paul the peddler-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃I　may　as　well　take　my　old　stand。〃



Accordingly　he　once　more　installed　himself　on　the　post　office

steps；　and　began　to　cry；　〃Prize　packages。　　Only　five　cents！〃



Having　no　competitor　now　to　interfere　with　his　trade；　he　met　with

fair　success；　and　by　four　o'clock　was　able　to　start　for　home　with

his　empty　basket；　having　disposed　of　all　his　stock　in　trade。



His　profits；　though　not　so　great　as　the　day　before；　amounted　to　a

dollar。



〃If　I　could　only　make　a　dollar　every　day；〃　thought　Paul；　〃I　would

be　satisfied。〃







CHAPTER　V



PAUL　LOSES　HIS　BASKET　



Paul　continued　in　the　prize…package　business　for　three　weeks。　

His　success　varied；　but　he　never　made　less　than　seventy…five

cents　a　day；　and　sometimes　as　much　as　a　dollar　and　a　quarter。　　He

was　not　without　competitors。　　More　than　once；　on　reaching　his

accustomed　stand；　he　found　a　rival　occupying　it　before　him。　　In

such　cases　he　quietly　passed　on；　and　set　up　his　business

elsewhere；　preferring　to　monopolize　the　trade；　though　the

location　might　not　be　so　good。



Teddy　O'Brien　did　not　again　enter　the　field。　　We　left　him；　at　the

end　of　the　last　chapter；　trying　to　escape　from　Mike　and　Jim；　who

demanded　a　larger　sum　than　he　was　willing　to　pay　for　their

services。　　He　succeeded　in　escaping　with　his　money；　but　the　next

day　the　two　confederates　caught　him；　and　Teddy　received　a　black

eye　as　a　receipt　in　full　of　all　demands。　　So；　on　the　whole；　he

decided　that　some　other　business　would　suit　him　better；　and

resumed　the　blacking…box；　which　he　had　abandoned　on　embarking　in

commercial　pursuits。



Mike　Donovan　and　Jim　Parker　were　two　notoriously　bad　boys；

preferring　to　make　a　living　in　any　other　way　than　by　honest

industry。　　As　some　of　these　ways　were　not　regarded　as　honest　in

the　sight　of　the　law；　each　had　more　than　once　been　sentenced　to　a

term　at　Blackwell's　Island。　　They　made　a　proposition　to　Paul　to

act　as　decoy　ducks　for　him　in　the　same　way　as　for　Teddy。　　He

liked　neither　of　the　boys；　and　did　not　care　to　be　associated　with

them。　　This　refusal　Mike　and　Jim　resented；　and　determined　to　〃pay

of〃　Paul　if　they　ever　got　a　chance。　　Our　hero　from　time　to　time

saw　them　hovering　about　him；　but　took　very　little　notice　of　them。



He　knew　that　he　was　a　match　for　either；　though　Mike　exceeded　him

in　size；　and　he　felt　quite　capable　of　taking　care　of　himself。



One　day　Mike　and　Jim；　whose　kindred　tastes　led　them　to　keep

company；　met　at　the　corner　of　Liberty　and　William　streets。　　Mike

looked　unusually　dilapidated。　　He　had　had　a　scuffle　the　day

before　with　another　boy；　and　his　clothes；　always　well　ventilated；

got　torn　in　several　extra　places。　　As　it　was　very　uncertain　when

he　would　be　in　a　financial　condition　to　provide　himself　with

another　suit；　the　prospect　was　rather　alarming。　　Jim　Parker

looked　a　shade　more　respectable　in　attire；　but　his　face　and　hands

were　streaked　with　blacking。　　To　this；　however；　Jim　had　become　so

accustomed　that　he　would　probably　have　felt　uncomfortable　with　a

clean　face



〃How　are　you　off　for　stamps；　Jim？〃　asked　Mike。



〃Dead　broke；〃　was　the　reply。



〃So　am　I。　　I　ain't　had　no　breakfast。〃



〃Nor　I　'cept　an　apple。　　Couldn't　I　eat；　though？〃



〃Suppose　we　borrow　a　quarter　of　Paul　Hoffman。〃



〃He　wouldn't　lend　a　feller。〃



〃Not　if　he　knowed　it；〃　said　Mike；　significantly。



〃What　do　you　mean；　Mike？〃　asked　Jim；　with　some　curiosity。



〃We'll　borrow　without　leave。〃



〃How'll　we　do　it？〃



〃I'll　tell　you；〃　said　Mike。



He　proceeded　to　unfold　his　plan；　which　was　briefly　this。　　The　two

were　to　saunter　up　to　where　Paul　was　standing；　and　remain　until

the　group；　if　there　were　any　around　him　should　be　dispersed。　

Then　one　was　to　pull　his　hat　over　his　eyes；　while　the　other　would

snatch　the　basket　containing　his　prize　packages；　and　run　down

Liberty　street；　never　stopping　until　he　landed　in　a　certain　alley

known　to　both　boys。　　The　other　would　run　in　a　different

direction；　and　both　would　meet　as　soon　as　practicable　for　the

division　of　the　spoils。　　It　was　yet　so　early　that　Paul　could　not

have　sold　many　from　his　stock。　　As　each　contained　a　prize；

varying　from　one　penny　to　ten；　they　would　probably　realize　enough

to　buy　a　good　breakfast；　besides　the　candy　contained　in　the

packages。　　More　money　might　be　obtained　by　selling　packages；　but

there　was　risk　in　this。　　Besides；　it　would　take　time；　and　they

decided　that　a　bird　in　the　hand　was　worth　two　in　the　bush。



〃That's　a　good　idea；〃　said　Jim；　approvingly。　　〃Who'll　knock　his

hat　over　his　head？〃



〃You　can；〃　said　Mike；　〃and　I'll　grab　the　basket。〃　　But　to　this

Jim　demurred；　for　two　reasons：　first；　he　was　rather　afraid　of

Paul；　whose　strength　of　arm　he　had　tested　on　a　previous　occasion；

and；　again；　he　was　afraid　that　if　Mike　got　off　with　the　basket　he

would　appropriate　the　lion's　share。



〃I'll　grab　the　basket；〃　he　said。



〃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；