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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

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