rd.

And moment by moment Uncle James Brandon sped onward toward the fork,
holding the cross handle of the bath-chair with both hands, and steering
it first in one direction then in the other, as he hesitated as to which
would be the safer. If he went to the right, there, crossing the road
at right angles, was the little river, which might be shallow but looked
deep; and at any rate meant, if not drowning, wetting. If he went to
the left from where he raced on, it looked as if he would have to plunge
down at headlong speed into what seemed to be an awful chasm.

But the time for consideration was very short, though thoughts fly like
flashes. One way or the other, and he must decide instantly, for there
was just before him the point where the road divided--a hundred yards
away--fifty yards--twenty yards, and the wind rushing by his ears as the
bath-chair bounded on.

Which was it to be?

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

"I don't want to fight," thought Tom Blount, as he rushed off in pursuit
of Pete Warboys, this time with full intention, and not led into it by
accident. "Fighting means knocking the skin off one's knuckles, black
eyes, nose bleeding, and perhaps getting thrashed. And I may be, for
he's a big, strong, heavy fellow, and I don't think I could hit him half
hard enough to make him care. But it seems to me as if I must have a go
at him. Can't stand there and be pelted by such a fellow, it looks so
cowardly. Besides, he's a bit afraid, or he wouldn't run away."

All this and much more thought Tom, as he ran on as fast as he could on
diving into the wood when he left the road. An hour or so ago, when
Pete rushed in among the trees, Tom had soon given up the chase; but he
felt that it would not do to let the young scoundrel feel that he was a
kind of modern bold outlaw, with a sanctuary of his own in the woods; so
clenching his fists hard, Tom sped on, making up his mind to run his
quarry down.

"Uncle James won't mind my leaving him, if I can go back and say I have
punched Pete's head for throwing stones at him.--Bother!"

Tom gathered himself up, and stood flinching during a few moments, for
he had caught his foot against a closely-sawn-off stump, and though the
earth was covered with pine-needles it was hard.

But the accident did not detain him many moments. There in front was
Pete showing from time to time, as he dodged in and out among the tall
columnar tree-trunks, now in shadow, now passing ac