CHAPTER XX.
HARE AND HOUNDS.
Of course my young readers cannot expect me to relate all the particulars of all the games of ball the members of the Lakeport Club played that season. During the following week they met a nine from the village of Racine and won the game by a score of 9 to 6, and later met a club from Jackson Flats and won by a score of 18 to 12. They also had a match with some big boys from Haven Center and suffered defeat by a score of 11 to 8.
"Those fellows were too big for us," said Harry.
"Yes, and I am certain one or two were professionals," added Link. "We had better leave them alone after this," and they did.
At the village of Camdale, when they went to play the local nine, they had rather a trying experience. They won the game by the close score of 8 to 9, and the Camdale Club refused to consider themselves beaten.
"It was your own umpire," said Joe to the Camdale captain. "The game is ours and we want our rightful share of the gate receipts."
"Two of the runs you got didn't count!" struck in the Camdale first baseman, a fellow who looked like a perfect bruiser.
"I say they did count, and the umpire says so too," declared Joe, bravely. "We want our money."
One word brought on another, and at last several of the Camdale players, backed up by some town roughs, began to show fight. Blows were given and taken freely, but in the end the Camdale fellows were forced to retreat. Then Joe threatened two of the crowd with arrest; and in the end the Lakeport nine received what was justly due them and marched off in triumph.
"I don't want to play that gang again," said Fred in disgust.
"They aren't fit for any club to play with," came from Harry.
"After this we shall have to be more particular about our challenges," added Joe. "Before we send a challenge or accept one we must find out if the rival club is made up of decent fellows."
Following his one appearance on the ball field Augustus De Vere sent in his resignation as a member of the club and it was promptly accepted.
"I really don't care for the game, don't you know," drawled Augustus, when speaking of it later. "It's a rude pastime at the best. I'd rather take a stroll, don't you know, or play pool."
"Well, everybody to his taste," answered Joe, briefly.
"You didn't win that game anyhow," said the dudish young man, maliciously.
"No, but we tied the score and that was something."
"Humph! I don't wish to play a game if I can't win or lose," said Augustus, and with this unsatisfactory answer he walked off.
Though the boys thought a great deal of baseball, they did not neglect other sports, and one day a grand game of hare and hounds was instituted. The hares were Harry and Link, while Bart was made the chief of the hounds. Each of the hares carried several bags of clipped slips of paper and also a lunch, and the hounds were likewise provided with something to eat.
"We shall give you exactly fifteen minutes in which to get away in," declared Bart to the hares. "At exactly twelve o'clock, no matter where you are, you must stop for one hour in which to rest and eat your lunch."
"And you must do the same," said Harry; and so it was agreed. It was likewise agreed that the run should be planned to last from nine in the morning until four or five o'clock in the afternoon.
The day for the game opened brightly and by quarter to nine the hares and hounds assembled at the starting point, which was the public square of Lakeport. A gentleman was there to act as starter, and promptly on the stroke of nine he sent the hares off and at exactly quarter after nine the hounds followed on the trail.
"Now, Harry, we have got to hump ourselves," declared Link, as they struck off down the street and turned the first corner. "Don't forget that some of those other chaps can run better than we can."
"I'm willing to hump as much as I can, Link, but we don't want to tire ourselves out the very first thing," declared Harry.
They had already settled on the first two miles of their run, and this took them out of Lakeport and along the lake for a distance of a mile and then up a hill leading to what was known as Dudley's Pastures. From the pastures they crossed a small creek, and then struck up another hill, leading to Bramberry's Woods.
"They have started after us," cried Harry, consulting his watch.
"Well, we've got a pretty stiff lead," answered his fellow hare. "All we have got to do is to keep it."
"Do you know the way through the woods? I don't."
"I think I know it," answered Harry.
They were soon plowing their way through the undergrowth. They had another stream of water to cross, and once on the other side Link let out a sudden scream:
"A snake! Look out!"
"Is it a rattler?" queried Harry in alarm.
"No, I don't think it is."
The snake was curled up in the sun, on a fallen log. It raised its ugly head at them, then whipped around and glided away among some rocks.
"Ugh! I don't like that!" came from Link.
"Nor I. Let us get out of the woods as quickly as we can."
"Do you think the snake will come after us?"
"No."
"We ought to have brought a gun or a pistol along."
"Well, we didn't. When we stop for a rest we can cut ourselves good heavy sticks."
In a short while after this the woods were left behind and they came out on a side road which was but little traveled.
"I know this road," declared Link. "It leads to Jerry Flagg's farm."
"You mean the man who owns the bull that broke loose in Lakeport?"
"Yes."
"We don't want to run across that bull," said Harry, decidedly. "I've had enough of that beast."
It was not long after this that they passed Jerry Flagg's house. The farmer was in his door-yard and stared at them in alarm.
"What's the matter o' ye, boys?" he called out.
"Nothing, Mr. Flagg," answered Link.
"What be ye a-runnin' for, then?"
"We are playing hare and hounds."
"Oh!"
"Where's that bull?" questioned Harry.
"Up in yonder field. Don't ye go nigh him, or ye may have trouble."
"Don't worry, we don't intend to go near him."
The boys ran on, and the farmhouse was soon lost to sight around a bend. Then the road grew rocky and hard to travel and they had to slow down.
"Which field did he mean?" said Harry. "The one on the left or the one on the right?"
"He pointed to the left."
"That is what I thought, but I wasn't sure. Well, I think we ought to take to the other field. Then we can get on the regular mountain road and go up to Lookout Point."
"Hurrah! that's the scheme!" cried Link. "Perhaps when we are at the Point we'll be able to spot the other fellows."
They leaped a stone fence and cut across a small pasture. Then came an orchard in which the trees were old and almost past bearing. But they picked up several apples, to eat later on.
"I've got to rest before a great while," declared Link. "I'm beginning to get a little pain in the side."
"Let us rest when we get to the regular mountain road. Then we can—Oh, Link, the bull!"
Harry was right. The bull was not over a hundred feet away, charging on them like a tornado.
There was no time to think of what to do. Both boys were close to the limbs of a crooked apple tree. Up they went into the tree in a jiffy. The bull struck a small branch, but his horns did not reach them.
"Phew! what a close shave!" gasped Link, when he could speak. "Another second and he would have made mincemeat of both of us!"
"How are we going to get away from him?" was Harry's question, but his friend could not answer it.
Both looked down at the bull. The beast was pawing the ground savagely and swinging his tail from side to side. His eyes, full of anger, glared at them steadily.
"We are in a pickle," said Harry. "That bull may keep us here all day."
"Or until the other fellows come up. We'll have to shout a warning if we hear them."
"I've got a plan. Give me one of those matches you are carrying."
"What are you going to do?"
"See that dead branch over our heads? I'm going to break it off and set fire to it. They say almost all animals dread a fire."
Link soon had the branch down and then the match was struck and applied to a number of dried leaves. Soon the mass was blazing away gayly. Then Link held it down and flourished it at the bull.
The effect was all that they had desired. The savage beast gave one sniff at the flames and then with a bellow and a roar he tore across the orchard and the pasture, in the direction of Farmer Flagg's house.
"He has gone!" cried Harry. "He didn't like that for a cent!"
"We can't let the other fellows come in here," declared Link. "Let us go back to the road," and this they did and started a new trail, making it so thick that the others could not help but follow it.
Having lost some valuable time they started again at full speed. The road was very rocky, and once Harry pitched headlong, but picked himself up again instantly.
"Hurt?" queried his chum.
"No, but it didn't do my wind any good," was the reply.
At last they struck the regular mountain road and then their course was straight up the mountain.
"We'll get there about noon," declared Link. "And that will just suit me, for it will be a dandy place for resting."
Link was right, they found themselves close to the top of the mountain at just five minutes to the noon hour. They slowed up a bit, and just as Harry's watch pointed to twelve they came out on the Point.
"Hurrah! the first half of the chase is over!" cried Link.
"And they haven't caught us yet."
And then they sat down, to rest and to partake of the lunch they had brought along.