John Dough and the Cherub
Page 17
Sport of Pirate Island
The birds flew close together and made great speed, and in about threehours from the time they started an island appeared just ahead of them.Whereupon John said to the bird that bore him:
"Let us stop here, so we can examine the island and see how we like it.This cord is cutting into my gingerbread body, and I'd like to stop fora time, anyway."
"Very well," answered the bird; and when they were over the center ofthe island the flamingoes gradually descended and alighted upon theground. John untied the cord from his waist, and also assisted Chickand Para Bruin to free themselves. The bear was not injured at all,but the cord had worn a straight line around John's body, although notvery deep; and in some way the gingerbread man had lost another of hislozenge buttons.
The place where they had alighted was covered by grass and surroundedby groves of trees.
"This looks like a fine country," said Chick, gazing around.
"It's better than our old island, anyway," remarked Para Bruin.
But just as he spoke the flamingoes uttered shrill screams and flewquickly into the air, and our friends turned in time to see a mostcurious creature come from the grove and approach them.
It had somewhat the likeness of a man, yet was too queer ever to bemistaken for a human being, although it was certainly alive. Its bodywas a huge punching-bag, and its head was a foot-ball. For legs it hadtwo of those golf-clubs called "putters," and one of its arms was atennis-racket and the other a base-ball club. This was curious enough,in all conscience; but the face was more curious yet. For the eyes weregolf balls, and the nose a square of billiard-chalk, and its mouth amere slit in the foot-ball where the lacing had come undone. Takenaltogether, this odd creature presented a most surprising appearance,and while John Dough and Para Bruin stared at it in amazement Chickboldly asked:
"Who are you?"
"Sport is my name, and sport my nature," answered the creature, winkingone eye frightfully, and grinning until its queer mouth curled up atboth corners of the slit.
"Sport," remarked the rubber bear, gravely, "is something amusing; so Iam sure you are misnamed."
"Oh! you're a balloon," returned Sport, kicking at the bear with one ofhis golf-club feet; "the kid's a chucklehead and the other's a bun."
"I'm not a bun!" exclaimed John, indignantly.
"Yes, you are! Cross bun, too. Hot cross bun. Cool off, old chap, andlook pleasant."
John was too angry to reply to this speech, but Chick said to thecreature:
"If you're going to be so disagreeable, you'd better leave us. We don'tcare to associate with people of your sort."
"Ho, ho! ha, ha!" laughed Sport; "don't care to associate, eh? Do youknow where you are?"
"No," said Chick, "and I don't care."
THE RETIRED PIRATES]
"Well, this island is inhabited by retired pirates and bandits, whomake every one that lands here pay a heavy ransom, or else--"
"Or else what?" asked John, as Sport stopped short and gave anotherhorrid wink.
"Or else they boil 'em in oil for three days," was the reply.
"Well," said the bear, "we can't pay a ransom, that's certain; but I'mnot afraid of being boiled in oil. I'm practically indestructible."
"But I'm not!" cried John, much alarmed. "It would ruin my gingerbreadto be boiled in oil, and Chick would certainly get overheated. I'mafraid it would melt your rubber, too, my dear Para."
"Would it?" asked the bear, with a start. "Then let us get away fromthis island at once!"
"By all means!" agreed John Dough.
"And the sooner the better," declared Chick.
But as they turned to look for the flamingoes, the creature whocalled himself Sport began pounding his punching-bag body with histennis-racket arm, and at the sound a crowd of men ran out of grovesof trees and quickly surrounded the rubber bear and Chick and thegingerbread man.
These men had heavy beards, hooked noses, and piercing black eyes; andthey wore red sashes tied around their waists; and laced leggings, andblue flannel shirts open at the throats; and in their belts were stuckmany daggers and knives and pistols.
"Whoop! whoo--o--o!" they screeched, yelling like Indians; and theirleader, who was uglier looking than any of his followers, cried out:
"Avast, there, my hearties! Here's a chance for either a fine ransom ora pot of boiling oil!"
"Then it's the oil," said Para Bruin, despondently; "for we have noransom."
"You may as well start the bonfire," remarked Chick.
But John Dough stepped up to the pirate chief and asked:
"How much ransom do you require?"
"Well," answered the chief, "you're not worth much, yourself, and thechild's too small to count; but a fine rubber bear like that is worthten pieces-of-eight or a sparkling jewel."
"I will give you a sparkling jewel for him, as a ransom," said John,"provided you will then permit us to depart in peace."
"All right," agreed the pirate; "hand over the sparkler and you maygo."
So John borrowed a dagger from the chief and picked out of his bodyone of the three diamonds which the inventor had given him in the Isleof Phreex. It glittered most beautifully in the sunlight, and the eyesof the pirate also glittered with greed. For he had noticed two otherscars on John's gingerbread body, similar to the one the diamond hadbeen picked out of. Taking the diamond in his dirty hand he said:
"Well, where are the other jewels?"
"You agreed to accept this one as our ransom," answered the gingerbreadman.
"You misunderstood me. I said three," declared the pirate; and turningto his men he shouted: "Didn't I say three, boys?"
"You did! You said three sparklers!" cried the retired pirates andbandits, in a loud chorus. So John, with a sigh of regret, picked theother two diamonds out of his body and gave them to the chief.
"Now," said the pirate, "I will allow you to go. But where you can goto is a mystery to me, for you are on an island."
"Stop!" cried another man, as they turned to depart. "You've got tosettle with me, now. I'm the bandit chief, and I also demand a ransom."
"I have given the pirate chief all the diamonds I had," said John.
"Then you shall surely boil in oil!" shouted the bandit, scowlingfearfully. "Seize them, my men, and away with them to the fieryfurnace."
But just then came a flutter of wings, and the four flamingoes flewdown and sailed along just over the heads of the prisoners. Instantlythe bear clutched the end of a cord and was drawn upward by one ofthe birds. John Dough grasped the foot of another flamingo with hisright hand, and was also raised high above the heads of the astonishedpirates and bandits, while Chick coolly sat within the loop of stringdangling from the two remaining birds and sailed into the sky withadmirable grace.
Meantime the robbers shook their fists and yelled at the escapedprisoners in a frenzy of helpless rage.
"Wait a minute!" Para Bruin called to the flamingo which was carryinghim; for he observed that just beneath him was the form of the dreadfulperson who had called himself Sport. The bird obeyed, remaining poisedin the air; and at once the bear curled himself into a ball, let go thecord, and fell downward toward the ground.
The ball of rubber, rapidly descending, struck the surprised Sport andsmashed him flat upon the ground. Then up into the air bounded thebear again, and caught once more the cord that was attached to theflamingo's foot.
"Well done!" called the Cherub, while the pirates and bandits wererushing to assist the helpless Sport.
"That was a noble deed, my good Para!" said the gingerbread man.
"Oh, I'm a bouncer, all right!" answered the bear, proudly. "But nowlet us get away from this awful place as soon as possible."
So the flamingoes flew swiftly across the sea with them, and John Doughfound that he sailed more easily while clutching the bird's foot thanwhen the cord had been fastened around his body. Chick also rode withperfect comfort, but Para Bruin was obliged to wrap
the cord severaltimes around his fat paw, to prevent it from slipping out of his grasp.