Comrades on River and Lake Part 6

"Oh, you are?" cried Chot, his eyes blazing with anger. A peculiar smile played about his lips, which Tom and Fleet had grown to recognize as denoting great emotion. And now, as Chot sprang on to the deck of the catboat, yelling for Tom and Fleet to follow, the boys knew there would be "something doing."

"Do you want me?" asked Pod.

"No; you stay and watch the canoes. And you, Ted, climb over the stern into Fleet's canoe-that big one over there on the end."

By this time Tom and Fleet had followed Chot on to the deck of the catboat, and with a bellow of rage the big captain rushed toward them.

"Into the water with him!" cried Chot, "and keep out of the way of his fists. If he thinks he can beat the Experience Club, he's badly fooled."

"That he is," said Fleet.

Then the boys scattered so that, turn as he might, there was always a boy behind the captain. He realized that he was in a tight corner, but in his half-drunken rage he was blind to his best interests, so he rushed at Chot, who seemed to him to be the aggressor in the fight.

Chot easily evaded the rush, stepped lightly to one side, put out his foot, and the captain stumbled over it and sprawled his length on the deck. He arose, cursing, and rushed again. This time Tom was in his way.

Tom, too, sidestepped and when the captain was even with him, gave him a blow in the stomach that doubled him up and sent him reeling on to the roof of the little cabin.

"My turn now!" cried Fleet, and before the captain could recover from Tom's blow, or realize what was about to happen, the fleshy lad had lifted him almost bodily, shoved him to the edge of the boat and toppled him into the river. At this there were shouts of delight from Pod and Ted.

The captain came up, puffing, and shaking the water out of his eyes after the fashion of an expert swimmer. The water had somewhat cooled his ambition for a fight, and he looked rather meek as he swam toward the side of the boat and started to scramble up. Here he met with a surprise, however. The Comrades blocked his way, and the moment he put a hand on the rail, it was loosened by one of the boys and the captain shoved back into the water.

"You're not goin' to let me drown, are ye?" he demanded.

"Oh, no-not yet, at least, but before you are allowed aboard the boat, we want to hear you say that you kidnapped Ted Lanham, and that you now relinquish all claim to his services," said Chot.

"I don't know what his name is, but I picked him up. I had to have someone to work my boat."

"While you could drink and sleep, eh?" demanded Tom. "A fine specimen of humanity, you are."

"Oh, let up, won't ye? I know when I've had enough. It was three against one, an' no man can fight such odds."

"Glad you realize it," said Fleet. "Do you relinquish all claim to his services?"

"See nothin' else to do," he sputtered, "lemme aboard. You go your way an' I'll go mine. But if I ever meet ye again, look out!"

"You'll never meet us again," said Chot.

"Not if we see you first, anyway," said Fleet.

They allowed him to scramble on deck, watching him warily, however, fearing treachery. But the captain was evidently sincere when he said that the odds were too great, and when the boys scrambled over the stern into their canoes, he was unlashing the tiller. Then the catboat swung around so that wind caught her sail, and moved off down the river. The captain sat in the stern, gazing stolidly ahead. Not once did he turn to look at the boys in the canoes, or even signify that he knew they were there. The matter was evidently a forgotten incident with him.

"Well, he's a cool one all right," said Fleet

"Too cool for me," said Ted Lanham, who was now sitting comfortably in the bow of Fleet's canoe, while Fleet had moved his cushions toward the stern to balance the craft.

"Do your folks live at Greenbush, Ted?" asked Chot, as the canoes moved off up the river.

"My mother," said the boy. "Guess she's wondering where I am."

"When did the kidnapping occur?"

"About three hours ago. I take a swim in the river every morning, and when the catboat came toward me, I thought the captain wanted to ask me some questions. So I got my clothes and climbed on board, at his request. Then he shut me in the cabin until he got out of sight of the village, when he took me out and licked me, and told me I belonged to him."

"What nerve!" cried Tom. "Sorry we didn't duck him again for that."

"May have a chance yet," said Fleet.

"I hope we've seen the last of him," said Chot.

"I'll be careful when I go swimmin' after this," said Ted. "Guess I was a little too far from sh.o.r.e."

"Well you had no means of knowing that he was going to kidnap you.

Kidnapping is an unusual occurrence on the old Hudson," said Tom.

The canoes were moving rapidly up stream now, and during the afternoon Ted's home was sighted. Greenbush was a pretty village on the east bank of the river, and the Comrades stayed over long enough to partake of the hospitality of Ted's mother. Mrs. Lanham received them warmly, after Ted had told of his experience, and thanked them for their efforts on behalf of her son.

She fixed a fine dinner for them, greatly to Fleet's delight. During the meal one of the boys happened to mention Winton, at which Mrs. Lanham became immediately interested.

"I hope to have money enough to send Ted to Winton next year," said she.

"We're all from Winton, and we'd like nothing better than to have Ted there in the fall," said Chot.

"Well, if that's where you fellows belong, it won't be my fault if I'm not there," said Ted.

It was nearly two o'clock when they took leave of Ted and his mother, and pushed off into the river again. They liked Ted and resolved to make his stay at Winton a pleasant one should he be so fortunate as to enter the academy at the beginning of the fall term.

It was but a short distance from Greenbush to Albany, and toward evening the young canoeists found themselves in the river off that city, with the great dome of the capital building shining against the western sky.

CHAPTER V-THE BOYS ARRIVE AT BERT'S

Strange to say, none of the Comrades had ever been to Albany before, and the sights of the capital were a great delight to them. Deciding that it would be time well spent, they went through the capitol building, Chot and Fleet going first, and returning to stay with the canoes while Tom and Pod made the trip.

A new stock of provisions were secured, most of which were put in Fleet's canoe, and late in the afternoon the boys pushed out from among the steamers and small craft, and threading their way through the river traffic, soon left Albany behind.

Some two hours later, just as dusk was falling, the lights of another city loomed up on the east sh.o.r.e.

"Troy," said Chot. "At least I suppose it is. I've never been there, but I know it isn't far from Albany."

"Gee, but there's a lot of cities up this way," said Pod, to whom such sights were novel. The little fellow had never stirred from Bayville except to neighboring towns, until he entered Winton the previous fall, and the trip up the Hudson was like a glimpse into fairyland for him. It pleased the Comrades immensely to see Pod enjoying himself. They were doubly glad now that they had "chipped in" and bought him a canoe.

The boys having eaten heartily in Albany, it was decided not to stop at Troy. Darkness was falling, the moon would soon be up, and as each boy was feeling fine, it was thought best to paddle along by moonlight until a suitable camping place was found.

So they continued at a leisurely pace past the city, and were soon in the open river above. The Hudson was growing narrower now, but this detracted not at all from its beauty, and the boys were loath to leave off paddling, but the need of sleep finally led them to seek a camping place.

It was some time before they found a spot that looked nice enough to spend the night in. Past Cohoes, Lansingburg and Waterford they went, and finally turned in toward a pretty grove on the east bank. Here, under the rays of the moon, they again made their camp, much in the fashion they had on a previous occasion.