AFTER OLIVER'S ESCAPE

 

 

            Penny had badly strained himself trying to uproot a stump. Jody and Ory were desperate for help; they knew that they could not handle the place alone. The obvious solution was to appeal to the Forresters for assistance; Buck, especially, had been so kind before, when Penny had been snake-bitten. But the Forresters had been avoiding the Baxters lately, ever since they had burned down the Huttos' house. The Baxters assumed that the Forresters were avoiding the Baxters out of guilt over what they had done to the Huttos. They assumed wrong.

            "But is it so diff'rent, Ma?" Jody encouraged her. "Things was turrible awkward afore, when Pa was snake-bit, 'cause we had jest done had the fight. And they still he'ped us."

            Ory was uneasy, but she allowed Jody to persuade her, as she could see no other solution. They told Penny that they would not be gone long, and then they set out in the wagon for Forresters' Island.

            When they disembarked at their destination, they were bewildered at the unaccustomed silence.

            "Where is ever'body?" Ory wondered.

            "Mebbe they's all out doin' chores some'eres," Jody speculated, wandering toward the barn. He turned back toward Ory, and added, "I'll see iffen anybody's in there."

            Someone was.

            Without warning, Jody was grabbed roughly from behind by a strong arm around his waist. He was lifted, in doubled-over position. He struggled uselessly. Jody twisted to look up at his captor. His blood ran cold.

            "Lem.... What...? Why...?"

            "You leetle varmint! We know you he'ped Oliver git away that night, last Christmas. We heered all the rumors."

            "But...I only...."

            "We know you're the one found him, when we couldn't. And he'ped him escape on the steamer next mornin'."

            "No...really...."

            "And you promised when Penny was snake-bit, you'd never he'p Oliver agin us no more. I knowed you were lyin' then! Skeeter! And so you was!"

            "Stop it!" Ory cried. "Leave my boy go!"

            "You wanta try to take him from me?"

            Realizing the impossibility of that task, she instead selected the only practical alternative. She screamed, high and loud.

            Lem's brothers were not far off, and they came running from all directions.

            Ory regarded them uneasily, wondering whether she had made the situation better...or infinitely worse.

            "Lem," Buck said quietly, "I know why you're doin' this...."

            "He takened Oliver's side agin us, agin!"

            "I know," Mill-wheel acknowledged, "but this ain't gonna solve nothin'."

            "Hit'll make me feel better," Lem declared, tightening his grip.

            "Ow! Help!"

            "Jody!" Ory panicked.

            "Miss Ory," Buck instructed, "Leave us handle it."

            She looked at him uncertainly, but obeyed.

            "Hand him over, Lem," Buck ordered.

            "No, and iffen you try to take him, I'll hurt him good." He gave another experimental squeeze to his victim.

            Jody winced, and stifled a cry.

            "Hurt him good, and we'll hurt you better," Mill-wheel informed him.

            "He ain't gonna git away with betrayin' us agin!"

            Arch remarked, "Lem, we ain't that sure of our facts. We jest heered rumors. We cain't prove nothin'."

            Pack said, "Mebbe Jody ain't done nothin' all that bad."

            "I prefer to b'lieve he did."

            "That's jest it," Buck accused. "You jest wanta hurt him. You don't keer iffen we got a good reason. Well, that ain't good 'nough for us. Now hand him over."

            Lem was not yet convinced. "Boy, admit it: you found Oliver that night, right?"

            "'Cause Pa told me to!" Jody hastened to inform him.

            That caught Buck's interest. "Whyn't he do it hisself?"

            "'Cause he had to keep aholt o' Grandma!"

            That baffled Mill-wheel. "Why???"

            "She'da runned into the fire, thinkin' he was in there. Please leave me go; you're hurtin' me!"

            The Forresters exchanged meaningful looks at this new information.

            Ory broke in, "Please! Ezra's bad hurted! Don't hurt my boy, too!"

            Most of the men stared at her. "What happened to Penny?" Buck asked.

            She explained.

            Lem looked disgusted. "Well, I know where this is leadin', don't I?" So saying, he abruptly, carelessly dropped Jody to the ground, turned, and went back into the barn.

            "Ouch!" Jody exclaimed at the sudden, awkward landing. Ory ran to gather him up in her arms.

            Buck said, "Come on, you two, I'll go with you and he'p you with your place whilst Penny recovers."

            Mill-wheel looked rueful. "Reckon I'll go for the doc. Agin."