Dave Porter at Star Ranch | Page 5

road.
"It's all right now, I guess," he said, as the pistol went off with ease.
"But that trigger ought to be looked after," he added. "You wouldn't
want it to miss fire at a critical moment."
He stepped forward and, while Roger swung the representation of a
bear, he fired another shot.
"Good for you!" exclaimed the senator's son in admiration. "You took
him right in the throat, Dave!"
"Hold up there! Stop that! Do you hear me, you young rascals! Do you
want to kill me?"
The call came from the back road, and looking in that direction, the
three boys saw a well-dressed man coming toward them on the run. He
was carrying a whip, and his face was full of sudden passion.
"It's Aaron Poole, Nat's father!" said Dave, as he lowered the pistol in
his hand.
"I say, are you trying to kill me?" cried the miserly money-lender of
Crumville, as he came closer, and he shook his whip at Dave.
"Why, no, Mr. Poole," answered Dave, as calmly as he could. "What
makes you think that?"
"Oh, you needn't play innocent," snarled Aaron Poole. "You just fired a
shot at me! It went through my buggy top." And the money-lender
pointed to the back road, where stood his horse and carriage. "Nice
doings, I must say!"
"Mr. Poole, I didn't fire at you," answered Dave. "I didn't know
anybody was out there on the road,--and I didn't fire in that direction."
"You fired into the bushes, when you tried the pistol," said Roger, in a

low voice.
"Maybe the bullet went through the bushes," suggested the shipowner's
son.
"You fired at me--I heard the shot and saw you with the pistol!"
stormed Aaron Poole. "I've a good mind to have you arrested!"
"Mr. Poole, why should I fire at you?" asked Dave. "I----"
"Oh, you needn't try to smooth it over, you young rascal! I know you!
You are down on me because I made Caspar Potts pay me what was
due, and you are down on my son Nat because he is more popular at
Oak Hall than anybody else."
"Well, to hear that!" whispered Phil. He knew, as well as did the others,
that overbearing Nat Poole had scarcely a friend left at the school the
lads attended. On several occasions Nat had tried to harm Dave, but
each time he had gotten the worst of it.
"I didn't fire at you--didn't know anybody was on the back road,"
protested Dave. "If a bullet went through your buggy top I am sorry for
it, but I am also glad it didn't go through your head." And Dave had to
shudder as he thought of what might have happened. "After this I'll be
more careful when I shoot."
"Oh, don't you try to smooth it over!" snarled Aaron Poole. "I know
you of old, Dave Porter! You are always up to some underhanded tricks.
Nat knows you, too! Maybe you didn't mean to kill me, but you meant
to scare me, and you took a big chance, for I might have been hit. I
think I'll swear out a warrant for your arrest."
"Oh, Mr. Poole, don't do that!" cried Phil, in alarm. "Dave didn't know
anybody was back there. It was purely an accident."
"Humph! Who are you, I'd like to know?"
"I am Phil Lawrence. I go to Oak Hall with Dave. I think we have met

before."
"Oh, yes, I've heard of you--through my son, Nat. You sided with
Porter against my son. Of course you'll stick up for Porter now. I think
I'll go right down to town and get a warrant, and have it served." And
the money-lender made as if to walk away.
"If you have Dave arrested we can testify that it was nothing but an
accident," said Roger.
"Bah! it was no accident--he either meant to hit me or scare me! I'll
have the law on him!" stormed Aaron Poole, and then he hurried away.
Dave followed, wishing to argue the matter, but the money-lender
would not listen, and leaping into his buggy he drove off at a rapid gait
in the direction of Crumville Center.
"Now, I wonder what I had better do?" said Dave, soberly, after the
angry man had departed.
"Do you really think he'll have you arrested?" questioned the senator's
son.
"More than likely."
"But you didn't shoot at him. It was nothing but an accident."
"You can trust Mr. Poole to make out the blackest kind of a case
against me," answered Dave, bitterly. "He has been down on me for
years, and you know how Nat is down on me, too. He'll have me sent to
prison, if he can!"
"We'll stand by you," said Phil. "We know you didn't shoot