CHAPTER V
THE TALE OF A SCARECROW
"My goodness! you can't go home that way," said Bobby Blake, faintly.
He did not laugh at all. The situation had suddenly become tragicinstead of comic. Fred could not walk back to Clinton in hisbathing-trunks--that is, not until after dark.
"I wish I had hold of that Ap Plunkit," repeated Fred Martin. "_He_ didit," he added.
"Oh, we don't know--"
"Of course we do. He sneaked along there after us and found my clothes,and ran away with them--every one. And your shoes and stockings, too!"
"No he didn't, either!" cried Bobby, suddenly, staring up into the talltree over their heads.
"Eh?"
"There are the shoes and stockings--shoes, anyway," declared Bobby,pointing.
It was a chestnut tree above their heads. It promised a full crop ofnuts in the fall, for the green burrs starred thickly the leafybranches.
Whoever had disturbed the chums' possessions had climbed to the verytip-top of the chestnut and hung the two pair of shoes far out on asmall branch.
"That's Ap Plunkit's work--I know," declared Fred, with conviction. "Heclimbs trees like a monkey. You see how long his arms are. I've seenhim go up a taller tree than this."
"Maybe he's taken your clothes up there, too," said Bobby, going to thetrunk of the tree.
"The mean scamp!" exclaimed Fred. "How'll we get them, Bob? I--I can'tclimb that tree this way."
"Neither can I," admitted his friend. "But wait till I run and get myclothes on--"
"And you'd _better_ run, too!" exclaimed Fred, suddenly, "or you won'tfind the rest of _your_ clothes."
Thus advised, Bobby Blake set out at once for the spot where he had beendressing. There was no sign of Applethwaite Plunkit about--or of anyother marauder. Just the same, when Bobby was dressed and went down thecreek side again to Fred, he carried all their possessions with him.
That chestnut was a hard tree for Bobby to climb--especially barefooted.There were so many prickly burrs that had dropped into the crotches ofthe limbs, and, drying, had become quite stiff and sharp. He had tostop several times as he mounted upward to pick the thorns from hisfeet.
But he got the shoes and stockings, and, hanging them around his neck,came down as swiftly as he could. Both boys at once sat down and put onthis part of their apparel. Fred was almost tempted to cry; but then,he was too angry to "boo-hoo" much.
"I'll catch that Ap Plunkit, and I'll do something to him yet," hedeclared. "I'll have him arrested for stealing my clothes, anyway."
"How can we prove he took them? We didn't see him," said Bobby,thoughtfully.
"Well!"
"I tell you what," Bobby said. "Let's go up to his house and tell hismother. We _know_ he did this, even if we didn't see him. Of course,we got him mad first--"
"We didn't have to get him mad," declared Fred. "He's mad all thetime."
"Well, we plagued him. He just was getting square."
"But such a mean trick to steal a fellow's clothes!"
"Maybe his folks will see it that way and make Applethwaite give themback."
"But I can't go up there to the house with only these old tights on!"said Fred.
"No," and Bobby couldn't help grinning a little. "You wear my jacket."
"And if I have lost my clothes," wailed Fred, "and have to go home thisway, my father will give it to me good! Come on!"
"Let's each find a good club. That dog, you know," said Bobby.
"Sure. And if we meet up with Ap, I'll be likely to use it on him,too!" growled Fred, angrily.
Bobby decided that it was useless to try to pacify his chum at themoment. It seemed to relieve Fred to threaten the absent Ap Plunkit,and it did that individual no bodily harm!
So the boys found stout clubs and started up the bank of the creek.Fred was feeling so badly that he did not pick more of the "summersweetnin's" when they came to the apple tree.
They crawled through the hole in the boundary fence of the Plunkit Farmand kept on up the creek-side. First they crossed the pasture, thenthey climbed a tight fence and entered a big cornfield. The corn wastaller than their heads and there were acres and acres of it. It wasplanted right along the edge of the creek bank, and they had to walkbetween the rows.
"If old Plunkit sees us in his corn, he'll be mad," said Fred, at last.
"This is the nearest way to the house, and we've got to try and get yourclothes," said Bobby, firmly.
After that, he took the lead. The nearer they approached the farmhouse,the more Fred lagged. But suddenly, in the midst of the long cornfield,Master Martin uttered a cry.
"Look there, Bob!"
"What's the matter with you? I thought it was the dog."
"No, sir! See yonder, will you?"
"Nothing but a scarecrow," said Bobby.
"Yes. But it has clothes on it. I'm going to take them. I'm not goingup to that house without anything more on me than what I've got."
Bobby began to chuckle at that. It seemed too funny for anything to roba scarecrow. But Fred was pushing his way through the corn toward theabsurd figure.
Suddenly Fred uttered another yell--this time his famous warwhoop:
"Scubbity-_yow_! I got him!"
"You got who?" demanded Bobby, hurrying after his chum.
"This is some o' that Ap Plunkit's doings--the mean thing! Look here!"and he snatched the cap off the scarecrow's head of straw.
"Why--that looks like _your_ cap, Fred," gasped Bobby.
"And it _is_, too."
"That--that's just the stripe of your shirt!"
"And it is my shirt. And it's my pants, and all!" cried Fred. "I'llget square with Ap Plunkit yet--you see if I don't. There's the oldragged things this scarecrow wore, on the ground. And he's dressed it in_my_ things. Oh, you wait till I catch him!"
Meanwhile Fred was hastily tearing off the garments that certainly werehis own. They were all here. Bobby kept away from him, and laughedsilently to himself. It was really too, too funny; but he did not wantto make Fred angry with _him_.
"Now I guess we'd better not go to the farmhouse--had we?" demandedBobby.
"Let's go home," grunted Fred, very sour. "It's almost sundown."
"All right," agreed his chum.
"He tore my shirt, too. And we might never have found these clothes.I'm going to get square," Fred kept muttering, as they struck right downbetween the corn rows toward the distant roadside fence.
Just as they climbed over the rails to leap into the road they werehailed by a voice that said:
"Hey there! what you doin' in that cornfield?"
There was the Plunkit hopeful--otherwise Applethwaite, the white-headedboy. He sat on the top rail near by and grinned at the two boys fromtown.
"There you are--you mean thing!" cried Fred Martin, and before Bobbycould stop him, he rushed at the bigger fellow.
He was so quick--or Ap was so slow--that Fred seized the latter by theankles before he could get down from his perch.
"Git away! I'll fix you!" shouted the farm boy.
He kicked out, lost his balance, and Fred let him go. Ap fell backwardoff the fence into the cornfield, and landed on his head and shoulders.
He set up a terrific howl, even before he scrambled to his feet. By hisactions he did not seem to be so badly hurt. He searched around for astone, found it, and threw it with all his force at Fred Martin.Fortunately he missed the town boy.
Immediately Fred grabbed up a stone himself and poised it to fling athis enemy. Bobby threw himself upon his chum and seized his raised arm.
"Now you stop that, Fred!" he commanded.
"Why shouldn't I hit him? He flung one at me," declared the angry boy.
"I know. But he didn't hit you. And you might hit him and do him harm.Suppose you put his eye out--or something? Come on home, Fred--don't bea chump."
"Aw--well,"
growled Fred, and threw the stone away.
"You know you are always getting into a muss," urged Bobby, hurrying hischum along the road toward town. "What'll you do when you go toRockledge--"
"You got to go with me, Bob," declared Fred, grinning.
"Oh! I wish they'd let me," murmured his friend.
But as far as he could see then, no circumstances could arise that wouldmake such a wished for event possible.
Bobby Blake at Rockledge School; or, Winning the Medal of Honor Page 5
