The bully saw Nelson and instantly ducked his head. He, too, was after newspapers, but now thought it best to quit the scene.
"I didn't t'ink he'd be here so early," he muttered, and pushed to the rear of the crowd. Once in the open, he took to his heels and dashed down Frankfort Street in the direction of the Brooklyn Bridge arches.
But Nelson was not to be "lost" so readily, and he was out of the crowd almost as soon as the bully.
"I'm after Billy Darnley!" he shouted to Paul. "Come on!"
There now ensued a race which was highly exciting, even if not of long duration. Darnley was swift of foot, and the fear of what might follow lent speed to his flying feet. But Nelson was also a good runner.
At the corner of Rose Street were a number of[Pg 95] heavy trucks. Darnley managed to pass these, but it took time. When our hero came up, the trucks blocked the street completely.
In and out Nelson dodged among the trucks, between the wheels and under the very hoofs of the heavy horses. In a twinkle he was clear of the mass and again making after Darnley, who was now flying toward Vandewater Street.
At this point there is a large archway under the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge, and toward this archway the bully directed his footsteps. But Nelson was now close at hand, and underneath the archway he succeeded in reaching the big newsboy, catching him firmly by the arm.
"Lemme go!" growled Billy Darnley. "Lemme go, Nelse, or I'll hammer yer good."
"Maybe I'll do the hammering," retorted Nelson. "Where's my five dollars?"
"I aint got no money of yours."
"You have, and I want you to hand it over."
"Aint got it, I say. Lemme go!"
Instead of complying our hero grasped the bully by the throat and ran him up against the stonework of the arch.
"I want my money," he said sternly. "If you don't give it to me——"
"Let up—yer—yer chokin' me!" gasped Billy Darnley.
[Pg 96]
"Will you give me the money?"
"No."
The bully struggled fiercely, and so did Nelson. Down went both on the pavement and rolled over and over. But our hero's blood was up, and he put forth every ounce of strength he possessed. At last he had Darnley flat on his back, and then he sat astride of the bully.
"Now will you give up?" he panted. "Or must I hammer you some more?"
"Oh, Nelson! have you got him?" asked Paul, running up.
"Yes, and he's got to give me my money."
"A fight! a fight!" cried some of the boys who began to collect.
"This aint a fight," said Nelson loudly. "He's a thief, and stole five dollars from me. He's got to give it up."
He caught Darnley by the throat again, and now the bully was only too glad to give in.
"Let—let up!" he gasped. "Let up!"
"Will you give me my money?"
"I've only got two dollars and ten cents."
"Hand it over."
"Let me up first."
"Not much!"
With something like a groan Darnley brought out the money and passed it over.
[Pg 97]
"Now I'm going to search you," went on Nelson, in as determined a voice as ever.
"No, no!" pleaded Darnley in alarm. He did not like the crowd that was gathering.
"Yes, search him, Nelse," said a boy named Marks.
"That's right, search him," put in another newsboy, named Wilson. "I think he stole something from me last week."
In spite of his protestations Billy Darnley's pockets were turned inside out.
There were brought to light another dollar, which our hero also pocketed, a pearl-handled pocket-knife, a silver badge, and half a dozen other articles.
"My knife!" shouted Nat Marks. "Boys, you all know it."
"So it is, Nat," said Frank Wilson. "And this is my badge—the one I won in the newsboys' competition last month."
The boys took the things, and then gathered around Billy Darnley with clenched fists. Nelson slipped outside of the crowd, and Paul went with him.
In vain Billy Darnley tried to clear himself of the other lads. He struck one boy down, but the others pounced upon him front and rear, and soon had him again on his back. It looked like a [Pg 98]football scrimmage, but the ball in this case seemed to be the bully's head. For ten minutes the tussle went on, and when at last the cry of "Cop! cop! run for it!" arose, Darnley found himself with his nose bleeding, two teeth loose, and his left eye all but closed. Moreover, his coat was torn to shreds.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the policeman.
"They all piled on top of me!" whined Darnley, looking the picture of misery.
"He's a thief!" exclaimed one of the other boys, but from a safe distance. "He stole something from three of the boys, he did. He didn't git nuthin' but what was comin' to him, officer."
"That's right; he ought to be locked up," put in another boy, also from a safe distance.
"Begone with you!" said the policeman sternly, and gave Darnley a shove. "If I see any more fighting I'll run you all in," and he walked away, twirling his club as he did so.
"Oh, me eye!" groaned Darnley, and limped away, a sadder if not a wiser youth. It was many a day before he dared to show himself in Newspaper Row again.
"Well, I got back three dollars and ten cents," remarked Nelson, as he and Paul walked up Frankfort Street, "so I won't need your loan.[Pg 99] But, just the same, I am much obliged." And he passed over the money.
"I wish you had gotten it all, Nelson," said Paul earnestly. "Oh, but didn't they just pitch into Billy! And it served him right, too."
"Yes, I showed him up in his true colors," returned our hero.
He soon had the papers he and Paul wanted, and then the pair separated, and our hero hurried over to his old stand on Broadway.
His clothing had suffered considerably from the encounter with the bully and, though he brushed himself off as best he could, he felt that he made far from a handsome appearance.
"I must look better than this before I call on Miss Horton," he mused. "If I don't, she'll take me for a regular tramp."
He wondered if there would be anything in the newspapers about the robbery in Fifth Avenue, and snatched a few moments to scan several sheets. But not a word appeared.
"I guess they are too high-toned to let it get into print," he reasoned. "Well, it's a good thing. I guess it would almost kill Miss Gertrude to see it in the papers."
When Nelson got back to the lunch-room he found business was poor, and he expected to see Sam Pepper ill-humored in consequence. On the[Pg 100] contrary, however, Pepper was all smiles, and even hummed a tune to himself as he waited on his customers.
"Something has happened to tickle him," thought the boy. "Or else he's got a new plan on hand."
"How is the sick friend—any better?" he asked Pepper.
"Much better, Nelson. And what do you think? He's loaned me money to turn this place into a first-class café. Don't you think that will pay better than a common lunch-room?"
"I don't know. I'd rather be in the lunch business than running a saloon."
"I wouldn't. I want to make money," responded Pepper.
"What are you going to do?"
"Rip out that old show window and put in a new and elegant glass front, and put in a new bar and buffet. It will be as fine as anything around here when it's finished."
"I wish I had a friend to loan me money."
"What would you do with it?"
"I'd buy out a good news stand. There's money in that."
"So there is." Sam Pepper mused for a moment. "Maybe my friend will advance enough for that, too."
[Pg 101]
"Thank you, but you needn't bother him," said Nelson coldly.
"And why not, if I can get the rocks?"
"I'd rather get the money myself."
"Won't the money be good enough?" demanded Pepper, his face darkening.
"I'd rather know where it came from," returned the boy.
The two were in the kitchen at the time, and Sam Pepper had a frying pan in his hand.
"See here, Nelson, I'll whack you over the head with this, if you talk like that!" exclaimed the man, flying into a rage.
"You won't whack me more than once, Sam Pepper."
"Won't I?"
"No, you won't."
"Who is master around here, I'd like to know?"
"You are, but I'm not your slave."
"You talk as if you knew something," went on Pepper, growing suddenly suspicious.
"Perhaps I do know something," replied the newsboy, and then hurried into the dining room to wait on a customer who had just entered.
"I'll have it out with you later," muttered Pepper savagely. "If you know too much, I'll find a way to keep your mouth closed."