Part 16 (1/2)
”I am, eh? Well, that's my affair. I tell you to keep away from here.”
”But why?” insisted Bart. ”This--well, of course it isn't public property, though no one has ever been stopped from coming here after flowers.”
”Some one's going to be stopped now,” and Sandy grinned as he looked at his rifle, and then back at his tent.
”We've got as much right here as you have,” went on Ned.
”No, you haven't.”
”I say we have. Mr. Bender's no relation of yours.”
”I didn't say he was.”
”But you act so,” said Bart, ”standing guard on his property.”
”I may be standing guard, but I'm not working for Mr. Bender,” Sandy answered. ”I tell you that you can't go past, and you'd better not try it. I've got a right for what I say, and you'll find out if you try to cross.”
”Do you mean to say you'd shoot us?” asked Frank suddenly.
”Well--er--I--You haven't any right here and I order you off!” exclaimed Sandy, getting rather tangled up.
”You can't order me off!” exclaimed Frank. ”I'm going to cross this clearing. If you point that gun at me, Sandy Merton, I'll lick you so hard you can't stand up for a week,” and he started forward.
”Don't get rash,” counseled Bart in a low voice. ”No use looking for trouble. We'll let the mean little cub alone. I guess there are flowers somewhere else.”
”But he hasn't any right to make us keep off,” complained Frank. ”I s'pose he's got permission from Bender to camp here and he thinks he owns the place. I'll show him he doesn't. I'll whip him!”
Frank again started forward, but Ned took hold of his arm.
”Don't do it,” he urged. ”Sandy might not mean to, but the gun might go off by accident, and it isn't worth the trouble. I guess we--”
Ned's remarks were interrupted by the sight of a man, who suddenly appeared from the bushes back of Sandy and stood beside the boy. His first move was to grab the gun away from the youth and then he called out:
”I'm sorry to have to ask you young gentlemen to withdraw, but this is private property and you are trespa.s.sing. Will you kindly go?”
”There never was any rule against going through here before,” said Bart in respectful tones.
”That may be,” the man answered, ”but it is different now. I am acting for Mr. Bender.”
”Of course we haven't any right here,” observed Frank, ”and we'll go if you say we must. But it made us mad to have that little sneak Sandy order us off.”
”I'm not a sneak, and I'll punch your face for saying so!” cried Sandy.
”Come on over, you'll have all the chance you want,” fired back Frank.
”That will do,” said the man coolly. ”Perhaps Sandy was a little hasty, but what he said was true. He has been hired to watch this property, but I don't believe he needs a gun. I did not tell him to use one.”
”I had to protect myself,” whined Sandy.
”Ho! Don't worry! You're too mean for us to bother with!” exclaimed Ned.