CHAPTER II -- A Slight Miscalculation
The distance was so slight that a score of strokes drove the canoe toshore. Nothing in the nature of a path was to be seen, and there was somuch undergrowth that when Mike glided under the vegetation, only therear of the boat was visible to any one on the lake. He drew the craftup the bank far enough to prevent its floating away during his absence,and began picking his way through the bushes. A few rods and the woodgrew more open, though not being much accustomed to that sort oftraveling, he made considerable noise in his progress. He was thusengaged with his head bent and his arms thrust out in front feeling hisway, when a low horizontal limb slid under his chin and as it almostlifted him off his feet brought him to a sudden stop.
"Worrah! I wonder if me hid is left on me shoulders!" he exclaimed,vigorously rubbing his neck; "yis,--the most of me is here, as TarnMurry said whin he came down after being blowed up in a powder mill."
A few rods farther and he came upon a sight which caused him to halt asabruptly as before, with a strong inclination to turn about and go backto his canoe.
In a small open space a fire of pine cones, twigs and branches wasburning beside the trunk of a fallen tree. Resting on the top of theblaze was a tomato can, filled with bubbling coffee, whose aroma reachedthe nostrils of Mike at the moment he caught sight of the fire. On thelog sat a ragged, frowsy tramp, with a crooked stick in his hand tendingthe blaze, while on the ground half lying down and half sitting up, wasa second vagrant sucking a corncob pipe.
You remember the two nuisances who called upon Dr. Spellman and becauseof their insolence were sharply rebuffed by him, though his wife, in thekindness of her heart, gave them food. These were the same hoboes, whoit will be noted had not as yet wandered far from the physician's home.You remember, too, their characteristic names,--Buzby Biggs and SaxyHutt. Lazy, shiftless, dirty, rugged of frame, thieves and unmitigatedpests, they were straggling through this part of Maine, in mortal dreadof two afflictions,--work and a bath. They were ready to suffer harshtreatment and privation rather than submit to either.
Mike's sensitiveness revolted at sight of them, but before he could turnaway, both of the men, who must have heard his approach, raised theirheads and looked toward him. Hutt, who was smoking the pipe, slowly roseto his feet, stretched his arms over his head, and beckoned with hisgrimy forefinger.
"Welcome, my lord!" he called in his husky voice; "wilt thou not comeinto our baronial castle and partake of a flagon of wine with us?"
The grotesqueness of the invitation appealed to Mike and he walkedforward, recalling that he had not his buckthorn cane with him. Had hegone for a tramp through the woods he would have held it in his hand,but it was in his way when using the canoe. He never carried firearms,for to do so is to disobey one of the strictest rules of the Boy Scouts,besides which, as you know, an Irishman believes in the use only ofnature's weapons, with the addition perhaps now and then of a stoutshillaleh. Not that Mike Murphy expected any trouble with these men, butthe thought which came to him was natural under the circumstances.
He approached in his confident fashion, with a grin on his face, halteda pace or two from the fire, and with the couple examining him, made theBoy Scout salute.
"'Tis so kind of ye that I will halt a brief while and enj'y thehospitality of the Knights of the Ragged Shirt and Dirty Face."
This was a pretty crisp salutation, but it need not be said that Mikefelt no more regard for the couple than do all respectable persons. Heremained standing and did not go nearer.
"Aren't yer afraid of being arrested fur yer beauty, young man?" askedBiggs with a grimace.
"Not while yersilves are in the counthry."
"Who are you anyway?"
"Mike Murphy of Southport, State of Maine. I would exchange cards widye, but I'm afeard ye couldn't return the compliment."
"I left my pasteboards at home on the piany. We gather from your dressthat you're one of them Boy Patrols."
"Ye're right, excipt jest now I'm on this side of the lake."
"Gee whizz! but you're keen. How long do you chaps intend to staythere?"
"Probably until we lave. We're not among the folks who hev to be kickedout by their betters."
"Meaning us?"
"As ye plaise; I want to be agreeable to ye."
Mike had not shown tact. He ought to have reflected that it wasimprudent to rouse the resentment of two full grown men of so lawless acharacter as these tramps undoubtedly were. Combative as Mike was bynature, he would have hardly been the equal of one of them in a "shindy"which could be easily started and which it seemed he had set out toprovoke.
"I observe," said Biggs, "that you have a brass chain dangling from yercoat pocket in front; does the same signify that there's a watchanchored at t'other end?"
Mike answered the question by flipping out his time piece and displayingit.
"The best Waterbury chronometer made,--price a dollar and a half."
"I should like to borrer the same for my pal and me."
"I'm thinking ye would like to borrer a good many things ye can't; Icarry a little loose change in me pocket. Mebbe you'd like to borrer thesame?"
"Yer guessed it the fust time; while yer turning over that turnip andchain yer may as well h'ist out the few pennies in yer garments."
The tramp took a step toward the lad, his companion grinningly watchingproceedings.
The words and manner of Biggs left no doubt that he meant to rob Mike ofhis watch and money,--though neither was of much value. Was the Irishyouth angry? I cannot do justice to his feelings, so let us try toimagine his state of mind.
Prudence demanded that he should try to conciliate the scamps, or,failing in that, to dash off at the top of his speed, but two reasonschecked this course. You know he was not formed for running, and eitherone of the tramps could have overtaken him by half trying. The otherreason was that Mike never ran from any foe. He would die fightingbefore showing the white feather. Convinced that nothing could avert afierce struggle, he instantly prepared for it. He would have felt betterhad his shillaleh been in his grasp, but it has already been shown thathis only weapons were those which nature had furnished and no youth ofhis years could have known better how to use them.
I should be distressed if I had to describe Mike's fight with two fullgrown men, for it was impossible that he should not get much the worstof it. While it may be a relief to picture one in his situation asbaffling, if not defeating two burly despoilers, yet to do so would becontrary to truth.
The youth recoiled a single step, closed his fists and assumed anattitude of defense. Saxy Hutt, still stood grinningly listening andwatching. As he viewed the situation it was preposterous to think hispal would need his help. None the less, he would be quick to give itshould the call be made.
"Come on as soon as ye plaise, and I'd as lief take both as one; don'tkaap me waiting."
"Hear him talk," said Biggs, still advancing, though more slowly thanbefore; "he makes believe he ain't scared half to death."
"Ye'll be thankful in less nor a minute if ye're allowed to escape widyer life."
This sounded like the wildest kind of boasting, but it was justified.Since Mike Murphy faced the two tramps, he saw what was behind them,which they did not. In a direct line with Biggs, slightly to the left ofSaxy, and no more than a dozen paces to the rear, stood Dr. Spellmanwith leveled revolver and face red with anger.
"Move a little to one side, Mike, so I shall run no risk of hittingyou," called the physician; "just now you're right in line with thatruffian."
Buzby Biggs leaped fully a foot in air, and with a gasp flashed his headabout and stared at the point whence the dreadful voice had come. Thenhis spiky hair seemed to rise on end and lift his dilapidated hat to aheight of several inches.
"Shall I wing him, Mike?" asked the doctor, with the weapon still at alevel.
"Folly yer own plisure in that regard; I don't begrudge ye theenj'yment, as Mrs. O'Flaherty remarked whin she refo
osed to fire at thebear that was chasing her husband."
At that instant, Biggs emitted a howl, and with what was left of hisfragmentary hat fluttering to the ground, dashed in a headlong panicthrough the wood and undergrowth toward the lake.
The sharp crack of the Smith and Wesson rang out, and the fugitive madeanother bound in air, as if he felt the sting of the bullet, and divedout of sight.
"I missed him on purpose," remarked the doctor; "he isn't worth acartridge, but I'm undecided about you."
As he spoke he shifted his aim to Saxy Hutt, who was a-tremble withfear.
"I--I--I've got an engagement," he stuttered, beginning to shamble inthe direction taken by his companion; "I'll bid you good day."
"Hold on!" sharply commanded his master; "wait till I decide what's bestto do with you."
"Why--why, boss, I haven't done anything."
And too weak to stand in his excessive terror, Saxy sagged back and satdown heavily on the log. Mike could not help pitying him.
"It was t'other spalpeen that meant to rob me, docther."
"One is as bad as the other; this one would have helped had it beennecessary."
"Oh, doctor," protested the aggrieved Saxy, "how can yer think such acrool thing of a gentleman like me? I was just going to stop Buzby whenyer spoke up."
The physician lowered his weapon with a laugh.
"Off with you! I hope never to see the face of yourself or Buzby again.You may drink your coffee if you wish before you leave."
But the tramp had lost his thirst as well as his appetite for the time.He came unsteadily to his feet, and began moving gingerly over the trailof his companion.
"I say, doctor," he said, pausing a few steps away, "if you feel likefiring off that little thing in your hand, please p'int t'other way."
"I shall take your request into consideration, but don't advise you tobank on my granting it."
Saxy increased his pace until it equalled that of him who had gonebefore. Dr. Spellman extended his hand to Mike.
"I hope that is the last of them. I supposed they left the neighborhood,but they will do so now."
"Why do ye think that, docther?"
"Heretofore we had nothing positive to bring against them. Now I canbear witness that they tried to rob you. They know it and have no wishto go to jail while the weather is so pleasant outside. Let's sit downon this log for a wee bit, before going to my house. Tell me how youcame to be in this place."
"I was on me way from Uncle Elk's cabin whin the smoke of this campcaused me to turn aside, wid the result that I'd been mixed up in thebiggest shindy of me life if ye hadn't took it in yer head to spoil thepicnic."
"It was mighty lucky for you that I did so, Mike. Did Uncle Elk send anymessage to me?"
"He did that," gravely replied Mike, who thereupon told his friend ofthe assertion of the hermit that he and the physician must not meet.
"I had begun to suspect some such feeling on his part, though not to thedegree he shows. I have called there twice, the last time with my wife,who insists that the old man was in his cabin at the time and purposelykept out of our sight. He can depend upon it that I shall not put myselfin his way, though I am wholly at a loss to understand his enmity. Butwe may as well go to the house, Mike."
As he spoke, the doctor rose to his feet, and the two began threadingtheir way through the wood to the point where Mike had left his canoe.