A League of Three: Boy's Detective Stratagems — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘ » Hs gee a | 8) A LEAGUE OF THREE. “He may take cold.” “J reckon you feel cold,” said the jeerer. Madie made a step forward, intending to move on, when the fellow made a rush for him and jumped on his back and shoulders with a shout. Our hero, as our readers know, wasa powerful chap. He at once clapped his hands around the fellow who was tormenting him, pinned the tormentor so he could not dismount, and then with a shout made a rush and a dive straight into the river, car- rying his persecutor with him. Well, there went up a shout; the men yelled with laughter and the girls shouted also with glee. It was one of the best tricks any of them had ever seen. ‘Che moment Madie struck the water he managed to shake off the fellow who had threatened to duck him. ‘The smart Alec was a good swimmer, and ris- ing to the surface made for the river bank, while Madie jeered him and also swam for the shore. When they both scrambled up smart Alec made a rush for the stranger and received a punch square in the eyes that toppled him over in a heap. No one interfered; the fellow’s companions appeared to enjoy his discomfiture. Smart Alec was game, however, for the time being, owing to the fact that the girls were all witnesses of the scrimmage, and he made a second rush at Madie and a second time received a punch that downed him, and the last rap was just hard enough to settle him and take all the spunk out of him. He did not attempt another assault and Madie, with the remark: “You know more now than you did before you met me,” moved on. | Our hero was wet through and it was a season in the year when heavy dews fell. “Hang the fellow,” muttered our hero as he eeadaed along, “I am getting chilled and I may yet pay for my fun.” Madie at length came to a dense strip of wood. He Od es all ” a 8 -_ comiicbooks:¢