CHAPTER XV.
BOB'S ASPIRATIONS.
"I think it my duty to inform you that the parties to whom you havegiven your order for fifty dozen live quails will certainlydisappoint you. They did not seek the contract for themselves, butfor another person, who knows nothing whatever about trapping, andwho is much too indolent to put forth the necessary exertion if hedid. You will get no birds from him. If, after waiting a reasonabletime--I should think two weeks would be long enough--you becomesatisfied of this fact, I shall be happy to receive your order, andwill guarantee you satisfaction."
This was a rough copy of the letter Lester drew up to send to theadvertiser in the "_Rod and Gun_," on the evening of the day on whichhe held that interview with Don and Bert, when the former refused tojoin his sportsman's club. He read it to Bob in his best style andwas astonished when his friend declared that it wouldn't do at all."You seem to forget that I am working for a new shot-gun," said Bob."The language isn't half strong enough."
"You can't improve it anywhere," replied Lester, who was rather proudof the production. "Do you want me to abuse Don and the rest? Thatwould be poor policy, for the man would say right away that we werejealous of them and trying to injure them. I have told him that hewill get no birds from David, and if he does, it will be our fault."
Bob could not see the force of this reasoning. There was so much atstake that it was necessary they should do everything in their powerto secure the contract, and he was sure it would help matters if afew hard words were added respecting Don and David. So they were putin, and the letter was copied and dropped into the post-office.
After that Lester took up his abode with Bob Owens. According to anagreement made between them, Bob went through the ceremony of sendinga note to Lester by a negro boy, inviting him to come over and spenda week with him, bringing his horse and gun, and they would have afine time shooting turkeys and driving the ridges for deer. Thisarrangement enabled the two conspirators to be together day andnight. They intended to pass the most of their time in riding aboutthrough the woods, and if a deer or turkey happened to come in theirway and they should be fortunate enough to shoot it, so much thebetter; but if the game kept out of their sight they would not spendany precious moments in looking for it. Their object was to devotethemselves exclusively to destroying all David's chances for earningthe hundred and fifty dollars. They would watch him closely, and whenthey found out where his traps were set, they would visit them daily,and steal every quail they found in them.
During the first few days the boys spent together they found out twothings: one was that there was a pile of traps in the yard behindGodfrey Evans's cabin, and that they were never touched except whenthe family happened to be in want of kindling wood. The other was,that David left home bright and early every morning and went straightto General Gordon's. What he did after he got there they could notfind out. They would always wait an hour or two to see if he cameout again, and then they would grow tired of doing nothing, and spendthe rest of the day searching the woods and brier-patches in theneighborhood of the cabin, in the hope of finding some of David'straps. But they never found a single one, for the reason that theywere all set on the General's plantation, and the boys never thoughtof looking there for them.
"It's my opinion," said Lester, one day, when the two were seated ata camp-fire in the woods, broiling a brace of squirrels which Bob hadshot, "that David has given it up as a bad job and left the way clearfor us."
"Hurrah!" shouted Bob.
"Well--yes; but I'd hurrah louder if he had only set a dozen or twotraps and given us a chance to rob them. If he'd done that, we mighthave had a hundred birds on hand now. The best thing we can do is toset our own traps and catch the quails as fast as we can. We'll keepan eye on David all the same, however."
This programme was duly carried out--that is, they spent the rest ofthe day in setting their traps, but they did not devote any more timeto watching David's movements. Two incidents happened within a fewhours that suggested new ideas to them, and made them sure that atlast they had the game in their own hands. They had built a good manytraps, and having no mule and wagon at their command, as Don Gordonhad, it took them all the rest of the day to set them, so that it wasdark by the time they reached home. They found the family at supperand listening with great interest and attention to something Mr.Owens was saying.
Mr. Owens was like Godfrey Evans in two respects. His ideas ran justas far ahead of his income as Godfrey's did, and he hated those whowere better off in the world than himself. Especially did he dislikeGeneral Gordon. The latter was looked up to by all the best people asthe leading man in the community, and that was something Mr. Owenscould not endure. He wanted that honor himself; and because he couldnot have it, he made it a point to oppose and injure the General inevery possible way.
"What do you think Gordon is trying to do now?" Mr. Owens asked, justas the boys came in and took their seats at the table. "Gardner'smail contract has run out, and as he doesn't intend to put in anotherbid, that meddlesome Silas Jones asked the General who would be agood man to take his place; and Gordon hadn't any more sense than torecommend Dave Evans."
"Well, of all the things I ever heard of!" exclaimed Bob.
"That's what I thought," continued Mr. Owens. "I heard them talkingabout it at the post-office. Gordon was as busy as a candidate onelection day. He was going around speaking to all the men about it,and asking them if they would lend their influence to secure thecontract for David, and, although I put myself in his way two orthree times, he never said a word to _me_. I suppose he thought myinfluence didn't amount to anything one way or the other, but perhapshe'll see his mistake some day."
"What's the pay, father?" asked Bob.
"Thirty dollars a month was Gardner's bid, and he rode the route onlytwice each week. But he had to go rain or shine. How would you likeit, Bob?"
"The best in the world!" exclaimed the boy, eagerly. "Three hundredand sixty dollars a year! Couldn't I sport just as fine a hunting andfishing rig as anybody? Can't you get it for me, father?"
"I was thinking about it on the way home, and I made up my mind thatI could try. Gordon thinks he holds the whole state of Mississippiunder his thumb, but he hasn't got me there."
"Nor my father, either," said Lester. "He'll help you, Mr. Owens."
"I was counting on him. When I send in the application, I'll have tosend a bond for a few hundred dollars with it."
"Father will go on it, if I ask him, and I will, for I'll do anythingto help Bob and beat that beggar, Dave Evans."
The conversation continued for an hour or more in this strain, andwhen the boys had heard David and all his friends soundly abused, andBob had provided for the spending of every cent of the money he wouldearn during the first year he rode the route, if his father succeededin obtaining the appointment for him, he and Lester went out toattend to their horses and talk the matter over by themselves. Bobwas in ecstacies; and while he was counting off on his fingers thevarious articles he intended to purchase with his wages, Lestersuddenly laid his hand on his arm.
"What's that?" said he, in a suppressed whisper.
Bob looked in the direction indicated by his companion, and saw adark figure creeping stealthily along the fence. His actions plainlyshowed that he had no business there, and, as if moved by a commonimpulse, the two boys dropped to the ground and waited to see whathe was going to do.
"It's some thieving nigger," whispered Bob. "If he lays a hand onanything we'll jump up and catch him."
"Hadn't I better go into the house and call your father?" askedLester.
"O, no; you and I can manage him. Do you see those fence pickets overthere? Well, we'll sneak up and get one apiece, and then if heattempts any resistance, we shall be ready for him."
The pickets, of which Bob spoke, were piled about twenty yards nearerto the barn than the boys then were, and they succeeded in creepingup to them and arming themselves without attracting the notice ofthe prowler. The latter followed
the fence until he reached a pointopposite the spot where the barn, corn-cribs and other out-buildingswere located, and there he stopped to survey the ground before him.Having made sure that there was no one in sight, he moved quicklytoward the smokehouse and tried the door.
"I don't think you'll make much there, my friend," whispered Bob."That door is locked."
The prowler found it so, and after a few ineffectual attempts toforce it open by pushing with his shoulder against it, he faced aboutand disappeared in the barn. While the boys were trying to make uptheir minds whether or not they ought to run up and corner him there,he came out again, and he did not come empty-handed either. Hecarried a bag of meal on his shoulder--the one Mr. Owens had put inthe barn that morning for the use of his horses--and in his handsomething that looked like a stick of stove-wood; but it was inreality a strong iron strap, which he had found in the barn and whichhe intended to use to force an entrance into the smokehouse. Hedeposited his bag of meal upon the ground, set to work upon the haspwith his lever and in a few minutes more the door swung open.
"Now is our time," whispered Bob, as the robber disappeared in thesmoke-house. "Stand by me and we'll have a prisoner when we go backto the house."
Lester would have been very glad indeed to have had some excuse forremaining in his place of concealment, and allowing his companion togo on and capture the robber alone; but he could not think of any,and when Bob jumped up and ran toward the smoke-house, Lesterfollowed him, taking care, however, to regulate his pace so that hisfriend could keep about ten or fifteen feet in advance of him. Bob,who was in earnest and not in the least alarmed, moved with noiselessfootsteps, while Lester, preferring to let the robber escape ratherthan face him with no better weapon than a fence picket in his hand,made all the noise he conveniently could, hoping that the man wouldtake the alarm and run out of the smoke-house before they could reachit. But the thief was so busily engaged that he did not hear theirapproach, and never dreamed of danger until the boys halted in frontof the door and ordered him to come out and give himself up. We oughtrather to say that Bob halted in front of the door and boldly stoodhis ground there, while Lester took care to shelter himself behindthe building, and showed only the top of his cap to the robber.
"We've got you now, you rascal!" exclaimed Bob, bringing his clubagainst the side of the smokehouse with a sounding whack. "Come outand surrender yourself, or we'll come in and take you out."
"Yes," chimed in Lester, in a trembling voice, at the same timehitting the building a very feeble blow with his fence picket. "Comeout, and be quick about it. There are a dozen of us here, enough tomake----"
Lester finished the sentence with a prolonged shriek of terror, forjust then something that seemed to move with the speed and power ofa lightning express train, dashed out of the intense darkness whichconcealed all objects in the interior of the smoke-house, and Lesterreceived a glancing blow on the shoulder that floored him on theinstant. While the latter was calling upon the robber to surrender,Bob heard a slight rustling in the smoke-house, and knowing very wellwhat it meant, he jumped back out of the door-way, and raised hisclub in readiness to strike; but the thief was out and gone before hecould think twice. The instant the robber landed on his feet outsidethe door, he turned toward the place where he had left his bag ofmeal and happened to come into collision with Lester, who went downwith a jar that made him think every bone in his body was broken. Itwas a minute or two before he could collect his scattered wits andraise himself to his feet, and then he found that he was alone. Bobwas scudding across the field in pursuit of the robber, who carrieda side of bacon on one shoulder and the bag of meal on the other;but burdened as he was he ran quite fast enough to distance Bob, whopresently came back to the smoke-house, panting and almost exhausted.
"Is he gone?" asked Lester, who was groping about on the ground insearch of his club.
"I should say he was," Bob managed to reply. "He ran like a deer. Heknocked you flatter than a pancake, didn't he?"
"He didn't hurt me as badly as I hurt him," said Lester. "Did youhear my club ring on his head?"
"No, but I heard you yell. You didn't strike him."
"What's the reason I didn't? I did, too, but it must have been aglancing blow, for if I had hit him fairly, I should have knocked himflatter than he knocked me. I yelled just to frighten him."
"I guess you succeeded, for I never saw a man run as he did. He gotaway, and he took the meal and bacon with him. They'll not do him anygood, however, for he'll be in the calaboose by this time to-morrow,if there are men enough in the settlement to find him. I know him."
"You do? Who was he?"
"Godfrey Evans. He's been hiding in the cane ever since he andClarence Gordon got into that scrape, and no one has ever troubledhim. But somebody will trouble him now. I'll tell my father of itthe first thing. I wonder how Dave will feel when he sees his fatherarrested and packed off to jail?"
"I wouldn't do anything of the kind, if I were you," said Lester.
"You wouldn't?" cried Bob, greatly astonished. "Well, I won't letthis chance to be revenged on Dave slip by unimproved, now I tellyou."
"We can take revenge in a better way than that. We've got just asgood a hold on him now as we want, and we'll make him promise thathe will make no effort to catch those quails."
"O, I am no longer interested in that quail business," said Bob,loftily. "I'd rather have three hundred and sixty dollars thanseventy-five."
"But you must remember that you haven't been appointed mail carrieryet, so you are by no means sure of your three hundred and sixtydollars. And even if you were, it would be worth your while to earnthe seventy-five dollars, if you could, for that amount of moneyisn't to be found on every bush."
Lester went on to tell his friend of a bright idea that had just thenoccurred to him, and before he had fully explained how the events ofthe night could be made to benefit them, he had won Bob over to hisway of thinking. The latter promised that he would say nothing to hisfather about the theft of which Godfrey had been guilty, until he andLester had first told David of it and noted the effect it had uponhim. If they could work upon his feelings sufficiently to induce himto give up the idea of trapping the quails, well and good. Godfreymight have the meal and bacon, and welcome. But if David was stillobstinate and refused to listen to reason, they would punish him byputting the officers of the law on his father's track.
"It is a splendid plan and it will work, I know it will,"exclaimed Bob, in great glee. "It will be some time before myappointment--those folks in Washington move very slowly--and while Iam waiting for it, I may as well make seventy-five dollars. I can getmy shot-gun with it, and spend my three hundred and sixty for theother things I need."
Bob slept but little that night for excitement, and dreaming aboutthe glorious things that might be in store for him, kept him awake.He and Lester were up long before the sun, and as soon as they hadeaten breakfast, they mounted their horses and rode off in thedirection of Godfrey Evans's house. Early as it was when they arrivedthere, they found the cabin deserted by all save Dan, who sat on thebench by the door. David was hastening through the woods toward hisfather's camp, intent on finding the pointer, and Mrs. Evans had goneto her daily labor.
"He's just went over to the General's house, Dave has," said Dan, inreply to a question from Lester; and he thought he told the truth,for we know that David went in that direction on purpose to misleadhis brother. "Yes, he's went up thar, an' 'tain't no ways likely thathe'll be to hum afore dark."
The visitors turned their horses about and rode away, and as soon asthey were out of sight of the cabin, they struck into the woods tomake one more effort to find David's traps, if he had set any. But,as usual, they met with no success, and Lester again gave it as hisopinion, that David had no intention of trying to trap the quails.Bob thought so too; but in less than half an hour, they receivedpositive proof that they were mistaken. They were riding around therear of one of the General's fields, on their way home, when theyhappened to
cast their eyes through the bushes that lined the fence,and saw something that surprised them greatly, and caused them todraw rein at once. There was a wagon in the field, and Don and BertGordon were passing back and forth between it and a little thicket ofbushes and briers that stood a short distance away. They left thewagon with empty hands, and when they came back, they brought theirarms full of something, which they stowed away in a box. While Lesterand Bob were looking at them, a small, dark object suddenly arosefrom the box and came toward them, passing swiftly over their headsand disappearing in the woods.
"That's a quail!" exclaimed Bob. "It escaped from Don's hands."
"Yes, sir, and we have made a discovery," said Lester. "Dave Evanshasn't given up trapping the quails after all. He's catching themevery day, and Don and Bert are helping him."
"It's just like them," replied Bob, in great disgust. "They're alwayspoking their noses into other people's business. But I don't feel asbadly over it as I did a short time ago."
"I know what you are counting on. You are as sure of that mailcarrier's berth as you would be if you were to ride the route for thefirst time to-day; but if you should happen to slip up on it, you'dbe glad to have the seventy-five dollars to fall back on."
"O, I am willing to work for it," replied Bob, quickly, "not onlybecause I want it myself, but because I don't want Dave Evans to haveit. What's to be done?"
"That trap must have been as full as it could hold," said Lester,thoughtfully. "They have made five or six trips between the wagon andthat clump of bushes since we have been here. We know where one ofthe traps is set now, and that will guide us in finding the rest.When we do find them, we'll carry out our plan of robbing them everyday. They must have trapped some birds before, and if we watch themwhen they go home we can find out where they keep them. What do yousay to that?"
Bob replied that he was willing, and so the two dismounted, andhaving hitched their horses, set themselves to watch the wagon. Theyfollowed it at a respectful distance, as it made the rounds of thetraps (they did not know that they also were followed by somebody,who kept a sharp eye on all their movements), and Bob grew angryevery time he saw more quails added to those already in the coop.
"Those fellows are always lucky," he growled. "I'll warrant that ifwe visit those traps we set yesterday, we'll not find a single birdin them. Don and Bert are hauling them in by dozens."
"So much the better for us," returned his companion. "Every quailthey catch makes it just so much easier for us to earn seventy-fivedollars apiece."
Bob, feeling somewhat mollified by this view of the case, turned hisattention to Don and his brother, who, having visited all their trapsby this time, climbed into the wagon and drove toward home.