But Jack was too nimble to remain still and receive whatever attack the other might rain upon him, and when Furniss" fist descended it missed its mark, to strike plump upon the sharp edge of a bar of iron, peeling the skin on its back from knuckle to wrist.
At the same time Jack turned his adversary and, clearing him, vaulted to his feet, carrying the other backwards by the impetuous movement and sending him headfirst into a bucket of water.
Before he could rise Jack had caught him by the throat with one hand, and he immediately began to "churn" the other"s head up and down in the black water, while the discomfited wretch, trying in vain to break away, exclaimed in gasps:
"Help--don"t--you"ll kill me! I--Of--ut--h-e-l-p--murder!"
"Will you promise to let me alone after this?" demanded Jack, giving his victim another plunge in the bucket.
"Yes. Let me go or I"ll tell Fowler. Oh--oh!"
"Tell Fowler, will you?"
"No--no! Let me go!"
"You promise it?"
"Yes," spluttered the man as soon as he could speak.
"I think that will be enough this time." declared the triumphant Jack. "If I could get my hands on you, Fret Offut, I would give you a dose of the same medicine."
"I ain"t done nothing!" cried the terrified youth. "Don"t you dare to touch me!" and by that time he had reached the door, to disappear an instant later.
Feeling that he had nothing more to fear from his enemies, Jack left the shop to go to his home, his mind soon occupied with thoughts of his South American voyage rather than with the more unpleasant memory of his recent trouble with young Offut and Furniss.
Before going direct to his home to tell the news there, Jack sought another home that he might first break the account of his good fortune to one whose fair countenance had been in his mind"s eye all the afternoon.
He knew the hardest part of his starting on his long voyage would be in tearing himself away from a certain blue-eyed damsel named Jenny Moodhead.
At her home he was met by the girl"s mother, who, in answer to his inquiries for Jenny, said:
"Jane is not here, and I do not see why you have not met her, as she said she was going to see you as you came from the shops. I am afraid something has happened to her."
Without further loss of time, Jack started to retrace the way to the engine shops, though going by a different course from that which he had come.
He had got about half way there, and was pa.s.sing near an old ruined mill, which stood more than half over the river, when he was startled by the sound of a voice, which was too familiar for him not to recognize.
"Don"t you dare come any nearer, Fret Offut! Stand back, or the worst will be your own!"
It was Jenny speaking, and as Jack dashed down to the side of the old mill he discovered her at the further extremity of the ruins defiantly facing young Offut, who was kept from approaching any nearer to her by a club she held in her hands, uplifted over her head.
Between the two was a gulf of dark waters a dozen feet or more in width, but spanned by a plank over which the girl had evidently pa.s.sed in reaching her place of retreat.
"I"ll take up the plank so you can"t come back!" declared young Offut.
"You see if you do not answer me in a becoming manner I can--"
Fret Offut did not have the opportunity to finish his sentence before a stout hand was laid on his shoulder and he was plunged headfirst into the river. "Get out the best you can!" cried Jack North.
He turned to the girl. "Has he dared so much as to lay a ringer on you, Jenny?"
"Oh, Jack! I am so glad to see you! No, he had not touched me, though I don"t know what he might have done if you had not come. You won"t let him drown?"
"It would serve him about right, if I did. But he will take care of himself. See, he is crawling out below the mill. Come with me, Jenny, for I have important news to tell you. I am going to South America!"
"To South America! Oh, Jack, why?"
"The firm want me to go, and they will pay me well for my services. I am to look after some machinery that is to be shipped."
"But you will come back?" questioned Jenny, anxiously.
"Sure, as soon as my task is done. But now tell me about Fret Offut."
"Oh, there is not much to tell. He--he wanted to be sweet on me and--and I wouldn"t have it. That made him angry, and he followed me to this place, and--you saw the rest."
"I hope he won"t bother you again."
"I don"t think he will," said Jenny. "Anyway, I"ll keep my eyes open for him."
After that Jack spent a pleasant hour in the company of the girl who was his dearest friend, and then went home to prepare for his trip of so many thousand miles.
His parents already knew something about the proposed journey, so they were not much surprised. They had seen Mr. Fowler and talked it over with the manufacturer. Mrs. North did what she could to get Jack"s outfit ready for him.
"I"ll be glad to leave such fellows as Fret Offut behind," said Jack, to his father.
"Fret Offut is a bully and a fool," said Mr. North, who was a blunt-spoken man. "He will never get along in life."
Jack had spoken without knowing the truth. He was not to get rid of Fret Offut just yet, as we shall soon see.
Chapter V
On the Island of Robinson Crusoe
Ho! for South America!
Bravely did the good steamer _Standish_ keep on her long, and, at times, stormy voyage to the far distant sh.o.r.e of Western South America.
She escaped the severest storms of the Northern Atlantic, Grossed the equatorial line in fine shape, and stemmed the farious wrath of Cape Horn in safety. But every one on board felt freer and in better spirits, when at last they entered the Pacific regions where storms are of rare occurrence.
The steamer"s destination was Valparaiso, Chili, and the commander talked of getting into port shortly.
Among those looking most hopefully forward to the termination of the voyage was our hero, who had been sent by his employers on the responsible errand of seeing that one of their engines was properly delivered and put into good running order. He fondly believed it was the great opportunity of his life.
He was never more surprised than he was upon finding at the last moment that Fret Offut had been delegated to accompany him as helper.