The Adventures of Joel Pepper

by Margaret Sidney

  XVII

  THE FIGHT AT STRAWBERRY HILL

  "Now, then," exclaimed Mr. Tisbett, when dinner was over, and thelittle Peppers declared they couldn't eat any more, "I'm a-goin'to set out on th' porch a minute or two. I allers let Bill an'Jerry rest a full hour," pulling out the big silver watch again.

  "When I'm a man," cried Joel, leaning back in his chair, wishinghe could eat some more raspberry shortcake, "I'm goin' to have awatch just like yours, Mr. Tisbett."

  "I thought you were going to have horses just like Bill an'Jerry," said Mr. Tisbett, in surprise.

  "Oh, I am!" cried Joel, in alarm at being misunderstood;"exactly like Bill and Jerry."

  "You ain't goin' to have horses an' a watch!" cried the stage-driver,keeping very sober. "You must choose between the two."

  "Then I'll take the horses," decided Joel, quickly.

  "You've got two, Mr. Tisbett," observed David, quietly.

  "Eh? Oh, so I have!" cried Mr. Tisbett. "Well, p'r'aps we'll letJoe have 'em both, then; that is, if he's a good boy. Well,can't either on you eat any more? What a pity, an' Mrs. Greenhas such good things."

  The tavern-keeper's wife cried out that some way her raspb'ryshortcake wasn't quite so light as what she had day beforeyest'day. "La, Mr. Tisbett!" she exclaimed, smoothing her aprondelightedly, "if you'd only happened along then, 'twould 'a'melted in your mouth."

  "This suits me to a T," said Mr. Tisbett. "Now, Joel, if you andDavid will play round here real pretty, an' be good boys, I'llset on th' porch an' pass th' time o' day with the folks."

  The little Peppers promising they would be as good as could be,Mr. Tisbett slouched off to the big arm-chair, where he alwaystook his accustomed rest at Strawberry Hill while the horseswere put up in the barn. Joel ran back to tell Mrs. Green, "Ilike you,--I do; you make awful nice things," and David echoedthe same, as they both scampered out of the house.

  "I declare, they're as pretty-behaved children's I ever see,"confided the tavern-keeper's wife to the rest of the family whowere at home, the tavern-keeper himself being away for the day."Poor things, although they were so hungry, an' they don't getmuch to eat at home, they didn't grab an' pick at things." Andshe made up her mind to put up a little bundle of her sugarcookies for them to eat on the way back.

  "I wish we could have taken some of the raspberry shortcake hometo Polly," mourned Davie, speaking out what had been running inhis mind all through the dinner. "She's never tasted any."

  "Well, we couldn't," said Joel, with a qualm of consciencebecause he hadn't thought of it before; "Mamsie's told us itisn't nice to speak of taking things home. Hurry up, Dave," asthey raced on. "I know it," said little Davie. But he sighed,nevertheless.

  "Now where'll we go?" asked Joel, leaning breathless against thebig maple on the edge of the back dooryard.

  "Mr. Tisbett said we were to play round here," said little Davie.

  "Of course," assented Joel, in a superior way "Well, let's peekin th' barn the first thing."

  "Oh, Joe, we mustn't go in!" exclaimed little David, holding himback. "Mr. Tisbett said we weren't to be in the barn."

  "I know it," said Joel, twitching away. "I said peek, Dave. Mr.Tisbett didn't say not to do that." So both boys got as far asthey could on the threshold of the big sweet-smelling barn,without stepping over the sill, and craned their necks to get asight of the two black horses.

  "I can't see 'em! O dear me!" cried Joel, grumpily. "I wishthere was a window we could climb up to."

  "We can hear 'em eating," said little David, taking greatsatisfaction in that.

  "Hoh--what's that! I want to see 'em," Joel ran on discontentedly."O dear me! Mr. Tisbett wouldn't care if we just stepped in upto that post."

  "Yes, he would," cried Davie, in alarm lest Joel should reallystep over.

  "Let me alone," cried Joel, crossly. "O dear me! I can't see abit of 'em." And in a minute, without stopping to think, hehopped over the door-sill and jumped into the barn.

  Little David stood still in terror.

  "Come here, Dave," called Joel, in glee, being careful not to gobeyond the big post, "you can see 'em just as good's can be.Bill's got his mouth full of hay, an' he's bobbing his head, andthe wisps are tickling Jerry, an' he don't like it," and Joellaughed heartily.

  Suddenly somebody slapped David on the back, precipitating himover the sill, and "Jim" ran in past him. "Helloa. What are youdoin'?" he asked Joel.

  Joel looked at him, but didn't answer.

  "I live here," said Jim, "over in Strawberry Hill. An' Mrs.Green's my a'nt; and I've just come home from my grandmother's."

  Joel said nothing as to this family history, but continued togaze at the horses. David picked himself up from the barn floor,and hurrying out over the sill, began to dust his clothes, gladthat Joel had not seen him tumble in.

  "I knocked him over," snickered Jim. "Hee-hee! Cry-baby!" and hepointed to little David, whose face was quite red as he tried tobrush his best clothes clean again.

  "I'm not crying," said Davie, indignantly, and raising his hotface.

  "You knocked him over!" cried Joel, boiling with wrath, and,deserting the big post, he squared off toward the StrawberryHill boy, and doubled up his little brown fists. "Then you'vegot to fight me."

  "All right," said Jim, glad he was so much bigger. "I know aplace down in th' cow-pasture where I can lick you's easy'snot."

  "You ain't a-goin' to lick me," cried Joel, sturdily, "I'm goin'to lick you," while little David, sick with terror, screamed outthat he wasn't hurt; that he didn't care if Jim did push himover, and for Joel to come back--come back! But Joel and Jimwere already halfway to the cow-pasture, and Davie, wild withfright, stumbled over across the barnyard, and off to the houseto find Mr. Tisbett.

  "He's just gone into th' house," said one of the farmers whoalways took this hour, on the occasion of the stage-driver'sweekly visit, to come to the tavern porch and get the news."He'll be out in a minute or two. Sit down, sonny; you'redreadful hot."

  But David wrung his hands, and rushed into the tavern. Thedining room was dark and cool, all the dinner things beingcarried out, except the pickle dish and the sugar bowl; and thecrumbs swept off from the table, and the green blinds pulled to.He could hear the rattle of the dish-washing and the clearing-upgenerally out in the kitchen, and he plunged in. "Where--where'sMr. Tisbett?" he cried, his breath most gone, from fright, andhis little face aflame.

  "Goodness me, how you scart me!" exclaimed the tavern-keeper'swife, who, with another woman, was flying around to get the workdone up. "Oh, it's one of the Pepper boys. What's the matter,dear?" with a glance at David's hot face. "What you bena-runnin' so for?"

  "Joel." It was all David could say, as he pointed off where hethought the cow-pasture was. "Somethin's happened to that otherboy. Didn't you say his name was--Joel?" said the other woman,fastening very small but sharp eyes on David.

  "Mercy me! you don't think it!" exclaimed the tavern-keeper'swife, her ruddy face taking a scared expression. "Dear me! Imust call Mr. Tisbett. Mr. Tisbett!" she screamed, running, ifthe speed she now exercised could be called by that name, forit was more like waddling, out to the porch.

  "He isn't there," gasped David, following her. "Oh, dear Mrs.Green, please hurry and find him," he implored.

  "I don't know no more'n the dead where he is, child," said Mrs.Green, turning a perplexed face to David, after the old farmerhad said the same thing over again. "Mr. Tisbett's got the runo' the place, an' likely as not, he's stepped to one o' theneighbors," pointing to a small cluster of houses a quarter of amile away.

  Little David groaned and clasped his small hands in distress.

  "Then nothing can stop their fighting?" he exclaimed in despair.

  "Fighting? Who's fighting?" demanded Mrs. Green, sharply.

  "Joel and Jim," said David, glad to think he'd remembered whatMr. Tisbett called the boy, yet sorry, as it flashed over him,that the tavern-keeper's wife was his "a'nt."

  "He pushed me down," and his f
ace turned more scarlet yet.But it was necessary to tell the dreadful thing, else Mrs.Green would think Joel was to blame in beginning the fight.

  But the tavern-keeper's wife had her own reasons for believingdifferently. And without wasting her breath on words, except toask David, "Where?" she flung her dish-towel, which she had beencarrying in her hand, across her arm, and picking up her skirts,she made remarkably good time across the barnyard by a shortercut, which she was familiar with, to the cow-pasture.

  Jim saw her coming first, and much as he disliked on ordinaryoccasions to see his "a'nt," he now hailed her approach withsecret delight, for the Badgertown boy was giving him all hecould do to protect himself. So he now shouted out, "My a'nt'scomin'. Stop!"

  "I don't care," cried Joel, pommelling away. So Jim struck backas well as he could, longing to hear Mrs. Green scream out,"Stop!" which she did as soon as she had breath enough, andshaking her dish-towel at them. "You wait there, Jim," shecommanded, on top of her call, as she came panting on; and Jim,looking all ways for escape, saw there was no use in attemptingit. When she did reach him, she seized him and shook him tillhis head seemed to wobble on his shoulders. Then, with aresounding box on the ear, that seemed like a clap of thunder,she paused to take breath.

  "Oh," begged little David, "don't hurt him, dear Mrs. Green."

  "Why did you stop us?" glowered Joel, wrathfully, turning hisbloody little nose up in scorn. "I could 'a' done that to him'seasy as not, if you'd let me."

  Mrs. Green stamped her ample shoe on the ground. "You start forhome," she said to Jim, "an' tell your Pa if he lets you showyour face over here for a long spell, he'll settle with me."

  Jim took one dive across the cow-pasture, scaled the fence, anddisappeared.

  "Now you come along of me," said Mrs. Green. "Goodness landalive! I'm all shook to pieces," and she started for the tavern."I'll wash your face," to Joel; "then I guess you ain't hurtmuch," yet she regarded him anxiously.

  "I ain't hurt a bit," declared Joel, stoutly, and wiping off theblood with the back of one chubby hand. "And I could 'a' lickedhim's easy as nothin'," he added regretfully.

  "I wish I'd let you, before I took him in tow," said thetavern-keeper's wife, hastily, getting over the ground as wellas she could.

  "Mamsie wouldn't have liked it," cried little Davie, running onunsteady feet by Joel's side, and looking at him sadly. "Oh, no,she wouldn't, dear Mrs. Green."

  "I don't s'pose she would now," said Mrs. Green. "Well, Jim's abad boy, if I am his a'nt. Like enough he'll git a trouncingfrom his father," she added cheerfully, as some compensation.

  "What is a trouncing?" asked Joel, suddenly, as they hurried on.

  "The land alive, don't know what a trouncing is!" ejaculated thetavern-keeper's wife. "It's a whipping, and Jim's father knowshow to give it good, I tell you."

  Joel stood still. Little David stared in horror in Mrs. Green'sface.

  "I don't want him to be whipped," said Joel, slowly. It was onething to fight it out with fists in the cow-pasture, but quiteanother to go home to be whipped by a father.

  "Oh, yes, he will," repeated Mrs. Green, in her cheeriest way,and shaking her head at him. "You needn't fear, Joel, he'llcatch it when he gets home."

  "But I don't want him to," declared Joel, loudly, not moving."He mustn't! Stop his father from whipping him! He shan't." Andbefore Mrs. Green could recover from her astonishment, heplunged her deeper yet, by bursting into tears.

  She gazed from him to David, still shaking her head helplessly. "Well, if Iever!" she exclaimed, when she came out of it.

  "And I shall just run and tell his father not to," blubberedJoel, realizing if Jim was to be saved from that awful whipping,he must be the one to do it. "Where does he live?" he cried,emerging from his tears at the chance of action.

  "Over there," answered the tavern-keeper's wife. "Well, if Iever!" pointing to a yellow house. She kept ejaculating thisover and over, as she pursued her way to the house, thoughtfullyswinging her dish-towel.

  Joel, with David at his heels, ran off across the cow-pasture,tumbled over the fence, and followed the direction that Jim hadtaken and that Mrs. Green had pointed, leading to the dingyyellow house.

  Long before they reached it, they could hear squeals that werenot pleasant to hear, and that made them quicken their pace,to run around the house-place, and plunge almost into the faceof an untidy woman who hurried to the door.

  "What d'ye want?" she demanded, as the two boys stopped pantingbefore her.

  "Jim," gasped Joel.

  "And his father," added little David, breathlessly

  "They're both out there," said the woman, pointing with the handholding the dish-towel, to the dilapidated woodshed. "He'sgittin' a lickin', and Pa's a-givin' it."

  The squeals were now so much worse that Joel gave a plunge thatcarried him to the woodshed door, and little David, his heart inhis mouth at thought of Jim's father, followed as best he could.Joel dashed in. "Oh, do stop!" he screamed.

  Jim's father turned; he had a big stick in his hand. When littleDavid saw it he shuddered and sat down helplessly on thewoodshed floor, in among all the clutter and dirt. Jim, with hisknuckles twisted into his streaming eyes, whirled around fromunder the big hand grasping his collar. When he saw Joel, hescreamed worse than ever. "Don't let him kill me, Pa," he roared,huddling up to him.

  Joel sprang up to a tall, big-shouldered man with a bearded face."Oh, sir," he cried, "please don't whip Jim any more--p'r'aps hedidn't mean to push David over, I don't b'lieve. Don't whiphim." He put out his little brown hand, and boldly seized thestick.

  "Hey?" roared the big man. "Well, I'm beat all to smithereens,"and his hand holding the stick dropped to his side. Jim stoppedfrom sheer amazement, the roar dying in his throat.

  "If you'll only let him go," said Joel, "I'd be much obliged,sir," remembering how Mamsie said he should be polite whenasking a favor.

  The big man grinned all over his bearded face. "I don't see butwhat I've got to, you ask me so pretty," he said, showing nearlyevery tooth in his head. "Well, Jim, you're let off for thistime. I hadn't only just begun," he added to Joel, as he hung upthe stick on a beam.

  Jim bounded off, climbed a tree, and watched to see the boys goaway.

  "OH SIR,' HE CRIED, 'PLEASE DON'T WHIP JIM ANYMORE'"]

  "What's your name?" asked his father, as Joel helped David tohis feet, and they started off.

  "Joel Pepper," he answered, "and this is my brother David. Sayhow do you do, Dave," he whispered, pulling his sleeve. Butlittle Davie was too far gone in distress to speak, only tosmile faintly. "And we live over in Badgertown in a little brownhouse," continued Joel, feeling that he ought to make up forDavid's silence.

  "Oh!" said Jim's father.

  "And we must go now," said Joel, keeping hold of David's jacket,"'cause you see Mr. Tisbett may be wanting us"--very desirous ofgetting away.

  "Did ye come with Mr. Tisbett?" asked the big man.

  "Yes, we did," said Joel. "Come on, Dave. We must go, sir. Good-by."And pulling David along, he ran at a smart pace off toward the tavern.

  Mr. Tisbett was standing on the porch, just starting for them,when the two boys ran up. And in front of him was the tavern-keeper'swife, telling the whole story as far as she knew it, the old farmerhitching forward his chair to catch every word. When thestage-driver saw them, he hemmed loudly, and made a sign forMrs. Green to stop.

  "Well, now, I s'pose," he drawled, "it's about time to hitch upthem horses. Want to come and help, Joe and David?"

  Joel gave a skip of delight and released Davie's jacket. "Oh,whickety--yes!" he cried. Little David did not answer, butsmiled his pleasure, and the tavern-keeper's wife went into thehouse to get her bundle of cookies ready.

  But just as they got to the barn Joel hung back suddenly. "Iain't goin' in," he said. Mr. Tisbett didn't hear him, butmarched on. Little David stopped in perplexity.

  "No, I can't," said Joel, growing very sober, "'cause I wasnaughty and went in. Mr. Tisbe
tt doesn't know it. O dear me!"

  "You can tell him," suggested David, thoughtfully.

  "O dear, dear!" exclaimed Joel, just ready to cry, as he couldhear Mr. Tisbett lift down the harness, and call out, "Standstill, there, Bill--good Jerry."

  "Why, boys!" exclaimed the stage-driver suddenly, coming tothe door, the harness in his hand. "What on earth's the matter?I thought ye was jest crazy to come in, Joel," he addedreproachfully.

  Then Joel burst right out. "I've been naughty--and went in." Andhe flung himself across the threshold, shaking with disappointmentat losing the best chance of the whole day.

  Mr. Tisbett looked at Davie for explanation. So David, tellingit as well as he could, got through with the story finally.

  "I can't say that ye warn't naughty, Joel," said the stage-driver,slowly, "'cause ye were. But I'm a-goin' to let ye in, and besides,I need ye to help me with them horses," and Mr. Tisbett began tolook very worried at once.

  Joel sat very straight. "Oh, I'll help you, Mr. Tisbett," hecried joyfully. And in a minute they were all three in the bigstall, and Joel was in the very midst of things, and even Davidforgot his fright enough to lend a helping hand, and to feel hisimportance, and presently the big black horses were led out ofthe barn, and harnessed into the stage-coach.

  "Now, hop up!" cried Mr. Tisbett, when he had gone carefullyaround and around the big coach, to see that every strap andbuckle was in place, and had got down on his knees to be quitesure the springs were all right. Then he gave David a lift up tothe box, Joel clambering up on the other side. "We'll drive upto th' door," he said, "an' get th' passenger," for there wasone woman going over to Badgertown.

  "Oh, let me drive!" begged Joel; "just up to the door, Mr.Tisbett," he implored.

  "We don't want to be upset under folks' noses," said Mr. Tisbett."Land! I'd rather 'twould happen where there warn't no one tosee, if 'twas going to."

  "I wouldn't upset it for anything," promised Joel. "Please, Mr.Tisbett."

  But Mr. Tisbett sat down and gathered up the reins and droveround with such a flourish that it never had been surpassed, itseemed to the people on the tavern porch. And the one woman gotin with her basket, and the tavern-keeper's wife ran down thesteps and stood on her tiptoes and handed up to Joel the bundleof cookies, begging them to come again. And the old farmer said"Good day," and the woman with little sharp eyes, who had beenwashing the dishes, hurried out, pulling down her sleeves, to seethem off. And away they rattled, with faces turned toward homeand Mamsie.

  They had proceeded about a quarter of a mile, when Mr. Tisbettsuddenly asked, "Want to drive, Joel? Come along over here," andhe reached past David and took his hand. "Now, then, I'm goin'to set in the middle a little spell," and before Joel couldrecover from his astonishment, he found the old leather reins inhis brown hands. He was driving Mr. Tisbett's black horses!