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Updated: May 10, 2025
Who'll be the other?" "Hen Dutcher!" came with wonderful unanimity from the others. "Not on your life I won't!" retorted Hen with vigor. "I won't freeze myself for any gang of fellows, and that's flat. I'm going to dress by a warm fire when I dress." "Well," said Dan ruefully, "as I woke all the others up, I guess it's up to me to volunteer. Say when you're ready, Dick." "Now!" answered Prescott.
The skaters will come and go by the lane leading from the barn to the road. I think that if you agree to my proposition, Mr. Dutcher, you will not regret it." "What's to prevent my running such a rink myself?" asked Old Dutcher gruffly. "It wouldn't pay you, Mr. Dutcher," answered Ned promptly. "The Carleton boys wouldn't patronize a rink run by you." Old Dutcher's eyes twinkled.
In fact, the Dutcher youngster may have wondered whether he could stand on his feet if he slipped out and into his clothes. One by one the boys found seats. Dan picked up the air rifle and sat with it across his lap. "Whoever it is that's doing this trick has surely got us going," laughed Dick uneasily. "He has," affirmed Dave.
Old Dutcher was unmarried, and his widowed sister kept house for him. This poor lady had a decidedly lonely life of it, for Old Dutcher studiously discouraged visitors. His passion for solitude was surpassed only by his eagerness to make and save money. Although he was well-to-do, he would wrangle over a cent, and was the terror of all who had ever had dealings with him.
"Dick, you and Dave begin to yank on the door as soon as you see the hot stream trickling on below." Reade made economical use of the water, yet it took considerable pouring to loosen up the door at the sill. "Better go slow with that water," warned Dutcher. "It's the last there is in the place." "Humph!" retorted Tom. "Once we get outside I guess we can dig our way to the spring."
"But when are you going to eat?" insisted Hen. "It's noon now." "We'll eat in another hour, I guess, if that suits the crowd," replied Dick. "I'm ready to eat right now," coaxed Dutcher. "But you don't belong to the crowd," retorted Dave Darrin grimly. "Unless you want to put up with bread you'll have to wait until the crowd is ready."
"Oh dry up!" Greg retorted. "If they ain't back here in another hour you fellows will feel the same way I do about it," Hen Dutcher predicted stubbornly. Dick Prescott made no answer, though, truth to tell, he was beginning to worry inwardly. A mishap in the forest, on this bitterly freezing morning, would be no simple matter.
Dick thought a moment before a great light dawned on him. "So, Hen Dutcher, Fred Ripley and some of his crowd knew we were coming out here, and so they came along, too, and you with 'em, eh?" "I tell you I wasn't with 'em," protested Dutcher. "You walked all the way?" "Most of the way." "And how did Fred Ripley and his crowd come?" "On a wagon, and " Here Hen Dutcher paused suddenly.
Young Dutcher made a switching-away movement, and the next instant he had fallen flat on his face. He let out a howl. "We've got him!" declared Toby, as he and Allen pounced on the prostrate one. "Yes, but let him alone, fellows," urged Dick, reaching the scene and halting. "Hen may have his faults, but it's time we chose another fellow to pick on for a while."
We three will go and attend to it all, and the rest of the fellows will stay right by the door and see that Mr. Fits, who has been kind enough to go, stays gone. Get on your coat, Greg, and you, too, Hen." "I'll stay and help guard," proposed Dutcher. "A bully guard you'd make," jeered Tom. "Into your coat or else you'll go without one."
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