Water was dashed into Cole’s face, and he was given a swallow or two. It was some minutes before he could sit on a chair without threatening to pitch off to the floor. When he could sit up he looked around for Dick.
Merriwell was there, and, as he stepped forward, he said:
“I hope you’re not badly hurt, Cole. I didn’t mean to wind it up this way, but you forced me. I had to.”
“That’s all right,” said Cole in a low tone. “It’s not wound up yet!”
“Whatever does he want, pard?” exclaimed Buckhart. “Is he piggish enough to be itching for any more?”
“I hope not,” said Dick. “He ought to be satisfied.”
“I ain’t satisfied!” grated Jack. “I never had nobody do me up before, and I won’t forget this!”
“It’s an outrage!” declared old John, flourishing his fists in the air and glaring around. “I say it’s an outrage, Henry Duncan!”
“You brought it on your son, sir,” said Duncan coldly. “You came here and forced the encounter. Merriwell was considerate with your son until he saw it was Jack’s purpose to do him injury.”
“He couldn’t do up my boy again in a year!” snapped the old man. “It was jest an accident, anyhow!”
“You mulish old ignoramus!” exclaimed Duncan, in exasperation he could not repress. “Only for you at the outset we would have retained these boys here as the Maplewood baseball team. You joined Hammerswell and backed him up when he refused to accept them. He used you as his tool. Are you satisfied with the result? When he became tired of your boy he kicked him off the Maplewood team. You’re a particularly offensive nuisance, John Cole. This clubhouse is on private grounds, and hereafter I wish you and your son to keep away from it. We don’t want you here. Perhaps that’s plain enough for you to understand.”
“Oh, yes, it’s plain enough!” snarled old John. “I understand all about you, Duncan! You think you’re mighty fine and aristocratic because you happened to get in with the summer folk who come here. You think you’re a lot better than us people who belong here.”
“That will do!” said Duncan. “I think your son is able to use his feet now. Take him and walk.”
Although old John seized Jack by the arm and they started away, he continued to splutter and snarl until he was quite out of hearing.
“I congratulate you, my boy,” said Mr. Duncan, as he placed his hand on Dick’s shoulder. “I confess I feared that strapping chap would be too much for you. You demonstrated that you knew more than he about the science of boxing, but until near the finish I didn’t fancy you could put him out. Your forbearance is creditable.”
“I thought he might quit,” said Dick.
“He’s not the kind to quit easily. I advise you to look out for him. It’s my opinion he’s revengeful and will try to square this thing up. It won’t surprise me if you had trouble at the ball field this afternoon.”
The boys spent the rest of the afternoon lazing about on the veranda of the clubhouse or swimming in the lake. Near midday one of the rooms of the clubhouse was closed and the boys heard the rattling of crockery within that room.
This interested Tubbs at once, and he immediately pricked up his ears, while a look of expectancy came to his face.
“Something doing in there,” he piped. “Seems ter me I smell pie.”
Within thirty minutes Mr. Duncan appeared on the veranda and invited the boys to come in.
The room had again been thrown open, and the sight they beheld caused them to gasp in astonishment. A long table was covered with a snowy cloth. This table was daintily set, and the display of food upon it made their mouths water.
But by far the most agreeable spectacle was presented by six young girls in white, three on one side of the table and three on the other, who evidently were there to act as waitresses.
Brad Buckhart stopped short and caught his breath.
“Oh, say,” he muttered, “I can’t do it! I certain can’t plant myself there with them to wait on us. They are the real swell articles, and I sure feel more like making a choice and inviting one to dine with me some.”
The astonishment the boys could not conceal caused the girls to smile a little.
“Sit right down, boys,” laughed Henry Duncan. “This is not the Maple Heights Hotel, but I fancy you will find enough here to satisfy you.”
“To satisfy us!” said Obediah Tubbs, in his piping voice, which he tried to repress. “Well, if anybody in this crowd isn’t satisfied with what there’s here, he ought to go drown himself, by Jim!”
“Sus-sus-sus-sus-shut up!” whispered Jolliby. “Don’t make a fool of yourself!”
“He couldn’t do that,” said Smart. “Nature got ahead of him on that job.”
It was a jolly meal. The boys enjoyed themselves thoroughly, especially Tubbs, whose liking for pie was known by the pretty girl who waited on him. She had pie of all kinds for Obediah, and he sampled every variety placed before him.
“I bet I’ll play the best game I ever played in my life this afternoon,” he chuckled.
When the meal was finished Dick made a little speech of thanks, addressed to the girls, to Henry Duncan, and to the Maplewood Canoe Club.
“For some time,” answered Mr. Duncan, “it has been my desire to show you in some manner that there are those in Maplewood who sincerely regret what took place here on your first arrival in the town. We wished to show our friendly feeling toward you and your companions of the Fairhaven baseball team. Baseball properly played is a clean, manly, wholesome sport. I am sorry to say that baseball as conducted by one or two teams in this league has been anything but clean, manly, and wholesome. It was my conviction from the first that Fairhaven had a team to be proud of, both as gentlemen and as ball players. Never yet, on the ball field or elsewhere, have I heard anything from a Fairhaven player that could offend the most sensitive and particular person. I wish to add that, with the single exception of Benton Hammerswell, the original Maplewood Baseball Association regrets exceedingly that you were not all retained in Maplewood to represent this town in the league. You have made a gallant struggle against seemingly overwhelming odds, and should you succeed in winning the pennant for Fairhaven, be sure that many persons in Maplewood will feel intensely satisfied over such a result.”
He was heartily applauded, and again Dick uttered a few words of thanks.
The pretty waitresses smiled on the boys as they filed out of the room, and then the sliding door closed once more.
After dinner some of the boys tried the canoes. Brad was anxious to try one, and induced Dick to accompany him. They were given the use of Henry Duncan’s own canoe, and in this they sped away over the smooth surface of the lake.
In the bottom of the canoe lay a coil of small rope, which Buckhart observed, wondering for what purpose it was generally used.
“Talk about flying!” laughed the Texan. “This is the next thing to it. I say, pard, did you hear them say anything about a fine echo that can be heard at the upper end of this lake? They say the hills yonder fling back the sounds and make them wonderfully distinct. Let’s paddle over there and give the echo a try-out. What do you say?”
Dick readily agreed, and they headed toward the precipitous hills near the head of the lake. As they approached the locality for which they were heading, they passed close to a small and heavily wooded island.
Suddenly Dick ducked involuntarily, for over his head he heard the hum of a bullet almost simultaneously with the cra............