“Hi! stop!” called out Dave, although he had but little hope of causing the man to halt. “We want to talk to you.” 86
“Go back! Beware! Go back, or it will be the worse for you!” called the wild man. “Leave the King of Sumatra alone!”
“The King of Sumatra?” repeated Roger. “Say, he’s crazy sure enough, to imagine himself that!”
The boys continued after the wild man and urged him to stop. But instead of heeding them, he ran on the faster.
“He’s an athlete, when it comes to running,” remarked Dave, as he tried in vain to get closer to the man.
“They say crazy people are always strong,” answered the senator’s son.
“I’ve go—got to gi—give up!” panted Gus, and came to a halt. “Go—got a pa—pain in my side!” And he put his hand over his hip.
“All right, we’ll manage alone!” cried Roger. “I don’t think we can catch that fellow anyway,” he added, half under his breath.
Another turn of the woodland road brought the Leming River into plain view, at a point where the stream was both wide and deep. The wild man kept sprinting along and it was impossible for the boys to draw any closer to him.
“Shall we threaten to shoot him if he won’t stop?” asked Roger. Neither of the lads carried firearms.