we had no means of knowing the object of mr. parasyte's visit to camp fair play—whether he was coming to make a treaty of peace, or to declare and carry on the war. the boat in which he was approaching was a hired one, rowed by the two men who worked for him. his force was sufficient to do us a great deal of mischief; and the questions as to what he would, and what he could do, were full of interest to us. four men are a formidable force to any number of boys; and the fact that sheriff greene was one of the party added to the seriousness of the visitation.
"what can they do?" asked vallington. "we can at least prepare for possibilities."
"they can take the boats from us," answered[156] bob hale, "and leave us here to be starved into submission."
"it would be awkward to be obliged to return to the academy like whipped puppies; but i suppose we could be starved into it."
"we will look out for that," i added.
"how can you help it?"
"leave that to me," i replied, as i hastened down to the landing-place, where i summoned my boatmen for service.
we took the three row-boats out of the water, and carried them some distance from the shore, hiding them in the bushes. the splash was too large to be carried far; but we took her out of the water, and put her high and dry on the island. a force of twenty students had been placed under my command, and with a little engineering we made easy work even of these heavy jobs. the rudder of the sail-boat was unshipped, and concealed, so that she would be useless to the invaders, if they attempted to carry her off. there was no fear that they would try to tow the scow back to parkville; for in doing this their punishment would be too severe.[157]
having accomplished my work, i returned to the headland where vallington had his headquarters, just as mr. parasyte's boat touched the shore below.
"we are all right now," i remarked to the leader.
"the boats are secure—are they?"
"they are."
"very well; then we are ready to receive our visitors. i will appoint a committee of three to wait upon them and invite them to our headquarters."
three students were detailed for this duty, and they descended the bluff. mr. parasyte and the deputy sheriff followed them up the bank, where vallington was ready to receive them in state, supported by his officers. the parson had instructed the rebels to treat our visitors with the utmost politeness, and enjoined them not to insult or annoy mr. parasyte. this was good advice, for some of the boys would have been glad to duck him in the lake, or to subject him to other indignities, now that they had the power to do so.
the principal of the parkville liberal institute had doubtless been very angry when he returned[158] to the school, and found that a "breaking away" had taken place; but he had cooled off during his passage over the lake, and now he looked troubled and anxious, rather than angry. as he walked towards the spot where the officers of the camp stood, he gazed curiously around him; but he said nothing.
"vallington, i am very much surprised to find you with this party," were the first words he spoke, as he discovered our leader, standing on his dignity, a little in advance of his supporters.
"considering the circumstances, mr. parasyte, i am not at all surprised to find myself here," replied the parson. "if it were a mere frolic for the love of mischief, i should not be here. i presume you come on business, sir."
"on business!" exclaimed the principal, apparently taken aback by the remarks of vallington. "i did come on business."
"you will oblige me by stating it, sir. i have been chosen the leader of this company, and i represent the students here assembled."
"my business is to order you back to the insti[159]tute," continued mr. parasyte, becoming a little excited by the independent manner of our leader.
"in behalf of those whom i represent, i must decline to obey the order—at least for the present."
the eye of the deputy sheriff twinkled as he listened to these speeches. he seemed to regard the affair as a big joke, and to appreciate it accordingly. though none of us had ever had any official relations with him, we knew him as what all the people called "a good fellow," witty, jovial, and never severe even in the discharge of his duties. it is more than probable that he knew mr. parasyte as the boys knew him, and despised him accordingly. at any rate, we judged from the expression on his round face, that he was at heart on our side, however his official position might compel him to act.
"i am sorry, boys, that you have engaged in this rebellion, for it will not be pleasant for me to compel obedience," continued mr. parasyte, struggling to repress his anger.
"i am sorry, also, that we have been compelled to take this unpleasant stand," replied vallington, with dignity. "if you are willing to hear it, sir, i should[160] like to state the position of the boys in this matter. perhaps the difficulty can be arranged; if it can, we will at once return to the institute."
"if there are any real abuses, i am willing to correct them. i will hear what you have to say."
vallington briefly rehearsed the grievances of the boys, and demanded that thornton should be restored to all his privileges, without punishment, and that mr. hardy should be reëngaged.
mr. parasyte turned red in the face, and bit his lips with anger and vexation.
"are you the principal of the parkville liberal institute, or am i?" said he, when the parson had finished.
"neither of us, i think, as the matter now stands, sir."
"i see that you are determined to defy me," added mr. parasyte. "you ask me to restore thornton without punishment of any kind. are you aware that he assaulted me with a deadly weapon?"
"we are aware that he defended himself when assaulted."
"assaulted!" gasped mr. parasyte, astounded to[161] hear his own act called by such a name. "are you aware of the powers which the law lodges in the hands of the teacher?"
"i am."
"thornton refused to obey me; and, at his uncle's request, i intended to enforce obedience. it was my duty to do so."
"may i inquire, mr. parasyte, in what thornton refused to obey you?" asked vallington, in the gentlest of tones.
"i required him to apologize to poodles privately, and to me publicly. he refused to do so."
"i told mr. parasyte that i would apologize to him," i interposed, addressing our leader.
"that wasn't enough," replied the principal.
"at the time, sir, you knew poodles had confessed that he alone was to blame for the affair on the pier. thornton was innocent; and it had been fairly proved to you that he was innocent. poodles himself assured you of the fact, and his evidence was fully confirmed by pearl. in the face of this overwhelming proof, you attempted to flog thornton into apologizing for that of which you knew he was not[162] guilty. no boy with a soul would submit to be flogged under such circumstances. i would not, and i have no respect for any fellow that would. no boy was ever yet flogged in the institute, and it was an outrage to attempt such a thing."
vallington was quite eloquent, and mr. parasyte actually quailed as he poured out his feelings in well-chosen words, and with an emphasis which forced their meaning home to the heart. the tyrant had gone too far to recede. he did what weak, low-minded men always do under such circumstances—he got furiously angry, and delivered himself in abusive terms. he declared that poodles and pearl had been frightened into their confession, and persisted in saying that i had caused the quarrel on the pier.
"but it is no use to reason with you. i am going to compel obedience now. if you will not mind, i shall make you mind," foamed he, stamping the ground in his rage.
"we have nothing to say, sir, except that we shall defend ourselves from assaults of all kinds," added vallington.[163]
"assaults! how dare you use that word to me! i am in the lawful exercise of my authority as the principal of the parkville liberal institute. you were committed to my care by your parents, and i shall do my duty by you. as to thornton, his case shall be settled by the court. mr. greene, you have a warrant for his arrest."
"yes, i have," replied the deputy sheriff, with a broad grin.
"that's the boy," continued mr. parasyte, furiously, as he pointed to me.
my companions were evidently disconcerted, as i certainly was, by this action of mr. parasyte. they had got up the rebellion on my account directly, though indirectly on their own, and it would be a sad defeat to have me carried off by an officer of the law. mr. greene walked up to me, still wearing his smiling face.
"well, ernest, i am sorry for you; but i suppose i must do my duty. i have a warrant for your arrest."
"i shall not resist," i replied.
"you shall have fair play."[164]
"that's all i want."
"i am sorry to take you away," he added, in a low tone; "for, between you and me, i think the boys have the rights of the matter; but i can't help serving the warrant."
"put him in irons, mr. greene. he is a violent fellow," said mr. parasyte, savagely.
"i shall not do that," replied the sheriff. "i can handle him without any irons."
"mr. greene," interposed vallington, "will you allow me to look at your warrant?"
"certainly, if you want to."
"don't do it, mr. greene!" shouted mr. parasyte.
"don't be so grouty, sir. the young gentleman may see it, if he wants to do so," replied the sheriff, with a broad grin on his fat face, as he handed the warrant to the parson. "i don't belong to your school, mr. parasyte, and i suppose i can do as i please."
the principal bit his lip again; and vallington glanced at the legal document.
"this warrant speaks about 'our county of adie[165]no,'" said the leader. "are you aware, mr. greene, that this island is not in the county of adieno?"
"no! isn't it though?" laughed the sheriff.
"it certainly is not," added vallington, returning the warrant to the sheriff.
"what odds does that make?" demanded mr. parasyte, angrily. "the offence was committed in adieno county."
"well, i don't know," said the sheriff. "i don't want to do anything that isn't lawful. it may be right to take him here; but i'm not sure, you see."
"that is absurd, mr. greene."
"i haven't been a deputy sheriff but about six months, and i'm not fully posted yet. we'll go back to parkville, and if i find it's all right, i'll come over and arrest ernest to-morrow. that will be soon enough."
mr. greene seemed to be the happiest person on the island; and mr. parasyte was so angry he could hardly contain himself.
