Four Afoot: Being the Adventures of the Big Four on the Highway

by Ralph Henry Barbour

  CHAPTER IV

  INTRODUCES MR. WILLIAM HOOPER AND AN IMPROMPTU SUPPER

  By the time they had regained the Jericho road they had walked nearlytwelve miles, and it was close to six o’clock. It had been slow goingfor the last two hours, for the distance had begun to tell on them,especially on Dan and Tom. Nelson and Bob, who had been at Camp Chicorafor ten weeks, were in pretty good training, but even they were tired.

  “Now what?” asked Dan, as they paused at the junction of the two roads.

  “Well, Jericho’s a good mile and a half back, according to the map,”answered Bob. “Suppose we find Bill Hooper’s place and see if he willgive us some supper. After that we can go on to Jericho and find aplace to sleep.”

  “All right, but are you sure there’s a hotel at Jericho?” said Nelson.

  “No, but Bill will tell us, I guess.”

  “On to Bill’s!” said Dan wearily.

  So they turned to the right and made toward the nearest farmhouse,a half mile distant. It proved on nearer acquaintance to be aprosperous-looking, well-kept place, with acres and acres of land toit and a big white house flanked by a much bigger red barn. They madetheir way up a lane under the branches of spreading elm trees, andknocked at the front door. Presently footsteps sounded inside and theportal swung open, revealing a thickset elderly man, whose morose,suspicious face was surrounded by a fringe of grizzled beard andwhiskers.

  “Well?” he demanded.

  “Good evening,” said Bob. “Could you let us have something to eat, sir?We would be glad to pay for it.”

  “This isn’t a hotel,” said the man.

  “Oh, then you aren’t Mr. William Hooper?”

  “Yes, that’s me. Some one send you here?”

  “Yes, sir. We met a man down at Locust Park who said he was sureyou’d----”

  “What was his name?”

  “Er--what was it, Dan?”

  “Abner Wade,” answered Dan promptly.

  The name exerted a remarkable effect on Mr. William Hooper. His faceflushed darkly and his hands clinched. Bob fell back from the doorwayin alarm.

  “Abner Wade, eh?” growled Mr. Hooper. “Abner Wade sent ye, did he? Imight have known it was him! Now you make tracks, the whole parcel ofye! If you ain’t outside my grounds in two minutes I’ll set the dog onye! Here, Brutus! Here, Brutus!”

  “_Et tu, Brute!_” muttered Dan as he fled down the path.

  At the gate they brought up, laughing, and looked warily back for thedog. Much to their relief he wasn’t in sight.

  “Don’t believe he’s got any dog,” said Tommy.

  “Don’t see why he should have,” said Dan. “He’s ugly enough himself toscare anyone away.”

  “I’d like to see that Abner Wade just about two minutes,” said Nelson.“Nice game he put up on us!”

  “Yes. Old Bill hates him like poison, evidently,” answered Bob. “He’san awful joker, Abe is!”

  “What’ll we do?” asked Tom.

  “Foot it to Jericho, I guess,” said Bob. “It’s only about a mile.”

  Tom groaned dismally.

  “When I get back,” said Dan darkly, “I’ll bet I’ll tell that doctor ofmine what I think of his old walking!”

  “Here’s some one coming,” whispered Nelson. “Let’s light out.”

  “It’s a woman,” said Bob. “Guess it’s the old codger’s wife. Let’swait.”

  She was a stout, kind-faced woman, and her hurried walk from the househad left her somewhat out of breath.

  “Boys,” she gasped, “I’m real sorry about this. And I guess you didn’tmean any harm.”

  “Harm?” echoed Bob. “No’m, we just wanted some supper and were willingto pay for it. A man down at Locust Park----”

  “Yes, I know. That was the trouble. You see, Abner Wade and my husbandain’t been on speaking terms for ten years and more. Abner sold Williama horse that wasn’t just what he made it out to be; it died less’na week afterwards; and William went to law about it, and Abner keptappealing or something, and it ain’t never come to a settlement, andI guess it never will. If you hadn’t mentioned Abner Wade I guess itwould have been all right. I’m real sorry.”

  “Oh, it’s all right, ma’am,” Bob hastened to assure her. “I dare say wecan find something to eat at the hotel in Jericho.”

  “There isn’t any hotel there, far as I know,” said Mrs. Hooper, shakingher head.

  Dan whistled softly, and even Bob looked discouraged.

  “I guess it’s the cold, cold ground for us to-night,” said Dan. “If Ionly had a ham sandwich----!”

  Mrs. Hooper cast a glance up the lane.

  “Maybe you boys wouldn’t mind sleeping in the barn,” she suggesteddoubtfully.

  “Indeed we wouldn’t,” said Bob.

  “That would be fun,” assented Nelson.

  “Anyway, I don’t see what better you can do,” said the woman. “It’sa good five miles to Samoset, and I don’t know of any hotel nearerthan that. You go around here by that wall and cross over to the barnback of the garden. You’ll find the little door at the side unlocked.There’s plenty of hay there, and I guess you can be right comfortable.As soon as I can I’ll bring you out some supper.”

  Tom let out a subdued whoop of joy, and Dan did a double shuffle in thegrass.

  “It’s mighty good of you,” said Bob warmly.

  “Yes’m; we’re awfully much obliged,” echoed Nelson.

  “We’ll be mighty glad to pay for it,” Dan chimed in.

  “Well, I guess there won’t be anything to pay,” said Mrs. Hooper with asmile. “Now you run along, and I’ll come soon as I can. William’s kindof worked up, and I guess he’d better not know about it. I want you topromise me one thing, though.”

  “Yes’m. What is it?” asked Nelson.

  “Not to light any matches.”

  “Yes, we promise.”

  “All right. Run along now, and keep out of sight.” Mrs. Hooper noddedgood-naturedly, and turned back toward the house. Dan struck a dramaticattitude.

  “Supper!” he cried.

  “Shut up, and come along,” said Bob.

  “Well,” said Dan, “I guess here’s where we get the laugh on Abe.Only--well, if I ever have a chance to square things with him----!”

  Words failed him, and with a sigh he followed the others down the roadfor a distance, over a fence, and so along a wall that skirted thetruck garden. The little door was unlocked, as Mrs. Hooper had saidit would be, and they stumbled into the twilight of the big barn.The only sound was the occasional stamping of a horse and the steady_crunch-crunch_ of the cattle.

  “Fortunate beasts,” whispered Nelson.

  Overhead the mows were filled with fragrant hay, and near at hand aladder led up to it. From a window high up at one end of the building aflood of red light entered from the sunset sky.

  “Shall we go up there now?” asked Nelson.

  “No. Let’s stay here until we get something to eat,” said Bob.

  So they made themselves comfortable, Dan and Nelson finding seats onsome sacks of grain, and Bob and Tom climbing into the back of a wagonand sprawling out on the floor of it, hands under heads.

  “I’ll bet no one will have to sing me asleep to-night,” said Dan with aluxurious sigh. “Just wait until I strike that hay up there!”

  Conversation was desultory for the next half hour, for all four of theboys were dead tired. Tommy even dropped off to sleep once, though hedenied the fact indignantly. It seemed a long while before Mrs. Hooperappeared, but when she did, her burden more than atoned for the periodof waiting. She carried a big tray, and it was piled high. There wascold mutton, a pitcher of hot tea, milk, stacks of bread and plenty ofbutter, preserved pears, a whole custard pie, and lots of cake. Tom wasalmost tearful. Mrs. Hooper set the tray down on a box and disappearedinto the harness room, to return in a moment with a lighted lantern.

  “There,” she said; “now I guess you can see what you’re eating. Wh
enyou get through, set the tray here by the door, and I’ll get it later.And put out the lantern carefully. Don’t leave any sparks about. In themorning you stay up in the hay until I call you. My husband will be outin the field by seven and then you can come to the house and have somebreakfast. Good night.”

  “Good night, ma’am,” they answered with full hearts and fuller mouths.“We’re awfully much obliged to you.”

  “Yes’m. You’ve saved our lives,” said Dan.

  Mrs. Hooper surveyed them smilingly from the door.

  “Well, it’s real nice to see you boys eat,” she said. “I just couldn’tbear to have you go tramping around so late without any supper. AndWilliam wouldn’t have wanted it either, only--if it hadn’t been forAbner Wade, you see.”

  “Yes’m!”

  “Good night, Mrs. Hooper!”

  “Thank you very much!”

  Then the door closed behind her, and they were left to the enjoyment oftheir supper. And when I say enjoyment I know what I’m talking about!

  “Say, fellows,” said Dan presently, when the edge of his appetite hadbeen dulled by many slices of cold meat and bread and butter, “say, doyou suppose we’re always going to eat in barns on this trip?”

  “Much I’d care if it was always as good as this,” answered Nelson,dividing the pie into four generous quarters with his knife. And theothers agreed. When only crumbs remained on the tray they blew out thelantern, set the remains of the feast beside the door, and climbed upinto the loft. There, burrowing luxuriously in the sweet-smelling hay,they fell asleep almost instantly.