Teddy and Carrots: Two Merchants of Newpaper Row Part 4

"I'll see you to-night if they hold on to you; but if the sergeant turns out to be an easy kind of a feller, an' lets you go, come right up to City Hall to find me."

"I reckon there won't be any chance of his getting on the streets this afternoon," the officer said, as he halted for a moment to give his prisoner's friend a bit of kindly advice. "He'll have to go down to the Tombs for trial in the morning, and if you boys can prove that he wasn't really fighting, but only trying to prevent another fellow from taking his papers, he'll stand a good show of slipping off. I'll see that the case isn't shoved very hard."

"You're a dandy! Next time you want your boots shined, come right where I am, an' if I don't do it for nothin' it'll be 'cause my blackin' has run out!" Carrots cried, enthusiastically; and then, wheeling suddenly, he ran at full speed in the opposite direction.

"It seems to me I'm gettin' a pretty big job on my hands," he muttered to himself when he was at Printing House Square once more. "I've promised to help that boy out er this sc.r.a.pe, an' don't see how it's goin' to be done. The fellers won't dare to go up and say anything against Skip Jellison, 'cause he's sich a terrible fighter: guess he can get the best of anybody 'round here in less'n three rounds. I wish I dared to tackle him! I don't b'lieve he can do as much as he makes out."

Then Carrots suddenly bethought himself of the papers which yet remained under his arm, and added, "Jiminy! I 'most forgot 'bout these. It's time they were worked off, or else they'll be too old to sell;" and soon he was crying the news again.

Half an hour later, the subst.i.tute newsboy was hailed by Teenie Ma.s.sey, who asked:

"What are you up to now, Carrots? Shifted business?"

"Say, Teenie, was you 'round here when Skip Jellison hit that feller from the country?"

"Yes; an' if the cops hadn't come along so soon Skip would have been sorry he tackled sich a job. I b'lieve that new feller can fight."

"So do I; but he didn't stand any show at all, the way things were.

These are his papers, an' I'm sellin' 'em for him."

"Where is he now?"

"Jailed."

"Well, that settles him."

"I ain't so sure of it. You know, an' I know, an' all the rest of the fellers know, that Skip Jellison didn't have any business to run 'round punchin' him jest 'cause he was a new hand. I'm goin' to see if there ain't some chance of gettin' him clear."

"What'll you do? Break into the station-house, an' pull him out?" Teenie asked excitedly, believing any of his friends capable of doing such a thing, because of the style of reading in which he indulged, wherein such deeds are often performed, in print, by the smallest and most feeble boys.

"Well, I don't count on doin' quite so well as that," Carrots replied, thoughtfully rubbing his nose once more, and thereby adding to the smudge of blacking which already nearly covered his face. "I kind er 'lowed we'd get a lot of the fellers, an' go down to court ter-morrer mornin' when he's brought up, so's to tell the story jest as it is. The judge is bound to let him off then, an' I wouldn't be s'prised if Skip Jellison found hisself in a sc.r.a.pe."

Teenie shook his head very decidedly.

"Don't think it can be done, eh?"

"Who're you goin' to get to tell that yarn in court? Skip would about knock the head off er the feller that did him that turn!"

"I know that. He _is_ terrible! He's jest terrible!" Carrots replied, reflectively. "But I don't see why it is the fellers 'round here let Skip jump on 'em so! If three or four of us turned to, we could thump him, and do it easy; an' yet all hands lie down like lambs whenever he happens to want to wink."

"Why don't _you_ give him a pounding?"

"You see, I can't do it alone. I'd be willin' to go in if anybody'd start in with me, 'cause it's got pretty nigh time somethin' was done, or else that feller'll own the whole town. Say, will you go down to court with me, an' tell what you know 'bout this thing?"

Teenie gazed at his toes several seconds before replying, and then said:

"I don't know whether I'll have time, Carrots; but I'll see you to-night, an' let you know."

Carrots muttered to himself as his acquaintance was lost to view among the crowd of busy pedestrians:

"That feller's pretty nigh scared out er his life 'bout Skip. There ain't any use thinkin' he'll help in this trouble."

Half an hour later, when Carrots had disposed of the stock of papers purchased by Teddy, and was congratulating himself, Skip Jellison approached, looking very fierce as he asked in a threatening tone:

"See here, Carrots, what is it you are up to now?"

"Me?" Carrots replied, in surprise. "Why, I'm shinin' boots same's ever."

"Now don't try to be too smart! You know what I mean."

"Well, if I do I'm a duffer. What _are_ you drivin' at, Skip, anyhow?"

"Ain't you been tellin' what you was goin' to do to help that feller from the country that I settled this forenoon?"

"Didn't strike me as if you settled him very much. If he'd had half a chance, he'd 'a' settled you."

"You've got to be took down a peg or two," Skip said threateningly, as he doubled his fist and brandished it before Carrots's face.

"Want ter git another feller 'rested, do you? Well, I ain't goin' to fight."

"You'd better not, if you know what's good for yourself."

"I won't sc.r.a.p 'cause I don't want to git jailed; but you can't frighten me, no matter how bad you jump 'round."

"Look out for yourself, that's all I'm sayin'," Master Jellison replied angrily. "I'm watchin' you, an' the very first time you go to meddlin'

with that feller from the country, what's got to be drove out this city, I'll make you sorry for it!"

"It's very polite o' you to give me a friendly warnin'," Carrots replied, in the most innocent and pleasant tone.

Skip had nothing more to say, but walked away with a dignity befitting one who considers it his mission in life to regulate the business affairs of a large city.

CHAPTER IV.

THE PRISONER.

Although Carrots had pretended that Skip's threats neither frightened nor disturbed him, he was thoroughly uncomfortable in mind.

He knew by past experience what Master Jellison could and would do, with no provocation whatever, save only a desire to exercise that authority which he had a.s.sumed.

Carrots believed, however, that in case of an encounter with a boy who was ready and forced to defend himself, Skip would not prove so great a master of the "manly art of self-defense" as he claimed to be.

But such a champion had not as yet been found.

Teenie Ma.s.sey had chanced to be in Brooklyn about a week before the arrival of Teddy in the city, and upon his return home he had stated that he had seen Master Jellison attack a boy not nearly so large as himself, on Pineapple Street in that city, and receive a sound beating.