CHAPTER X.
KATY, IN DISTRESS, FINDS A CHAMPION.
Now that she had recovered the precious watch Katy had nothing toengage her attention but the business of selling candy. The successthat had attended her forenoon's exertions was gratifying beyond herexpectations, and she felt as though she had already solved theproblem; that she was not only willing but able to support her mother.She had originated a great idea, and she was proud of it.
Just as soon, therefore, as she had told her mother all about therecovery of the watch, she prepared another tray of candy, resolved tosell the whole of it before she returned. Her mother tried to induceher to stay in the house and rest herself, but her impatience torealize the fruits of her grand idea would not permit her to remaininactive a single hour.
"Now, mother, I shall sell all this candy before dark; so don't beuneasy about me. I am going to make lots of money, and you shall haveeverything you want in a few weeks," said Katy, as she put on herbonnet.
"I wish you would stay at home, and rest yourself; you have done enoughfor one day."
"I am not tired a bit, mother; I feel just as if I could walk a hundredmiles."
"That's because you have got a new notion in your head. I am afraid youwill be sick, and then what should we do?"
"O, I shan't get sick; I promise you I won't," replied Katy, as sheleft the room.
Unfortunately for the little candy merchant it was Wednesday afternoon,and as the schools did not keep, there were a great many boys in thestreet, and many of them were very rude, naughty boys. When she passedup the court, some of them called out to her, and asked her where shewas going with all that candy. She took no notice of them, for theyspoke very rudely, and were no friends of hers. Among them was JohnnyGrippen, whose acquaintance the reader made on the pier of South Bostonbridge. This young ruffian led half a dozen others down the court inpursuit of her, for possibly they were not satisfied with the cavaliermanner in which Katy had treated them.
"Where are you going with all that candy?" repeated the juvenile bully,when he overtook her in Essex Street.
"I am going to sell it," replied Katy, finding she could not escape.
"Give us a junk, will you?" said Johnny.
"I can't give it away; I am going to sell it, to get money for mymother."
"Won't you give a feller a piece?"
"I can't now; perhaps I'll give you some another time."
Katy's heart beat violently, for she was very much alarmed, knowingthat Johnny had not followed her for nothing. As she made her firm butconciliatory reply, she moved on, hoping they would not attempt toannoy her. It was a vain hope, for Johnny kept close to her side, hiseyes fixed wistfully on the tempting array of sweets she carried.
"Come, don't be stingy, Katy," continued Johnny.
"I don't mean to be; but I don't think I owe you anything," repliedKaty, gathering courage in her desperate situation.
"What do you mean by that?" demanded the little ruffian, as he placedhimself in front of her, and thus prevented her further progress.
"Don't stop me; I'm in a hurry," said Katy.
"Gi' me some candy, then."
"No, I won't!" answered Katy, losing her patience.
"Won't you?"
Johnny made a dive at the tray, with the intention of securing aportion of the candy; but Katy adroitly dodged the movement, andturning up a narrow alley way, ran off. Johnny was not to be balked,and followed her; and then she found she had made a bad mistake ingetting off the street, where there were no passers-by to interfere inher favor.
"Johnny!" shouted one of the bully's companions. "Johnny, Tom Howard iscoming."
"Let him come!" replied Johnny, doggedly.
He did not half like the insinuation conveyed in the words of hisassociates; for to tell him, under the circumstances, that Tommy wascoming, was as much as to say he was afraid of him. Now, as we havesaid, Johnny Grippen was a "fighting character," and had a reputationto maintain. He gloried in the name of being able to whip any boy ofhis size in the neighborhood. He was always ready to fight, and had,perhaps, given some hard knocks in his time; but he sustained hischaracter rather by his talent for bullying, than by any conquests hehad won. On the whole he was a miserable, contemptible little bruiserwhom no decent boy could love or respect. He talked so big about "blackeyes," "bloody noses" and "smashed heads," that few boys cared todispute his title to the honors he had assumed. Probably some who feltable to contest the palm with him, did not care to dirty their fingersupon the bullying cub.
Sensible people, whether men or boys, invariably despise the "fightingcharacter," be he young or old. Nine times out of ten he is both aknave and a fool, a coward and a bully.
On the other hand, Tommy Howard was one of those hearty, whole-souledboys, who are the real lions of the playground. He was not a "fightingcharacter;" and being a sensible boy, he had a hearty contempt forJohnny Grippen. He was not afraid of him, and though he never went aninch out of his way to avoid a fight with him, it so happened they hadnever fought. He was entirely indifferent to his threats, and had nogreat opinion of his courage. Johnny had "stumped" him to fight, andeven taken off his coat and dared him to come; but Tommy would laugh athim, tell him to put on his coat or he would catch cold; and, contraryto the general opinion among boys, no one ever thought the less of himfor the true courage he exhibited on these occasions.
Johnny did not like to be told that Tommy was coming, for it remindedhim that, as the king bully of the neighborhood, one of his subjectswas unconquered and rebellious. But Johnny had discretion--and bulliesgenerally have it. He did not like that cool, independent way of therefractory vassal; it warned him to be cautious.
"What's the matter, Katy?" asked Tommy, as he came with quick pace upthe court, without deigning to cast even a glance at the ruffian whomenaced her.
"Stand by, fellers, and see fair play, and I'll lick him now," saidJohnny, in a low tone, to his companions.
"He won't let me go," replied Katy, pointing to her assailant.
"Go ahead, Katy; don't mind him."
"Won't you give me some candy?" said Johnny, stepping up before heragain.
"Go ahead, Katy," repeated Tommy, placing himself between her and thebully. "Don't mind him, Katy."
As she advanced, Johnny pushed forward, and made another dive at thetray, but Katy's champion caught him by the arm and pulled him away.
"You mind out!" growled the bully, doubling up his fists, and placinghimself in the most approved attitude, in front of the unwhipped vassal.
"Go ahead, Katy; clear out as fast as you can," said Tommy, who, thoughhis bosom swelled with indignation, still preserved his wontedcoolness; and it was evident to the excited spectators that he did notintend to "mind out."
"Come on, if you want to fight!" shouted Johnny, brandishing his fists.
"I don't want to fight; but you are a mean, dirty blackguard, or youwouldn't have treated a girl like that," replied Tommy, standing asstiff as a stake before the bully.
"Say that again, and I'll black your eye for you."
"Once is enough, if you heard me; but I will tell your father about it."
"Will you? Just say that again."
Somehow, it often happens that bullies want a person to say a thingover twice, from which we infer that they must be very deaf or verystupid. Tommy would not repeat the offensive remark, and Johnny'ssupporters began to think he was not half so anxious to fight as heseemed, which was certainly true. I have no doubt, if they had beenalone, he would have found a convenient excuse for retiring from thefield, leaving it unsullied by a black eye or a bloody nose.
My young friends will excuse me from digressing so far as to say that,in more than a dozen years with boys, in school and out, I have neverheard of such a thing as two boys getting up a fight and having it outalone. There must be a crowd of bruisers and "scallewags" around, tokeep up the courage of the combatants. Therefore, those who look on arejust as bad as those who fight, for without their presence
the fightcould not be carried through.
Tommy Howard had said all he had to say, and was therefore ready todepart. He turned to do so, and walked several steps down the alley,though he kept one eye over his shoulder to guard against accidents.
"Hit him, Johnny!" cried one of the vagabond troops that followed inthe train of the bully.
"He darsen't fight," replied Johnny.
"Nor you, nuther," added another of the supporters.
This was too much for Johnny. It cut him to the quick, and he could notstand it. If he did not thrash Tommy now, his reputation would beentirely ruined.
"Darsen't I?" exclaimed he. "Come back here;" but as Tommy did notcome, he ran up behind him, and aimed a blow at the side of his head.
Katy's intrepid defender, who had perhaps read in some Fourth of Julyoration that "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," was not to besurprised, and facing about, he warded off the blow. Johnny's imperiledreputation rendered him desperate. He had gone too far to recede, andhe went into action with all the energy and skill of a true bruiser.Tommy was now fully roused, and his blows, which were strictly inself-defense, fell rapidly and heavily on the head of his assailant.But I am not going to give my young readers the particulars of thefight; and I would not have let Tommy engage in such a scene, were itnot to show up Johnny as he was, and finish the portrait of him which Ihad outlined; to show the difference between the noble, generous,brave, and true-hearted boy, and the little bully, whom all my youngfriends have seen and despised.
In something less than two minutes, Johnny Grippen, after muttering"foul play," backed out with bloody nose, as completely whipped, and asthoroughly "cowed down," as though he had been fighting with a royalBengal tiger. His supremacy was at an end, and there was danger thatsome other bold fellow might take it into his head to thrash the donkeyafter the lion's skin had been stripped from his shoulders.
"If you are satisfied now, I'll go about my business," said Tommy, ashe gazed with mingled pity and contempt upon his crest-fallen assailant.
"You don't fight fair," grumbled Johnny, who could not account for hisdefeat in any other way. "If you're a mind to fight fair, I'll try itagain with you some time."
"I don't fight for the fun of it. I only fight when some cowardly bullylike you comes at me, and I can't help myself. When you feel likewhipping me again, you needn't stop to let me know it beforehand. But Iwill tell you this much: if you ever put your hand on Katy Redburn, ormeddle with her in any way, I promise to pound you as handsomely as Iknow how, fair or foul, the very next time I meet you, if it isn't forseven years. Just bear that in mind."
Johnny made no reply; he was not in a condition to make a reply, andthe victor in the conquest departed, leaving the bully to explain hisdefeat as best he could to his admirers and supporters.
"He did not hurt you--did he?" asked Katy, as Tommy joined her at thefoot of the alley, where she had been anxiously waiting the result ofthe encounter.
"Not a bit, Katy. He talks very loud, but he is a coward. I'm sorry Ihad to thrash him though I think it will do him good."
"I was afraid he'd hurt you. You were very kind to save me from him,Tommy. I shall never forget you, as long as I live, and I hope I shallbe able to do something for you one of these days."
"Oh, don't mind that, Katy. He is an ugly fellow, and I wouldn't standby and see him insult a girl. But I must go now. I told Johnny if heever meddled with you again I should give him some; if he does, justlet me know."
"I hope he won't again," replied Katy, as Tommy moved towards home.
This was Katy's first day in mercantile life; it had been full ofincidents, and she feared her path might be a thorny one. But her lightheart soon triumphed over doubts and fears, and when she reachedWashington Street, she was as enthusiastic as ever, and as ready for atrade.