Penrod pummelled till he was tired, and
produced no greater effect.
"There!" he panted, desisting finally. "NOW I reckon you know whether I
been up there or not!"
Herman rubbed his smitten cheek. "Pow!" he exclaimed. "Pow-ee! You
cert'ny did lan' me good one NAT time! Oo-ee! she HURT!"
"You'll get hurt worse'n that," Penrod assured him, "if you stay around
here much. Rupe Collins is comin' this afternoon, he said. We're goin'
to make some policemen's billies out of the rake handle."
"You go' spoil new rake you' pa bought?"
"What do WE care? I and Rupe got to have billies, haven't we?"
"How you make 'em?"
"Melt lead and pour in a hole we're goin' to make in the end of 'em.
Then we're goin' to carry 'em in our pockets, and if anybody says
anything to us--OH, oh! look out! They won't get a crack on the
head--OH, no!"
"When's Rupe Collins coming?" Sam Williams inquired rather uneasily.
He had heard a great deal too much of this personage, but as yet the
pleasure of actual acquaintance had been denied him.
"He's liable to be here any time," answered Penrod. "You better look
out. You'll be lucky if you get home alive, if you stay till HE comes."
"I ain't afraid of him," Sam returned, conventionally.
"You are, too!" (There was some truth in the retort.) "There ain't any
boy in this part of town but me that wouldn't be afraid of him. You'd be
afraid to talk to him. You wouldn't get a word out of your mouth before
old Rupie'd have you where you'd wished you never come around HIM,
lettin' on like you was so much! YOU wouldn't run home yellin' 'Mom-muh'
or nothin'! OH, no!"
"Who Rupe Collins?" asked Herman.
Pages:
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161