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The High School Boys' Canoe Club, a fiction by H. Irving Hancock |
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Chapter 14. The Liar Has A Lie Ready |
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_ CHAPTER XIV. THE LIAR HAS A LIE READY "That's an odd sight, over yonder," announced Dave, pointing shoreward with his paddle. They were now nearly three miles above the hotel landing. They had entered a section of the country given over to truck gardening. "Women gathering in the produce," said Dick, after a glance. "I don't like that," uttered Dave in disgust. "I thought we had progressed too far, and had become too civilized. Years ago I know that women used to work in the fields, but I thought we were above that sort of thing." "Perhaps the farmer's sons' were all girls," suggested Danny Grin. "I don't like it, anyway," retorted Dave. "Nor I," agreed Tom. "To have women at work in the fields makes it appear as though the men are too lazy." The sight on shore was not interesting enough to claim long attention, so the young canoeists proceeded on their way. At a little after four o'clock, however, they were back at the landing. Not long after, eight young women were sighted riding along in a farm wagon, while Dr. and Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Meade strolled down one of the paths. The wagon reached the pier first, just as a launch in charge of one of the hotel employs came puffing out of a boathouse near by. "Come here, boys, and help us unload the wagon," called Susie Sharp. Dick & Co. sprang in answer to her summons. "Why, what on earth have you here?" demanded Dave, opening his eyes wide as he saw the contents of the wagon. There were dozens of ears of corn, a sack of new potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, a dozen big watermelons and a bushel of early summer apples. "Sh!" warned Laura mysteriously. "Didn't we promise you we'd rob some farmer for the feast? Did you think that boys are the only ones who can go foraging for a country picnic?" "You girls didn't go foraging---did you?" gasped Dick Prescott. "We surely did," retorted Susie Sharp. "Didn't we say we would do so? And doesn't all this stuff prove it?" "Then you paid the farmer for it," guessed Tom Reade wisely. "We didn't do any such thing," Miss Sharp insisted. "Did we, girls?" Seven other young feminine heads shook in vigorous denial. "We didn't pay the farmer, and we didn't make any arrangement with him," said Laura quietly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "We simply drove out along the road until we came to the field, and-----" "-----Ravaged it," supplemented Belle Meade demurely. "We went through that field like war, famine and pestilence combined!" "Hurry!" called Susie peremptorily. So the boys made haste with the vegetables and fruit, transferring everything to the bow of the launch, where it was neatly stacked. "What do you think of that?" Tom demanded of Dick in a whisper at the first opportunity. "The girls are chaffing us," Dick answered knowingly. "Stole the stuff, did they? That is, stole it in earnest? Nonsense! They're too nice girls for that! But I guess even nice girls, like some decent fellows, find enjoyment, once in a while, in making believe they are doing something desperate. Of course they didn't really steal this stuff." "If they did," muttered Tom, "they'd be the kind of girls we wouldn't want to know." "It's all right," Dick assured him. "Sooner or later the truth of this joke of theirs will all come out. There are no finer girls in the country than they." By this time the older people had joined them. Dr. Bentley's party embarked in the launch, taking up all the room there was. "Pass us your bow-line, and we can just as well give you boys a tow," proposed the doctor. "There is no use in your paddling." "Thank you very much, sir," Dick answered, "but paddling is just the fun for which we bought this canoe. We do it because we like it. And we'll show you how fast we can get across the lake." With a toot of the whistle the launch started. Dick gave the word to his chums. At first the canoe, even under moderate paddling, went ahead of the launch, though gradually the launch drew up. "You boys look as if you were working," called Dr. Bentley. "We're doing very little work, sir," Dave answered. "We could make the canoe go faster than this, but it would hardly do to run ahead of our guests." In truth the canoe slipped rapidly through the water with the expenditure of only a moderate amount of energy on the part of Dick & Co. In a few minutes the lake had been crossed. A point was found at which the launch could be backed in. By this time the boys were on shore, their canoe hauled up, and they stood ready to help their guests ashore. "We've landed a little below the camp," said Dick, "but it won't take us more than a minute to walk there. After we've taken you into the camp we'll return for the garden truck." Gr-r-r-r-r! came a warning sound through the bushes. "Towser!" spoke Harry Hazelton sharply. "I'm ashamed of you!" "You ought to be!" came the answer in another voice, and a surly one, at that. "Fred Ripley?" muttered Dick. "What on earth can he be doing here?" Unconsciously all of the picnickers hastened their steps. Then they came upon a truly ludicrous sight. Fred lay where he had been lying ever since ten o'clock that morning. He was coatless, stretched out face downward, with Towser still camped across his shoulder, and the dog's teeth still fastened in his shirt. "Come and call this measly dog off!" ordered Fred, in a surly tone. "This is a fine reward that I get for trying to do you fellows a friendly turn!" Dick, Dave and Tom were the first to get within range and obtain a glimpse of the extraordinary scene. They halted, gasping, though their glances swiftly took in the whole affair. They comprehended what Ripley had been doing, and how the dog had come upon the marauder. By this time the other members of the party came in sight. Fred still lay on the ground, scowling and fuming over his undignified position, while Towser still kept an eye open for business. "Call this dog off!" Fred ordered again. "How did the dog happen to catch you here?" Dick asked quietly. "Call this dog off and I'll tell you," snapped Fred. "I was trying to do you fellows a good turn, but the dog had to interfere and get hold of the wrong party." "You were trying to do us a good turn?" gasped Dick wonderingly. "Yes---but it will be the last time, unless you call this dog off," snarled young Ripley. Perhaps it is hardly necessary to say that not one in the party believed Fred's extraordinary story. "Hazelton, get this dog of yours away, or I'll go to court and secure an order to have the beast shot!" snapped young Ripley. But at this moment another voice was heard calling from the roadway: "Fred! Fred! Are you there?" It was Squire Ripley's voice, though the lawyer himself could not be seen as yet. "Yes, sir; your son is here," Dick answered. "Come and see just how he is here!" "Get your dog off quickly, Hazelton!" urged Fred. But Harry, at a slight sign from Dick, didn't stir or open his mouth to call off his dog. Through the brush came the sound of hurried steps. Then Lawyer Ripley stepped into the group. "Fred, what on earth does this mean?" demanded the lawyer, staring hard. "That's just what we thought you might like to find out, sir," Dick replied. "We've been away from camp all day, and just came back to this scene, Mr. Ripley. You are something of an expert in the matter of evidence, sir. Will you kindly tell us what you make out of this? There is our tent cut down. There are all of our food supplies in a pile, except what you see scattered about on the ground. Your son appears to have been headed for the lake when our dog overtook him and pinned him down. As a lawyer, Mr. Ripley, what would you conclude from the evidence thus presented?" "Call that dog away!" ordered Mr. Ripley. "Willingly, sir," Dick agreed, "now that you have had opportunity to look into all the evidence that we found. Harry, will you do the honors?" Smiling slightly, Hazelton stepped forward to speak to Towser. That four-footed guardian of the camp displayed some resentment at first over the idea of letting go of Fred's shirt. After a little, however, Hazelton succeeded in getting his dog away and tied to a tree. Fred rose to his feet, his face fiery red while he trembled visibly. "What is the meaning of this, young man?" demanded Lawyer Ripley. "The meaning," choked the lawyer's son wrathfully, "is just this: I was coming by this place this morning in the runabout, when I heard a good deal of coarse laughter down here. I knew the voices weren't those of boys, and so I knew that something must be up. I got out of the car and came over here. I saw two tramps in the camp. They had already cut down the tent, and when I arrived they were planning to cart the food away. Then they saw me as I stepped forward. I told them what I thought of them for thieving in such fashion. Then the tramps got ready to jump on me and thrash me. Just as I raised my hands to defend myself this dog came bounding out of the woods and the tramps ran away. Having no more sense than any other fool dog, the cur pinned me down and held me here." "All day?" asked his father. "Yes; I've been a prisoner here for hours," quavered Fred. "And now these fellows want to make out, before the high school friends of mine," nodding toward the girls, "that I was the thief and destroyer." "That story is straightforward enough," commented the lawyer, turning to the others rather stiffly. "Do any of you wish to challenge it?" No one spoke. "I'll tell you what I wish, father," broke in Fred angrily. "I want an order from the court to have that dog seized and shot. He's a vicious and dangerous brute!" "I think such a court order will be easily obtained," replied Mr. Ripley frigidly. Harry Hazelton turned pale, clenching his fists, though he had the good sense not to speak just then. The other boys all looked highly concerned. "Were you bitten by the dog?" asked Dr. Bentley quietly. "I---I don't know yet," replied Fred. "I can't tell." "Mr. Ripley," said Dr. Bentley very quietly, "if you contemplate seeking a court order for having the dog shot, then I suggest that you permit me to take the young man aside and examine him. I am a physician, with a good many years of practice behind me, and any court would pronounce me competent to testify as to whether your son has been bitten, and, if so, to what extent." "I don't choose to be examined here," Fred declared sulkily. "If I want anything of that sort done our own physician can do it." "Young man," replied Dr. Bentley, "your father is an eminent lawyer. He is therefore qualified to inform you that if you decline an examination now as to the presence or absence of injuries on your body, your refusal would have to be taken into account in contested court action for the death of the dog." "Dr. Bentley is quite right, and he has stated the matter accurately," replied Mr. Ripley. "Fred, do you desire to be examined now? If so, we can go away to some secluded spot with the doctor, and with the dog's owner and any other witness desired." "I don't want to do anything now but to get away from here," replied Fred sulkily. "I want to be rid of Prescott and his friends as soon as possible." "Very good, then," nodded his father. "You may do as you like, but if you refuse Dr. Bentley's suggestion for an immediate examination you will stand no chance of securing an order dooming the dog." Fred's further answer was an angry snort as he turned away. His father lingered to say: "If your suspicions that my son was here improperly are anywhere near correct, then you are entitled to my most hearty apology. Fred is a peculiar and high-strung boy, but I believe his impulses are right in the main. I will add that I believe his account of how he came to be in this strange plight. He took the car early this morning. I am just returning from a spin in our larger automobile. I saw my runabout at the edge of the road and it occurred to me to stop and see if my son were here. Is there anything more to be said about my son's peculiar experience here?" "Nothing, thank you, Mr. Ripley," replied Dr. Bentley, after a sidelong glance at Dick. "Then I will bid you all good afternoon," replied Squire Ripley, raising his hat to the women. Dr. Bentley watched the lawyer out of sight, then turned to Hazelton with a smile. "Harry," remarked the physician, "your dog won't be shot by order of the court." _ |
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