Teddy and Carrots: Two Merchants of Newpaper Row Part 21

"Look out for 'em!" Carrots said, nervously. "They are going to make a fuss, now, sure."

"Keep right on with your work, an' don't pay any 'tention, no matter what they say," Teddy replied; and the three boys who claimed the right to control business in that section of the city approached until they were offensively near those who had been warned to leave town.

"Didn't you get enough yesterday to serve you out?" Skip asked, angrily, of Carrots.

The latter made no reply.

"I reckon you know what I said 'bout your workin' 'roun' here," the bully continued, stepping yet closer, and shaking his fist in Carrots's face.

At this point, Teddy thought best to interfere, and, taking the box from his companion's hand, he stepped between Carrots and Skip.

"Now, I've got somethin' to say in this business," he began; "an' I want you to remember it, jest as much as we'll remember what you've said 'bout our goin'. I came down to this town to earn a livin', an' to leave other folks alone, same's I told you over there by the fountain.

Yesterday you pounded Carrots, an' stole a dollar of my money from him.

Now do you think I'm such a chump as to stand that?"

"Well, why don't you do somethin' 'bout it?" Skip asked, with a sneer, as he put himself in an att.i.tude of defense.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TEDDY DEFENDS HIS PARTNER.]

"If you think I'm so much of a fool as to fight you, an' stand the chance of gettin' 'rested, while you're coward enough to run away, it's a mistake, an' the sooner you find it out the better. This is what I want ter say, an' I mean every word of it. Jest as true as you touch us, or interfere in any way, I'm goin' to that judge where I was taken up before, an' have you hauled in. You know what that'll 'mount to, an'

these fellers who are with you stand the chance of gettin' the same as you'll get. The judge said that instead of fightin' a boy ought to make a complaint to the police, an' they'd see he was taken care of. Now, I've come to this city to stay, and that's what I'm goin' to do. If we were out in the country I'd be glad to stand up with you, an' the feller that got the worst of it would have to leave; but we're where the policemen will 'rest us, an' I can't 'ford to take chances."

Teddy spoke in such a decided tone, and appeared so determined to insist upon his rights, that, perhaps, for the first time in his life, Master Jellison was cowed, if not absolutely frightened.

He knew only too well that the statements made were correct: that he would be punished severely by the law for having robbed Carrots, and, in the bewilderment caused by the bold stand Teddy had taken, he retired a few paces to consult his friends.

The boy from Saranac had not said all he intended to, and, thinking it would be better to continue the conversation before the bully had time to regain his courage, he continued:

"I don't want you to think you're goin' to get off with that money, even if we keep quiet now. When the time comes right, you'll pay it back to Carrots, or have trouble; an' I'll give you somewhere 'bout a week to make up your mind, 'less you want ter kick up a row now. You'd better sneak off before that policeman comes along, for I'll begin my end of the business by tellin' him the whole story jest as soon as he gets here."

As Teddy spoke, he motioned, involuntarily, with his head in the direction of the approaching officer, and, turning quickly, Skip saw the same guardian of the peace who had taken Teddy to the station-house.

It would be awkward for him to remain if the true story were to be told, and the bully concluded his wisest course was to leave that neighbourhood at once.

Therefore, he and his friends moved hastily away until they were on the opposite side of the street, where they could hide themselves behind the vehicles whenever it became necessary, and at the same time see all that was going on.

Teddy did not intend to recede one whit from the stand he had taken.

As soon as the policeman came up, he told all that had occurred during the previous twenty-four hours.

"So that boy is going to drive you out of town, eh?" the officer said, laughingly.

"No, he isn't goin' to do anything of the kind. That's what _he_ says; but I've got something to say 'bout it. I can't thump him, 'cause you'll 'rest me; but the chances are he'll hit me whenever he can. I sha'n't stand an' take it a great while, an' that's why I want you to know jest how I'm fixed."

"If you don't provoke a quarrel, and he makes any trouble, pitch in.

Then come to me, and I'll see you through; but your best way would be to enter a complaint against him on the charge of stealing money."

"That's what I wouldn't like, 'less I had to," Teddy replied. "If he'll give it back, an' I reckon he will before long, that part of it will be all right. I'm a stranger in the city, an' don't want to get inter a fuss with the fellers, 'cause I've got to work 'longside of 'em; but it stands me in hand to have somebody know exactly how things are."

"Come to me if you get into any trouble, providing you keep yourself straight," the officer said, in a kindly tone, as he moved on, and from across the street Master Jellison and his party noted with no slight uneasiness the apparently friendly talk between the boy from Saranac and the policeman.

Carrots was undecided as to what might result from this bold speech of his partner's.

During all his experience in the city, he had never known a newsboy or a bootblack to appeal to the authorities for protection, and Teddy's method of taking care of himself rather startled him.

"It'll make Skip worse'n ever, I'm afraid," he said, in a low tone, and Teddy replied:

"It won't do for him to get very fresh now, 'cause after he strikes the first blow I'm goin' to pitch in, an' if there ain't too many of his gang 'round, you'll see me lug him into the station-house. I don't b'lieve in fightin' where there are officers to 'rest you; but I wouldn't let any fellow get the best of me if I could help it, no matter who was in the way. Now we've fixed ourselves, an' the sooner Skip Jellison begins, the better I'll like it."

Carrots gazed with admiration upon his partner.

He realized that, by thus stating his case to the policeman, Teddy had put himself in a position where it would be safe to defend himself against any attack which might be made; and this was certainly much better than Carrots's plan of the previous evening, which, fortunately, had not been carried into effect.

"Now get to work, Carrots; we mustn't let them fellers knock us out of business, for we've got to make more than a dollar to-day."

Carrots did set to work most vigorously.

His fear of Skip was quieted to a certain degree, and he darted here and there without reference to his partner's whereabouts, getting very much more trade than he would otherwise have done, because of the fact that his brother bootblacks, and many of their acquaintances in the newspaper line, were so busily engaged discussing the plan adopted by the boy from Saranac that they had no time to attend to the details of business.

For at least half an hour, Teddy and Carrots were the only boys in the immediate vicinity who attempted to do any very great amount of work, and the result was that, before the clock had struck ten, their profits amounted to nearly as much as Teddy had expected that they would earn during the entire day.

CHAPTER XII.

CARROTS'S CHARITY.

During the remainder of the day neither Carrots nor Teddy saw Skip.

It appeared very much as if Master Jellison had grown alarmed after seeing his intended victim conversing with the policeman.

The other merchants in the newspaper and the bootblacking business, neglecting everything else, discussed the very remarkable state of affairs brought about by the boy from Saranac, until the partners had succeeded in rolling up profits that made Carrots's eyes open wide with surprise.

Then their brother merchants began to realize that, while effecting nothing so far as the controversy between Skip and Teddy was concerned, they were losing an opportunity of earning money; and so they at once resumed their labors, and Carrots soon was aware of a depression in his department of the bootblacking industry which caused him no slight amount of sorrow.

"If Skip Jellison had hung 'round here the rest of the day, so's to give the other fellers more chance to talk, we'd have come nigh to earnin'

enough to pay for the stand before night," he said, as Teddy returned from purchasing his fourth supply of papers.

"That shows how much a feller can lose unless he keeps his eyes open,"

Teddy replied.

"That's a fact," said Carrots. "It didn't seem much to loaf 'round a little while; but it counts up when you come to look at it."

"You can jest bet it does; an' if you'll keep watch of yourself for another week, we'll be in mighty good shape to set ourselves up in business. There's plenty of money to be earned 'round here, an' if a feller doesn't spend it as fast as he gets it, it won't be long before he's on his feet."

Ever since he began to follow the occupation of a bootblack, Carrots had desired to own such an outfit as was in the possession of a certain Italian on Centre Street. In his eyes it was simply magnificent. A chair, upholstered in red velvet, stood on a platform covered with sheet bra.s.s and studded plentifully with large-headed nails of the same metal.