Part 6 (1/2)
”All ready?” he queried
”All ready--let her go!” sang out several of the lads
At that an to set up another bark, and then came a call from the darkness
”Hi, there, wait a minute!”
”Who is that?” questioned Dave ”Hullo, if it isn't the stout h He had been walking rapidly and was nearly out of wind
”Whe--where are you going?” he panted, to the farmer
”Goin' to take these chaps to Oakdale”
”That is where I want to go” Isaac Pludding glared at the students ”I don't like to ride with those boys, but I suppose I can stand it Got rooer? I suppose they told you how the train broke down”
”They did,” answered Shadrach Mellick ”Reckon I can carry one more,” he added ”But yeou'll have to payme ten dollars for the trip”
”How
”About a dollar, I guess”
”It's enough, but I'll go you,” answered the stout h
As soon as Isaac Pludding appeared, Dave held a whispered conversation with Roger and some of the others Now he turned to Shadrach Mellick
”Excuse me, Mr Mellick, but we don't propose to take another passenger,” he said, decidedly ”At least, not this h for ourselves alone”
”And paid part of the ain,” added Phil
”What! do you mean to say I can't ride if I want to?” cried the stout man, as unreasonable as he had been on the train
”You can't ride with us,” said Roger
”What do you say?” asked Isaac Pludding of the farain is a bargain, Mr Mellick,” said Dave, hastily ”We hired this sleigh, and that is all there is to it”
”That is true, but--er----”
”Wouldn't you rather earn ten dollars than one or two?” asked Ben ”If that man is to ride on't”
”So say we all of us!” came from a number of the others
”Then I can't take yeou,” said the far fellers coe!” cried the stout man ”I'll--I'll have the law on you for it”