A YOUNG HERO.
Reuben Johnson leaned on his hoe, and, looking up at the sun, wonderedwhether, as in the Biblical story, it had not been stationary forseveral hours. He was sure it was never so long in descending to thehorizon.
"Wake up, Rube," sharply called his Uncle Peter, smartly hoeing anotherrow a few paces behind him, "doan be idlin' your time; de sun am foahhours high yit."
The nephew started and raised his implement, but stopped. He wasstaring at the corner of the fence just ahead, where sat the jug ofcold water, with the Revolutionary musket leaning against the rails.The crows were so annoying that the double-loaded weapon was kept readyto be used against the pests when they ventured too near.
"See dar, uncle!" said Rube in a scared voice. The old man also ceasedwork, adjusted his iron-rimmed spectacles, and looked toward the fence.
Within a few feet of where the flint lock musket inclined against therails, a yellow dog was trying to push his way through. Watching hisefforts for a few minutes, the elder said:
"Rube, I wish we had de gun; dat dog ain't peaceable."
"He am mad; dis ain't de place fur us."
"Slip down to de fence and got de gun; dat's a good boy!"
"Gracious!" gasped the youth; "it am right dar by de dog."
"He won't notice you; run behind him and be quick 'bout it, or he'llchaw us bofe to def."
"He'll chaw _me_ suah if I goes near him," was the reply of Rube, whofelt little ardor for the task his relative urged upon him.
"Ain't it better dat _one_ ob us should go dead, dan bofe should beobstinguished?" asked the uncle reproachfully.
"Dat 'pends which am de one to go dead; if it am _me_, it am better for_you_, but I don't see whar _I'm_ to come in; 'spose you see wheder youcan got de gun--"
"Dar he comes!" whispered Uncle Pete.
Sure enough the cur, having twisted his body between the rails, begantrotting toward the couple that were watching him with such interest.
There was good reason for fear, since the canine was afflicted with therabies in the worst form. He showed no froth at the jaws, for animalsthus affected do not, but his eyes were fiery, his mouth dry, theconsuming fever burning up all moisture. He moaned as if in pain, historture causing him to snap at everything in reach. He had bittenshrubbery, branches, wood and other objects, and now made for thepersons with the purpose of using his teeth on them.
"Rube," said his uncle, "stand right whar you am! No use ob runnin',for he'll cotch you; when he gets nigh 'nough bang him wid your hoe; ifdat don't fotch him, I'll gib him anoder whack and dat'll finish himsuah."
Fate seemed to have ordered that the younger person should hold the vanin the peril, though he was tempted to take his place by his relative,so that the attack of the dog should be met by both at the sameinstant. This promised to be effective, but the time was too brief topermit any plan of campaign.
The brute was already within a hundred yards of Rube, who, with his hoedrawn back, as though it were a club, tried to calm his nerves for thestruggle. He would have fled, had he not known that that would drawpursuit to himself. He was inclined to urge his uncle to join him in abreak for freedom, the two taking diverging routes. Since the caninecould not chase both at the same time, such a course was certain tosave one, but, inasmuch as the youth was at the front, he knew he mustbe the victim, and the prospect of a mad dog nipping at his heels, withfangs surcharged with one of the most fearful venoms known, was tooterrifying to be borne. He, therefore, braced himself, and, with acertain dignity and courage, held his ground.
A dog suffering from the rabies often shows odd impulses. This one waswithin fifty feet of Rube, when he turned at right angles and trottedtoward the other side of the cornfield.
"_Now's_ your time, chile!" called Uncle Pete; "got de gun quick, andif he comes back we'll be ready for him."
It was the first suggestion that struck the nephew favorably, and heacted upon it at once. The dog might change his mind again and returnto the attack, in which event no weapon could equal a loaded gun.
As Rube ran with his broad-brimmed hat flapping in his eyes, he keptglancing over his shoulder, to make sure the brute was not followinghim, while his uncle held his position, with his hoe grasped and hiseye fixed on the animal, trotting between the hills of corn. Hemanaged also to note the action of his nephew, who was making goodtime, and whose progress caused the hearts of the two to heat high withhope.
Had the fence ahead of the dog been open, doubtless he would have soonpassed out of sight; but, as if recalling his trouble in entering thefield, and possibly seeing his error in leaving two victims, he stoppedonly an instant in front of the rails, when he turned and came at aswifter gait than before, straight for Uncle Pete.
The latter stared a second or two and then shouted:
"Quick, Rube! he means _me_ dis time!" And he dashed off, not to joinhis nephew, but to reach the side of the field opposite the nose of theanimal.
By this time the youth had his hands on the smoothbore musket and hiscourage came back. He saw his uncle crashing over the hills, thepicture of dismay, while the dog rapidly gained on him.
"Hey dar! hey dar!" shouted Rube, breaking into a run and trying todraw attention to himself. But the brute only sped the faster. He wasnear the middle of the procession, but gaining on the fugitive, who hadthrown aside his hoe, flung his hat to the ground, and was makingbetter progress than when he used to run races with the boys in hisyounger days.
The fence was near and he strained every nerve. It looked as if manand dog would reach it at the same moment, but the former put forth anextra spurt and arrived a pace or two ahead, with the cur at his heels.
Rube, however, was not far to the rear. Seeing the crisis had come, hestopped short, brought the musket to his shoulder, and, taking the bestaim he could, let fly with the whole load that clogged several inchesof the barrel.
He did not observe at the moment of pressing the trigger that his uncleand the dog were in line, but it could have made no difference, sincethe shot had to be made at that instant or not at all.
Just as the weapon was fired, Uncle Pete with a great bound cleared thefence, landing on his hands and knees; and, rolling over on his back,kicked the air with such vigor that his shoes flew off, one after theother, as if keeping time with his frenzied outcries.
The yellow cur was scared, as a shark is sometimes driven off by theloud splashing of a swimmer, and, though he leaped the fence, hewheeled again, and, without harming the man, ran down the highwaytoward the Woodvale school.
For a moment after firing, Rube Johnson believed he was killed. Theflint shot a spark among the powder grains, there was a flash, a hiss,and then, as the fire worked its way to the charge inside, theexplosion came and he toppled over, half stunned, with the gun flying adozen feet away.
But his fear for his relative brought him to his feet, and he hurriedto the old gentleman, who was climbing uncertainly to an uprightposture.
"What's de matter?" asked Rube; "you ain't bit."
"I know dat; I warn't yellin' on _dat_ 'count."
"What fur den?"
"You black rascal, you shot me instid ob de yaller dog."
"Lemme see," said Rube, turning his uncle round and scanning him fromhead to foot.
"I done pepper you purty well, uncle, but dare ain't any ob de slugsdat hit yer--only de fine bird shot."
"How many ob dem?" was the rueful question.
"I don't tink dar's more dan five or six hundred; Aunt Jemimer can gibher spar time de next six weeks pickin' 'em out; she'll enj'y it, butdat shot ob mine scared off de mad dog, and yer oughter be tankful tome, uncle, all yer life."
It was recess at the Woodvale school, and the forty-odd boys and girlswere having a merry time on the playgrounds, which included the broadhighway. Within the building, Mr. Hobbs, the young teacher was busy"setting copies," his only companion just then being Tod Clymer, apale-faced cripple, who, unable to take part in the sports of the other
boys, preferred to stay within doors and con his lessons, in which hewas always far in advance of the rest.
A strange confusion outside caused him to raise his head and lookthrough the window near him.
"Oh, Mr. Hobbs," he said, "there's a mad dog!"
The teacher started up, and saw the yellow cur running about thegrounds, snapping at the children, while a couple of boys had alreadyraised the fearful cry, and there was a scattering in all directions.Although without any weapon, the instructor was on the point ofhurrying out to the help of the children, when he observed the caninecoming toward the outer door. He tried to close it in his face, butthe brute was too quick and was inside before he could be stopped. Hemade for the second door, leading into the session-room, but, in thisinstance, the teacher slammed it shut just in time.
Instead of going out the dog slunk into the entry and crawled under abench, so nearly behind the outer door that he was invisible to any onebeyond.
"Mr. Hobbs," said Tod Clymer a moment later, "will you please help meout of the window?"
"I think you are safer here," replied the teacher, "for he cannot reachyou, but you will not be able to get away from him outside."
"I want to leave, please, very much."
It was a strange request, and the teacher waited some minutes beforecomplying, but the heart of the lame boy was so set upon it, that hefinally assisted him to the window furthest from where the dog wascrouching, gently lifted him down to the ground, and then passed hiscrutches to him.
"Now, Tod," said he kindly, "don't tarry a moment, for there's nosaying how soon he will be outside again. The other children are away,but you cannot run like them."
"Thank you," replied Tod, who never forgot to be courteous, as hecarefully adjusted the collars of his crutches under his shoulders.
Mr. Hobbs motioned from the window for several of the boys to keep off.With a natural curiosity, they were stealing closer to the building, inthe hope of finding out what the rabid dog was doing.
The teacher, seeing his gestures were understood, turned back, when tohis surprise, he noticed the top of Tom Clymer's straw hat, as itslowly rose and sank, moving along the front of the building toward thefront door.
Instead of hurrying off, as he should have done, the lad was making hisway toward the very spot where the dreadful animal was crouching.
"Why, Tod, what are you doing?" called Mr. Hobbs through the openwindow; "you will surely be bitten."
Instead of replying or heeding the words, the lad turned his pale facetoward his friend and shook his head, as a warning for him to make nonoise. Then he resumed his advance to the open outer door, doing sowith great care and stealth, as if afraid of being heard by the brute.
The entrance to the old Woodvale school building was reached by twosteps, consisting of the same number of broad high stones worn smoothby the feet of the hundreds of children that had trod them timeswithout number. To make his way into the entry where the pupils hungtheir hats and bonnets on the double rows of pegs, Tod had to moveslowly and carefully use his crutches. Being tipped with iron he couldnot set them down on the smooth stones without causing noise.
But he acted without hesitation. The teacher read his purpose and knewit was useless to try to check him. He leaned his head out of thewindow and held his breath, while he watched him.
Tod never faltered, though none could have understood the danger he ranbetter than he. He had a brother and sister among the children thathad scattered in such haste before the snapping cur, and who weregathering again around the building despite the warning gesture of theteacher.
He could not know whether they had all escaped or not, but he was surethat if the dog came forth again, more than one of them must suffer,and in those days there was no Pasteur with his wonderful cure to whomthe afflicted ones could be taken.
Tod did not tremble, though it seemed to him the brute must hear thetumultuous throbbing of his heart and rush forth. Puny as was hisstrength, he meant that, if he did so, he would steady himself on hisone support, and grasping the other with both hands, strike the dogwith might and main. It is doubtful whether the blow would havestunned the dog, for the little fellow's confidence in himself wasgreater than his bodily powers warranted.
At the moment he rested the end of the crutch on the smooth surface ofthe second stone, it slipped, and only by a strong wrench did he savehimself from falling. The noise was heard by the animal, who was notsix feet distant, and he emitted another moan, which can never beforgotten by those that have heard it.
Certain that the cur was about to rush forth, Tod steadied himself onthe single crutch, and, reversing the other, held it firmly in his weakhands. He knew the shuffling sound was caused by the animal moving:uneasily about the entry, and it was strange he did not burst throughthe open door. But he did not do so, and, like a flash, the crippleshifted his weapon in place under his shoulder. Then, with the samecoolness he had shown from the first, he reached his hand forward andgrasped the latch.
The smart pull he gave, however, did not stir it. It resisted theeffort, as though it was fastened in position. If such were the fact,his scheme was futile.
Setting down both crutches, Tod now leaned against the jamb to preventhimself from falling, seized the handle with both hands, and drew backsuddenly and with all his might. This time the door yielded and wasclosed.
As it did so, the rabid animal flung himself against it with a violencethat threatened to carry it off its hinges, but it remained firm and hewas a prisoner.
"You are a hero!" called the teacher in a voice tremulous withsuppressed emotion.
"I guess we've got him fast, but look out, Mr. Hobbs, that he doesn'treach you."
"I think there is little danger of that," said the other, lookinganxiously at the inner door, "but we must get help to dispose of himbefore he can do further injury."
By this time, so many of the children had come back to the playgroundsthat several of those living near were sent home for assistance. Itquickly arrived; for Reuben Johnson and his uncle lost no time inspreading the news, and three young men, each with a loaded gun,appeared on the scene, eager to dispose of the dangerous animal. Thelatter was at such disadvantage that this was done without trouble orrisk.
Providentially none of the children had been bitten, though more thanone underwent a narrow escape. Such animals as had felt the fangs ofthe rabid cur were slain, and thus no harm resulted from the brief runof the brute.
The Jungle Fugitives: A Tale of Life and Adventure in India Page 36
