"I have nothing more to say," returned Dory, bracing himself up in readiness to meet whatever might come.
"All right if you hain't; and I hain't got much more to say; only if you try to call them crews, you'll wish you'd been born deef and dumb," added Tom, savagely, and enforcing his threat with a flourish of his dirty fists. "Come back, Kid, and be in a hurry," he shouted to his companions he had sent to look out for Matt and Oscar, who were still too far off to see what was transpiring near the wharf.
Tom Topover started at a smart run for the wharf, closely followed by his three companions. He had evidently changed his tactics all of a sudden, and concluded not to fight any battle. The haste displayed indicated that they were hurrying to get into the boats before any of the crew could arrive. Dory comprehended the situation at once, and blew a long pipe on the boatswain's whistle, which woke the echoes of the quiet grove.
"Git into them boats!" shouted Tom Topover, to the companions he had left at the wharf. "Untie 'em, and pick up the oars!"
The Topover intended to get possession of the boats while it was possible to do so, and not lose any time in thrashing Dory, which he regarded as an easy matter, a mere form. He had called his crew with the whistle, and Matt, as soon as he heard it, had blown his own pipe. He and Oscar had by this time got an idea that something was wrong, and were running with all their speed towards the wharf.
Dory was not content with merely blowing his whistle, and, as soon as he saw what Tom meant to do, he ran after him. There were about a dozen Topovers, as nearly as he could judge, but he did not stop to ask himself what he should do alone against such a host. The leader of the young ruffians was not as fleet of foot as the three companions who had attended him to the grove, and they reached the wharf when he had accomplished about two thirds of the distance.
"Hurry up, Pell Sankland!" shouted Kidd when he came to the wharf, though the one called was not far ahead of Tom.
Kidd Digfield appeared to be the second in power and influence of the party, and he gave orders enough when he reached the vicinity of the pier to confuse and confound those who had obtained a footing in the boats. There were five in one barge and four in the other. They had already cast off the painters, and hauled the boats up to the side of the wharf.
"Let the boats alone!" shouted Dory, when he had nearly overtaken Tom Topover.