Teddy and Carrots: Two Merchants of Newpaper Row Part 3

"I've made up my mind that this sort of thing's been going on long enough," the officer said, shaking the boy from Saranac, as he led him toward the approaching policeman. "You little ragam.u.f.fins seem to think this park's kept for you to fight in, but now I'm going to show you what's what."

"Just let me get hold of the fellow who knocked my papers in the mud, and I'll show _you_ what's what!" Teddy cried, not understanding that he had been arrested. "They aren't goin' to drive me away from this town, if I know myself."

"Well, now there won't be anybody able to do that till after you settle with the court," the guard said, as he handed his prisoner over to the policeman; and Teddy's face grew pale as he realized that his attempted entrance into the business community of New York City was to be checked in an ignominious manner.

CHAPTER III.

THE ARREST.

The policeman marched Teddy along while he whistled a remarkably merry tune, which the young prisoner thought out of place.

If anybody had shown sufficient curiosity regarding him to have asked Teddy if he had any friends in the city, his reply would have been that he had none; but he would have been wrong, as events proved.

Master Joseph Williams, otherwise known as Carrots, had witnessed the affray from a distance, but was not able to take an active part in it during the brief time it lasted, owing to the fact of his being occupied just at that moment in blacking a customer's boots. But when Teddy had been dragged less than a block on the road to his "dungeon cell" by the whistling officer, he had completed his task, and, what was more to the purpose, received therefor the amount of money which it was customary to expect.

Now this boy from Saranac had no claim upon the red-headed, blackened-nosed young bootblack; but, despite the fact that Carrots's face was not cleanly, and that his general appearance was generally disreputable, he was ever ready to a.s.sist others.

Slinging his box over his shoulder, he ran to the scene of the a.s.sault just in time to rescue Teddy's stock of newspapers from beneath the feet of a dray-horse, and followed with all speed after the officer and prisoner.

Teddy, plunged into a very "Slough of Despond," was suffering himself to be taken through the streets like a criminal, when he was startled by hearing a hoa.r.s.e whisper directly behind him; at the same instant his hand was grasped by another.

"Say, can't you wriggle out er that cop's fist?" Carrots asked. But Teddy shook his head mournfully.

"This is what comes of bein' brought up in the country," the bootblack muttered to himself, regretfully.

"Don't lose your pluck," he said aloud. "I'm goin' to stand by you through this thing, 'cause it's all come out er that Skip Jellison's gang, an' he's forever pickin' on somebody."

"I don't know what you can do," Teddy replied, mournfully, speaking in an ordinary tone. Then, glancing around, the policeman noticed that his prisoner was holding a conversation with a seeming friend.

"Now, then, what do you want, young chap?" the officer asked.

"Nothin' at all," said Carrots. "It ain't ag'in' the law to speak to a fellow, is it, when he's walkin' through the streets?"

"Is this boy a friend of yours?"

"Bet your life he is, off'cer!" Carrots replied, earnestly. "Why, we're jest like twins. You don't s'pose I'm goin' to see him lugged away when he ain't been doin' nothin' at all, do you?"

[Ill.u.s.tration: "'NOW, THEN, WHAT DO YOU WANT, YOUNG CHAP?' THE OFFICER ASKED."]

"If you boys who loaf near City Hall keep on doing this 'nothing at all'

business, more of you will be arrested before a great while," the officer said, grimly. "You seem to think that park's made for you to fight in, but it won't take long to show you you're mistaken."

"But this fellow wasn't fightin'," Carrots replied in a positive tone.

"I was only a little ways off when Skip Jellison come up, hit him a clip, an' knocked his papers out er his hands. What kind of a duffer would he be if he hadn't tried to square things? The only trouble is, he didn't have a chance to do any fightin' before that crooked-nosed park guard got hold of him. Say, it don't seem to me jest right that a reg'lar policeman should help that gray thing along in the way he's actin'."

"Why don't you come up before the commissioners, and give them an idea of how the police force of the city ought to be run?" the officer asked, sarcastically.

"Well, I would; but you see, I ain't got the time. When a feller's doin'

sich a business ez I am, it keeps him right down to dots," Carrots replied, gravely.

"It's really a pity, the way you must be rushed," the officer said, with a laugh; and, made bold by this apparent friendliness, Carrots ventured to make a request.

"Say, where are you goin' to take him?"

"Down to the station-house, of course."

"Well," said Carrots, "it wouldn't be any harm if I walked alongside of him, an' talked over a little business, would it?"

"It's nothing to me, so long as you don't help him escape."

"You needn't be 'fraid. I wouldn't raise my hand 'gainst you, 'cause you're a pretty good kind of a man; an' that sort is mighty scarce 'round this part of the city."

"I suppose, now that I have won your good opinion, it won't be long before I'm a captain, will it?" the officer asked, laughingly.

"If I had my way, you'd be a general before night; but I ain't standin'

in with the commissioners like I ought to be," Carrots said, with mock gravity.

Then--for they were getting dangerously near the station--he whispered to Teddy:

"Look here, old man; you want ter keep your upper lip mighty stiff jest now, an' I'll get you out er this sc.r.a.pe somehow. I s'pose there'll have to be a reg'lar trial down to the Tombs, and I'll bring the fellers there to swear you didn't do anything. We'll show up that Skip Jellison gang in great shape to-morrow mornin', 'less I can coax you off from this cop."

"It's no use to try it," Teddy replied, mournfully. "I reckon I'll have to go to prison."

"Now see here, that's just the way! You fellers from the country ain't got any sand about you, that's what's the matter. Don't get down in the mouth over this thing, 'cause, as I said before, I'm goin' to see you through."

"But what can you do against a lot of policemen?"

"Wait and see. P'r'aps I haven't lived in this city a good many years, an' don't know how to fix things!" Carrots replied, as if he were positive how the matter might be arranged; yet at the same time he had not the remotest idea what it would be possible to do toward aiding this boy.

Teddy was not rea.s.sured by the remark.

Although a stranger in the city, he knew that young Carrots would not be able to do very much to help him, and felt sure his business career was ruined.

"How much money have you got?" Carrots whispered.

"Not more'n ten cents. You see, I had jest begun to sell papers when they nabbed me. How much do you want?"

"I've got enough. I was only thinkin' 'bout you. Here, take this; it may come in handy before mornin';" and the bootblack pressed several coins into the prisoner's hand.

"I don't want it," Teddy replied, as he attempted in vain to return the money. "You mustn't give your cash away like this; an' besides, what good will it do me?"

"That's jest what we don't know. It's allers better to have a little stuff in your pocket, no matter what happens. I've got your papers, an'

am goin' to sell 'em, so I'll get my money back. You jest let me run this thing, an' see how quick we'll have it shipshape."

There was no opportunity for further discussion, for by this time the three had arrived at the door of the station-house, and Carrots, who had a wholesome dread of such places, made no attempt to enter.