Mike Murphy’s ready wit did not desert him at the moment when, as may be said, he discovered he was caught between two fires. One of the tramps was on the ground in front or below him, while the second was approaching from the rear or only a few paces farther off. And Hoke Butler, who should have been instant to rush to the help of his friend, was nowhere in sight.  
“I say, docther, why don’t ye hurry up?” shouted Mike, as if calling over the head of the grinning hobo, whose eyes were upon him with a dangerous expression, as if he had to even up matters for previous humiliations.
 
The manner of the lad produced its effect, and Saxy Hutt paused and looked up at him. A scratching, noise caused Mike to turn his head. Biggs 148was furiously climbing the logs on the other side. Grasping the topmost one, he dived over, upon his hands and knees, instantly leaping to his feet, and making off at the speed he had shown in his former flight. He evidently believed in the near approach of the man whom he .
 
Mike swung around on his , so that his feet hung outside, and gazed calmly down upon the face.
 
“The top of the morning to ye, Saxy,” greeted the lad; “I hope ye are well.”
 
“Huh! yer needn’t try that on us,” the scamp; “it won’t work; thar ain’t no doctor round these parts and I wouldn’t care a hang if there was. I owe you one, younker, and I’m going to take it out of your hide.”
 
To tell the truth, Mike was pleased to hear this declaration. Biggs, whom he regarded as the worst of the couple, had taken himself off and need not be considered further, so that it was one against one, and the youngster had a firm grip on his shillaleh. With a fair field and no favor Mike was content to let the best man win.
 
The tramp came nearer, his fists and glared upward at the youth.
 
“Come down out of that and I’ll your neck fur yer.”
 
“Step a little closer, so I can reach ye wid a single jump.”
 
Mike was actually his muscles for a leap that would have brought on a fight as vicious as that of two wildcats, when the tense stillness was broken by the words:
 
“Right this way, doctor; you’ll find them both here, your shots can’t miss.”
 
Now the of this remark was that although plainly heard, it sounded as if the speaker meant that only the man at his side should catch his words. And it was at this that Hoke Butler did a thing so clever that it won the of Mike Murphy. The former dropped his voice several notes, so that one unacquainted with the facts, would have been certain it was another who was speaking.
 
“Show me a sight of them—just for a minute: that’s all I ask!”
 
Mike heard and understood. Saxy heard 150and misunderstood,—that is he believed it was the physician who was looking for him with a loaded weapon in hand. He muttered an which it will never do to print, around the log structure, and disappeared with a speed that must have quickly the other tramp.
 
Mike dropped lightly to the ground and confronted the Hoke.
 
“Worra! but ye did that well. Where is the docther?”
 
“How should I know? I suppose he’s at his home.”
 
“What put it into yer head to make believe he was near us?”
 
“I don’t know except he was the first person I thought of.”
 
“Ye couldn’t have done better if ye had took a month. I don’t understand why thim tramps hang round so much whin they know what they’re likely to git from Dr. Spellman.”
 
Mike now told Hoke of the surprising incidents of the preceding day, when the hobos received the scare of their lives.
 
“This one who calls himsilf Biggs told 151me that whin he looked over the side of the canoe, he found himsilf face to face wid the devil.”
 
“Do you think he did, Mike?”
 
“I have me doubts, as Jerry Jinks said whin Father MacMahon declared he was an honest man. Anyhow I haven’t larned what I wanted to know, and we’ve got to look farther.”
 
It was decided to pass around the western end of the lake, circling back in the direction of Dr. Spellman’s home, past the cabin of Uncle and go on to the . This was likely to take most of the day, even if they were not delayed by some unexpected occurrence. Moreover, this course would take them by the spot where Mike had heard voices the night before, and where the out from under the overhanging vegetation on his return, going so near the startled Mike that the two saw each other. The old man and his visitors appeared to have gone , and it would seem that something ought to be doing.
 
“Would you like to know what my idea is?” asked Hoke, when they resumed their tramping on the line that has been indicated.
 
“I’m that anxious to know that I won’t take anither step till ye ixplains the same.”
 
And Mike, who was a few paces in advance, halted , wheeled about and faced his companion, who grinningly responded:
 
“It is that we keep going till we reach Dr. Spellman’s house and accept his invitation to dinner.”
 
“Suppose we don’t get the invitation,” suggested Mike.
 
“I should like to see him avoid giving it, even if the dinner hour is past, which it is likely to be before we can reach his place.”
 
Mike’s health and sturdy strength gave him as keen an appetite as that of his companion, and a good meal would be as welcome to him-as to Hoke. Moreover, the situation was such that they could hardly hope to reach the clubhouse before nightfall. He therefore inclined to the plan of calling at the house where they were sure of welcome, but it will be borne in mind that in order to do this, they would have to give over or at least the they had intended to make at the point where Mike had heard voices 153and seen Uncle Elk the night before, since this lay to the of the physician’s camp.
 
Accordingly the youths turned deeper into th............