Almost unconsciously Joe Lufkin turned his steps toward Ben Watson's house, and by the time he got through thinking about it he found himself in front of the gate. He thought he would go in and see how matters lay, and perhaps when the time for action arrived something would suggest itself to him; so he unlatched the gate and went up the gravelled walk that led to Watson's domicile. Old Ben did not happen to be in the house. He had been neglecting his garden of late, and was now busy with the weeds that choked his tomato-plants. He heard Joe coming, and stopped and leaned upon his hoe.
"Howdy," said Joe.
Ben did not answer. He simply nodded his head; and as he stood there, with his sleeves rolled up and showing all the muscles on his arms, which looked as solid as iron, Joe came to the conclusion that he would need somebody stronger than Samson to help secure him.
"I just thought I would come in here to see how you are getting on," said Joe, who thought he ought to make some apology for his appearance. "Where's Bob, this fine morning?"
"He's just gone down to a lawyer's," said Ben. "I tell you, he ain't a-going to let this thing rest till he gets his money."
The sailor went on with his hoeing, and Joe strolled up until he came quite close to him. How big and strong he looked, as Joe thought of knocking him down! Once down, with his hands bound and a gag thrust into his mouth, he would be all right. There was Ben's boat, with a tarpaulin buttoned over it to keep the waves out; and if Ben were laid away in that boat, with the tarpaulin thrown over him, Joe could easily row him down to the city. Something prompted him to make the attempt. There was nobody in sight. With all the strength he had he drew his right arm back, and with the speed of a thunderbolt shot it straight out from the shoulder. It was a deadly blow, and Ben dropped on the instant.
"There!" said Joe, trembling all over with excitement, "I reckon you will lay there until I can get some ropes to tie you with. I've hit enough of them blows during my experience in the army to know that you won't get over it for ten or fifteen minutes."
Joe gathered his victim up and made all haste to carry him into the bushes, out of sight, and there he laid him down while he went back toward the house to place things to rights. He first picked up the hoe, and with it destroyed all the footprints that he had made in the garden; and after that he put the hoe up against the side of the house, as Ben might have done when he got through using it. Then he went into the wood-shed to find a piece of cloth for a gag, and some pieces of rope with which to confine Ben when he came to himself. The rope and the gag were quickly made use of, and even Ben, strong as he was, would have found himself powerless.
The next thing was the boat. There was still no one in sight, and Joe walked out on the wharf as though he had a right there. He unbuttoned the tarpaulin, got in and got out the oars and pulled up a little way, where he knew there was no prospect of anyone seeing him. It was but the work of a few minutes to carry Ben down to the boat, put him in, and draw the tarpaulin over him, and then Joe began his ride to the village. All this while he was uneasy, for he feared that Bob might return; but he succeeded in reaching the upper wharf and pulling under it without attracting anybody's attention. If anyone saw him rowing in the boat, they probably thought he had a load of fish. Ben lay perfectly still; and, after examining his bonds to make sure that he could not get away, Joe fastened the boat, got out, and bent his steps toward Barlow's saloon. There was no one in except the proprietor, and Joe leaned over the counter and whispered to him.
"I've got one," said he.