And I am free to confess that I was delighted when I saw Ben give him several of his “best licks,” which made the tall boy roar for mercy.
“Take him off, boys! he’s killing me! Quick! I can’t live much longer.”
The others were terrified at the hurricane-like style in which the boy had turned the tables on the scientific Rutherford, but they could not stand by and see their companion massacred without raising a finger to help him.
“Pull him off!” yelled the victim, twisting his body and banging his legs in the soft earth in his vain effort to free himself from Ben, who was pegging away at him. “Pull him off! Put me on top, and I’ll settle him!”
One of the boys ran forward and reached out his hand, intending to catch Ben by the shoulder and fling him to the ground; but, to my intense amazement and equally intense delight, Ben caught his arm, jerked him forward across the body of Rutherford, and belabored both of them. It was one of the neatest feats I ever saw performed, and, under the circumstances, I would have pronounced it impossible had it not been done before my own eyes.
Both the hats of the Boston youths were floating down the river, and they were so close to the water’s edge that they were covered with mud. The vigor of the assault on the two was increased rather than diminished, and we spectators were cruel enough to laugh heartily over the exhibition, accompanied as it was by the frenzied yells of the two lads who were receiving the wrathful attentions of Ben Mayberry.
The third boy could not stand it. He must have thought they had come in collision with a gorilla or some sort of wild animal, for he started up the river bank, shouting “Murder!” at the top of his voice. Ben, having got through with the two under him, sprang off and allowed them to rise, standing ready to renew the fight should they show any desire to do so.
BEN CAUGHT HIS ARM, JERKED HIM ACROSS THE BODY OF RUTHERFORD, AND BELABORED BOTH OF THEM.—P. 12.