The Iron Boys in the Steel Mills; or, Beginning Anew in the Cinder Pits

  CHAPTER XI

  READJUSTING THEIR FINANCES

  "Police! Police!" yelled a voice on the outer edge of the circle.

  "Police!" echoed the crowd, running in all directions, for theseforeigners held the officers of the law in wholesome awe. They had hadexperience with the uniformed police on other occasions.

  Kalinski did not run, for the very good reason that he could not. Bobwas following him up too closely. Neither did Steve Rush nor IgnatzBrodsky attempt to run away. It had been Ignatz's voice that had calledout the warning. There were no police in sight, but the boy, with quickwit, had cried out in order to save Steve from the wrath of the mob.

  Rush, as he shot a keen glance at the grinning face of Ignatz, quicklycomprehended.

  "That's enough, Bob. Let him go. You are even with him. Come onnow--stop it!"

  "All right, in a min--minute----" thump!

  "That's for the boy Ignatz, and"--thump--"that for Rush, and"----Bobuttered a grunt as he launched a terrific blow at his adversary, "that'sfor me!"

  The blow lifted Kalinski off his feet, laying him flat on his back inthe gutter.

  "Back off!" commanded Steve, in a voice of authority. "You have doneyour duty as you saw it, and I guess a little more."

  "Liar! Liar!" shrieked the Polish boy, hopping about the fallen man,waving his arms, almost beside himself with unholy joy.

  "Take this boy away!" commanded Rush, as he bent over and assistedKalinski to his feet. "I'm sorry, Kalinski, but I guess you got what youdeserved. Bob, how did this thing start?"

  "In the first place Kalinski was fighting with Ignatz----"

  "He--he started it, the----" interrupted Kalinski.

  "Don't say anything you will be sorry for," interjected Steve.

  "After he had knocked Brodsky down he began kicking the boy, and withthe entire approval of the crowd," added Jarvis. "Wouldn't you havesailed into him if you had been in my place?"

  "I should have been a coward if I had not. And now, Kalinski, I have afew words to say to you. You have used us about as shabbily as oneperson could use another. We are even now; you have got what youdeserve, but hereafter keep away from us. Don't you dare speak toeither of us. Try any tricks and it will be the worse for you. Now getout of here!"

  Steve gave the Pole a shove, Kalinski hurrying away as fast as hisweakened legs would carry him, the fellow uttering threats and shakinghis fists as he went.

  "We will go home now," announced Steve. "You come with us, Ignatz," headded, taking an arm of the Polish boy. "I am sorry this thing happened,for I had hoped we should be able to keep out of further trouble. Wewill get a bad name if we don't stop having so many rows."

  "But how are we going to help it?" protested Bob. "I can't stand aroundand see a boy abused by a big brute like Kalinski, without taking ahand."

  "You did right, but I am sorry it occurred; that's all."

  Reaching their boarding place, Rush took Bob and Ignatz to his room. Helooked Jarvis over from head to feet. The bandage about the latter'shead was now stained a dark red, where the fists of the pit boss hadpummeled him, while the burns on the lad's hands, that had been healedover, were now raw and painful. Rush quickly bathed and redressed hiscompanion's wounds, then turned his attention to Brodsky. The latter hadreceived some pretty hard knocks, and was also in need of treatment,which Steve gave him at once.

  None of them had any thought for supper, which, in fact, had long sincebeen finished in the dining room of the boarding house. Rush looked overthe Pole with keen eyes.

  "You have been fighting before to-night. What for?" he demanded.

  "Kalinski, he liar; Foley liar--all liars!"

  "Yes, I know that. Is that why you were fighting Kalinski?"

  Ignatz nodded.

  "You have been fighting him to avenge Bob and myself, have you?"

  "Yes; I fight him."

  "And you thought you could whip that big brute?"

  "I lick him yet."

  "No; you let him alone. He has been properly punished to-night. Afterthis keep away from him, or I will take you in hand myself. What willyour mother say when she hears of this?"

  "You tell her?"

  "Certainly not, but she will hear of it, and I'll wager that she willgive you a worse trouncing than did Kalinski. I got a job for us to-day,Bob."

  "What's that?"

  "I got a job."

  "What is it?"

  Rush told him. Jarvis looked at his companion a moment in silence, thenburst out laughing.

  "Fifty cents a day? Well, I must say we're getting up in the world. Howdo you suppose we are going to live?"

  "I have been thinking of that. In fact I saw the necessity ofreadjusting our finances before we lost our jobs in the mills."

  "I should say so," agreed Jarvis.

  "We have been getting six dollars a week in the mills here, and we arepaying five apiece for our board. If we take the new job we shall begetting only three dollars a week and paying out five."

  "We'll have to make an assignment then," grinned Bob.

  "I know a better way."

  "What?"

  "Get a new boarding place, where we shall be able to live within ourmeans or thereabouts."

  "I'd hate to live in the boarding house that would come within our newmeans," grumbled Jarvis. "This one is about the limit. It strikes methat the best way to make money for ourselves would be to start aboarding house."

  "We are not in that line of business," answered Steve shortly. "Ignatz,do you know of a clean, cheap place where we can get board and room?"

  "Clean and cheap," Bob repeated. "They don't make 'em. High-priced anddirty is the rule."

  Jarvis laughed loudly.

  "Me know place," nodded Brodsky.

  "Good, I thought you would. Where is it?"

  "You come by my house."

  "What's that? Your house?"

  Ignatz nodded.

  "Why, your mother would not take us. She has a large family, and shewould have no time."

  "Come by my house. I fix it."

  "What do you think of that, Bob?"

  "It strikes me, Steve."

  "I am afraid your mother will not listen to it, but I am sure it wouldplease us very much if she were to take us."

  "Come, I make her."

  "No, we won't do that. If she is willing and can make us a price withinour means, of course we will go."

  Ignatz had risen and was waiting for them to go with him.

  "Will you come, Bob?"

  "Sure I will. Maybe I'll meet Kalinski on the way," grinned Jarvis.

  The three boys started off for the Brodskys. Mrs. Brodsky welcomed them,for she liked these two open-faced young fellows for whom her son heldsuch an affection. He talked of them most of the time when he was athome. Ignatz was full of his subject to the bursting point.

  "My friends come live by us, Mother," he said finally.

  "What you say?"

  "Steve and Bob come live by us."

  Mrs. Brodsky opened her eyes.

  "So?"

  "Yes."

  "When?"

  "Now, to-morrow."

  "It is this way, Mrs. Brodsky; we have to find a new boarding place,"Steve explained. "We were asking Ignatz if he knew of a place, and hesaid he thought you might be willing to take us. We shall not be muchtrouble to you, as we don't throw things about in our rooms. We cansleep in one bed and we will make that up if you do not have the time todo so."

  "So?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  Mrs. Brodsky was rather dazed. She never had taken boarders before, andshe hardly knew what to say. She looked from the now eager face ofIgnatz to the expectant ones of the Iron Boys.

  "So?" she murmured.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "They come by us to-morrow," urged Ignatz.

  "How about it, Mrs. Brodsky?"

  She nodded slowly.

  "Thank you very much. Now, what will you charge us?"

  "How much you give?"

&nbs
p; "Whatever you think is right."

  After reflection, Mrs. Brodsky said she thought about two dollars a weekwould be right. If that was too much she would charge them less.

  "No; that is too cheap," said Rush. "We will give you two dollars and ahalf, gladly."

  Mrs. Brodsky smiled benignly.

  "Fine boys!" she said.

  Ignatz was very happy. He began talking joyously, until sternly reprovedby his mother. It was arranged that the boys were to move into their newquarters early on the following morning. The room assigned to them wassmall, but the perfection of neatness. There was a clean, white spreadon the bed, a wash stand with a clean towel laid over it, though, as Bobobserved, the pitcher and wash bowl had seen better days. There was nocarpet on the floor, but this they did not mind. After making finalarrangements and paying over one week's board, the Iron Boys took theirdeparture, very well content with what had been accomplished.

  "We could just as well have gotten it for two," said Jarvis after theyhad left the house.

  "Yes, but I am not quite so mean as that. That extra fifty cents apiecemeans a lot to us, and I shall be glad to be there. We shall have ahappy day to-morrow, and perhaps we will take that long-deferred picnictrip."