The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-17
"THE BOY FROM ZEENY." ;"
BY JAMES WHITcoMB RILEY.

I time so near that Billy felt his taunting breath blown in his face.
 'Yes, I will, hey'i" said Billy. vicious | ly; and with a side-sweeping. fiat-handed lick that sounded like striking rusty sheet of tin, the crownless plug went spinning into the gutter, while, as sud- denly the assaulted little stranger, with a peculiarly pallid smile about his lips and an electric glitter in his eve, adroitly flung his left hand forward smiting his insulter such a blow in the region of the brow that the unguarded Billy went tum- bling backward, his plucky assailant prancing wildly around his prostrate form.
 "Oh! come and see mel" snarled the strange boy, in a contemptuous tone, cooking his fists up in a scientific man. ner, and dropping into a stoop-shouldered swagger that would have oriven envy in to the heart of bullying hack-driver. Git the bloke on his pins!' he sneered, turning to the crowds pose Pm goin' to hit a man wen he's down?"
 But his antagonist needed no such as- sistance. Sung with his unlooked-for downfall, bleeding from the first blow ever given him by mortal boy, and goad- ed to absolute frenzy by the taunts of his l swaggering enemy, Billy sprang to his | feet, and a moment later had succeeded | in closing with the boy in a rough-and- tumble fight in which his adversary was at disadvantage, being considerably less l in size, hampered, too, with his loose, unbuttoned coat and baggy trousers. But, for all, he did some very efficient work in the way of delft and telling blow or | two upon the nose of his over-powering l foe, who sat astride of his wrigging body but wholly unable to get in a lick.
 'Durn your said Billy, with his hand | RriDninR throat | 'noughi"
 Holler nothin'r gurgled the boy, with his eyes fairly starting from his head.
 "Oh, let him up, Billy" called a com | passionate voice from the excited crowd.
 "Holler nough and will" said Billy, | in a tragic whisper in the boys ear. ''Durn ye! holler 'Calf-ropep
 The boy only shook his head, trembled 1 convulsively, let fall his eyelids and lay | limp and, to all appearances, unconsci- | ous.
 The startled Billy loosed his hold rose halfway to his feet, then fiercely bounced again at his rival
 But 1t was too late. The ruse had suc- ceeded, and the boy was once more on his feet.
 You fight like a dog!" said the strange boy, in tone of infinite contempt-"and you air dog! Put up your props like a | man anu tOIIie at me, anu II IHelieT yer ! head till yer mother won't know you. l Come on l dare your
 This time, as Billy started forward at the challenge, regret to say that in his passion he snatched up from the street a broken buggy spoke, before which war like weapon the strange boy was forced warily to retreat. Step by step he gave back, and step by step his threatening foe advanced. l think perhaps. part of the strange boys purpose in thus retreat ing was to arm himself with one of the "axe-handles" that protruded from a churn standing in front of a grocery, to- ward which he slowly backed across the sidewalk. However that may be, 1t is ev- ident he took no note of an open cellar way that lay behind him. over the brink of which he deliberately backed, throw ing up his hands as he disappeared.
 We heard a heavy fall, but heard nc