Part 6 (2/2)
”Don't, Davey,” pleaded a caressing voice, ”don't make me cry.”
CHAPTER IV
Outside of the time allotted for the performance of a wholesome amount of farm work and the preparation of his daily lessons, David was free for diversions which had hitherto entered sparingly into his life.
After school hours and on Sat.u.r.days the Barnabas farm was the general rendezvous for all the children within a three-mile radius. The old woods by the river rang with the gay treble of childish laughter and the ecstatic barking of dogs das.h.i.+ng in frantic pursuit. There was always an open sesame to the cookie jar and the apple barrel.
David suffered the common fate of all in having a dark cloud. Jud was the dark cloud, and his silver lining had not yet materialized.
In height and physical strength Jud was the superior, so he delighted in taunting and goading the younger boy. There finally came a day when instinctive self-respect upheld David in no longer resisting the call to arms. Knowing Barnabas' disapproval of fighting, and with his mother's parting admonition p.r.i.c.king his conscience, he went into battle reluctantly and half-heartedly, so the fight was not prolonged, and Jud's victory came easily. Barnabas, hurrying to the scene of action, called Jud off and reprimanded him for fighting a smaller boy, which hurt David far more than did the pummeling he had received.
”What wuz you fighting fer, anyway?” he demanded of David.
”Nothing,” replied David laconically, ”just fighting.”
”Jud picks on Davey all the time,” was the information furnished by the indignant Janey, who had followed her father.
”Well, I forbid either one of you to fight again. Now, Jud, see that you leave Dave alone after this.”
Emboldened by his easily won conquest and David's apparent lack of prowess, Jud continued his jeering and nagging, but David set his lips in a taut line of finality and endured in silence until there came the taunt superlative.
”Your mother was a washerwoman, and your father a convict.”
There surged through David a fierce animal hate. With a tight closing of his hardy young fist, he rushed to the onslaught so swiftly and so impetuously that Jud recoiled in fear and surprise. With his first tiger-like leap David had the older boy by the throat and bore him to the ground, maintaining and tightening his grip as they went down.
”I'll kill you!”
David's voice was steady and calm, but the boy on the ground underneath felt the very hairs of his head rising at the look in the dark eyes above his own.
Fortunately for both of them Barnabas was again at hand.
He jerked David to his feet.
”Fightin' again, are you, after I told you not to!”
”It was him, David, that began it. I never struck him,” whimpered Jud, edging away behind his father.
”Did you, David?” asked Barnabas bluntly, still keeping his hold on the boy, who was quivering with pa.s.sion.
”Yes.”
His voice sounded odd and tired, and there was an ache of bafflement in his young eyes.
”What fer? What did he do to make you so mad?”
”He said my mother was a washerwoman and my father a convict! Let me go! I'll kill him!”
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