“He won’t go home and tell your mother, Tom,” the camp leader said, quietly. His tone changed and hardened as he pointed his finger at the trouble-maker. “You, Plum, take off your pack, because I’m going to give you a good thrashing!”
CHAPTER XVI
THINGS ARE SETTLED MAN-FASHION
For a moment after Ted made his announcement there was a complete silence as the boys looked from one to the other of them. Plum just stared at Ted, who looked him levelly in the eyes.
“You’re going to what?” demanded Plum, slowly.
“I’m going to give you a sound thrashing for being a trouble maker in this camp and for trying to force Tom to go home with you,” Ted repeated.
His last wish was to stage a fight in front of the small boys, for he did not wish to set an example of fighting if he could help it. There was no physical reason why he should not engage Plum in combat, because the boy, though younger, was broader of shoulder and heavier than he was, but Ted was determined that he had something definite coming to him for his actions. He rather hoped that Plum would back down, so that the smaller boys would not be treated to an exhibition of a fight between two older boys, but he felt warmly that Plum deserved a trouncing.
But as it so happened, Plum was in no mood to back down. Eagerly he welcomed the prospect of a fight and on the previous night he had purposely pushed Ted rather roughly on the chest with the sole object of angering him and starting a fight. He knew now that he would have to prove himself in the eyes of his friends and show his leadership. Long ago and more than once he had looked Ted over with a calculating eye and the conclusion that he could “lick” him at any time had been in his mind for several days. It was with visible joy that he accepted the invitation for battle.
“You’re going to thrash me, eh?” he sneered, thrusting forward his chin. “So that’s what you think you are going to do, is it? Why, if I couldn’t tie you up in a knot I’d go back home and join a kindergarten!”
“Join whatever you please, but take your pack off,” nodded Ted.
The pack was slipped off in a rush and the coat followed. Ted stood ready and waiting while Plum rolled up his sleeves. The other boys crowded around, some of the smaller ones looking a bit scared. Tom Clayton put in a last word.