The Young Bridge-Tender | Page 7

my father
says."
"I doubt it."
"I don't care for your opinion! I know one thing. They ought to have
somebody else to mind the bridge, and perhaps they will have before
long."

"Why, what do you mean?" asked Ralph, in quick alarm.
"Ha! ha! I thought that would wake you up."
"Is somebody trying to undermine me?"
"You'll hear of it soon enough, never fear."
And with this parting shot, which was not without its effect, Percy
started to cross the bridge.
"Hold on!" cried Ralph.
"What do you want now?"
"The toll money."
"I'm only going to the Eastport end of the bridge. I'll be back in a
couple of minutes."
"That makes no difference. Every one who crosses the bridge has to
pay toll."
"But I'm coming right back."
"I don't care if you return as soon as you strike the last plank. You have
got to pay, or you can't cross," returned Ralph, firmly.
"I won't pay a cent!" blustered Percy, angrily.
"Then you can't cross."
"And who will stop me, I'd like to know?"
"I will."
"You can't do it."
"Perhaps I can. Anyway, if you don't pay I'll try. You know the rules

just as well as I do."
"There ain't any fellow in Westville can stop me from going where I
please!" howled the squire's son, and once more he started to walk on.
With a quick movement, Ralph stepped in front of the aristocratic
bully.
"Not another step, until you pay the toll!" he exclaimed, his eyes
flashing their determination.
"Out of my way, you upstart!" roared Percy.
And, raising his fist, he aimed a heavy blow at Ralph's face.
The young bridge tender caught the blow on the arm, and the next
moment had Percy jammed up against the iron railing to one side.
"Now, you either pay your way or go back just as quick as you can!" he
said, firmly. "I want no more trouble with you."
"Let go of me!"
"Not until you promise to do one thing or the other."
"I'm not going to pay!" fumed Percy.
"Then you can't cross; that's settled."
"We'll see! Take that! and that!"
Percy began to strike out wildly. Ralph warded off most of the blows,
and then upset the aristocratic bully on his back and came down on top
of him. They rolled over together, and at length Percy set up a howl of
pain.
"Oh, my shoulder! You have twisted it out of place!"
"Have you had enough?" demanded Ralph.

"Yes! yes!"
"Will you pay the toll?"
"I don't want to go over now."
"All right, then, you can go back to shore."
Ralph arose to his feet, and the aristocratic bully slowly followed.
Several persons were coming across the bridge now, and the young
bridge tender ran to collect their tolls, leaving his late antagonist to
brush off his sadly-soiled clothes.
"I'll fix you for this!" cried Percy, after the passengers had passed out
of hearing. "We'll see if the village will allow a ruffian like you to tend
bridge much longer."
And off he stalked, with his face full of dark and bitter hatred.
Ralph looked after him anxiously. Would Percy's threat amount to
anything? It would be a real calamity to lose his situation on the bridge.
Then Ralph started to brush off his own clothes. While he was doing so
he felt in his pocket to see if his twenty dollars was still safe. The bill
was gone!
With great eagerness he began a search for the missing banknote. It was
all to no purpose, the money could not be found.
CHAPTER V.
A HUNT FOR THE MISSING BILL.
Ralph was deeply chagrined to think that the twenty-dollar bill could
not be found. He had calculated that with it he might advertise for the
missing papers, and even offer a small reward.
He was loath to give up the search, and after his first hasty hunt, went
over every foot of the plank walk of the bridge, and even under it.

"It must have slipped from my pocket, and the wind must have blown it
into the water," he thought, bitterly. "That was a pretty dear quarrel,
especially as it was not in the least of my making."
Thinking he might possibly find the bill floating on the water, the
young bridge tender sprang into his rowboat, the Martha, which was
tied up to the ironwork under the bridge, and pulled around the
stonework and some distance down into Silver Lake.
He found nothing, and inside of ten minutes had to go back to his post
of duty and collect toll from several people who were coming over
from Eastport.
"I'm out twenty dollars, and that's all there is to it," he muttered to
himself. "It's too bad. Why