"If we stayed here till we were both young men, we might both fall in love with Lucy, and quarrel over her."
"I might fall in love with her, but I would never quarrel with you, Harry," said Jack affectionately.
"No, Jack, I don"t think you would. Nothing shall ever divide us."
"You are very kind to a poor sailor boy," said Jack. "You know a great deal more than I, and I am not fit to be your friend."
"Take care, Jack, I may quarrel with you if you say anything against yourself. Fit or unfit, you are my chosen friend, and I should not be willing to exchange you for anyone else I have ever met."
"Not even for Montgomery Clinton?" said Jack archly.
"Not even for him, with all his stock of trousers."
Reference was made to a young man from Brooklyn, a fellow pa.s.senger on the ship _Nantucket_, who had acquired the reputation of a dude, and had afforded much amus.e.m.e.nt to all on board. He will be remembered by the readers of the preceding volume, "Facing the World."
The boys did not set out on their journey empty-handed. Lucy, by direction of her father, had packed a basket with provisions enough to last them two or three days. The shepherd wished also to lend them some money, but this Harry declined.
"We might not be able to pay it back," he said.
"I shan"t miss it, lads, if you don"t," urged the shepherd.
"We might be robbed of it as we were of our other money, sir. We thank you all the same."
But they gladly accepted the basket of provisions, without which, indeed, they might have fared badly in that uninhabited wilderness.
"How far is it to Bendigo?" Harry had asked the shepherd.
"Twenty-five miles, or thereabouts," was the answer.
"If it were a straight road and good travelling we might be there by night."! "But it is neither. You will be fortunate if you reach there in three or four days."
"Give us the direction, and we will try it, sir."
The two young travellers, refreshed by their night"s sleep and two substantial meals, made good progress, and by noon found themselves, despite the difficulties of the way, seven miles distant from the station where they had received such hospitable treatment. By this time they were hungry, and were glad to sit down at the base of a gigantic gum-tree and attack the provisions they had brought with them. They were in good spirits and chatted cheerfully. Many thousands of miles away from home, without a penny in their pockets, and with only a basket of provisions between them and starvation, they did not allow themselves to be depressed by their uncertain prospects, but looked forward hopefully.
"Jack," said Harry, "it seems so lonely here, I could easily believe that we two are alone in the world."
"It does seem so," said Jack.
"I feel a little like Robinson Crusoe on his island."
"Am I to be Friday?" asked Jack, with a smile.
Jack had read very few books, but who is there who has not read Robinson Crusoe?
"I don"t think you are of the right color, Jack, but I would a good deal rather have you than Friday."
They were not so far away from human companionship as they supposed, as they soon learned to their dismay. Suddenly they heard a crunching as of steps upon the brush, and turning, they saw, with alarm, a tall muscular man with matted locks unprotected by a hat, a long untrimmed beard, and a suit hanging in tatters over his gaunt, bony figure. His eyes were fixed with a famished look upon the open basket of provisions.
The boys started to their feet in affright.
"Give me food!" said the stranger in a hoa.r.s.e voice.
Harry took some bread and meat from the basket, and handed them to the stranger, who devoured them in silence. His appet.i.te seemed enormous, and the boys saw in dismay that if he kept on there would be very little left. It was necessary, in self-defence, to limit the man"s rapacity.
"More, more!" he cried, when he had eaten all that had been given him.
"We have given you all we can spare," said Harry firmly.
"Give me the basket, or I will kill you both!" exclaimed the tramp, his eyes suffused with blood, and gleaming with fierce anger.
As he spoke, he raised a knotted stick which had served him as a cane, and swung it menacingly above his head.
CHAPTER XIX.
A RUFFIAN FOILED.
Harry and Jack were brave boys, and not easily daunted, but the att.i.tude of the stranger was so menacing, and his frame so indicative of strength, that they were both alarmed. Had their need of the provisions been less urgent they would have surrendered them without a struggle, but they felt that it was a question possibly of continued life or starvation, and this inspired them to resistance.
Holding the basket in his hand, Harry retreated behind a tree, and began to parley.
"You are asking too much," he said. "We have given you a meal. We need the rest for ourselves."
"No palavering, boy!" said the tramp roughly. "I need it more than you do. Give it to me, or I will kill you."
"If I only had some weapon," thought Harry.
While he was hesitating, the tramp with a quick movement sprang to where he stood, clutched him by the collar, and flinging him on his back put his knee on his breast, saying between his closed teeth, "Now I will kill you, young jackanapes! I"ll teach you to interfere with me."
Poor Harry thought his last moment had come. He was powerless against his enemy, whose wild rage, shown in his distorted features, seemed capable of anything. His sole helper was Jack, who flung himself on the giant, and sought with his boyish strength to pull him away, but in vain.
"I"ll choke the life out of you, you young beast!" exclaimed the tramp, preparing to clutch Harry by the throat. The moment was a critical one for the poor boy, whose career came near ending then and there.
But a.s.sistance came when least expected.
A man who had approached, unseen by either of the three, jumped from the underbrush and with one powerful blow sent the tramp sprawling on the ground beside his intended victim.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Obed Rescues the Boys from the Tramp.]
"You"re rather out of your reckoning, you mean skunk!" he exclaimed. "If there"s any killin" to be done round here, I"m goin" to do it."
"Obed Stackpole!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the boys in heartfelt delight, and they were rushing forward to greet him, but he waved them back.
"Yes," he said, "it"s Obed himself. I"ll talk to you in a minute, after I"ve got through with this consarned villain."