CHAPTER XIV.
HOW THE PLOT FAILED.
"HELP, help! he's choking me! Pull him off, you fools, can't you?"shouted the valiant leader of the four, who had planned to have all thisfun with Lil Artha, and now found that the shoe was on the other foot,since it seemed to be the tall scout who was enjoying a monopoly of thesport.
But instead of his mates obeying, he found that they had suddenly ceasedin what efforts they were putting forth. The mystery was not difficultto solve, because every fellow had enough to do defending himselfagainst an assailant who had apparently sprung from the darkness.
It was a lively scene for a short time. The Fairfield fellows understoodthat in some miserable way their scheme must have become known to theHickory Ridge scouts. Perhaps they heard Toby call out the name of Elmerwhen asking what he was to do with the fellow on whose back he hadlodged with the tenacity that the Old Man of the Sea exhibited when herefused to let Sinbad the Sailor put him down.
They struggled hard, but it was no longer with the idea of completingtheir cowardly plan. All thought of carrying Lil Artha off in the carwas now abandoned, and each and every Fairfield fellow only consideredhis individual chances for making what Nat called a "get-away."
Speaking of Nat, that worthy was really and truly happy. Old times hadcome back again, and once more were his muscles being allowed to playtheir part in a struggle for the mastery.
He had early picked out the victim whom he felt called upon to punish.If pugnacious Nat could only have had his sweet way about the matter,that party would undoubtedly have been the leader of the four Fairfieldschemers; but since Lil Artha already had that worthy "in chancery," asit is called when one gets his opponent's head under his arm and in aposition of abject helplessness, Nat had to content himself withselecting a less prominent foeman.
What happened just then and there it would be hardly fair to state,because of the fact that Nat was a scout in good standing. But therewere several loud thumps heard, and somebody seemed to pick himself upfrom the road twice, only to suddenly sit down again, with more gruntsand finally decline to get up at all. Upon which Nat danced around him,making threatening gestures, and actually daring the alarmed plotter totry and get on his feet again.
Elmer, on his part, had happened to lay hold of a very slipperycustomer. The Hickory Ridge scout did not want to hurt the fellow anymore than he could help; but at the same time he was bound to do all inhis power to hold him; for he meant to take a look at every one of theirfaces, so that he could tell them again.
Twice the other had come close to slipping out of his clutches, despitethe grip Elmer had upon him. The second occasion was when with some sortof movement, which he had possibly practiced until he had it down fine,the boy suddenly drew his arms out of the sleeves of his coat, and wasin the act of darting away when Elmer threw out a foot and tripped him.
Again he pounced on the other, and this time managed to get a good grip,so as to be able to exert himself. The consequence was that he spun theFairfield chap around on his back and was able to place a knee on hischest.
"Now, lie still, you, unless you want to get hurt!" Elmer exclaimed; andbeing by this time of the opinion that he had run up against a buzz-sawin action, the panting and defeated plotter gave in.
The clamor had for the most part ceased. Only Nat seemed to be doing anIndian war dance around his prostrate foeman and shaking his fist everylittle while in the fellow's face.
"Don't hit me!" yelled the alarmed one. "I'm all in, don't you see? Icave! I'm a prisoner, and scouts don't dare hit a defenseless fellow, dothey?"
"Aw, you make me think of a coward that would hide behind a woman'sskirts!" declared Nat, in disgust, because his enjoyment had been sosuddenly cut short by the collapse of his opponent. "Why don't you standup and take your medicine like a little man? Just because I belong tothe scouts I ain't allowed to hand you what you'd give me if you had theupper hand. It's tough, that's what."
Possibly Nat might have been tempted beyond his powers of resistance butfor the fact of the patrol leader's presence.
"Hold up there, Nat, Toby, Lil Artha!" called out Elmer just then. "Howis the world treating you, fellows?"
"All to the good here," chuckled Toby, who was still clinging to theback of his capture and showed no inclination to let go.
"My pig looks like thirty cents!" said the tall scout who, left tohimself, had speedily reduced his opponent.
"And mine is on the blink, too," declared Nat.
"Shucks, I ain't had hardly a mite of fun out of it all! He laid down onme, that's what he did, Elmer."
"'Taint so," bawled the fellow, indignantly. "He just went and knockedme down two times, and here he goes now waving his old fist under mynose like he wanted to do it some more. Call him off, Elmer, the game'sall up and we cave!"
"All right, boys, glad to hear it," sang out the patrol leader; "butbefore we let you go we're bound to have a look at every one of yourfaces, so we can know you again."
There was more or less muttering at this, for the Fairfield boys beganto see that they were doubtless in for considerable unenviable publicityon account of the affair. But beggars can seldom be choosers. They foundthemselves helpless in the hands of their enemies, and must do exactlywhat they were told.
So Elmer took out his match-safe and prepared to strike a light.
"See if you know the fellow you've got hold of, boys," he called.
Then the little illumination flared up.
"I know this duck all right!" called out Toby. "He's Dick Rawlings whoused to play center field on the Fairfield nine."
"And I've got Eddie Johnston, just as I expected!" announced Lil Arthawho, it will be remembered, had seized upon the leader of the quartetteby whom he had been stopped on the road with the demand that he ride,whether he wanted to do so or not.
"I don't seem to know this cowardly cub," declared Nat, who had lighteda match on his own account, and bent low over his prisoner. "He makesthe worst faces you ever saw, just to keep me from knowing him again.Here, stop your throwing your head around that way, or else you'll getburned! Hey! what did I tell you? Got a little dose of it then, did you?And one of your eyebrows singed right off! Well, you _will_ be a beautfor a while now, and I reckon I can put my finger on you any time Iwant."
"You did that apurpose!" shouted the fellow on the ground, glaring atthe grinning Nat. "You just wanted to mark me, that's what!"
"Oh, rats! Close your trap now and see how you can run," laughed Nat, ashe took a firm grip on the collar of the other, and started to drag himup off the ground, the fellow whimpering all the while as though hereally expected that he was going to be badly treated.
"Who's your bug, Elmer?" cried Lil Artha.
"I think his name is Sandy Coons; anyhow he's got cross-eyes and thatought to mark him, if ever we want to prove that he was here," repliedthe patrol leader, as he assisted the fellow to get up.
"That's O. K., Elmer," declared Lil Artha. "Sandy Coons has got a pairof the crookedest eyes ever; and if you look close you'll see he's got anotch in his right ear. I remember when he got that, too; a fellow hewas with pinned his ear to a tree with an arrow he fired, when they wereplaying Buffalo Bill's Wild West, and when Sandy tore loose it left adent. Is it there, Elmer?"
"Sure as you live," laughed the other, as he looked.
"Then we know the whole cahoot of 'em," declared Lil Artha, "And now,please hurry up and get 'em on the jump, Elmer, because it's time I washiking out again, you understand."
"What're you going to do with us, fellows?" asked the leader, as theywere being ranged in line.
"We're going to start you down the road to meet Felix and tell him thegame's all up," said Toby, who seemed to believe the Fairfieldcompetitor must be aware of the scheme by means of which he was to bebenefited; though Elmer on his part thought better of the rival scout.
"But--our car is here," expostulated one of the prisoners.
"Then come back and get it later on; we don't mean
to run away with it.But if you take my advice, you'll cut for home right away, because thisthing has gone to the limit. And anyone trying to hamper Lil Artha anyfurther is liable to get himself seriously hurt. Understand that, all?"and Elmer allowed his voice to express the indignation that surgedthrough his soul.
"Aw, let us loose! You know we've thrown up the sponge, and it's to thetall timber for the lot," grumbled the leader.
Nat suddenly made a rapid movement. There was a cry, and then a fellowstarted at a rapid pace along the road. Nat, unable to hold in anylonger, had given his prisoner the start he promised, which, of course,meant a hearty kick.
Elmer let his captive go scot-free, which fact so aroused theindignation of Nat that he darted after the fleeing Sandy Coons, and byrapid work succeeded in placing his number seven in the place where itwould do the most good. At least the others judged this from theagonized shriek that floated back to their ears.
Lil Artha was quick to see a good thing and show his appreciation. Inhis mind imitation was the sincerest flattery; and accordingly thesuccessor in the bully line to Matt Tubbs was heard to loudly declarethat he would never, never cease to remember the long-legged scout; butupon hearing the aggressive Nat making in his direction he, too, fadedaway.
That left only one to be treated, and this the chap whom Toby had beenriding as he might a horse. This fellow, understanding that he was infor a good dose of the same kind of medicine, began struggling again,hoping to upset his captor and in some way make off without submittingto that humiliating experience.
It was of no use, however. Lil Artha took hold of him, and then toldToby to let go. There was some little confusion, and then the fellowgalloped madly up the road, bellowing as though in pain.
"Did you get him?" asked Toby, eagerly.
"Well, I nearly broke my toe, because you see I'm wearing light walkingshoes on this hike. And how about you, Toby?" laughed the tall one.
"Dick Rawlings won't play ball for a little while; till he gets over hislimp, anyway," answered the other.
"Field's clear now, Elmer, ain't it?" asked Lil Artha, turning to thepatrol leader for further orders.
"Yes, and the sooner you're off again the better, Lil Artha," repliedElmer. "You see, that Felix has been coming along all this while, andperhaps he may be nearer than we think. How is it with you now; ready toput in your best licks on the home stretch?"
"I'm just feeling as fresh as a daisy, Elmer," replied the other. "Thislittle business seems to have given me a new appetite. You watch me justeat up the miles. Nine of 'em, do you say? Shucks, I'll be in LittleFalls before two hours!"
"Bully for Lil Artha!" exclaimed Nat, clapping his hands.
"Well, we'll put it out of the power of these fellows to pursue you anyfarther, by taking their spark plug along. Ten to one they haven't gotan extra plug with them. And, Toby, Nat, we mustn't forget that we'vegot machines a ways back here."
"That's right, Elmer. Do we get a move on us, and go for 'em now?" askedNat.
Lil Artha had already waved his hand at them, and started off along theroad at a stiff pace, which seemed to emphasize the truth of what he hadjust said about feeling as "fresh as a daisy."
"That's just what we're going to do," replied the other; "so come alongboys."
"Gee! I hope we happen to run foul of one of them fellers again,"laughed Nat.
"Don't be a hog, Nat," admonished Toby. "You had ought to remember thatnow you belong to the scouts you've got to be merciful."
"Ain't I?" protested the pugnacious one. "Didn't I just kick that fellerwith the singed eyebrow, when I might have punched his head? Guess Iknow my duty, Toby Jones!"