Luck and Pluck 49
Mr. Huxter's words were smooth enough, but they did not correspond
very well with his tone, when the conference began. John detected
his insincerity, and understood very well the cause of his apparent
mildness.
"I shall be glad to have you write to Mrs. Oakley," he said; "but there
won't be any need of my going home with you."
"How can you find out what she writes me?" asked Mr. Huxter, subduing
his wrath.
"If Mrs. Oakley is willing to have me go home and attend the academy,
as I have been accustomed to do, she can let Squire Selwyn know it,
and he will get word to me."
"Does he know you are running away?" demanded Mr. Huxter, frowning.
"No, he does not; but I shall tell him."
"Come, Oakley," said Mr. Huxter, persuasively, "you know this is all
wrong,--your running away, I mean. I don't want you to stay at my house
if you don't like it, of course, but I don't like to have it said that
you ran away. Just come ashore and go home with me, and to-morrow I'll
take the responsibility of sending you home to my sister. I can write
her that I think she hasn't done the right thing by you. That's fair,
isn't it?"
John felt that it would be fair; but unfortunately he had no faith in
Mr. Huxter's sincerity. He had seen too much of him for that. He could
not help thinking of the spider's gracious invitation to the fly, and
he did not mean to incur the fly's fate by imitating his folly.
"I don't think it will be wise for me to go back," said John.
"I wish I could get at you," said Mr. Huxter to himself.
"My sister will be very angry when she hears of your running away," he
said, aloud.
"Yes," said John, "I suppose she will."
"You must take care not to provoke her. You are dependent upon her."
"That I am not!" said John, proudly.
"Didn't your father leave her all the property?"
"So it seems," said John, wincing.
"Then how can you live without her help?"
"I am old enough to earn my own living," answered John.
"Come, Oakley, don't be foolish. What's the use of working for your
living, when, by behaving right, you can have a home without?"
Mr. Huxter seemed to forget that he had intended to set John at work in
his shoe-shop as soon as he could obtain a supply of work.
"I am not afraid to work," said John. "What I dislike is to be
dependent. I am not dependent upon Mrs. Oakley, for the property which
my father left was partly intended for my benefit, even if it was not
willed to me. If Mrs. Oakley intends me to feel dependent, and breaks
up all my plans, I will go to work for myself, and make my own way in
the world."
"Very fine talk; but you'll repent it within a week."
"No," said John; "I have made up my mind, and I shall do as I have
determined."
"Then you won't come ashore?" demanded Mr. Huxter, his tone changing.
"No, I will not," said John.
"If I ever get hold of you, I'll make you smart for this," said Mr.
Huxter, now wholly throwing off the mask which for prudential motives
he had worn.
"I don't mean that you shall get hold of me," said John, coolly. And
with a sweep of the oars, he sent the boat further from the shore.
Mr. Huxter was beside himself with rage, but perfectly powerless to do
any harm. Nothing is more ludicrous than such a spectacle. He screamed
himself hoarse, uttering threats of various kinds to John, who,
instead of being frightened, took it all very coolly, dipping his oars
tranquilly in the water.
"There's one way of getting at you," said Huxter, suddenly picking up a
good-sized stone and flinging it at the boat.
If he had been a good marksman the stone might have hit John, for
the boat was within range; but it veered aside and struck the water.
Admonished of a new danger, John took several rapid strokes, and was
quickly free from this peril. Mr. Huxter shook his fist wrathfully at
the young boatman, and was considering if there was any way of getting
at him, when an unexpected mischance called his attention in another
direction. Looking towards the road, he found that his horse had
managed to break loose, and was now heading for home.
"Whoa!" he shouted, as he ran towards the retreating vehicle,
forgetting that his voice would hardly reach a third of a mile.
Certainly this was not one of Mr. Huxter's lucky days. John was left
master of the situation.
CHAPTER XXVI.
ONE DISAPPOINTMENT FOLLOWS ANOTHER.
At the close of the last chapter we left John floating at his ease in
a row-boat, while his pursuer was compelled, by the sudden departure
of his horse, to give up his immediate purpose, and chase the flying
animal. It was very much against his will that he left John; but the
horse, as he knew, was the best in the stable, and valued at not less
than three hundred dollars,--a sum which he would be unable to make up.
Besides this, the chaise might be injured.
"Curse my luck!" exclaimed Mr. Huxter, as he glanced back at John, with
a baffled look. "Every thing turns against me. But I'll come back after
the young rascal as soon as I catch the horse."
But, unfortunately for Mr. Huxter, it proved that two legs were
no match for four. When he got to the road, the horse was half a
mile ahead. In spite of his haste, he was obliged to pause a moment
and recover his breath, which the unusual exercise of running had
exhausted.
Mr. Huxter was nearly two miles distant from the tavern where he had
stopped. His only hope was that the horse would stop or be stopped
there. As soon as he recovered his breath, he started for the tavern,
therefore. Partly running, partly walking, he at length arrived, tired,
heated, and in ill-humor.
Entering the yard, he saw a group of men and boys surrounding the horse
and chaise, which had already arrived. Among them was Mr. Jones, the
landlord.
"Why, here's the man himself!" exclaimed the landlord, advancing to
meet him. "How came your horse to run away? Were you spilled out?"
"No; I tied him to a tree, and he broke loose and ran away. Has he done
any harm?" asked Mr. Huxter, nervously.
"He's smashed one of the wheels in running against a post," said a
bystander.
"Let me see," said Mr. Huxter, dolefully.
He found that it was as bad as had been told him. The horse made a
short turn into the inn-yard, and managed to bring the chaise into
collision with a post. The wheel was pretty well shattered.
"Looks bad," said the bystander. "It'll cost something to mend it."
"It can't be mended," said Mr. Jones. "You'll have to get a new wheel."
"What'll it cost?" said Mr. Huxter, with something very like a groan.
"I can't say exactly. Maybe twenty-five dollars will do it."
"It might have been worse," said the bystander, in what was meant to be
an encouraging tone.
"It's bad enough," said Mr. Huxter, fiercely. "It's just my cursed
luck."
"Was the carriage yours?" asked the landlord.
"No, I got it from a stable. They'll charge me about double price."
"Oh, by the way, did you catch the boy?" asked the landlord, in a tone
of interest.
"No," said Mr. Huxter, with an oath which I will omit. "I had just
overtaken him when the cursed horse ran away."
"Well, you are unlucky," said Jones. "What are you going to do about
it?"
"I suppose I must get the carriage home somehow."
"You might get a new wheel put on here. There's an excellent
wheelwright in the village. It will cost you less."
Mr. Huxter finally made an arrangement to this effect, the wheelwright
agreeing for twenty-five dollars to put the chaise in repair.
This, with the stable charge, made thirty dollars as the expense
of Mr. Huxter's little excursion, which, as we have seen, ended in
disappointment. He decided not to continue the pursuit of John, having
good reason to doubt whether he would catch him.
There was one question which troubled Mr. Huxter: Would his sister be
willing to pay this thirty dollars? If not, it would indeed be a bad
morning's work for him. He lost no time, on getting home, in writing to
Mrs. Oakley. His letter is subjoined.
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