"No deer or fawn," thought he; "but there"s possibly an obliging young man."
As he drove on, fast overtaking the pedestrian, Jack was very much struck by his appearance. He was a slender person; he walked at a loitering pace; and he carried his coat on his arm. There was something also in the jaunty carriage of the head, and in the easy slouch of the hat-brim, which startled Jack.
"I vow, it"s my obliging young man himself!" he muttered through his teeth,--"or a vision of him!"
Just then the stranger, hearing the sound of wheels, cast a quick glance over his shoulder. It was the same face, and Jack could almost have taken his oath to the quid in the cheek.
He was greatly astonished and excited. It seemed more like a dream than anything else, that he should again meet with the person who had given him so much trouble, so near the place where he had seen him first, in precisely similar hat and soiled shirt-sleeves, and carrying (to all appearances) the same coat on his arm!
The stranger gave no sign of the recognition being mutual, but stepped off upon the roadside to let the buggy pa.s.s.
"How are you?" said Jack, coming up to him, and drawing rein; while Lion snuffed suspiciously at the rogue"s heels.
"All right, stranger; how are you yourself?" And a pair of reckless dark eyes flashed saucily up at Jack.
"Better than I was that night after you ran off with my horse!" Jack replied.
"Glad you"re improving. Wife on the mending hand? And how are the little daisies? Which is the road to Halleluia Corners? I branch off here; good day, fair stranger."
These words were rattled off with great volubility, which seemed all the greater because of their surprising irrelevancy; while the head, thrown gayly to one side, balanced the quid in the bulged cheek.
Before Jack could answer, the youth with a wild laugh struck off from the road, and began to walk fast toward the woodland. Jack called after him,--
"Hold on! I want to speak with you!"
"Speak quick, then; I"m bound for the Kingdom,--will you go to glory with me?" the rogue shouted back over his shoulder, with a defiant grin, never slacking his pace.
Jack gave Snowfoot a touch of the whip, reined out of the track, and drove after him.
The fellow at the same time quickened his step to a run, and before he could be overtaken he had come to rough ground, where fast driving was dangerous.
Jack pulled up unwillingly, revolving rapidly in his mind what he should do. Though he had recovered his horse, he felt the strongest desire to have the thief taken and punished. Moreover, he had lately seen the truckman to whom the stolen animal was sold, and had promised to do what he could to help him obtain justice.
He might have levelled his gun and threatened to shoot the fugitive; but he would not have felt justified in carrying out such a threat, and recent experience had disgusted him with the shooting business.
He would have jumped from the wagon, and followed on foot; but, though a good runner, he was convinced that his heels were no match for the stranger"s. There was then but one thing to do.
"Stop, or I"ll let the dog take you!" Jack yelled.
For reply, the fugitive threw up his hand over his shoulder, with fingers spread and thumb pointing toward the mid-region of countenance occupied by the nose; which did not, however, take the trouble to turn and make itself visible.
Lion was already eager for the chase; and Jack had only to give him a signal.
"Take care of him, Lion!" And away sped the dog.
Fleet of foot as the fellow was, and though he now strained every nerve to get away, the distance between him and the dog rapidly diminished; and a hurried glance behind showed him the swift, black, powerful animal, coming with terrible bounds, and never a bark, hard at his heels.
The thickets were near,--could he reach them before the dog reached him?
Would they afford him a refuge or a cudgel? He threw out his quid, and _leaned_.
Jack drove after as fast as he could, in order to prevent mortal mischief when Lion should bring down his game; for the dog, when too much in earnest with a foe, had an overmastering instinct for searching out the windpipe and jugular vein.
The rogue had reached the edge of the woods, when he found himself so closely pursued that he seemed to have no resource but to turn and dash his coat into the dog"s face. That gave him an instant"s reprieve; then Lion was upon him again; and he had just time to leap to the low limb of a scraggy oak-tree, and swing his lower limbs free from the ground, when the fierce eyes and red tongue were upon the spot.
Lion gave one leap, but missed his mark; the trap-like jaws snapping together with a sound which could not have been very agreeable to the youth whose dangling legs had been actually grazed by the pa.s.sing muzzle.
With a wistful, whining yelp, Lion gave another upward spring; and this time his fangs closed upon something--only cloth, fortunately; but as the thief clambered up out of their range, it was with a very good chance for a future patch upon the leg of his trousers.
Leaping from his wagon, Jack rushed to the tree, and found his obliging young man perched comfortably in it, with one leg over a limb; while Lion, below, made up for his long silence by uttering frantic barks.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE END OF THE CHASE.]
"What are you up there for?" said Jack.
"To take an observation," the fellow replied, out of breath, but still cheerful. "First-rate view of the country up here. I fancy I see a doe and a fawn off on the prairie; wouldn"t you like a shot at "em?"
"I"ve other game to look after just now!" Jack replied.
"Better look out for your horse; he"s running away!"
"My horse isn"t in the habit of running away without help. Will you come down?"
"I was just going to invite you to come up. I"ll share my lodgings with you,--give you an upper berth. A very good tavern; rooms airy, fine prospect; though the table don"t seem to be very well supplied, and I can"t say I fancy the entrance. "Sich gittin" up stairs I never did see!""
Jack checked this flow of nonsense by shouting, "Will you come down, or not?"
"Suppose not?" said the fellow.
"Then I leave the dog to guard the door of your tavern, and go for a warrant and a constable, to bring you down."
"What would you have me come down for? You seem to be very pressing in your attentions to a stranger!"
"Don"t say stranger,--you who drove the deer in for me! I am anxious to pay you for that kindness. I want you to ride with me."
"Why didn"t you say so before?" cried the rogue, rolling a fresh quid in his cheek. "I always ride when you ask me to, don"t I? Say, did you ever know me to refuse when you offered me a ride? Which way are you going?"
"Down through the woods," said Jack, amused, in spite of himself, at the scamp"s reckless gayety.
"Why, that"s just the way I am going! Why didn"t you mention it? I never should have put up at this tavern if I had thought a friend would come along and give me a lift in his carriage. Please relieve the guard, and I"ll descend."
The dog was driven off, and the youth dropped from the branches to the ground.
"Pick up your coat," said Jack, "and do pretty much as I tell you now, or there"ll be trouble. None of your tricks this time!"
He held the reins and the gun while he made the fellow get into the buggy; then took his seat, with the prisoner on his left and the gun on his right, drove on to the travelled track, and turned into the woods; the vigilant Lion walking close by the wheel.