"You would, hey?" sneered Tarbox. "Well, now, you may change your opinion on that subject before we part company." "Come, Rob, let's be going," said Charlie Davis, who didn't find this conversation interesting. "You can go," said Tarbox; "I hav'nt anything ag'inst you; but this boy's got to stay." "What for?" asked Charlie. "What for? He'll find out what for." "If you touch him, I'll send Anak after you," said Charlie. "You will, hey? So you are impudent, too. Well, I'll have to give you a lesson, too." Tarbox felt that it was time to commence business, and made a grab for Robert's collar, but the boy was agile, and quickly dodging ran to one side. Charlie Davis laughed, which further annoyed and provoked Mr. Tarbox, but the wrath of the farmer was chiefly directed against Robert, who had witnessed his discomfiture at the hands of the Norwegian giant. He therefore set out to catch the young circus-rider, but Robert was fleet-footed, and led him a fruitless chase around trees, and Tarbox was not able to get his hand on him. What annoyed the farmer especially was that the boy did not seem at all frightened, and it appeared to be no particular effort to him to elude his grasp. Tarbox was of a dogged, determined disposition, and the more difficult he found it to carry out his purpose the more resolved he was to accomplish it. It would never do to yield to two boys, who both together had less strength than he. It was different from encountering Anak, who was a match for three ordinary men. But Tarbox, in spite of his anger, and in spite of his superior strength, was destined to come to grief. He had not paid any special attention to the younger boy, being intent upon capturing Robert. Charlie, taking advantage of this, picked up a stout stick, which had apparently been cut for a cane and then thrown aside, and took it up first with the intention of defending himself, if necessary. But as Tarbox dashed by without noticing him, a new idea came to Charlie, and thrusting out the stick so that it passed between the legs of the pursuer, Tarbox was thrown violently to the ground, on which he lay for a moment prostrate and bewildered. "Climb that tree, Rob!" called out Charlie quickly. Robert accepted the suggestion. He saw that no time was to be lost, and with the quickness of a trained athlete made his way up the trunk and into the branches of a tall tree near at hand, while Charlie with equal quickness took refuge on another. Tarbox fell with such violence that he was jarred and could not immediately recover from the shock of his fall. When he did rise he was more angry than ever. He looked for the two boys and saw what had become of them. By this time Robert was at least twenty-five feet from the ground. "Come down here, you, sir!" said the farmer, his voice shaking with passion. "Thank you, sir," answered Robert coolly; "but at present I find it more agreeable up here."