The sun., 1892-02-07


they scmffied. they sang songs. they romped
about the place like cattle. and they generally
wound up with pillow fight. In which they
hanged each other over the head and threw
the pillows In all directions, and every now and
then lie got buffet himself and thcv were
always inviting him to Join In. They called
him Johnny Bull" and invited him with ex-
cessivo familiarity TO take hand
| At first lie had endured all this with good
nature but latterly he Ind shown by his man.
ner that It was distinctly distnsteful to him.
and very soon no saw a change In the manner
ofthese young people toward him. They were
souring on him. as'they would have Expressed
1t In their language He Ind never been what
might be called popular.
That was hardly the phrase for II; he had
merely been liked. but now dislike for him was
growing. His case was not helned by tho fact
that ho was out OF luck. couldn't get work.
Didn't belong to union aud couldn't gain adj
mission TO one. He got n good many Sights
Of :hnt small. ill.defned sort that you can't
quito put your finger on. and It was manifest
that there was only one thing which protected
him from open insult. and that was his muscle.
These young people had seen him exercising
mornings after his cold sponge bath. and they
had perceived by his performance and the
build OF his body that he was athletic and also
versed in boxing. Iie felt pretty naked now.
recognizing that he was shorn of all respect
except respect for his fists.
One night whom lie entered his room he found
about q dozen Of the young fellows there car
rying on n very lively conversation punctuated
with horse laughter. The talking ceased in
stantly. and the frank affront OF dead silence
followed. He said:
Good evening. gentlemen" and sat down.
There was no response. He flushed to the
AAsA IL noR a. l~-AS
lenco. He sat there in this uncomfortable
sti.lnces some time. then got up and went out.
The moment he had disappeared ho heard
prodigious shout OF laughter break forth. He
saw that their plain purpose had been to in
suit HIN. He assembled to the fiat roof. hoping
to be able to cool down his spirit there and
get back his tranquility. He found the young
tinner mp there. alone and brooding. and he
entered into conversation with him.
They were pretty we'll matched now. in un-
popularity and general il.luck and misery,
and they had no trouble in meeting upon this
common ground with advantage and some-
thing OF comfort to both. But Tracy's move
mcnts had been watched. and in a few min
utes the tormentors came struggling one after
another to the roof. where they began to stroll
up and down in an apparently purposeless
way. But presently they fell to dropping re-
marks that were evidently aimed at Tracy.
and some Of them at the timer.
The ringleader OF this little mob was short
haired bully and amateur prize fighter named
Allen. who was accustomed to lording It over
the upper floor. and had more than once shown
a disposition to make trouble with Tracy. Now
there was an occasional cat-call. and hootings
and whistlngs,t the diversion OF a n OK xchange
OF connected remarks was introduced.
=" How many does 1t take to make par?"
Eo1 &x1v~ I1r-, boa h,,k
times there amt stuff enough in them to make
a whole pair" General laugh.
what were you saying about the En- glish
whilo ago."
"oh. nothing. the English are all right,
only-I-"
What was it you said about them?"
"Oh. only said they swallow WE'LL"
"Swalow better than other people?"
"Oh. yes. the English swallow good deal
better than other people,"
What is it they swallow best ?"
"Oh insults" Another general laugh.
Pretty hard to make 'em fight. amt it p
'"No. 'tain't hard to mako 'en1 fight "'''' as
.'"Aint IT, realty pa "'- 's""'1'' ''''''h i-''''"
mo. faint hard. It's impossible" Another
laugh.
This ones kind Of spritless. that's cer-
tain
Couldn't be the other way-in his case"
"whyp
Don't you know the secret OF his birth?"
mo. Has he got secret OF his birth?"
'You bet he has,
what is it?'
His father was a wax fgger."
Allen came stroling by where the pair were
sitting. stopped and said to the timer:
"How are you of for friends. these daysr'
well enough off,"
Got a good many? ?"
"Well. as many as need"
"A friend is valuable. sometimes-as a pro.
tector you know. What do you reckon would
happen If I was to snatch your cap of and slap
you in the face with it?'
please don't trouble me. Mr.. Allen. amt
doing anything to YOU"
'You answer me! What do you reckon
would happenf"
We'll. l don't know"
ton. and said:
Don't trouble the young fellow. can tell
you what would happen"
"Oh. you can can you? Boys. Johnny Bull
can tell us what would happen II I was to
snatch this chump's cap off and slap him In
the face with it. Now you'll ses."
He snatchod tho cap and struck the youth
in the face. and before he could inquire what
was going to happen it had happened. and he
was warming the tin with tho broad OF his back
Instantly there was rush. and shouts OF "A
ring. ring: make ring! Fair play all round
Johnny's grit: give him a chance"
Tho ring was quickly chalked on the tin, and
Tracy found himself as eager to begin rs lie
could have been II his antagonist had been
prince instead OF a mechanic. At bottom he
was little surprised at this. because although
his theories had been all in that direction for
some time. he was not prepared to find him.
self actually eager to measure strength with
quite 30 common man as this rufflan.
In moment oil the windows in the neighbor-
hood were filled with people. and the roofs
also. Tho men squared of. and the fight be.
gan. But Allen stood no chance whatever
against the young Englishman. Neither 10
muscle nor in science WAS he his equal He
measured his length on tho tin time and ngaln:
in fact. as fast as ho could get up he went down
again. and the applause was Kept up in liberal
tl