CHAPTER VII
SCIENCE VERSUS STRENGTH
Had the large man undergone the scientific training of the smaller one,he might have overcome him, for, as has been said, he was immenselypowerful and must have been a third heavier than Stockham Calvert. But hewas out of condition, and, worse than all for him, had not the slightestknowledge of the "manly art." When he doubled his huge hairy fists, hecharged upon the detective like a roaring bull, expecting to beat downhis smaller antagonist as if he were pulp.
The pose of the defendant was perfect. Resting easily on his right foot,the left advanced and gently touching the ground, he could leap forward,backward or to one side with the agility of a panther. The left fist washeld something more than a foot beyond the chest, the elbow slightlycrooked, while the right forearm crossed the breast diagonally at adistance of a few inches. This is the true position, and the combatantwho knows his business always looks straight into the eyes of hisopponent. The arms and body are thus in his field of vision, whereas ifhe once glances elsewhere he lays himself open to a sudden blow.
With that alertness which becomes second nature to a pugilist, Calvertsaw before the first demonstration that his foe had no knowledge whateverof defending himself. He allowed him to make a single rush, his big fistsand arms sawing space like a windmill. He struck twice, swishing the airin front of Calvert's face, and gathered himself to strike again,when----
Not one of the three spectators could ever describe how it was done, forthe action was too quick for the eye to follow. But, all the same, thatmetal-like left fist shot forward with the speed of lightning, andlanding on the point of the chin, the recipient went down like an oxstricken by the axe of a butcher. Rather curiously, he did not fallbackward, but lurched forward and lay senseless, knocked out in the firstround.
"You have killed him!" whispered the scared Captain.
"Not a bit of it, but he will be dead to the world for ten or fifteenminutes. We may as well let him rest in peace. What's become of thatdog?" asked the officer, glancing inquiringly around.
Chester pointed toward the house. The brute, with his two inches of tailaimed skyward, was scooting around the corner of the building as fast ashis bowed legs could carry him. He would not have done so had he been oftrue bulldog breed, but being a mongrel, there was a big streak of yellowin his make-up.
"He's come to the belief that it's a good time to adjourn, as me cousinsaid whin someone blowed up the stump on which he was risting his wearybody."
"I think we have had enough foraging along the river," remarked CaptainAlvin, who re-entered the boat and resumed his place at the wheel. "Wedine at Wiscasset."
"I'm not partic'lar as to the place," said Mike, "if only we dine."
Chester flung the loop of rope off the support, and he and the othersstepped aboard the launch, which moved up the river. Standing in front ofthe detective, Mike, with his genial grin, offered his hand:
"I asks the privilege of a shake of yours. I apologize for thinking yedidn't like a shindy as well as the rest of us. I'm sorry for me mistake,as me uncle said, whin he inthroodoced dad to a party of leddies as agintleman. I couldn't have done better mesilf."
The smiling officer cordially accepted the proffer.
"No one can doubt your pluck, Mike, but, to quote your favorite method ofexpressing yourself, you showed mighty poor judgment, as the owner of thebull said when the animal tried to butt a locomotive off the track. Thatman would have eaten you up."
"P-raps, but he would have found me hard to digist. Do ye obsarve?"
He pointed to the little landing which they were leaving behind them. Alllooked and saw the burly brute of a man slowly rise to a sitting posture,with his hat off and his frowsy hair in his eyes, as he stared confusedlyafter the launch speeding up the river.
"He is recovering quicker than I expected," was the only remark Calvertmade, as he turned his back upon the fellow and gave his attention tolighting another cigar.
"He has the look of a fellow mixed and confused like, similar to PatMcGuigan, whin he dived off the dock and his head and shoulders wintthrough a lobster pot that he didn't obsarve in time to avoid the same."
"He's coming round all right," said Calvert, referring to the man theyhad left behind, though he did not glance at him. "He may not be verypretty, but he knows more than he did a little while ago. Which remindsme to say something that ought to have been said at our first interview."
The three listened to the words of Calvert, who clearly was in earnest.
"Each of you knows that I am a professional detective who has been sentinto Maine to do all I can to capture the gang that is robbing the postoffices in this section. I told you that much, but I wish to ask you tobe very, very careful not to say this to any person whom you may meet,until you have my permission to do so. Some would insist that it wasunprofessional on my part to say what I did, but I had good reason forit, as will appear before I am through with the business."
"It was not necessary to tell Chester and me that, but I suppose you wishto run no risk that can be avoided."
"That's it; I did not doubt your loyalty, but you know we can't be toocareful."
Mike was leaning back in his chair deeply thinking.
"There's one waak p'int in the plan suggisted."
Inasmuch as no one had submitted a plan the three wondered.
"Me friend doesn't wish us to tell anyone that he's the best detictiveand scrapper outside of our family in Ireland, but when folks priss theirquestions, some answer must be given or 'spicions will be stirred."
"The point is well taken. I don't wish you to tell an untruth----"
"I'm sure the task is not difficult fur the Captain and second mate,"interrupted Mike, "though it's beyond me."
"But you can evade a direct reply."
"May I vinture upon another suggistion?" asked Mike.
"We shall all be glad to hear it, I'm sure."
"Without waiting for questions to be asked, I'll step up to ivery onethat I obsarve casting an inquiring eye over ye and say ye're my olderbrither, that took a hand in the Phoenix Park murders, but broke out ofDublin jail and thus escaped hanging, and yer kaaping dark in Amerikytill the little matter blows over."
"A brilliant idea!" laughed the officer. "All I ask is that you give notruthful information about me."
"Ye doesn't objict to my telling folks how ye laid out that Goliah a bitago?"
"I prefer you should not mention it."
Mike sighed.
"Ah, have ye no pride of family, as Tam O'Toole used to say whinmintioning the fact that all his five brithers were in jail, where Tarnhimsilf ought to have been?"
"I may add," continued the man, "that it is quite likely we shall soonpart company."
Mike affected to be surprised.
"Doesn't the Captain pay ye 'nough wages?"
"I have no fault to find on that score."
"I'm glad to larn that. If he requires ye to do too much dooty, I'll hilpye out, the bist I can."
"I promise to call upon you if necessary, Mike, but I hope I shall not beobliged to do so."
"I have been wondering since we started," said Alvin over his shoulder,"whether by any possibility the _Water Witch_ kept on up the river aheadof us instead of running into some bay or inlet to the south."
"It is possible, but not probable. You know we had an extended view ofthis stream, or rather of Montsweag Bay, and she could not have gone farenough in the short time to pass out of sight."
"Ye forgits how anxious the Captain was not to overtake her," remindedMike. "I once read of a farmer who chased a big black bear that had beenstaaling his sheep fur two days and nights and then quit. Can ye guesswhy?"
"I should say that after so long a chase he would have given updisgusted," replied the detective.
"It was not that; it was 'cause he found the tracks were becooming toofresh."
"I don't think, Mike, that you are in danger of being accused of that,"ventured Chester, "because you are alwa
ys fresh--you are never _becoming_so."
"But the same is becooming to me, as Jim Flannery said whin he walkedinto church wid two black eyes and his head bent out of shape from theshindy he had with his twin brither over the quistion of aiting maat onFriday."
"You seem quite sure that these three whom we saw in the launch are mixedup in these post office robberies?" asked Alvin.
"It has that look. No matter how certain I may feel, nothing can beaccomplished until legal proof is obtained. You know the rule that everyman must be presumed to be innocent until proved guilty."
"It shtrikes me that the most important quistion of all has beensittled."
"What's that?"
"These two young gintlemen are the spalpeens that tried to hold ye up,Captain, the ither night on yer way home. That fur outweighs the takingof a few postage stamps from some country offices."
"The puzzling feature of that business," said Alvin, "is that when youmeet those two fellows again, you will not have Mr. Calvert along toprotect you."
Mike stared as if he failed to catch the meaning of this astoundingremark.
"Plaise say that agin, Captain, and say it slow like."
Alvin's face being turned away, he was not forced to maintain his gravitywhile he repeated in his most serious tones the remark quoted.
"All I have to say to that is not to say anything, as Teddy Geoghanobserved whin they found a stolen pig in the bag he was carrying over hisshoulder which the same he insisted was filled with clothes for WidowMulligan."