George Waldo Browne

“ Assailed upon every hand, Little Hickory, as valiant a battle as he was waging, sorely needed whatever assistance he could have. Regardless of what might follow, in his excitement and awakened determination to win at any cost, he sent his enemies reeling backward on either hand, fairly forcing his way through the crowd.
“Don’t let the hoodlums get away!” cried ’Squire Hardy, hurrying forward to join in the fray if necessary. “He’s killed Ralph!” ”

“ Menter’s kind words brought the tears to more eyes than one among these waifs of humanity forming Ragged Rob’s young republic, but they were tears of joy surging up from emotions too deep for utterance. ”

“ Rob now realized that his situation was a desperate one. The aroused brute was preparing to attack him, [113] and in a hand-to-hand battle with the terrific animal he must be torn limb from limb.
Again he snatched up a stone, and hurled it with such unerring aim that it fell squarely upon the tiger’s nose. But this fusillade, instead of checking the onset of the brute, served to awaken its furious nature, and with another growl it leaped into the air, its forepaws outstretched to grapple with him, while its white teeth gleamed fiercely in the gathering gloom of the evening. ”

“ At sound of Ragged Rob’s ringing words every gaze in the spacious room, even to that of the grim recorder, was turned upon the fearless young bootblack, who, despite his grimy features and soiled, ragged clothes, looked every inch a hero. ”

“ The little party of strangers huddled together in great trepidation, excepting their leading spirit, Ragged Rob, who had so gladly yielded to the counsel of their protector and lent his influence toward getting them here. Something of the spirit of the stern man for whom he had [55] been nicknamed flashed in Little Hickory’s eyes, and drawing his figure to its full height with a dignity felt all the more for the ragged suit in which he was clothed, he exclaimed, in a tone heard to the limit of the scene:
“Paupers and thieves, never! We are poor, but we are willing to earn an honest living. ”

“ One cloud now rested on their everyday lives. Dr. Menter had bade them good-by for several months, while he took a much-needed vacation in Europe.
[144]
“This seems too good to last,” declared Aunt Vinnie, who seemed always looking for the clouds.
“Let us enjoy the sun while we may, auntie,” said Joe, in her buoyant way. “See how beautifully the sun is setting behind yonder rim of mountains. It makes me in love with the country, and I never, never want to see the hot, dusty city again. I don’t see what makes Rob so late to-night. He thought he would get home early.” ”

“ Break o’ Day. What do you know about taking care of crops?”
Rob had to confess that he and his associates knew nothing. In fact, he realized more than he had ever before the peculiar helplessness of himself and companions.
“The best thing you can do is to go back to the city,” said the doctor.
“We haven’t the money to do it,” acknowledged Rob. “All together, we cannot raise a dime.”
The doctor whistled.
“How do you think you are going to live here? Had the deacon promised you any money?”
“No, sir; but he thought we could get work. We are willing to try our best.” ”

“ If you don’t the worst’ll be your own. We’ll show you that New York can’t dump her slums here.”
Rob offered no reply, and without further words the three men rode away, leaving a frightened group behind them.
“Oh, Rob!” cried Mrs. Bayne, “what shall we do? what shall we do?”
“Oh, why did we ever leave the city?” moaned Aunt Vinnie. “Why weren’t we satisfied with what we had?”
“Aunt Vinnie,” said Joe, stoutly, “I wouldn’t go back to the city for all it holds. They can’t kill us, and we’ll get our living here somehow, won’t we, Rob?”
“To be sure we will, Joe. Have courage, mother. ”

“ Before Deacon Cornhill could reply he became aware of the confusion arising from a crowd of people standing about the entrance to a gloomy structure near at hand.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, in surprise.
“Only a girl up for vagrancy,” replied a bystander. “It don’t take much to draw a crowd. But she is a pert one, and with a boy’s name.”
“What is it?” asked Rob, beginning to show interest.
“Joe Willet, or some such a name, she gave the recorder.” ”

“ Meanwhile the crowd about the station had watched the departure of Deacon Cornhill in silence, but no sooner had he disappeared in the distance than Squire Hardy held a consultation of a few words with his nearest friends. Then he turned to address Rob, who, realizing that a crisis of some kind was at hand, calmly waited for him to speak.
“Youngster,” began the ’squire, “it must be plain to you by this time that you and your followers made a mistake in coming here as you have. In the first place, it can be of no advantage to you, and in the second place, you are not wanted by us.” ”

“ On his way home, and he started some time ahead of Mr. Howlitt and Lucy, as Old Jerry was a slow horse under ordinary circumstances, he could think of nothing else. Time and again he took up the bundle to examine it from the outside, and then tossed it back into the bottom of the wagon, saying over to himself:
“It is mine!”
Finally the idea entered his busy brain that it would be a fine thing to appear at home in his new suit. Why not put it on now? He was riding along a road where there was no house for a long distance, and he would risk meeting a team. ”

“ Rob was wise enough to believe that no good would come of mentioning such a fact, if it were true, which he did not even entertain.
After supper further preparations were made for the comfort, such as could be provided, for the two parties. The united numbers made fourteen persons in the little band of strangers in a strange land. These consisted of Robert Bayne, our hero, and his mother, a kind-hearted woman into whose life had seemed to come all the shadows and sufferings arising from the evil doings of a husband who was a fugitive from justice. ”

“ Upon reaching Mr. Howlitt’s, Larry could not help imagining that every one was thinking of his recent escapade, and he went about his work in a confused way. Somehow he did not dare to show his new clothes, so he carried them to his room when no one was looking. But he was not to keep his secret long, if it could be called a secret, for the next morning he was questioned in regard to them. It proved that his employer had given him the money in the way he had in order to see what he would do with it.
“I will tell you, papa,” said Lucy, “for I think Lawrence is too modest to do so. ”

“ In a moment Rob learned that all this excitement was occasioned by the escape of a couple of tigers from a menagerie the day before, the animals having been seen in that vicinity within a few hours. The danger to the missing children was apparent to every one. If they had not already met the ferocious beasts they were likely to do so at any moment.
But Rob felt that he had as much trouble on hand as he could meet at present, and after satisfying himself that Chick and Ruddy had actually been taken to the county farm, he started homeward with a heavy heart. ”

“ The first word had been sufficient to check the rash boy in his dangerous work, when he turned hastily about to find a man had ridden close to the edge of the crowd, and, standing up in his carriage, held a long, stout whip poised over his head ready to send its stinging lash around his body did he fail to obey him.
“What is all this rumpus about?” demanded this newcomer, who instantly made himself master of the situation.
“These youngsters are raising particular cain with our boys, Dr. Menter. I don’t know but they have killed Ralph,” said ’Squire Hardy. ”

“ Pluto Snyder lived in an adjoining town, though less than a mile and a half away, and it was his delight to take Lucy out to rides on pleasant afternoons whenever she would go, which seemed unnecessarily often to watchful Larry. But, if priding himself upon being able to drive a horse upon the road, Pluto had never mastered the intricacies of that common wearing apparel of the animal known as the harness. ”

“ Rob’s countenance fell; but at that moment a loud voice from the rear of the courtroom exclaimed:
“I’ll answer for her, judge! That gal must never go to the workhouse. It would be a burning shame, in this Christian age.”
A buzz of surprise ran over the scene, while Deacon Cornhill, who had made the bold declaration, pushed his way forward to the side of the young bootblack.
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“It’s too bad to send such an innercent to the workhouse, judge. How much is there to pay?”
“Who are you, sir?” demanded the recorder, looking askance at the countrified speaker. ”

“ The suggestion of a move to the old house had found a ready response among the party, so Rob was beginning to carry out the idea. But what puzzled him most was how to move Mr. Little and Mrs. Willet until Dr. Menter offered to take them there in his carriage. This was not a very difficult undertaking, and inside of an hour the removal was made complete.
“It is a sorry tenement to move into,” declared the doctor, “but it is a palace compared to those coal camps, and you can soon make it quite comfortable. There is plenty of room for all of you at present. ”

“ Deacon Cornhill was modest enough not to mention the fact that it had cost him nearly fifteen dollars to make up for their deficit. Withholding this fact, he demanded:
“Am I to understand that you are opposed to treating these poor people like neighbors, ’squire?”
“I’m opposed to nothing that’s humane, but you know there is a limit to what we can endure. I never was in favor of foreign immigration. What do you say, good folks?” appealing to those around him. “No doubt the good old deacon meant all right, but look at the crowd he has brought among us, and say if you want them.” ”

“ Ill-gotten gains never do,” added the squire, aiming to be philosophical.
“I don’t quite recall any other Bayne in town them days,” declared an old resident, “though my memory doesn’t often go back on me.”
“That may be, but it doesn’t require much to recall the fag-end Bayne that we have with us now,” remarked ’Squire Hardy, who had just seen Rob, who had stopped at the outside of the party. “Say, youngster, wasn’t your father Gid Bayne?”
The question was so unexpected, the situation so ominous to him in its outcome, that Little Hickory had hard work to command his feelings. ”

“ It was evident that the good people of Gainsboro were being highly pleased, and Larry Little, the impromptu orator, was soaring high in one of Pluto Snyder’s most [168] labored periods, when that person’s voice broke on the hushed scene like a note sadly out of tune:
“Here, you farm lunkhead! that’s my oration. Stop! I say, stop! before I have you arrested for stealing——”
The rest was lost in the midst of the hubbub his words had created, while the irate speaker, fairly wild with anger and excitement, continued to push the crowd aside, while he rushed toward the platform. ”

“ Even Rob, who had listened attentively [101] to what Dr. Menter had said, could not give any very clear explanation.
He believed the best illustration he could give was to put them to use, and he at once looked about for the most suitable place to begin his farming.
“Come, Larry, here is a shovel for you. Tom and Jerry can each use a hoe.”
“Oh, my! won’t that be fun?” cried the latter.
It was not surprising that the girls, and even Mrs. Willet and Aunt Vinnie, came out to witness the “breaking of the sod” for the new life. ”

“ Phil and he were close friends. “What has brought you home from Wenham like this?”
“I know!” replied Phil, with a knowing toss of his head, as he sprang from old Jim’s back.
“I s’posed you did, but that needn’t make a crab of you.”
“Excuse me, Lon. I see Deacon Cornhill on the train down at Wenham.”
“Is that all?” and looks of disgust and disappointment settled on the features of those near enough to overhear this dialogue. It is needless to say that Phil was maintaining this air of mystery more for their sakes than Lon’s.
“Can’t you wait till a feller has time to think? ”

“ In vain the older members of the group tried to part them.
“Oh, dearie me!” cried Aunt Vinnie, “them boys will be the death and destruction of me. Here, Chick! here, Ruddy! do stop that fighting. Oh, luddy! they’ll pull their lights and livers right out’n their bodies. I’m thankful thet I was never a boy!”
Joe was about to interpose again, when she discovered some one coming up the road at a run.
“It’s Mary,” she declared. “It must be they have let her off from work this afternoon. How anxious she must be to get home, the way she is coming.” ”

“ I should judge a crowd picked up in the way yours was would have at least some who would be deadheads on the hands of the others. You say there are several among you who are unable to work if they wished?”
“Two,” faltered Rob, for the first time losing courage. Somehow the candid words of Dr. Menter struck to his heart as nothing said by others had done. ”