I'm thinkin' they were having troubles enough of their
own just then. At all events I never see any more of them."
"Do you really believe they meant to rob you?" asked George.
"Sure, as you're born!" replied Zeke. "That was just what they were there
for. The only thing that saved me was my havin' my mother along. 'Twasn't
long afterward before I heard of a man being held up just as I was. Two
men came along in a buggy and locked wheels with him and while he was
trying to help himself out of the fix one of them dropped him with the
butt of his gun and went through his pockets and all his belongings.
That's one reason why I have always remembered Jump Off Joe Creek."
"Remembered what?" laughed Fred.
"Jump Off Joe Creek," repeated Zeke. "That was the name of the mountain
brook right near where I had my fight with the robbers."
"But I didn't see that you had any fight," persisted Fred.
"Not exactly a fight, but it's where I would have had a tough fight if it
hadn't been for me havin' my mother 'long with me. Perhaps I told you she
was in the buggy with me when those wheels locked."
"I believe you did remark something about that," said Fred so drolly that
his companions laughed.
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