The Big Five Motorcycle Boys in Tennessee Wilds | Page 4

never forget," Elmer went on to remark, as he handled the frying- pan; "that day Rod went with me to the Collins cabin, with that basket of fine food sent by his grandfather who used to go to school with little old Mrs. Collins, and who felt sorry to learn how poorly off she was with a sprained ankle. Gid just glared at us, and wouldn't accept the basket for the longest while, because he thought Rod had a card up his sleeve. But believe me, suh, he just had to give in when Rod handed him his cap, and told him he had picked it up near our boat-house, which some one had tried to burn the night before. He just stared and stared, and couldn't find his tongue, and so we left him."
"And then, just three days afterwards it was Gid who stopped that runaway bull in the streets of Garland, when the crazy old beast was just going to dash into a pack of frightened little children on the way to a picnic," Rod went on to say.
"I happened to be where I saw what he did, fellers," Hanky Panky burst out with, "and you c'n take it from me, it was well worth watching. He just pulled out his old red bandanna, Gid did, and jumpin' in front of that savage bull, waved it right before his eyes. Course the animal turned from the little children, and rushed at Gid; but he jumped to one side, and then danced in front of the bull again; all the while yellin' at the top of his voice for the little tots to run, and get inside a gate close by. Yes-siree, Gid, he kept up them there gymnastics, in a way to beat a bull-fighter over in Spain, till every one had skipped out. Then he ran and leaped over a fence hisself, and put his fingers on his nose to the old bull, through the palings. And after that some men came along and shot the savage beast that had broke loose from the stock-yards down at the railroad. Whee! I never will forget what I saw -- even if I did climb up a tree myself!"
"And," Josh went on to say in turn, anxious to break in; "when Rod here heard about that, he went and insisted on shaking hands with the worst boy in Garland, and telling him how proud everybody felt of him. Yes, and they took up a purse too, and presented it to Gid right in the presence of his old grandmother, that he's always taken such care of, even when he was the toughest fellow in town. And say, she looked the proudest little old woman you ever saw, as she put her arm around Gid's neck, and says that she always knew he was a good boy, even if some people did like to run him down."
"But one thing you can depend on, boys," remarked Rod, seriously; "Gid Collins will never be the same bad egg in the future he has always been in the past. He's turned over a new leaf, and I'm satisfied that my plan was a wise one, when I went to him that day, gave him back his cap, and as much as told him that now the only evidence of his being the one who tried to burn our club-house had been destroyed. It set him to thinking, and he woke up."
"Yes," said Elmer, nodding his head sagely, "and when your bitter rival, Oscar Griffin, wants any of his mean work done after this, he'll have to look for another tool than Gideon Collins; because the last I heard, Gid had taken a position with the Armour Grocery Company. Little Lucy Armour was one of the tots that might have been trampled and gored by that bull, only for what Gid did. And let me tell you, boys, I'm ready to knuckle down to Rod every time when it comes to knowing how to handle tough customers like Gid Collins was."
"Huh! wish he'd get busy then, and make Josh here behave," remarked Rooster; "because, now that he's got that talking through his hat business down to such a fine point, I c'n see heaps of trouble ahead for the rest of us. Talk to him, won't you, Rod. I know he's just aching to make us believe there's all kinds of ferocious wild beasts hanging out around our camp down here, and wantin' to devour us."
Josh chuckled, but put his right hand up solemnly, as though ready to declare himself entirely innocent of the charge; but Rooster evidently did not wholly trust him, for he frowned, and shook his head.
"Supper's about ready, fellows!" announced Rod just about then; and this welcome tidings caused the