The heroes were startled; and on turning, were appalled to see a burly rustic coming towards them at a round pace.
“Oh, dear,” groaned Will; “why does this fellow want to come here just at this time?”
“Oh, dear,” echoed Charles, Stephen, Marmaduke, and Jim.
“What does all this mean, you young villains?” roared the new-comer.
“A boy is floating over,” Marmaduke gasped.
“Well, do you mean to let him float? Why don’t you get up and save him? Oh, you awful boys! This is murder—parricide—manslaughter—abduction—gravitation—parsimony! What do you suppose the law’s going to say about this? It—it is un-con-sti-tu-tion-al!”
The five trembled—Jim exceedingly. In fact, he seemed on the point of betaking himself to flight.
“I say, I’ll persecute you all for litigation!” the new-comer next observed.
He was an ignorant, brutal man, an inhabitant of the village. In his boyhood he had been snubbed by old and young; and now, in his manhood, he took delight in bullying all the boys he met.