CHAPTER XXI
SOMETHING OF A CLEW
“Ha! ha! you are the army sent to capture me, are you? But I am not to be captured! Take the cannons away! Bring up the artillery! Forward the light brigade! Victory for the King of Sumatra! Oh, if only I had a company of trained monkeys I would show you how to fight!”
Thus speaking, the wild man danced around before Dave and Roger, swinging his wooden sword close to their heads. Indeed, our hero had to dodge back, to keep from being hit.
“Hello, you here?” cried Nat, coming from the cabin. “You followed me, did you?” He scowled deeply. “It’s just like you, Dave Porter!”
“Nobody shall follow the King of Sumatra!” went on the wild man, with a cunning look at the three students. “Away! Out of my sight!” he yelled.
He dashed past Dave and Roger, moving towards the rustic bridge. Our hero caught him by the arm, but received a blow in the face that staggered 201 him. Roger also tried to catch the man, but he was too quick, and a second later was on the bridge.
“Come back!” bawled Nat. “Come back, Uncle Wilbur! Don’t you know me? Come back, please! We won’t hurt you!” And then he set off after the wild man, who was running along the road beyond the bridge.
“Dave, did you hear that?” gasped the senator’s son. “He called the wild man Uncle Wilbur!”
“Yes, I heard him,” returned our hero. “No wonder he has been after him, Roger. Come on, let us see if we can’t catch him.”