paul the peddler-第6节

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〃What　for？〃　said　Mike；　suspiciously；　for　he；　too；　felt　some

distrust　of　his　confederate。



〃You're　stronger'n　I　am；　Mike；〃　said　Jim。　　〃Maybe　he'd　turn　on

me；　and　I　can't　fight　him　as　well　as　you。〃



〃That's　so；〃　said　Mike；　who　had　rather　a　high　idea　of　his　own

prowess；　and　felt　pleased　with　the　compliment。　　〃I'm　a　match　for

him。〃



〃Of　course　you　be；〃　said　Jim；　artfully；　〃and　he　knows　it。〃



〃Of　course　he　does；〃　said　Mike；　boastfully。　　〃I　can　lick　him　with

one　hand。〃



Jim　had　serious　doubts　of　this；　but　he　had　his　reasons　for

concurring　in　Mike's　estimate　of　his　own　powers。



〃We'd　better　start　now；〃　said　Jim。　　〃I'm　awful　hungry。〃



〃Come　along；　then。〃



They　walked　up　Liberty　street；　as　far　as　Nassau。　　On　reaching　the

corner　they　saw　their　unconscious　victim　at　his　usual　place。　　It

was　rather　a　public　place　for　an　assault；　and　both　boys　would

have　hesitated　had　they　not　been　incited　by　a　double　motivethe

desire　of　gain　and　a　feeling　of　hostility。



They　sauntered　along；　and　Mike　pressed　in　close　by　Paul。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　asked　Paul；　not　liking　the　vicinity。



〃What's　that　to　you？〃　demanded　Mike。



〃Quit　crowdin'　me。〃



〃I　ain't　crowdin'。　　I've　got　as　much　right　to　be　here　as　you。〃



〃Here's　your　prize　packages！〃　　exclaimed　Paul；　in　a　businesslike

tone。



〃Maybe　I'll　buy　one　if　you'll　give　me　credit　till　to…morrow；〃

said　Mike。



〃Your　credit　isn't　good　with　me；〃　said　Paul。　　〃You　must　pay　cash

down。〃



〃Then　you　won't　trust　me？〃　said　Mike；　pressing　a　little　closer。



〃No；　I　won't；〃　said　Paul；　decidedly。



〃Then；　take　that；　you　spalpeen！〃　said　Mike；　suddenly　pulling

Paul's　hat　over　his　eyes。



At　the　same　time　Jim；　to　whom　he　had　tipped　a　wink；　snatched　the

basket；　which　Paul　held　loosely　in　his　hand；　and　disappeared

round　the　corner。



The　attack　was　so　sudden　and　unexpected　that　Paul　was　at　first

bewildered。　　But　he　quickly　recovered　his　presence　of　mind；　and

saw　into　the　trick。　　He　raised　his　hat；　and　darted　in　pursuit　of

Mike；　not　knowing　in　what　direction　his　basket　had　gone。



〃That's　a　mean　trick！〃　　he　exclaimed；　indignantly。　　〃Give　me　back

my　basket；　you　thief！〃



〃I　ain't　got　no　basket；〃　said　Mike；　facing　round。



〃Then　you　know　where　it　is。〃



〃I　don't　know　nothin'　of　your　basket。〃



〃You　pulled　my　hat　over　my　eyes　on　purpose　to　steal　my　basket。〃



〃No；　I　didn't。　　You　insulted　me；　that's　why　I　did　it。〃



〃Tell　me　where　my　basket　is；　or　I'll　lick　you；〃　said　Paul；

incensed。



〃I　ain't　nothin'　to　do　with　your　basket。〃



〃Take　that；　then；　for　pulling　my　hat　over　my　eyes；〃　and　Paul；

suiting　the　action　to　the　word；　dealt　Mike　a　staggering　blow　in

the　face。



〃I'll　murder　you！〃　　shouted　Mike；　furiously；　dashing　at　Paul　with

a　blow　which　might　have　leveled　him；　if　he　had　not　fended　it　off。



Paul　was　not　quarrelsome；　but　he　knew　how　to　fight；　and　he　was

prepared　now　to　fight　in　earnest；　indignant　as　he　was　at　the

robbery　which　entailed　upon　him　a　loss　he　could　ill　sustain。



〃I'll　give　you　all　you　want；〃　he　said；　resolutely；　eyeing　Mike

warily；　and　watching　a　chance　to　give　him　another　blow。



The　contest　was　brief；　being　terminated　by　the　sudden　and

unwelcome　arrival　of　a　policeman。



〃What's　this？〃　he　asked　authoritatively；　surveying　the

combatants；　Paul；　with　his　flushed　face；　and　Mike；　whose　nose　was

bleeding　freely　from　a　successful　blow　of　his　adversary。



〃He　pitched　into　me　for　nothin'；〃　said　Mike；　glaring　at　Paul；　and

rubbing　his　bloody　nose　on　the　sleeve　of　his　ragged　coat。



〃That　isn't　true；〃　said　Paul；　excitedly。　　〃He　came　up　while　I　was

selling　prize　packages　of　candy　in　front　of　the　post　office；　and

pulled　my　hat　over　my　eyes；　while　another　boy　grabbed　my　basket。〃



〃You　lie！〃　　said　Mike。　　〃I　don't　know　nothin'　of　your　basket。〃



〃Why　did　you　pull　his　hat　over　his　eyes？〃　asked　the　policeman。



〃Because　he　insulted　me。〃



〃How　did　he　insult　you？〃



〃He　wouldn't　trust　me　till　to…morrow。〃



〃I　don't　blame　him　much　for　that；〃　said　the　policeman；　who　was

aware　of　Mike's　shady　reputation；　having　on　a　former　occasion

been　under　the　necessity　of　arresting　him。　　Even　without　such

acquaintance；　Mike's　general　appearance　would　hardly　have

recommended　him　to　Officer　Jones。



〃I'll　let　you　go　this　time；〃　he　said；　〃but　if　I　catch　you

fighting　again　on　my　beat　I'll　march　you　off　to　the

station…house。〃



Mike　was　glad　to　escape；　though　he　would　almost　have　been　willing

to　be　arrested　if　Paul　could　have　been　arrested　also。



The　officer　walked　away；　and　Mike　started　down　the　street。



Paul　followed　him。



That　didn't　suit　Mike's　ideas；　as　he　was　anxious　to　meet　Jim　and

divide　the　spoils　with　him。



〃What　are　you　follerin'　me　for？〃　he　demanded；　angrily。



〃I　have　my　reasons；〃　said　Paul。



〃Then　you'd　better　stay　where　you　are。　　Your　company　ain't

wanted。〃



〃I　know　that；〃　said　Paul；　〃but　I'm　going　to　follow　you　till　I

find　my　basket。〃



〃What　do　I　know　of　your　basket？〃



〃That's　what　I　want　to　find　out。〃



Mike　saw；　by　Paul's　resolute　tone；　that　he　meant　what　he　said。　

Desirous　of　shaking　him　of；　he　started　on　a　run。







CHAPTER　VI



PAUL　AS　AN　ARTIST



Paul　was　not　slow　in　following　Mike。　　He　was　a　good　runner；　and

would　have　had　no　difficulty　in　keeping　up　with　his　enemy　if　the

streets　had　been　empty。　　But　to　thread　his　way　in　and　out　among

the　numerous　foot　passengers　that　thronged　the　sidewalks　was　not

so　easy。　　He　kept　up　pretty　well；　however；　until；　in　turning　a

street　corner；　he　ran　at　full　speed　into　a　very　stout　gentleman；

whose　scanty　wind　was　quite　knocked　out　of　him　by　the　collision。　

He　glared　in　anger　at　Paul；　but　could　not　at　first　obtain　breath

enough　to　speak。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；〃　said　Paul；　who；　in　spite　of　his　desire

to　overtake　Mike；　felt　it　incumbent　upon　him　to　stop　and　offer　an

apology。



〃What　do　you　mean；　sir；〃　exploded　the　fat　man；　at　last；　〃by

tearing　through　the　streets　like　a　locomotive？　　You've　nearly

killed　me。〃



〃I　am　very　sorry；　sir。〃



〃You　ought　to　be。　　Don't　you　know　better　than　to　run　at　such

speed？　　You　ought　to　be　indicted　as　a　public　nuisance。



〃I　was　trying　to　catch　a　thief；〃　said　Paul。



〃Trying　to　catch　a　thief？　　How's　that？〃　asked　the　stout

gentleman；　his　indignation　giving　way　to　curiosity。



〃I　was　selling　packages　in　front　of　the　post　office　when　he　and

another　boy　came　up　and　stole　my　basket。〃



〃Indeed！　　What　were　you　selling？〃



〃Prize　packages；　sir。〃



〃What　was　in　them？〃



〃Candy。〃



〃Could　you　make　much　that　way？〃



〃About　a　dollar　a　day。〃



〃I'd　rather　have　given　you　a　dollar　than　had　you　run　against　me

with　such　violence。　　I　feel　it　yet。〃



〃Indeed；　sir；　I'm　very　sorry。〃



〃Well；　I'll　forgive　you；　under　the　circumstances。　　What's　your

name？〃



〃Paul　Hoffman。〃



〃Well；　I　hope　you'll　get　back　your　basket。　　Some　time；　if　you　see

me　in　the　street；　come　up　and　let　me　know。　　Would　you　know　me

again？〃



〃I　think　I　should；　sir。〃



〃Well；　good…morning。　　I　hope　you'll　catch　the　thief。〃



〃I　thank　you；　sir。〃



They　parted　company；　but　Paul　did　not　continue　the　pursuit。　　The

conversation　in　which　he　had　taken　part　had　lasted　so　long　that

Mike　had　had　plenty　of　time　to　find　a　refuge；　and　there　would　be

no　use　in　following　him。



So　Paul　went　home。



〃You　are　home　early；　Paul；〃　said　his　mother。　　〃Surely　you　haven't

sold　out　by　this　time。〃



〃No；　but　all　my　packages　are　gone。〃



〃How　is　that？〃



〃They　were　stolen。〃



〃Tell　me　about　it。〃



So　Paul　told　the　story。



〃That　Mike　was　awful　mean；〃　said　Jimmy；　indignantly。　　〃I'd　like

to　hit　him。〃



〃I　don't　think　you　would　hurt　him　much；　Jimmy；〃　said　Paul；　amused

at　his　little　brother's　vehemence。



〃Then　I　wish　I　was　a　big；　strong　boy；〃　said　Jimmy。



〃I　hope　you　will　be；　some　time。〃



〃How　much　was　your　loss；　Paul？〃　asked　his　mother。



〃There　were　nearly　forty　packages。　　They　cost　me　about　a　dollar；

but　if　I　had　sold　them　all　they　would　have　brought　me　in　twice　as

much。　　I　had　only　sold　ten　packages。〃



〃Shall　you　make　some　more？〃



〃No；　I　think　not；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I've　got　tired　of　the　business。　

It's　getting　poorer　every　day。　　I'll　go　out　after　dinner；　and　see

if　I　can't　find　something　else　to　do。〃



〃You　ain't　going　out　now；　Paul？〃　said　Jimmy。



〃No；　I'll　stop　and　see　you　draw　a　little　while。〃



〃That's　bully。　　I'm　going　to　try　these　oxen。〃



〃That's　a　hard　picture。　　I　don't　think　you　can　draw　it；　Jimmy。〃



〃Yes；　I　can；〃　said　the　little　boy；　confidently。　　〃Just　see　if　I

don't。〃



〃Jimmy　has　improved　a　good　deal；〃　said　his　mother。



〃You'll　be　a　great　artist　one　of　these　days；　Jimmy；〃　said　Paul。



〃I'm　going　to　try；　Paul；〃　said　the　little　boy。　　〃I　like　it　so

much。〃



Little　Jimmy　had　indeed　made　surp