The Adventures of a Country Boy at a Country Fair Part 10

Then, in order to be rid of the satchel, for it seemed as if he was really concerned in the swindle so long as it remained in his keeping, Teddy said he wanted to see what Dan and Sam were doing.

"Go ahead; I'll stay near by where I can keep an eye on the stuff, so you needn't let that worry you."

As a matter of fact, the boy was not eager to leave his place of business; but having said so, it was necessary to go, or let Hazelton understand exactly why the remark had been made.

Cautioning Tim to "keep his eyes open for trade," he walked across the grounds to the building where Dan was employed, and found that young gentleman displaying the good qualities of a peculiar-looking weapon.

"This is the Model Pocket Rifle," Dan was saying to a party of gentlemen. "The shoulder-rest is detachable, and you can buy an effective weapon for a trifle over fifteen dollars, as---- h.e.l.lo, Teddy, how's business?" he added, suddenly, on observing his friend, and the two had an opportunity for conversation, while the curious ones were examining the rifle.

Teddy gave a brief account of what had already been done, and then asked:

"Can't you get off a few minutes and go with me to see what Sam is doing?"

It was not difficult for Dan to get a short leave of absence, and the two went directly to the creek where their acquaintance, who proposed to make himself the central figure of the fair, was rowing around in a jaunty looking craft.

Sam wore a sailor's shirt, turned away at the throat, and tied with a black silk handkerchief, while on the breast of the garment was worked the name "Davis Boat and Oar Co., Detroit, Mich." The same legend being printed in gold on the band of his straw hat.

Sam had evidently been expecting his friends, for he espied them before they reached the sh.o.r.e, and, rowing to the bank, insisted they should take a sail.

"Come on, it's all right," he said. "It don't make any difference whether I carry pa.s.sengers or not so long as the boat is kept goin', an'

I want to show you somethin' fine in the way of rowin'."

Neither of the boys cared very much about accepting the invitation; but he was so persistent that they finally stepped on board as the easiest manner of settling the matter.

"I tell you what it is, fellers," he said, as he pulled out into the stream, "I'm jest makin' things hum around here. These folks have never seen any kind of style put into rowin', an' I'm knockin' their eyes out."

"Don't give it to them too strong, or they may want to keep you here as an ornament after the fair closes, and then the rest of the world would suffer," Dan said, with a laugh, and Sam replied:

"You fellers can make fun; but what I say is straight," and then he made preparations for giving an exhibition. "Watch me now, an' you'll learn a thing or two about boats."

During the next ten minutes he pulled as if in a race, first up and then down the stream, until sheer lack of breath forced him to stop.

"I hope you haven't set the keel on fire," Dan said, solicitously.

"There's no question but that you made good time, though I'm inclined to think the build of the boat had considerable to do with the speed. This one looks as if she would row herself."

"That's all you know about it. If I hadn't been a first-cla.s.s hand at----"

"See there!" Teddy cried, excitedly, as he pointed toward the sh.o.r.e.

"That's the man who got my fifteen dollars. Pull in, Sam, an' pull for all you are worth!"

The oarsman delayed only long enough to gaze in the direction indicated, where he saw the old fakir whom they had met with such great loss at Waterville, and then he bent himself to the task.

"Do you believe it will be safe to tackle him after last night?" Dan asked.

"I'm going to, and if he don't get away from me I'll ask some of the crowd to help me have him arrested," Teddy replied, grimly.

The little craft was a considerable distance from the sh.o.r.e. Sam was so excited that he only thought of landing in the shortest possible s.p.a.ce of time, and instead of keeping a lookout for other boats, rowed vigorously, as if he were the only oarsman on the stream.

Teddy and Dan sat motionless, with their eyes fixed on the man, and thus it happened that no one on board saw a double ender, in which were three ladies and two gentlemen, come around a bend in the creek directly in Sam's course.

There was a shout from the bank, three shrill screams of terror, and then a crash as the two craft came together with terrific force.

The occupants of both boats were thrown into the water as the frail timbers were splintered, and the spectators on the bank acted as if panic-stricken.

CHAPTER IX.

_A BRAVE RESCUE._

Sam was a fairly good swimmer, and as soon as he found himself in the water he struck out for the sh.o.r.e, paying no attention to any one else until he had a.s.sured his own safety.

One of the gentlemen in the other craft did the same selfish thing, while the other, unable to help even himself, was trying to keep his head above water by resting his chin on an oar and piece of planking.

The women were in imminent danger of being drowned, for there was no other boat near at hand which could be sent to the rescue, and the throng of spectators was in that unreasoning state of fear and excitement which prevents people from being of any service at such a time.

When Teddy and Dan came to the surface after having been thrown from their seats, they were within a few feet of each other, and the latter asked:

"Can you swim?"

"Yes; don't pay any attention to me, but do what you can toward saving those women."

"Will you help me?"

"Of course; but I can't take care of more than one."

Both boats had disappeared, and nothing save a few fragments showed where they had gone down.

Teddy thought only of aiding the struggling women, for there was no question that the man with the oar could take care of himself, at least until those on the bank should be sufficiently composed to do something effective, and he swam to the nearest struggling being, clasping her firmly under one arm as he said:

"Don't make a row; but keep perfectly quiet, an' I'll take you ash.o.r.e."

Half-unconscious as she was, the woman attempted to grasp him by the neck, and for several seconds he had all he could do to prevent her from choking him to death; but after two or three kicks judiciously administered, he succeeded in making her understand that her life as well as his own depended upon her remaining pa.s.sive, and from that moment all went well.

The employees of the company which had the boats on exhibition flung into the water several life-saving arrangements of cork and canvas, and by dint of much persuading he induced her to trust to one of these while he went to the a.s.sistance of Dan, who had been carried beneath the surface more than once by the struggles of the woman whom he was trying to save.

By this time a boat was brought up from around the point, and as these two helpless ones were taken on board both the boys swam to the rescue of the last of the party who had sunk beneath the surface for the third time.

Teddy, now nearly exhausted by his efforts, was the first to grasp her; but if it had not been for Dan the struggle would have been useless, since his strength was so far spent that he could not have brought her above the water unaided.

By their united efforts, however, she was taken on board the boat in a state of unconsciousness, and they made their way to the sh.o.r.e cheered by the shouts of the a.s.sembled mult.i.tude.

Weak, almost exhausted beyond the power to stand upright, they landed a few seconds in advance of the craft, and the reception received was enough to have nerved stronger men to a semblance of strength.

It was not until they were in the private apartments allotted to the Davis Company that either fully understood how weak he was, and then willing hands aided them to recuperate.