"As gentle as a lamb," was the answer.
"He--he won"t run away, will he?" went on Bob, timidly. To tell the truth he knew very little about horses, although he pretended to know a great deal.
"He never ran away in his life," declared the man who was disposing of the horse.
"Then I guess it is all right," said the rich boy, and started to mount into the saddle, for the steed was ready for use.
"Wait a minute."
"What"s wanted now."
"I want you to sign a receipt first," said the man.
"Oh, all right."
The receipt was produced, stating that the horse was received in good condition and that the debt was canceled thereby, and the rich youth signed his father"s name and his own under it. Then the man held the horse while the boy mounted.
"All safe and sound?" asked the man.
"Yes," answered Bob Bangs. "Good-day," and off he rode.
"Good-day, and good luck to you," answered the man, and he smiled rather grimly to himself as he entered his house.
"The horse seems to be a nice one," thought Bob Bangs, as he rode away.
"I wish I could meet Randy Thompson, it would make him feel sick to see me on such a fine animal."
The rich youth"s wish was gratified, for turning a corner he caught sight of our hero just as the latter was crossing the street.
"Out of the way there, Randy Thompson!" he cried, and urged his horse forward.
Randy had to jump back, or he might have been knocked down.
"Ain"t this a fine horse?" Bob Bangs cried. "Don"t you wish you had him?"
And he cut the steed with the whip he carried, to make him increase his speed.
The horse did not like the treatment received and up came his hind hoofs viciously.
"Stop! None of that!" roared Bob Bangs, in fright. "Whoa there!"
He began to saw on the reins, and as a consequence the horse turned first in one direction and then another. Then he started to back and came up on the sidewalk, scaring several women and children.
"Whoa! Get up!" screamed Bob Bangs, more frightened than ever. "Whoa, I say! What in the old Harry is in the beast, anyway!"
"Look out there!" shouted a man in the crowd. "You"ll go through a window next."
"Bob, let me lead him into the street," cried Randy, rushing up and catching the horse by the bridle.
"You let my horse alone!" shouted the rich boy, unreasonably. "I can manage him well enough."
"Very well," answered Randy, quietly, and dropped his hold. As he did so the steed made a plunge along the sidewalk for several yards, knocking over a barber"s pole and a newsstand.
"Stop dot! Vot you mean py dot?" yelled the German barber, rushing from his establishment in alarm.
"Get along there, you brute!" cried Bob Bangs, savagely, and struck the horse once more. Again the steed swerved, and made a half turn and began to back.
"Stop him!"
"He is going into the window!"
Crash! And then followed a jingle of gla.s.s, and into the window of a grocery next to the barber shop backed the horse, until his hind hoofs rested on a row of canned tomatoes and sardines. Bob Bangs gave a yell of fear and terror and dropped to the sidewalk and then caught the horse by the head. The groceryman came forth from his store in a hurry, and a bitter argument ensued, while a big crowd began to collect. In the end Bob Bangs had to promise to pay for all damage done, and led his horse away by hand, too fearful of further trouble to mount once more.
Randy did not wait to see the end of the dispute, for the train was now due and he had just time enough to hurry to the depot and get aboard the cars. He dropped into the first seat that came to hand and laughed heartily.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself," said a man sitting near.
"I just saw something very funny," answered our hero, and told what it was. The man laughed, too.
"It puts me in mind of the time I tried to ride the mule in the circus.
It was a trick animal and got me into seven kinds of trouble."
Randy had not had many opportunities to ride on the cars and he enjoyed the trip to Tarrytown very much. Noon found him in the city named and he crossed the river on the ferryboat. Then he hunted up a cheap but neat restaurant, where he got dinner.
"No use of bothering Mr. Shalley just at noon hour," he thought, and so did not go around to the steamboat man"s office until one o"clock. A clerk was present who said his employer would come in at two o"clock, so our hero had another hour to wait.
"Is your name Randy Thompson?" questioned the clerk. When told that it was, he continued: "Mr. Shalley is expecting you. I believe you are to be one of the new deckhands."
"Yes."
"I hope you find the work agreeable."
"So do I."
"The other new hand didn"t last long."
"How long?"
"Just one week."
"What was the matter?"
"I believe he said he couldn"t get along with Polk, the purser."
"I hope I don"t have any trouble with anybody," said Randy, anxiously.
"I am willing to work hard."
"You"ll find Captain Hadley a fine man to deal with. I think he is one of the nicest captains on the river."