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 assist others.
Slinging his box over his shoulder, he ran to the scene of the assault
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 hoarse 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?"
[Illustration: "'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 scrape 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 reassured 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.
"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 scrape, 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 substitute newsboy was hailed by Teenie Massey,
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 scrape."
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 scrap '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.