The on the Farm Part 8 (2/2)
”Well, there's no use getting discouraged. We're much better off than we were when we were in the car, Dolly, and we got out of that mess. So we might as well try to think that we'll be all right, anyhow. Oh, I just thought of something! Is there a station on this trolley line before we come to Tec.u.mseh?”
They looked eagerly at the map, but disappointment was their lot. There was no station between the one where they had boarded the car and Tec.u.mseh. But Dolly had an idea again, just as they had about decided that they would have to take their chances with Holmes at Tec.u.mseh.
”Doesn't this car ever slow down at all between stations?” she asked the conductor, smiling and looking as attractive as she could.
”Well, that depends,” said the conductor, returning the smile. ”If a pa.s.senger's got a pull with me or the motorman, it might. Why?”
”Because if we go to Tec.u.mseh, we'll only have to walk back nearly half a mile to that road that crosses the track. Couldn't you let us off there, Mr. Conductor?”
”Well, I don't run the car,” he said, with a smile. ”But I'll talk to Hank, the motorman. Never knew him to refuse anything a lady asked yet.”
He walked to the front of the car, and returned a moment later.
”Hank says he's got to stop at that road today,” he reported, with a grin. ”It's against the rules, you know, to make stops except at stations, or to let pa.s.sengers off. But the car has to stop sometimes, just the same, and if you should happen to drop off, I won't see you--I won't be looking. You move back to the door, and be ready, and I'll stay up in front with Hank. Then I won't be to blame, you see, if you should happen to get off when the car stops.”
”Thank you ever so much,” said the two girls, together. ”It's awfully good of you--”
”Don't be thanking me,” grinned the conductor. ”The car'll be stopping by accident like, and how should I know what you're going to do? Well, good luck to you!”
They had not long to wait before the grinding of the brakes warned them that the time was at hand, and in a few moments they stood beside the track and waved their hands cheerily to the conductor, who, with an expression of mock surprise on his face, had come out on the back platform, and pretended to wonder how they had got off the car.
”Now I think it ought to be easy,” said Bessie, greatly relieved. ”You see, Mr. Holmes will be watching the car. He probably knows all about this line, and wouldn't think of our being able to get off and walk. So what we want to do is to follow this road here and then turn east at the first crossroads. That will bring us to the railroad track, and we can cross it, and work down to the station at Tec.u.mseh, and be safe all the way. We'll cross the state line this side of the railroad, and then we'll be all right.”
Dolly began to sing for sheer happiness.
”We're awfully lucky, Bessie,” she cried. ”I'm ever so glad that things seem to be coming out all right. If they'd caught you, I would always have blamed myself and thought it was all my fault.”
”Well, even if it was partly your fault in the beginning, Dolly, I never would have got away from Jake Hoover without you, I'm sure of that. So you needn't worry any more.”
”It's awfully good of you to say so, Bessie. There's one thing--I'm not going to be silly any more, the way I was about those ice-cream sodas this morning. And I think--yes, I will--I'll promise you right now not to have any soda or any candy between meals for a month. You think they're bad for me, don't you?”
”I think they must be, Dolly, or the Camp Fire Girls wouldn't give honor beads for doing without them. I've never had much of anything like that myself, you see, so I don't really know.”
”Well, I won't take them, anyhow. Oh, Bessie, but I'm hungry! I'd give all the ice-cream sodas I ever ate for a big piece of beefsteak right now! Aren't you hungry, too? I should think you'd be starved.”
”I am pretty hungry, but I was so excited I'd forgotten about it, I guess. Why did you remind me?”
”Well, maybe there'll be a store at Tec.u.mseh, so that we can get something to eat.”
”Here's the crossroad, Dolly. Now we want to turn east. I don't think we'll need to walk very far--three-quarters of a mile, maybe, and about as much more back toward Tec.u.mseh when we're once beyond the railroad.”
”I suppose it's safe to walk along the road here?”
”I think so, and the fields are open on both sides, anyhow, so it's a case of Hobson's choice. We'd be seen just as easily if we walked in the fields, and perhaps the people who own them would get after us, too. And I think we've got troubles enough on our hands without looking for any more.”
”That's certainly true, Bessie. Yes, we'll have to stick to the road. Anyhow, we left Jake back at the trolley station, and he's probably still there, trying to puzzle out how we got away. And Mr. Holmes ought to be at Tec.u.mseh. Farmer Weeks was to stay in Jericho, so I think we've really found a safe road at last!”
It seemed so, certainly. They met a few people and they were mostly driving, and Bessie was hoping for a ride. But everyone they met seemed to be going in the opposite direction, and they had crossed the railroad tracks before a cart finally overtook them. By that time, of course, they were ready to turn and follow the tracks to Tec.u.mseh, so the cheerful offer of a ride from the farmer who was driving had to be declined.
”Oh, Dolly, we're really safe at last!” exclaimed Bessie. ”They can't touch me in this state so we can sit down and rest if we want to.”
”But I don't want to, Bessie. I'd rather hurry along to Tec.u.mseh and get a train just as soon as we can. Wouldn't you? I think Miss Eleanor must be awfully worried about us by this time.”
”Bessie!” said Dolly, suddenly. ”Look, isn't that cloud of dust on the road there coming this way? It looks like someone on a bicycle.”
It was. It was Jake Hoover, scorching along toward them, and as he approached them they could see a look of triumph on his face. He was up with them in a moment, and, jumping off his wheel, seized Bessie, who was too terrified to move.
”Got yer, ain't I?” he shouted, savagely exultant. ”Thought you was mighty smart, foolin' me, didn't yer? Well, we'll see!”
”Don't you dare touch her! She's not in your state any more,” stormed Dolly, stamping her foot.
”She soon will be,” he said, and picked Bessie, who was no match for him, though she struggled, up in his arms. He started to walk back in the direction he had come, leaving his bicycle in the road where it had fallen.
But now Dolly, seeing Bessie treated so roughly, seemed to turn into a little wildcat. With a furious cry she sprang at Jake, and began hitting him with her fists, scratching him, pulling his hair and attacking him so vigorously that he cried out with surprise and pain. He dropped Bessie and turned to protect himself, and Dolly drew off at once.
”Run, Bessie, run! He'll never catch you!” she cried. And as Jake darted off in pursuit of Bessie, who seized the chance to escape, Dolly picked up a stone and smashed the bicycle with it.
”There, now! He'll never catch us on foot, and he can't ride any more,” she cried. ”Come on, Bessie!”
CHAPTER XIV.
THE ENEMY CHECKMATED.
Bessie had eluded the furious Jake easily enough. Amazed by Dolly's onslaught, he had been too surprised to move quickly in any case, and, when he saw her trying to ruin his bicycle, he was diverted from Bessie and, shouting furiously, ran toward her with the idea of saving his wheel. So it was no trick at all for the two girls, light on their feet and graceful in their movements, to avoid the shambling, ungainly, overgrown boy, who, smarting from the pain of the scratches Dolly had inflicted, ran after them blindly.
Moreover, they had not gone very far when a farmer's boy came along, driving a surrey. He was laughing at the antics of Jake, and when he saw the two girls, he stopped his horses.
”Say, is that big lout trying to catch you two?” he asked.
”He certainly is!” said Dolly. ”Are you going to let him do it?”
”You bet your life I'm not!” said the boy, getting down from the surrey quickly. ”Just you watch those horses, and you'll see what I do to him. We don't think much of fellers who hit girls in these parts.”
Jake was coming along puffing and blowing, and when he saw the two girls he gave a cry of triumph. But the farmer's boy checked that quickly, and gave him something else to shout about.
”Here, you big bully, what are you trying to do?” he demanded, setting himself squarely in Jake's path.
”Get outer my way!” stormed Jake. ”That young one there smashed my wheel, and the other one is wanted--she's wanted by the officers--she stole a automobile and set my pop's barn on fire--”
”That's a likely story--I don't think!” sneered the farmer's boy. ”Get back now! Leave them alone, do you hear? If you try to touch them again, I'll knock you into the middle of next week--”
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