Afraid to yell for help, yet afraid to lose Stan, Dago grunted savagely and rowed towards the youth.
“Dago, you fool!” cried Mr. Nevens from the barge. “Where you going to?”
“It’s o.k., Cowboy, o.k.!” Dago replied, cheerfully, then bent to his oars, cursing under his breath.
It was twenty minutes before he closed again with the desperate youth and hauled him, fighting, aboard. Then he gave the youth such a clip under the short ribs that Stan lay doubled over, sick and gasping, while the boat was rowed to the boat-house. He was still weak and sick when Dago carted him ashore and began marching him up the path to the cabin!
But, sick as he was, Stanley Sandborn was not licked yet, and, as his breath came rapidly back, and they neared the door of that cabin, Stan took one deep breath, and darted off across the clearing!
He made a path before Dago and led that worthy a merry chase. Had he been fresh, Stan would have easily gotten away. As it was, Dago was just a step or two behind all the time, and Stan eluded capture for a while only by twisting about and turning from the outstretched hands of the man.
Dago grabbed him again, however, and triumphantly dragged him towards the cabin door, hugely satisfied with his luck in at last cornering the youth. This time Stan would not escape him, he said aloud, and got an even tighter grip upon the youth’s right arm. Stan knew that this time he could not escape, being winded, sick, and gripped by a powerful hand. Frightened, but game, he was dragged to the cabin door, and Dago reached out his hand to press upon that door.
Even as he did so he gave a loud outcry of pain! His hand let go of Stanley, and he began running in short circles, grabbing at his pants’ seat, and bellowing with alarm as if stung by a whole nest of hornets!
“Oh-h-h!” he bellowed, “I’m dead, dying! Ouch! Fire, bees! Wan Ho Din, help!”
Stanley Sandborn thought himself too tired to run, but he now seized his chance and darted for the path to the cove! There he almost collided with his chum. The two of them headed for the hilltop and towards the Water Witch.