“Consarn ye! There goes my best horse!” cried the countryman, losing all interest in the fight. “Five dollars to whoever catches him!”
“I’m going to have a try for that!” exclaimed Bill, setting off down the road on a swift run. “Five dollars don’t come my way every afternoon!”
“I’ll sue ye for this!” yelled the countryman, shaking his fist at the boys before speeding down the highway after Bill in pursuit of the horse. “I’ll have the law on ye!” His coat tails streamed in the wind as he raced away.
Noddy had stopped mid-way in his rush at Bob as the horse broke loose.
“Well, are you going to fight?” asked Bob coolly.
But Noddy’s desire for battle seemed to have left him suddenly. He realized that he was no match for the three, or even for two, of the boys.
“I’ll get square with you for this,” he muttered as he slunk away in the bushes. “I’ve several scores to settle with you three cubs.”
“Better settle ’em here and now,” advised Jerry. “It’s a good chance.”
“You just wait,” was all Noddy would say. Soon he disappeared in the shrubbery.
“Well, I thought for a while there was going to be trouble,” said Bob, with a laugh. “Noddy certainly seemed mad.”