CHAPTER X.
A HARD PLACE TO FILL.
After their brief but somewhat heated discussion, Franklin watched Bob Jackson and Mike Nolan hurry away to a near-by restaurant, and then walked slowly away to a quiet corner where he might eat the lunch Belden Brice's house-keeper had put up for him.
"Those fellows will certainly try to do me harm unless I comply with their demands," reasoned the young electrician to himself, as he sat down in a sunny corner and began to munch a sandwich. "But I can't see what right they have to dictate as to how much I shall do. I want to earn all I can and I'll never do it if I listen to them. What is best to be done?"
It was easy for Franklin to ask himself this question, but it was much more difficult, if not impossible, to answer it. The young electrician pondered over the matter all the while he was eating and yet, when the last crumb was consumed, he had arrived at no definite conclusion.
For one brief instant the thought came to his mind to speak to the Superintendent about the matter, but Franklin thrust the thought aside immediately. Come what might, he would fight his own battles.
When the whistle blew to resume work the young electrician went ahead as if nothing had been said to ruffle his mind in the least. He noticed that both of his fellow-workmen cast dark glances towards him, and more than once stepped aside to whisper together. Evidently they were plotting mischief.
About the middle of the afternoon Nolan caught him by the arm just as he was sitting down on one of the motors upon which he had been working.
"Mind what we told you," he said in a low tone. "We won't stand any nonsense!"
"I understand my own business best," returned Franklin. "And if you want to avoid trouble you had better mind yours."
"Then you ain't going to go it slow?
"No. I need money, and I intend to earn it—if I can."
"Well, you won't earn much of it here, I can tell you that," growled Mike Nolan, and he left the young electrician and hurried to Bob Jackson's side.
Nothing more was said during the remainder of the afternoon. When quitting time came both Jackson and Nolan cast aside their jumpers in a hurry and left the workshop before Franklin was half ready to take his departure.
"Well, I'm glad they are gone," thought the boy. "I was afraid they would try to pick a quarrel as soon as the whistle blew. Perhaps they have reached the conclusion that they had better leave me alone."
Franklin washed up and brushed off his clothing, and then, with his little dinner basket on his arm, sallied forth. It was nearly quarter to six and quite dark on this Winter day. It had been snowing for over an hour, and the ground was covered to the depth of several inches. Out on the nearest corner over a dozen boys were having a lively time of it snowballing each other. Their antics amused Franklin not a little, and he stopped for several minutes to watch the sport. Had he known the boys, he would not have minded taking a hand himself.
The nearest cut to Belden Brice's residence lay through a number of side streets, lined with small factories and tenements. It was not a nice way to walk, but to this Franklin paid small attention, his one thought being to get to the residence in time for supper, for he did not wish to keep the table waiting—now that Belden Brice had been kind enough to insist upon his staying the week out at the place.
As the young electrician was hurrying along, trying to add up in his head the exact amount he had earned that day, a snowball came whizzing across the street and took him in the ear with such force that he staggered and almost fell. While he was trying to recover, another snowball followed and landed upon his chin, causing him to slip and fall flat upon his back.
Franklin lost no time in scrambling to his feet. His ear and chin pained not a little, for the snowballs had been "soakers," almost as hard as stone. But to this he paid no attention, his one thought being to discover who his assailant was.
He noted the direction from which the snowballs had come and then made off on a run. Opposite was a high board fence, enclosing a factory yard, and springing over this he was just in time to catch sight of two boys hurrying to an exit in the rear. The two boys were Bob Jackson and Mike Nolan.
"So it was you two who threw those snowballs, eh?" cried Franklin, in not an over-pleasant tone.
"Yes, it was," retorted Jackson, as he came to a sudden halt. "And what are you going to make out of it?" he added, with a swagger.
"It wasn't a very smart thing to do, to use soakers on a fellow when I wasn't looking," went on Franklin.
"Say, are you looking for trouble with us?" demanded Mike Nolan, sticking out his dirty chin in a decidedly offensive manner.
"I am looking for trouble with no one," retorted the young electrician. "But you evidently are. In the future I want both of you to leave me alone."
"Oh. ho! hear me talk," cried the Irish boy, sarcastically. "I own the hull of Paterson, I do!"
"Maybe you want to fight?" queried Bob Jackson, as he came up closer, with his fists clinched.
"I do not wish to fight—but I can take my own part," replied Franklin sharply. "If you desire to—"
The young electrician had no time to finish. Muttering something under his breath Jackson shot out with his right fist, intending to strike Franklin between his eyes.
But the boy was on his guard. He stepped to one side. Bob Jackson's fist cut through empty space. An instant later the would-be bully came down on his hands and knees, laid low by a quick and sturdy twist of Franklin's left foot.
"Say—what—what do you mean by that?" stammered Jackson, as he essayed to rise.
"Next time don't you be so quick to strike at a person," returned Franklin.
"Say, what do you mean by knocking Bob down?" growled Mike Nolan, springing in. "Bob's my friend, and I don't allow no fellow to hit him, see?"
"You keep quiet," said the young electrician. "This is his affair and mine. I would not have tripped him up had he not attempted to strike me."
"We'll see," grumbled Mike Nolan. He caught Bob Jackson by the arm and turned him away for a moment, whispering into his ear in the meanwhile. Then he faced Franklin once more.
"I'm going to teach you a lesson," he exclaimed. "We don't allow no new hand to ride over us!"
He clenched his fists and struck out wildly at the young electrician, who, throwing down his lunch basket, parried the blows to the best of his ability. At the same time, Bob Jackson sneaked round to Franklin's rear.
Seeing their game, the young electrician sprang away to one side and started for the high board fence, intending to brace up against that and prevent an attack from the rear.
"Give it to him from the back. Bob!" cried Mike Nolan, chagrined to learn that his plan was evidently to miscarry. "I'll take care of him in front all right."
"He's getting up to the fence," returned Bob Jackson, trying in vain to commence the attack behind Franklin's back.
"Shove him away!"
"That's what I'm going to do," puffed Bob Jackson.
He laid one hand upon the young electrician^s shoulder. The next moment Franklin wheeled about and hit him hard, directly between the eyes, a blow which sent him staggering with a crash against the fence.
How the unequal fight would have terminated is hard to say. At that moment the door of one of the near-by factory buildings opened and three men came out.
"Hi, get out of this yard!" shouted one of the men, savagely. "We don't allow boys in here! Get out, I say, or I'll have the three of you locked up!"
"It's old Momper!" growled Mike Nolan, under his breath. "Come on. Bob, the fight is done for this trip!" and he leaped over the fence, quickly followed by his companion.
"Did you hear what I said?" demanded the man of Franklin. "Skip now, and be lively."
At first Franklin was on the point of stopping to explain matters. Then he changed his mind, and picking up his lunch basket he departed in the same manner as his assailants.
Once more on the street he looked around for Jackson and Nolan. Nothing was to be seen of them, and with his eyes wide open to keep from being surprised, Franklin continued on his way to Belden Brice's residence and soon reached the place in safety.