CHAPTER XXI
GIVE AND TAKE
Bobby was scared at first by his sudden discovery. Here the Belden boyswere coming on the rush, and there was only a handful of Rockledgeboys--ten in all--at the island, to stand the unexpected charge.
Hi Letterblair, the captain of the Belden School, was at the head of thecharging column. He and eight of the biggest boys of Belden were verynear the island already.
Directly in the rear of the vanguard were a dozen smaller boys withschoolbook bags over their shoulders. Bobby knew by the bulkyappearance of these receptacles, that they were full of snowballs.
Some distance behind were the rest of the Belden boys, dragging sledsheaped with ammunition. The entire force of the enemy was approaching.
Bobby wheeled about, even before he cried out, save for that firstexclamation of surprise, to look at the Rockledge shore. There was notanother Rockledge boy in sight save those at the island.
"What's the matter!" lazily demanded Max Bender, warming his hands overthe tiny blaze.
"Look! Look!" repeated Bobby, turning to point again. "Here theycome!"
"Here _who_ come?" asked Bender, jumping up.
He shuffled up to the place where Bobby stood. One look he gave and thenvented his amazement in a long whistle.
"My goodness!" he muttered. "They've got us beaten before we evenbegin."
"Aren't we going to fight?" demanded Bobby, with energy.
"What! fight the whole bunch--just us few?"
"Of course. We've got the island--"
"And a fat time we'd have trying to keep it," grunted Max.
"Why, you're a quitter!" exclaimed the smaller boy, under his breath.He whirled and waved his hands to the boys below, busy making snowballs."Get up here, fellows--in a hurry!" he cried. "Here come theBedlamites."
"Scubbity-_yow_!" was Ginger Martin's response, and the red head came onthe run. A fight was meat and drink to Fred.
The other boys hurried up the slope, too. Bobby yelled to them to bringin the sleds and all the ammunition.
In making the fortress the evening before, and in rolling "snow bombs"to fling down upon the heads of the enemy should they get to closequarters, the island itself had been for the most part swept clean ofsnow. The bulwarks of the fortress were as tall as most of the boysdefending it at the present moment.
"We're going to get licked," muttered Max Bender again.
Sparrow grinned at Ginger. "I always believed Bender was a softie," hewhispered. Ginger nodded, but he looked at Bobby.
"We've _got_ to hold on here till Captain Gray gets over withreinforcements," the boy from Clinton was saying, eagerly.
"Sure we have!" agreed most of the ten, in chorus.
"And the way to do it is not to let those Belden fellows see how few innumbers we are," said Bobby, thoughtfully. "We have heaps ofammunition. We'll beat them off till Captain Gray comes."
"We can't do it," declared Max Bender, with conviction.
Fred turned on him with his face as well as his hair aflame: "You're ahealthy lieutenant, you are!" he snarled. "Why didn't Captain Grayleave a baby in command? Come on! you can fling snowballs, can't you,like Bobby says?"
"Well--But these fellers will surround the island and then they'll getus," croaked Max.
Sparrow laughed sneeringly. It was Bobby who replied.
"If you propose to run, you start now before the fight begins," he said,gravely. "Then they'll think we're sending a messenger forreenforcements, not that one of our side is a coward and is runningaway."
"Hurrah!" yelled Sparrow.
"Scubbity-_yow_!" exclaimed Ginger. "Now he's got it."
Max Bender was actually pale. He was scared to fight and he was scaredto run! In truth his position was pitiable.
But Bobby Blake gave the big fellow very little attention. The otherboys just naturally looked to Bobby to lead them.
"Don't show yourselves, fellows, if you can help it. Don't throw tooquickly; we don't want to waste ammunition. Let's all line up alonghere now, and one of us peek over and give the word to fire--"
"I'll do that!" cried the excited Mouser Pryde.
"Yes you will!" sneered Fred. "I'd like to see you. Bobby's bossingthis."
"That's right!" exclaimed Sparrow, generously. "If this big simpleton,Bender, won't take the lead, let Bobby do it."
"Sure! let Bobby do it!" shouted the others.
Bobby, his eyes flashing, his cheeks red with excitement, did not arguethe point. Of course he wanted to lead--what boy would not?
Besides, he believed they could hold the Beldenites off untilreinforcements came. Max Bender stood beside him, packing a snowballtighter, and said nothing. Bobby jumped up and looked over the highparapet. It was almost two feet across at the top, and lots thicker atthe bottom. The inside was cut straight up and down, but outside itsloped.
Bobby could stand upon a rock and see over the top of the wall. HiLetterblair and his crowd was now quite near. When Bobby popped up Hisaw the Rockledge boy.
"Hurrah!" yelled the Belden leader. "Come on, fellows! Charge!"
"Let's fire at them, Bobby!" gasped Fred, fairly dancing up and down inhis eagerness.
"No. They're too far away yet. Hold your fire."
"Till we see the whites of their eyes--just like Bunker Hill!" exclaimedSparrow Bangs.
"They'll hammer the life out of us if they get up here," grumbled Max.
Bobby turned on him suddenly. Big as Bender was, he was doing all hecould to scare the rest of the garrison.
"You be still!" commanded Bobby. "If you won't fight, run; but if youstay with us, you keep your mouth shut and throw snowballs as hard asyou can!"
And actually, big as he was, the pale faced Max did not reply!
Bobby whirled back to look over the parapet. His eyes danced and he wasso excited that he could scarcely keep still.
"Now!" he cried. "Up and at them! Fire three each, and then drop down.And take aim--_do_ take aim!"
Most of the boys obeyed him. The snowballs flew in a shower upon theadvancing enemy. With the advantage of their position, the Rockledgeboys pelted the on-comers well.
Belden's leader brought up his whole force before he attempted to replyto the fusillade. Letterblair knew that they would have to get nearer topelt their missiles at the garrison with any precision.
Behind the wall of snow and rock, Bobby said:
"Now, three more snowballs. Get ready!" Each boy could hold twomissiles in his left hand while he threw the third. The idea was to getin the fusillade and then drop out of sight before the enemy couldreturn the compliment.
"All ready?" cried Bobby again. "Come on, now! Let them have it!"
Up jumped the nine youngsters and saw that Hi Letterblair and his crewwas now very near the island.
"Shoot!" yelled the captain of the Belden boys.
They were at a disadvantage, however. They had to throw up, while theRockledge garrison threw down.
The missiles from the island-fortress descended upon the charging enemywith considerable force. Before the Beldens could return the fire, Bobbyand his crowd dropped out of sight again.
The Beldens cheered. Bobby popped up, saw that they were stilladvancing, and gave the order for another volley.
"At them again!" he shouted.
Fred was yelling his battle-cry like a crazy boy, and Shiner and Sparrowwere scarcely less excited. In the midst of one of Fred's vociferousshouts, _slam_ came a snowball right into his mouth!
"Oh! oh! that was a soaker!" cried Sparrow.
Fred was hopping mad. He wanted to keep on firing at the enemy whenBobby gave the command to dip down for another supply of ammunition.
"Obey the captain!" bawled Howell Purdy.
"Get ready!" called Bobby, steadily. "Don't throw so wild. They aregetting too near for comfort."
"They'll just give us _fits_ when they get up here," mur
mured theshaking Max.
"I never _did_ see such a lump of uselessness," grumbled Mouser. "Didyou, Bobby?"
"Come on!" shouted the young leader of the defenders. "Give them asgood as they send--and take what they send us laughing."
The Rockledge boys popped up again. Their last volley had stopped theBelden boys. Some of the youngsters had run away with the ammunition.Hi Letterblair had halted his party to make new snowballs.
"Give it to them!" shouted Bobby, and down upon the attacking partyhurtled another well-aimed volley.
They drove the besiegers back several yards, but now Hi Letterblair sawthat there was but a small garrison on the island. He saw only boysfrom the Rockledge Lower School, and it was evident that Captain Graywas not present.
He called a council of war, and soon the Belden party began to spreadout and quickly surrounded the island. Bobby and his crowd werecompletely hemmed in.
"What did I tell you?" whined Max Bender. "Now we _can't_ get away atall."
"You had your chance to go," Bobby said, with scorn. "We can beat thewhole crowd off--for awhile, at least. We have plenty of snowballs."
"But there's not much snow to make any more," said Howell Purdy.
"We should worry!" exclaimed Sparrow. "We'll throw them just as fast aswe can, as long as they last."
"No use in trying to throw so far," advised Bobby. "We have theadvantage of them, anyway. They have to throw higher than we do."
Soon a shower of snowballs was flung at every head which appeared abovethe ramparts. Nor could Bobby and his friends remain in hiding all thetime. If they did so, the Beldens would soon charge and rout them bythe weight of superior numbers.
It was only by returning the enemy's fire with vigor and precision thatthe Rockledge boys held the fort at all. Hi Letterblair had ten or adozen big boys massed to make a charge; Bobby could see that.
Therefore the young leader of the defending party urged his followers toconcentrate their attack upon the captain of the Belden School.
"Keep them off! we've _got_ to keep them off till Captain Gray getshere," panted Bobby.
"Hurrah! here they come!" yelled one of the smaller boys, suddenly.
Bobby shot a glance toward the Rockledge shore. Indeed, there they didcome! With Captain Gray and the school flag at their head, the bulk ofthe Rockledge boys were coming across the snow-covered lake towards theisland.
"Keep still! don't wake them up!" begged Bobby, before anybody elsecould cheer. "If the Bedlamites don't know they're coming till they gethere--why, all the better."
The appearance of reenforcements put pluck into Max Bender. He began tohurl snowballs with more precision and with more force. He became veryactive. Hi Letterblair's crew of big boys charged only half heartedly.
The boys behind the ramparts almost smothered them before the attackingparty got upon the island. They had chosen the easiest ascent, but onlyone of the attackers reached the snow-wall.
Instantly half a dozen hands reached for this plucky enemy, and it wasMax who hauled him over into the fort and sat on him.
"Hurrah! we've got a prisoner!" yelled Howell Purdy, dancing up anddown.
"What'll we do with him, Bobby?" demanded Fred.
"Huh! _I_ captured him," grumbled Max. "I guess I'll do what I pleasewith him."
"While we're fooling with that fellow, the others will get up here,"declared Shiner.
"Come on! here they come!" shouted Bobby, who was ever on the watch.
The second charge of Hi and his cohorts was resultless to either party.And then, almost immediately, Captain Gray and the rest of the Rockledgeboys came upon the Beldens.
Hi Letterblair ordered his party to face about, and brought up thesmaller boys from the other side of the island. At once the garrison ofthe fort leaped upon the ramparts and drove down a withering fire uponthe enemy.
Thus held between two fires, the Beldenites were driven back around theisland, and out of shot from the fortress. Captain Gray ordered hisarmy to spread out and hold them at bay.
They had dragged out from the shore thousands of snowballs. TheRockledge party had ammunition enough to last for hours, both in thefort and on the sleds.
Captain Gray hurried into the fort. Max had let the prisoner up and theboys were all dancing about excitedly.
"You fellows did fine!" cried Barry Gray, his eyes shining. "Max!you're all right! You held them off in fine shape."
"They gave us a hard rub, Barry," said the big fellow, coolly. "And Iyanked this chap inside when they charged."
His statement was perfectly correct--as far as it went; but for Max toaccept praise for the defense of the fort struck most of the smallerboys dumb. Not Fred Martin, however.
"Well I never!" gasped the red-haired boy. "Will you listen to _that_?Talk about the brass cheek of him!"
"What's the matter with you, Ginger?" demanded Max, scowling.
"Say! do you think you can get away with it?" shouted Fred. "_You_getting thanked for holding this island? Why, Barry," he cried, turningon the captain, with blazing eyes, "that big simpleton wanted to give upthe fort and run away when he saw the Bedlamites coming. Yes he did!I'll leave it to Sparrow and the rest of the boys."
Sparrow shouldered his way to the front. "That's right, captain," hesaid. "Max was having a fit of shivers here, and wouldn't give orders.Bobby fought us."
"Sure he did!" cried Shiner and Howell Purdy together. "It was Bobbywho did it. We'd have been whipped, if it hadn't been for Bobby."
"Well, did I say he _didn't_ do his share?" snarled Max Bender, the windall taken out of his sails. "I--I had a headache, anyway. And I _did_grab this fellow prisoner."
He looked around for the boy in question. But while they had beenarguing, the Belden boy had slipped out of the fort and made his escape.
Bobby Blake at Rockledge School; or, Winning the Medal of Honor Page 21
