist on pressing this bill.”

Noddy turned pale.

“Bill Berry isn’t within a hundred miles of here,” he said faintly.

“Maybe he skipped out of town over night,” spoke Ned, “but he was in that boat last night. Don’t try any more of your tricks on us, Noddy, or it may go hard with you!”

Ned crumpled up the bill into a ball and threw it at Noddy. He did not intend to do it, but the wad of paper struck the bully in the eye.

“I’ll pay you for that!” cried Noddy.

He sprang at Ned, who was so surprised at the result of his thoughtless act that he did not know what to do. Noddy’s fist shot out and struck Ned in the face.

With the instinct every boy has, when he is hit, to strike back, Ned doubled up his fists and assumed the attitude approved in the roped arena. Noddy’s rush had carried him past Ned, but the bully, enraged at the failure of his plans, came back with a jump straight at his antagonist. It looked as if there would be a fistic encounter that peaceful Sunday.

“Don’t fight him now!” cried Jerry rushing between the two. “Let it go, Ned. We don’t want any trouble with the blackguard. We can settle with him later!”

Deciding to obey his friend’s advice Ned dropped his arms and stepped to one side. Noddy was close upon him and, when Ned got out of the way so quickly the bully could not stop in time. Ned was standing near the edge of the dock, and, meeting with no resistance in his mad rush Noddy fairly flew over the string-piece and landed in the water with a resounding splash. He disappeared from sight as the river was quite deep there.

“Get a rope!” cried Jerry.

“Throw him a life preserver!” yelled Bob.

“I’ll get a boat hook!” exclaimed Ned, racing toward where the _Dartaway_ was kept.

By this time Noddy had come to the surface. He was spluttering and gasping, for his sudden bath had caught him unawares and his mouth and nose were filled with water. He floundered around, handicapped by his clothes, and did not seem to know what to do.

Jerry was about to spring into the water when he was suddenly halted by hearing some one exclaim in a high pitched, sing-song voice:

“Never mind my lad, jumping after him. He’s a regular duck, and surely can swim!”

The boys turned to behold a shabbily dressed though pleasant faced man sauntering down on the dock.

“If it isn’t Pete Bumps!” cried Bob, recognizing the odd character who used to work for his father, but who now did odd jobs about the town. “Can he really swim, Pete?”

“Swims like a feather in all kinds of weather,” replied Pete, one of his peculiarities being to talk in rhyme.

Noddy, seeing there was no likelihood now of any one coming in after him began to strike out for shore.

“I’ll give him a hand to reach the land,” recited Pete, and, taking a boat hook, which Bob had by this time found, Pete proceeded to stick the end into Noddy’s coat, just back of his neck.

“Leave me alone!” snapped Noddy, between gasps.

But Pete was not to be cheated of his rescue. He got a firm grip with the hook on Noddy’s clothing and then, walking along the side of the dock, towed the bully ashore. In the excess of his zeal, Pete moved him so fast that half the time Noddy’s head was under water, and he was in no amiable frame of mind when he staggered ashore, the water dripping from his Sunday suit.

“I’ll--I’ll have the law on you for this!” he cried.

“What? Because you took a notion to jump into the river?” asked Ned. “I guess it would be a queer jury that would award you anything. Will you come into the boat house and dry off?”

“I wouldn’t go in your boat house for a hundred dollars!” cried Noddy. “But I’ll get even with you!”

“He’s rather mad, for such a wet lad, but never mind that, I’ve got his hat,” said Pete, and, with a skillful motion he speared Noddy’s head-covering with the boat hook.

“Don’t you spoil that hat!” cried Noddy.

“Now Noddy don’t you worry, though I was in a hurry. It only has a little tear, it’s better than before to wear, because it lets in lots of air,” sung Pete, inspecting the hat, which had a small hole in it.

Noddy walked up on the dock, the water sloshing from his shoes at every step. He picked up his wet hat, jammed it down on his head, and, with an angry look at the other boys started off. As he did so a figure burst through the bushes and ran toward the group on the dock. At first the boys thought it was a tramp. They looked closely at the man.

“Why it’s Bill Berry!” exclaimed Jerry. “I thought you said he was a hundred miles from here, Noddy.”

“You old fool you, what did you want to come around for?” snarled Noddy at his notorious chum.

“I thought they were going to drown you, and I decided to take a hand and give them a walloping,” said Berry sullenly. “I owe them something on my own account.”

He advanced threateningly toward the motor boys.