d.i.c.k allowed himself to be lifted to his feet and supported in a standing position by one of the most powerful-looking of the tramps. Darrin, however, continued to act as if he were almost lifeless.
"Give him the water cure," ordered the boss tramp, in an undertone to one of his confederates.
Going to the peddler"s wagon the one so directed took down a pail.
He went off in the darkness, but soon came back with a pail of water. Slipping up slyly, he dashed the water full in Darry"s face.
With a gasping cry of rage Dave Darrin started to spring to his feet. Then, remembering his part, he sank back again to the ground.
"Raise him," directed the boss tramp. "He"ll find his legs and stand on "em. We are not going to let this show wait any longer!"
So Dave was roughly jerked to his feet. He swayed with pretended dizziness, next tottered to a tree, throwing his arms around it.
"You start something!" ordered the boss tramp of Prescott.
Feeling that now the chance might come for both of them to make a break for liberty, d.i.c.k answered, with a sheepish grin:
"If I can get wind enough I"ll see if I can do an Indian war song and dance."
"Go ahead with it," ordered the boss. "It sounds good."
Once, three or four years ago, d.i.c.k had heard and seen such a war song and dance done at an Indian show in the summer time.
"I"ll see if I can remember it," he replied.
Crooning in guttural tones, he started a swaying motion of his body. Gradually the unmelodious noise rose in volume. Brandishing his hands as though they contained weapons, he circled about the tree, gradually drawing nearer to Darrin.
"That song is mighty poor stuff," growled one of the tramps.
"Ready, Dave! Make a swift break for it!" whispered Prescott.
CHAPTER X
REUBEN HINMAN PROVES HIS METTLE
Uttering a loud whoop, d.i.c.k pushed Dave lightly.
At the same instant both young football players gathered for the spring, then started to speed away.
But they had had no chance to be quick enough, for some of the tramps had moved closer.
Both fugitives were seized, and now the battle was on again---two boys against overwhelming odds.
Right at the outset, however, a new note sounded.
"Go into it!" roared Tom Reade"s voice. "Give "em an old-fashioned high school drubbing."
Three more figures hurled themselves into the fray. And now, indeed, the battle raged. On the part of the high school boys there was no longer any thought of retreat, though it was still a matter of six men against five lads.
In the excitement of their friends" arrival, d.i.c.k and Dave were able to wrench themselves free.
Though those on the defense were boys, they were boys of good size, whose muscles had been hardened by regular training, as well as by grilling work on the football field.
Reade, in his first onset, hit one of the tramps such a blow that the fellow went to earth, where, though conscious, he preferred to remain for a while. Then it was five against five. But Dan soon got in a belt-line blow that put another tramp out of the fight.
From the road the two scouts ran up. When they saw, however, how the fight was going, they slunk off.
It was soon all but over. The boss tramp, however, armed with a club, crept up behind Prescott, aiming a savage blow at his head.
The blow would have landed, but for a new interruption.
With a cry that was more of a scream of alarm, old Reuben Hinman threw himself forward into the fray. Both his lean arms were wrapped around the tramp"s legs.
Down came the tramp, just as d.i.c.k wheeled, falling heavily across Reuben Hinman, knocking the breath from the peddler.
Tom and Dave seized the boss tramp, as he tried to get up, hurling him back to the earth and sitting upon him.
"Let me up! Lemme go!" yelled the tramp.
"Keep cool," advised Tom. "You"re likely to stay with us a while."
"Don"t let him go," cried Prescott. "That wretch has all of Mr.
Hinman"s money in his pockets."
"He"ll give it up, then," guessed Reade.
"Come back here, you men!" roared the boss tramp, finding that all his fellows had fled.
"Call "em all you want," mocked Reade. "They won"t come back.
They"re too wise for that."
d.i.c.k, having given the order for the holding of the one tramp who remained, now gave all his attention to Reuben Hinman.
"The poor old man must be rather badly hurt," Prescott declared.
"I can"t get him to talk. Did you fellows bring a lantern with you?"
The lantern was lit and brought forward.
"I don"t know what the matter is with him," said d.i.c.k at last.
"But that"s all the more reason why we must get him where he can have attention. The village of Dunfield is four miles below here. We must get him there at once. And we"ll march the hobo there, too, in the hope that the village has a lock-up."
"It hasn"t," snarled the tramp.
"Oh, we wouldn"t take your word on a vital point like that," jeered Darry.