Tad Sobber

“ Then they stood there, in water up to their knees, supporting Dick as best they could. The oldest Rover boy was all but unconscious.
"Going to help us?" yelled Tom, to their enemies.
"What's the matter with him?" asked Tad Sobber.
"Oh, I fancy he was only shamming!" came from Josiah Crabtree. "Come on away."
"Don't you dare to leave us here!" cried Sam.
"Help us out," came from Tom. "It is your duty to do it."
"Not much!" answered Tad Sobber, with a sneer. "You can help yourself if you can!" ”

“ They were sure Nellie was there but were not so certain about her cousin. The woman was Mrs. Sobber beyond a doubt.
"If they leave the girls in that room and alone—with that window unlocked——" began Dick.
"The woman may stay with them," interrupted Tom.
"Get back—somebody is coming!" whispered Sam, and dragged his brothers down, behind some rose bushes.
Two persons were coming out of the old mansion. One carried a lantern and what looked to be some bed slats and the other a ladder. They were Tad Sobber and Jerry Koswell.
"Do you think the ladder is long enough?" they heard Koswell ask. ”

“ Sobber had gone away for several days, stating she must look after a lady friend who had become insane. She stated that possibly she would bring the lady to the house for a day or two, but that if she did, Mr. Mason need not be afraid, for a doctor and a nurse would come along. Then the lady had arrived, in company with Tad Sobber and two men. He had not been allowed to talk to the woman, the others saying she might become violent in the presence of strangers. Then the lady had been taken away by the men and Tad Sobber the night before, and Tad Sobber had come back for Mrs. ”

“ There, in front of the soda fountain, were the bully of the Hall and his crony. They were drinking soda and talking to a young girl who had served them.
"Hullo, here they are!" cried Sam, and came to a halt.
As they looked into the place they saw Tad Sobber reach over the counter and catch the girl clerk by her curls. He held fast, grinning into her face, while she tried to pull away from him.
"The mean wretch!" cried Dick. "He tries to make himself as obnoxious as he can to everybody he meets."
"Oh, please let go!" came in the girl's voice through the open doorway. "You hurt me!" ”

“ That night and the next day the telegraph and telephone were kept busy, and some officers of the law from Ithaca visited the old Sobber homestead. They found the place deserted and no trace of Merrick, Pike or Tad Sobber was to be found.
"It is too bad," declared Dick, when the news came in. "I thought sure we'd round up the rascals." ”

“ In the meantime the authorities continued the hunt for Merrick, Pike and the others, but without success.
"I'd really like to know what has become of Tad Sobber," remarked Dick. "It is a pity if he is dependent upon such a fellow as Merrick for his support."
"Perhaps his mother left him money," said Tom.
At last came the day when the boys returned to Putnam Hall. On the train they fell in with Larry Colby and George Granbury, and told of what they had learned. ”

“ The superintendent stepped aside and Tom entered the building. But the delay had cost him dear, for in the meanwhile Tad Sobber had made good his escape by running back to the next street. Tom looked around for over quarter of an hour and then gave up the chase.
"It's too bad, but it can't be helped," he mused. "I may as well go back to the park and wait for Dick and Sam. I hope they caught that Cuffer." ”

“ The majority of the students were old friends, although there was a fair sprinkling of new boys.
It was not until the end of the week that Dick Rover came into contact with Tad Sobber, a stocky youth, with a shock of black hair and eyes which were cold and penetrating. Sobber was with a chum named Nick Pell, and both eyed Dick in a calculating manner which was highly offensive.
"He's the fellow who does the hero act," whispered Sobber to Pell, in a manner meant to reach Dick's ears. "Wants to make a regular grandstand play all the time." ”

“ He happened to be the father of the girl, and she told him how Tad Sobber had caught her by the hair.
"See here," began the candy store keeper, and flourished his mop stick at the bully. Then Sobber retreated from the establishment and Nick Pell did likewise, and both started on a run up the street.
"What do you cadets mean by coming in here and annoying my daughter?" demanded the storekeeper hotly. "If you can't behave yourselves, you had better keep away." ”

“ My uncle hardly knows Cuffer—and I never heard of a man named Shelley."
"I am not crazy, and you know I am speaking the truth," answered Tom, calmly. "Now you tell me where your uncle is or I'll have you arrested."
"You'll not arrest me!" exclaimed Tad Sobber, and with a sudden movement he twisted himself free from Tom's grasp. "You follow me and you'll get the worst of it!" he added, and darted across the park at top speed.
Tom made after the bully, but as luck would have it a nurse girl with a baby carriage got
HE TWISTED HIMSELF FREE FROM TOM'S GRASP AND RAN.—Page 82. ”

“ In the pocket of his chaps was a plug, but he somehow felt ashamed of mistrusting Kipp and wanted the old fellow to know that he was no longer covered.
Kipp tossed him a piece of tobacco, noticing the while that Tad’s Winchester now pointed in another direction. He grinned understandingly and they rode on down the steep trail.
Dark fell like a black blanket, to be followed by the pale moonlight. From the river bottom, miles below, the faint sound of shots echoed, reechoed, and died away, leaving a silence charged with a sinister foreboding that caused Tad Ladd’s eyes to narrow dangerously. ”

“ The children were already asleep in the waggons. A few of the women took out their knitting and worked their long needles rapidly, the bright steel gleaming in the fitful flare of the firelight. The men fed their horses, for there was not grass enough for their food, and went round looking for more wood to feed the fire, or sat in the circle, shaping garden sticks and broom-handles to sell at the fair.
As for Tad and Phil, when there seemed to be nothing further for them to do, they came and joined the cosy party round the fire, seating themselves between kind old Sophie and Pelagie. ”

“ I've broke with Phil and with the gipsies; and all for what? To stay here and starve in the streets while maybe the child dies in the hospital, and if he do die, why then good-bye to any home-goin' at all. Just my luck I can't seem to compass nothing at all, I can't."
That night he slept under an old boat which was turned on its side awaiting repairs on the shore, above high-water mark. A more unhappy lad it would have been hard to find under God's great canopy of sky than Tad when he awoke next morning, cold, hungry, with a remorseful conscience and an anxious heart. ”

“ You have to get ’em, you can’t make ’em out of air. Hurry and open it, Papa. Don’t you want to see what’s in it?”
“I think I know what’s in it. Yes, Tad,” he went on musingly, as though he talked to himself. “I’m supposed to make soldiers out of air; anyway the New York newspapers seemed to think so. Make ’em out of air and feed ’em on air and give ’em air to shoot with.”
“And then if General Lee licks us you’re to blame!” cried Tad. “Oh, I know, John Hay and Mr. Nicolay hide the papers but I find ’em. Papa, I read where one New York paper called you a gorilla.” ”

“ The younger lad caught Tad's arm with a look of fear and horror. "Are you crazy, Tad?" he whispered. "Do you want to be as wicked as he is? After standin' out agen bein' burglars, are we goin' to be common thieves! Think, Tad—only think a moment! You must be well-nigh off your head, dear old boy, to speak of such a thing."
"But we may never have such a chance again, Phil," said Tad.
"Yes, that's true; and so let's clear out, and run away from Foxy. Better starve or die of cold alone and out in the open than live longer with this brute. Come, Tad—come quick, afore he wakes up." ”

“ Hmm. I never cut into no man’s game up till now, but I’m shore declarin’ myse’f in on this.”
Noiselessly, he slipped back to his horse and swung into the saddle. As Yellow Hammer scuffed along the dusty trail at a running walk, Tad raised his voice in song to herald his coming. He rightly guessed that his approach would, for a few moments, so startle Kipp that the old sheriff would not have time to beat a retreat until Tad was too close. ”

“ So it's no good goin' back, to say nothin' of our bein' sure to meet Foxy."
Phil shuddered.
"We mustn't get into his hands no more, whatever happens," said he; "but he'll try and catch us, you may be sure, Tad."
"Yes," assented Tad, "we know too much about him not to be dangerous now we've run away. So of course he'll want to find us, and we'll have to look out."
"We'd better not keep to the high roads in the daytime," said Phil; "if we do, he's sure to track us sooner or later."
"The thing is, what can we do? Where can we go?" muttered Tad more to himself than to his companion. ”

“ For now the wild green plants were coming up with tender shoots, and none knew better than the gipsy woman which of them lent an appetising flavour to the soup.
"Here, Edouard," said she to Tad, who was loafing about and watching his chance. "Step into Marie's waggon, will you, and look at the child. If he seems restless or uneasy, take him up and rock him gently in your arms till he is quiet. You can stay with him, for I do not need your help here. ”

“ Ain't there any other thing, if you please, that I ought to do?"
"Yes," shouted Tad, beside himself with passion—"lots of 'em!"
"Shut up, will you?" roared James Poole, bringing his heavy fist down upon the table. "Am I never to have a minute's peace at home?"
"'Tain't my fault, dad," said the boy; "I ain't gone and done nothin'."
"No, everybody knows you never do nothin'," sneered his stepmother. "You're just one of they poor critturs that's put upon all the time by other folks, when you're as innercent as a angel."
Tad got up and pushed his plate away without having touched a mouthful. ”

“ They're kind people, and if we help them all we can, it'll go hard but we'll earn our board and lodgin'."
"Well?" said Phil, feeling that the most important of what Tad had set out to say, was unsaid as yet.
"Well," repeated Tad, "my idea was this, that we should stay on with them, movin' when and where they did, and livin' their life until—"
"Ah, I see what you mean!" cried Phil. "Until Sophie's daughter, Marie, came with the baby, and then—"
"Yes, that's it! Steal the baby again, and cut away," said Tad, "and trust to chance for gettin' across the Channel." ”

“ Go in dere!" And Renard pointed a crooked forefinger at the window. "Queek, queek!" added he, as Phil did not stir, "or you weel be sorry." And a threatening look in the man's dark, evil face gave emphasis to his words.
Tad held his breath with a strange, mingled feeling of horror, wonder, and admiration, as he saw his little companion draw himself up, and look straight and unfaltering into Foxy's green eyes. ”

“ A pale, dark-eyed, sad-faced woman answered the timid knock at the door which Tad gave.
"What would you, my children?" she asked gently. "You look weary and ill. What ails you? Tell me!" And her kind eyes rested with a wondering pity upon Phil, whose thin, patient, white little face appealed to her motherly heart.
"We are starving, madame," said Tad, in the queer French he had picked up during his short stay in France; "and we have not a sou to buy bread. Will you, of your goodness, give us something to eat, that we may have strength to pursue our journey?" ”

“ But tell me, Edouard, where is baby Victor?"
"He is in the hospital, and his life is in danger I fear, dear mother."
"My poor Marie!" sighed the old woman. "She loves Victor so well, and her heart would break were he to die. It will be hard enough anyway to part from him, even if he gets well."
Tad turned in amazement to Phil, who had followed him as he went to meet Mother Sophie. ”

“ THE days passed, and Marie returned from her daily visits to the hospital, bringing no better reports.
"But for that long night of exposure to the cold, damp air, baby Victor would never have been so ill," she had said reproachfully to Tad; "and now, through you and your headstrong folly, this precious little life will most likely be lost. You do not deserve to have a brother."
Tad did not resent Marie's hard words. He knew he merited them richly, and he did not attempt to excuse or defend himself. ”

“ And Phil looked and rose instantly to his feet, followed by Tad. The younger boy turned to Sophie.
"Good mother, we thank and bless you for your goodness to us, poor stranger boys," he said, "and we ask of you one more favour. This man who now is coming towards us is a wicked, cruel master, from whom, after sore treatment, we have only just escaped. If he catches us, he will surely kill us. So we must go away at once, and we entreat you, betray us not. ”

“ That there bush yo’re a squattin’ behind ain’t so thick as she might be. I kin see yuh plain. Yuh’d orter pick a boulder fer shelter.”
A muffled curse and cracking of twigs came from the brush as Hank Basset shifted his position. Tad’s eyes followed the moving brush tops. His ruse had worked. He now knew where the cow man crouched. Shorty grinned his approval at Tad’s clever lying.
“Good guessin’, Taddie. Now shoo that there settin’ hen of a female from her nest and we’ll feel easier,” he whispered. “If it comes to the wust, we gotta run. We can’t noways shoot no female women. ”

“ By contrasting what he was beginning to know of himself with the estimate he had made of Phil's character, he could not help feeling what a cowardly, selfish, contemptible sort of a fellow he had been throughout.
"It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks," Jeremiah Jackson had said, and Tad had proved to his cost how true these words were. ”