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Randy of the River: The Adventures of a Young Deckhand, a novel by Horatio Alger |
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Chapter 5. The Result Of A Quarrel |
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_ CHAPTER V. THE RESULT OF A QUARREL If any boy was ever humiliated it was Bob Bangs. His face and hands were covered with dust and so was his elegant suit of clothing, while the skin was cut on the side of his nose. "Now, see what you have done!" he spluttered, gazing ruefully at himself. "My suit is just about ruined!" "And it serves you right, Bob Bangs," came warmly from Jack. "That is what you get for trying to run away," added our hero. "I'll have the law on you, Randy Thompson!" "Maybe I'll have the law on you, Bob Bangs!" "You had no right to throw me down in that fashion." "Then why did you start to run away?" "Because I didn't want to stay here--and you had no right to stop me." "We wanted to know about this berry affair," said Jack. "And about the dirty boat." "I don't know what you are talking about," answered the big boy, but his face showed his concern. "You put mud in my boat and spilled our berries." "Who says I did that?" "We know you did." "Did you see us?" "No, but we know you did it and nobody else." "You can't prove it," answered Bob, and now his face showed a sign of relief. He had been afraid that there had been a witness of his evil-doing. "Perhaps we can," said Randy. "Bob Bangs, I think you are the meanest boy in Riverport!" he continued, with spirit. "I don't care what you think, Randy Thompson. Who are you, anyway? The son of a poor carpenter. Why, you haven't got a decent suit of clothing to your back!" "For shame, Bob!" broke in Jack. "Randy is a good fellow, even if he is poor." "Well, if you think he is so good you can go with him. But I don't want to associate with such a low fellow," went on the big youth, as he started to brush himself off with a silk handkerchief. "So I am a low fellow, am I?" said Randy, in a steady voice, and coming up close to Bob, who promptly began to back away. "Ye--as, you--you are," stammered the rich youth. "I've a good mind to knock you down for saying it, Bob Bangs. I am not as low as you." "Humph!" "I would never do the low things you have done. It was a mean, contemptible trick that you played on Jack and me. By right you ought to be made to scrub out the boat and pay for the berries you spoiled." "Bah! I won't touch the boat, and I won't pay a cent." "Then you admit that you are guilty?" "I admit that I had some fun, at your expense, yes," answered Bob Bangs. "You can't do anything to me, though, for you can't prove it against me." "That means, if you were brought up into court, you would lie about it," said Randy. "Humph! You needn't get so personal, Randy Thompson." "For two pins, do you know what I would do, Bob Bangs?" "What?" "I'd give you a good thrashing," and Randy pulled up his sleeves, as if he meant to begin operations at once. "No! no! Don't you--you dare to touch me!" gasped the rich boy, in alarm. "If you do, I'll--I'll have the law on you!" "And we'll have the law on you." Bob Bangs was more alarmed than ever. He saw that Randy was ready to pitch into him on the instant. He looked around, saw an opening, and darted away at his best speed. "Let him go--the big coward," called out Jack, for Randy had started after the rich boy. "We can settle with him another time." "What a mean chap!" cried Randy. "I never saw his equal, never!" Bob Bangs ran a distance of several rods. Then, seeing a clod of dirt lying in the road, he picked it up and hurled it at the boys. He was not a good thrower, but as luck would have it the clod struck Randy on the shoulder, some of the dirt spattering up into his ear. "Ha! ha! That's the time you got it!" sang out the rich boy, gleefully. "And this is the time you are going to get it," returned Randy, and made a dash after him. Seeing this, Jack followed after the pair. [Illustration: RANDY CAUGHT BOB BANGS BY THE ARM AND THREW HIM OVER.] Bob Bangs could run and fear lent speed to his flying feet. But he was no match for Randy, who had on more than one occasion won a running match amongst his schoolfellows. Bob started for home, several blocks away, but just before he reached his gate Randy came near to him, caught him by the arm and flung him over on his side. Then, to hold him down, our hero seated himself on top of the rich boy, who began to bellow lustily. "Get off of me!" "I will not!" "You are squeezing the wind out of me!" "What right had you to throw that chunk of dirt at me?" "I--er--I was only fooling." "Maybe I am only fooling, too." "You are breaking my ribs! Oh, let up, I say!" "Are you sorry for what you did?" demanded Randy. To this Bob Bangs made no reply. "I see you've got him," said Jack, running up at that instant. "Yes, and I am going to give it to him good," answered Randy. "Let up! Help, somebody! Help!" roared Bob, badly frightened. He began to kick and struggle, but Randy held him down and as a consequence he was covered with dust and dirt from head to foot. In the midst of the melee a carriage came along the roadway. It contained Mrs. Bangs and the man-of-all-work, who was driving. "Mercy on us! What does this mean?" burst from the fashionable lady's lips. "Can that be Robert?" "Help! help!" roared the rich youth, more lustily than ever. "It certainly is Robert," went on Mrs. Bangs. "John, stop the carriage. You rude boy, let my son alone!" she went on, in her shrill, hard voice. "Hullo, here is Mrs. Bangs," remarked Jack, looking around and discovering the new arrival. For the instant Randy did not see the rich woman and continued to hold down Bob, who struggled violently, sending up a cloud of dust in the road. Then he noticed the carriage and looked up, and his face fell. "You scamp! Leave my boy alone!" screamed Mrs. Bangs. "Oh, John, perhaps you had better run for a policeman!" she added, as Randy let go his hold and arose. "You had better not, Mrs. Bangs," said Jack. "Bob deserves what he is getting." "I do not believe it! It is disgraceful to throw him down in the road like this," stormed the fashionable lady. "He hit Randy with a chunk of dirt." "I--I didn't do nothing!" howled Bob, as he got up. He was too ruffled to think of his bad grammar. "And that elegant suit is about ruined," went on Mrs. Bangs. "I never heard of such doings before. Boy," she went on, looking at Randy, "you ought to be locked up!" "It is Bob ought to be locked up," retorted Randy. "He started this trouble; I didn't." "I do not believe it. My son is a gentleman." "I didn't do a thing," put in the rich boy, feeling safe, now that his mother and the hired man were on the scene. "They pitched into me for nothing at all." "Bob knows better than that," said Jack. "Yesterday he tried to steal some fish we caught, and to-day he mussed up Jack's boat and ruined some berries that both of us had picked," explained Randy. "I took him to task about it and then he threw the mud at me. Then I chased him and caught him, as you saw." "Preposterous! My boy would not steal!" said Mrs. Bangs, tartly. She looked meaningly at Jack. "I presume you and your family are very bitter against us now," she added, significantly. "Bitter against you?" said Jack, puzzled. "Yes--because of that iron works affair." "I don't know anything about that, Mrs. Bangs." "Oh, then you haven't heard yet." The fashionable woman was nonplussed. "Never mind. You must leave Robert alone." "Ain't you going to get that policeman and lock them up?" asked the son, anxiously. "If I am locked up, you'll be locked up, too," said Randy. "And the charge against you will be stealing as well as malicious mischief." "Yes, and we'll prove our case," added Jack. "Bob doesn't know what witnesses we have." At this announcement Bob Bangs' face grew pale. "Yo--you can't prove anything," he faltered. "You don't know about that," said Randy, taking his cue from Jack. "I will look into this affair later--just now I have no time," said Mrs. Bangs, after an awkward pause. "Robert, you had better go into the house and clean yourself up. John, you can drive on." And then, while the fashionable woman was driven into her grounds, her son lost no time in sneaking off into the house. As he entered the door he turned and shook his fist at our hero and Jack. "Jack, I don't think we have heard the last of this," remarked Randy, as he and his companion started away. "Perhaps not, but I think we have the best of it," answered Jack. "I don't know about that. Mrs. Bangs is a very high-strung woman and thinks a good deal of Bob." "I'd like to know what she meant about the iron works matter," went on Jack, with a troubled look on his face. "I hope Mr. Bangs hasn't got the best of father in that deal." "You had better ask your father when you get home." "I will." The two lads hurried back to the boat and placed the craft where it belonged. Then the berries were divided, and each started for his home little dreaming of the trouble that was in store for both of them. _ |
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