Part 2 (1/2)
”I wonder who did hit him?” mused Snap. ”The s...o...b..ll couldn't have come from over here.”
”I know who hit him,” said a little boy named Benny Grime.
”Who was it, Benny?”
”Ham Spink.”
”Ham Spink!” cried Snap and Shep in concert.
”Yes.”
”Why, he isn't here,” said Whopper.
”He just came up, threw one s...o...b..ll, and ran away. I guess he meant to hit somebody else and the s...o...b..ll hit Mr. Felps instead,” went on the small boy. ”Don't let him know I told you, or he'll wax me good for it.”
”I shan't tell Ham,” said Snap. ”But this is strange,” he continued.
”Thought Ham was too much of a dude to throw s...o...b..a.l.l.s,” was Whopper's comment. ”Why, he wears a new necktie every day now, and new patent leather shoes, and new gloves, and--”
”Don't pile it on too thick, Whopper,” laughed Shep. ”But I admit, he is a dude and no mistake.”
”And a sneak--to run away as soon as he hit old Felps,” finished Giant.
There was no time to say more, for the s...o...b..ll battle was again raging, more furiously than ever. The b.a.l.l.s flew on all sides, and grown folks, coming in that direction, kept out of the way as much as possible.
”Here comes old Mammy Shrader!” cried Snap, presently. ”We must be careful not to hit her.”
The woman he referred to was old and feeble and very short sighted.
She had a faded shawl over her shoulders and carried a market basket on one arm. She went out nursing among the poor people and was well known throughout the entire neighborhood.
As the old woman came on a s...o...b..ll was thrown at her from the other side of the street.
”Say, don't do that!” called out Snap, angrily. ”Leave Mammy Shrader alone!”
He has scarcely uttered the words when another s...o...b..ll was thrown at the aged female. This. .h.i.t her on the cheek and caused her to utter a cry of pain. She tried to save herself from falling, but could not, and went down in a heap.
”For shame!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Shep and ran to help the old woman to arise.
In the meantime Snap, with flas.h.i.+ng eyes, hurried across the street and confronted Carl Dudder. As my old readers know, Carl Dudder was a close crony to Ham Spink and had done his full share in making our young friends uncomfortable during the summer outing.
”Dudder, aren't you ashamed of yourself?” said Snap.
”What are you talking about?” demanded Carl Dudder, although he trembled a little as he spoke.
”You threw those s...o...b..a.l.l.s at Mammy Shrader.”
”I didn't.”