CHAPTER VIII
BOBOLINK AND THE STOREKEEPER
According to their agreement, Jack and Bobolink met on a certaincorner on the following morning. Their purpose was to purchase thestaple articles of food that half a score of hungry lads would requireto see them through a couple of weeks' stay in the snow forest.
"It's a lucky thing, too," Bobolink remarked, after the other haddisplayed the necessary funds taken from his pocket, "that ourtreasury happens to be fairly able to stand the strain just now."
"Oh, well! except for that we'd have had to take up subscriptions,"laughed Jack. "I know several people who would willingly help us out.The scouts of Stanhope have made good in the past, and a host of goodfriends are ready to back them."
"Yes, and for that matter I guess Mr. Thomas Garrity would have beenonly too glad to put his hand deep down in his pocket," suggestedBobolink.
"He's an old widower, and with plenty of ready cash, too," commentedthe other boy. "But, after all, it's much better for us to stand ourown expense as long as we can."
"Have you got the list that Paul promised to make out with you, Jack?I'd like to take a squint at it, if you don't mind. There may be a fewthings we could add to it."
As Bobolink was looked on as something of an authority in this line,Jack hastened to produce the list, so they could run it over andexchange suggestions.
"Where shall we start in to buy the stuff?" asked Bobolink,presently.
"Oh! I don't know that it matters very much," replied his companion."Mr. Briggs has had some pretty fine hams in lately I heard at thehouse this morning, and if he treats us half-way decent we might doall our trading with him."
"I never took much stock in old Levi Briggs," said Bobolink. "He hatesboys for all that's out. I guess some of them do nag him more or less.I saw that Lawson crowd giving him a peck of trouble a week ago. Hethreatened to call the police if they didn't go away."
"Well, we happen to be close to the Briggs' store," observed Jack, "sowe might as well drop in and see how he acts toward us."
"Huh! speaking of the Lawson bunch, there they are right now!"exclaimed Bobolink.
Loud jeering shouts close by told that Hank and his cronies wereengaged in their favorite practice of having "fun." This generallypartook of the nature of the old fable concerning boys who werestoning frogs, which was "great fun for the boys, but death to thefrogs."
"It's a couple of ragged hoboes they're nagging now," burst outBobolink.
"The pair just came out of Briggs' store," added Jack, "where I expectthey met a cold reception if they hoped to coax a bite to eat from theold man."
"Still, they couldn't have done anything to Hank and his crowd, so whyshould they be pushed off the walk in that way?" Bobolink went on tosay.
As a rule the boy had no use for tramps. He looked on the vagrants asa nuisance and a menace to the community. At the same time, noself-respecting scout would think of casting the first stone at awandering hobo, though, if attacked, he would always defend himself,and strike hard.
"The tramps don't like the idea of engaging in a fight with a pack oftough boys right here in town," remarked Jack, "because they know thepolice would grab them first, no matter if they were only defendingthemselves. That's why they don't hit back, but only dodge the stonesthe boys are flinging."
"Oh! that's a mean sort of game!" cried Bobolink, as he saw the twotramps start to run wildly away. "There! that shorter chap was hit inthe head with one of the rocks thrown after them. I bet you it raiseda fine lump. What a lot of cowards those Lawsons are, to be sure."
"Well, the row is all over now," observed Jack. "And as the trampshave disappeared around the corner we don't want to break into thegame, so come along to the store, and let's see what we can dothere."
Bobolink continued to shake his head pugnaciously as he walked alongthe pavement. Hank and his followers were laughing at a great rate asthey exchanged humorous remarks concerning the recent "fight" whichhad been all one-sided.
"Believe me!" muttered Bobolink, "if a couple more scouts had beenalong just now I'd have taken a savage delight in pitching in andgiving that crowd the licking they deserved. Course a tramp isn'tworth much, but then he's _human_, and I hate to see anybodybullied."
"It wasn't Hank's business to chase the hoboes out of town," saidJack. "We have the police force to manage such things. Fact is, Ireckon Hank's bunch has done more to hurt the good name of Stanhopethan all the hoboes we ever had come around here."
"If I had my way, Jack, there'd be a public woodpile, and every trampcaught coming to town would have to work his passage. I bet there'd bea sign on every cross-roads warning the brotherhood to beware ofStanhope as they might of the smallpox. But here's Briggs' store."
As they entered the place they could see that the proprietor wasalone, his clerk being off on the delivery wagon.
"Whew! he certainly looks pretty huffy this morning," muttered theobserving Bobolink. "Those tramps must have bothered him more or lessbefore he could get them to move on."
"It might be he had some trouble with Hank before we came up," Jacksuggested; but further talk was prevented by the coming up of thestorekeeper.
Mr. Briggs was a small man with white hair, and keen, rat-like eyes.He possessed good business abilities, and had managed to accumulate asmall fortune in the many years he purveyed to the people ofStanhope.
Latterly, however, the little, old man had been growing very nervousand irritable, perhaps with the coming of age and its infirmities. Hedetested boys, and since that feeling soon becomes mutual there wasopen war between Mr. Briggs and many of the juveniles of Stanhope.
Suspicious by nature, he always watched when boys came into his storeas though he weighed them all in the same balance with Hank Lawson,and considered that none of Stanhope's rising generation could betrusted out of sight.
Long ago he had taken to covering every apple and sugar barrel withwire screens to prevent pilfering. Neither Jack nor Bobolink had everhad hot words with the storekeeper, but for all that they felt thathis manner was openly aggressive at the time they entered the door.
"If you want to buy anything, boys," said Mr. Briggs curtly, "I'llwait on you; but if you've only come in here to stand around my storeand get warm I'll have to ask you to move on. My time is too valuableto waste just now."
Jack laughed on hearing that.
"Oh! we mean business this morning, Mr. Briggs," he remarkedpleasantly, while Bobolink scowled, and muttered something under hisbreath. "The fact is a party of us scouts are planning to spend acouple of weeks up in the snow woods," continued Jack. "We have a listhere of some things we want to take along, and will pay cash for them.We want them delivered to-day at our meeting room under the church."
"Let Mr. Briggs have the list, Jack," suggested Bobolink. "He can markthe prices he'll let us have the articles for. Of course, sir, we meanto buy where we can get the best terms for cash."
Bobolink knew the grasping nature of the old storekeeper, and perhapsthis was intended for a little trap to trip him up. Mr. Briggs glancedover the list and promptly did some figuring, after which he handedthe paper back.
"Seems to me your prices are pretty steep, sir!" remarked Jack.
"I should say they were," added Bobolink, with a gleam in his eyes."Why, you are two cents a pound on hams above the other stores. Yes,and even on coffee and rice you are asking more than we can get thesame article for somewhere else."
"Those are my regular prices," said the old man, shortly. "If they arenot satisfactory to you, of course, you are at liberty to tradeelsewhere. In fact, I do not believe you meant to buy these goods ofme, but have only come in to annoy me as those other good-for-nothingboys always do."
"Indeed, you are mistaken, Mr. Briggs," expostulated Jack, who did notlike to be falsely accused when innocent. "We are starting out to seewhere we can get our provisions at the most reasonable rates. Some ofthe storekeepers are only too glad to give the scouts a reduction."
"Well, you'
ll get nothing of the sort here, let me tell you," snappedthe unreasonable old man. "I can't afford to do business at cost justto please a lot of harum-scarum boys, who want to spend days loafingin the woods when they ought to be earning an honest penny at work."
"Come on, Jack, let's get out of here before I say something I'll besorry for," remarked Bobolink, who was fiery red with suppressedanger.
"There's the door, and your room will be better appreciated than yourcompany," Mr. Briggs told them. "And as for your trade, take it whereyou please. Your people have left me for other stores long ago, so whyshould I care?"
"Oh! that's where the shoe pinches, is it?" chuckled Bobolink; andafter that he and Jack left the place, to do their shopping in morecongenial quarters, while Mr. Briggs stood on his doorsteps and glaredangrily after them.