CHAPTER XIV
BALDY GIVES IN
The two darkeys had their blood up now, and were resolved to get thatmule harnessed or die in the attempt. Mose had the big padded collar,and his companion had the bridle. They crept up warily toward old Baldy,who, with the wisdom born of many such encounters, refused to becornered, dashing out with surprising speed every time things began tolook bad for him. But at last the negroes maneuvered him into a cornerfrom which there was no escape, and then, with a sudden rush, threwthemselves at him. Mose caught him round the neck, while the otherleaped to his back and clung there with hands and knees. They were wisein the ways of mules, also, and enjoyed a tussle like this, althoughtheir enjoyment was tempered by a wholesome respect for the kicking andbiting ability of the animal.
But before they could get the collar over his head, Baldy rushed acrossthe yard kicking and rearing, dragging the two negroes after him asthough their weight amounted to nothing at all. The negroes held ongamely, though, and at last the mule, despairing of shaking them off,suddenly threw himself down and rolled completely over. The darkeyshowever had anticipated some such action, and let go just in the nick oftime to save themselves.
“That was a narrow escape,” said Bobby, somewhat anxiously. “Aren’t youafraid they’ll get hurt, Lee?”
“I don’t think so,” he answered. “It takes a lot to hurt them, andthey’ve done this many times before. Just leave it to them.”
The mule struggled to his feet with his tormentors clinging to him.Suddenly he gave a lightning-like whirl that shook Mose loose in spiteof all he could do, and before he could recover himself Baldy had lashedout and caught the darkey fair and square. Fortunately for Mose, hestill had hold of the big padded collar, and the mule’s hoofs landed onthis with a smart whack. Mose was propelled along several feet, andthen, losing his balance, rolled over and over in the dust.
The three boys thought he was badly hurt, and rushed out to his rescue,but before they had gone ten feet the negro had bounded to his feet,just in time to avoid the mule, who was rushing toward him with mouthwide open and wicked teeth gleaming. Temporarily the fight had beenknocked out of Mose, and he fled ignominiously for the fence, with oldBaldy in hot pursuit. With the other negro clinging desperately aroundhis neck, it was a ludicrous spectacle, and as Mose cleared the fence ina wild scramble with the mule not ten feet behind him, the boys shoutedwith laughter.
“That was a close shave!” gasped Fred at last. “Old Baldy is out afterdark meat to-day, I can see that.”
“Looks to me as though the mule had won the decision,” said Bobby. “Howabout it, Lee?”
“Oh, they can’t give up now,” said Lee. “That mule would never be wortha cent to us again if they let him win. But I’m going to see if a littlestrategy won’t help them out.”
“You two wait a minute,” he called to the negroes, who were by now bothon the safe side of the fence, mopping at their streaming faces, andstarted on a run for the barn. He soon emerged, carrying a heapedmeasure with oats. Baldy was at the other end of the yard, watchingproceedings with deep suspicion. Lee emptied the oats on the groundwithin two feet of the fence, and then rejoined his friends.
“You two wait until he starts to eat the oats, and then jump on him,” heshouted to the negroes.
“Yessah,” responded Mose, with a grin. “’Clare to goodness, Ah’d cleanforgot dat you can ketch more flies wid honey dan yuh can wid vinegar.”
When Baldy saw the tempting heap of oats, it occurred to him that alittle something to eat wouldn’t be so bad, and he sidled over to themand began eating. The darkeys secured the harness that they had beenforced to drop, and crept cautiously up on the mule, who was nowthinking only of how delicious oats could taste to a hungry mule. Mosemounted the fence just back of old Baldy, while his companion creptclose to the mule’s other side. Suddenly Mose leaped squarely on hisback. With a frightened snort the mule jerked his head up, and at thatsecond Mose slipped the heavy collar over his neck. At the same momentthe other negro slipped the bridle over his head, forced the bit intohis mouth, and before he could flick his tail old Baldy found himselfarrayed in harness. The suddenness of the attack seemed to take all thespirit out of the mule, and when he found himself actually harnessed hesubmitted with only a few feeble kicks and bucks as protest against thetrick that had been played on him. He was soon hitched to the wagon, andit rattled out of the yard with the two colored men on the seat laughingand throwing insults at the subdued Baldy.
“That was some inspiration you had, Lee,” said Bobby. “I thought at onetime you’d have to call in the police if you wanted to get himharnessed.”
“Oh, that’s an old trick,” said the Southern lad. “I’ve seen those samedarkeys do the same thing, but I guess this time they were so rattledthey didn’t think of it.”
“Well, I’m glad they didn’t do that at the beginning,” said Fred. “We’dhave missed a lot of fun if they had. I don’t think I’ll ever forget howfunny Mose looked streaking for the fence with that mule snapping histeeth right behind him.”
“Yes, old Mose was a scared darkey, all right,” laughed Lee. “But now, Idon’t know about you fellows, but I for one am beginning to feel asthough I could appreciate some of Aunt Dinah’s cooking.”
“Well, suppose you lead us to it and let us show you how we feel aboutit,” said Bobby. “As they often remind us in school, it’s deeds thatcount, not words.”
“All right, then, just follow me and I’ll give you a chance todemonstrate,” said Lee.
“Lead on,” said Fred, “and remember that we’re with you to the lastdoughnut.”
“Oh, I know I can count on you,” returned Lee, as he and his friendsheaded for the house. “But I know you can’t eat too much to suit AuntDinah. The more you pack away, the more she thinks you like her cooking.She is sure an artist when, it comes to performing on a cook stove.”
Arrived at the house, the boys found that Lee’s praise of Aunt Dinah’sabilities had been well founded. Creamy, luscious biscuits, tender,juicy fried chicken, with various tempting side dishes, were topped offby an apple pie that Fred later referred to as “a dream,” and when theyfinally adjourned to the spacious veranda they felt at peace with allthe world.
“Why, I feel so good I think I could even forgive Ap Plunkit for soakingme with a baseball, the way he did last season,” said Fred.
“Well, Lee, if you ever had a grudge against Fred, now’s the time to hithim,” said Bobby. “He wouldn’t even try to hit you back. He’d just shakehands with you and forgive you.”
“I’d advise _you_ to try it,” said Lee, scornfully. “I know it alwaystakes an awful lot to make Fred mad, but still, I’m not going to chanceit.”
Mrs. Cartier, who was an interested listener, laughed. “That’s all thatboys seem to think of—eating and fighting,” she said. “Sometimes Iwonder how they ever get time to study.”
“Well,” said Bobby, “at school, especially, there always seems to besome one who’ll bully everybody else, if he gets the chance, and so oncein a while we just have to show him that he can’t.”
“I suppose so,” she said. “The world always seems to have plenty oftrouble makers.”
Bobby Blake on a Plantation; Or, Lost in the Great Swamp Page 14
