Page:The Young Auctioneers.djvu/160

144 to Baldy, in tones of deep disgust. "Now don't you wish you had let me tend to him?"

"Stick to the horse, Jake!" cried Baldy, ignoring the last remark. "I'll soon have the young fellow on the ground again."

"Let go of that horse!" commanded Matt. "Let go, or I'll lash you right and left!"

The tramp called Jake looked up into the young auctioneer's face at these words. Evidently he did not like the looks of the set lines about Matt's mouth, for without delay he obeyed the order, and stepped back. He had hardly done so before Matt struck Billy a light blow, and off went the horse at quite a respectable gait, leaving the three would-be plunderers standing staring after the turn-out in wonder and disgust!

"Phew! but that was a narrow escape!" gasped Matt, to himself, as he caught up the lines and gave Billy another tap. "I suppose I ought to be thankful that I was not robbed of everything in my keeping. Those fellows looked wicked enough to do almost anything."

After he had gone on some little distance he leaned out of the wagon to see if he was being pursued. But the tramps had deemed it unwise to follow him, and once more the young auctioneer had the road to himself.