CHAPTER XVII
THE CHARGE OF THE PASTE BRIGADE
Phil's plans were formed instantly.
He ran to a place where he had seen a painter's sign earlierin the day. Reaching there he ordered the painter to send outto the Ward Building a gang of painters with their swingingplatform, tackle and full equipment, telling the man brieflywhat was wanted of him after the apparatus reached the buildingin question.
"Now hurry it, and I'll double the price you ask if you get thereand do the work I am asking of you."
The painter needed no further inducement. Once again money madeits announcement in unmistakable tones.
Phil again started off on a run. Reaching the Ward Building hefound his banner men and lithographers gathering. A few momentsafter his arrival the livery wagon with the paste, brushes andpaper, came dashing up with Henry, the porter, standing guardover it. Teddy had thoughtfully turned out all the available menin the livery stable and came charging down the street, drivingthem before him, howling at every jump. That is, Teddy washowling; as he did whenever the occasion presented itself.
By this time quite a crowd had been attracted to the scene,not understanding what all the excitement was about. None ofthe rival posters had appeared as yet. Phil had got a verygood start.
Telling off three of his banner men he sent them to the roof,while the painter was preparing to swing his scaffold.
"I am afraid I shall have to block your store for a short time,Mr. Storekeeper," said Phil, entering the store. "Our friend isgoing to try to take the place by storm, I think, and we shallhave to stand him off."
"He had better not try it," growled the proprietor.
"He will, just the same. But, with your permission, he will notget upstairs to the roof while I am here."
"Do whatever you like. I've got his money, but it's here for himwhen he wants it."
Phil, having arranged with the proprietor, went out and gave hisfinal instructions to his men.
"You are not to let a man through here unless with mypermission," he said. "I am going up to the roof. If anythingoccurs, call me at once. Teddy, I leave the front of the storein your hands while I am away. There is trouble brewing. I feelit in my bones."
"Yes; trouble for the other fellow," grinned Teddy.
In a very short time the painters had succeeded in swinging theirscaffold over the roof. An interested crowd was watching theproceeding from the street.
The banner men climbed down on the swinging platform, and, as ifby magic, the Sparling banners began appearing on the big wall.
About this time shouting down in the street drew the attention ofPhil Forrest. Stepping to the edge of the roof he looked down.A crowd was pressing his men back.
In the lead was the manager of the canary car.
"Drive them off!" roared Phil. "Don't let them get by you!"
"We will!" shrieked Teddy Tucker, now in his element.
Phil turned and hurried down the ladder to the upper floor, thentook the stairs in a series of jumps until he had reached theground floor.
Teddy Tucker had proved himself a real general. He had armed hisforces with paste brushes, which he had first thoroughly soakedin the sticky paste pots.
Teddy was dancing up and down the line.
"Paste them, fellows!" he roared. "Paste them good and proper.We'll stick them to the walls when we get them properly daubed!"
With a yell the Sparling crowd began wielding the paste brushes.They wielded them effectively, too. Every sweep of the brushesfound a human mark.
Shouts of rage followed the onslaught, above which could be heardthe voice of the manager of the canary car, urging the crowd onto violence.
Phil came dashing out.
"Drive them back!" he shouted. "But be careful that you do nothurt anybody. Keep your heads, men!"
"Look out--the police are coming!" shouted a voice.
"Never mind the police! Give it to them!" cried the rival.
A squad of bluecoats came charging down the street.
"Steady, fellows! Don't do anything that will cause the policeto take you in," cautioned Phil.
The crowd in front gave way as the police charged in; and, asthey did so, the Circus Boy pushed his way to the front of hisown line.
A sergeant made for him with upraised club, but Phil didnot flinch.
"Wait a minute, officer!" he cautioned.
"I arrest you for disturbing the peace!" was the stern reply.
"You will do nothing of the sort, sir. We have not brokenthe peace. We are within our rights, protecting our ownproperty and the property of this gentleman," pointing tothe proprietor of the store.
"Arrest them! They are stealing my property!" came the cry fromthe rival manager.
"I guess you had better both come over to the police station, andwe will let the captain settle this," decided the sergeant.
"Wait!" commanded the rival. "I have here an injunctioncommanding this fellow to stop work. I have bought the right tobanner this location, and he has stepped in and taken it awayfrom me."
"Is this right?" demanded the sergeant, appealing to thestorekeeper, whom he knew well.
"No, it's all wrong. That man has bought nothing. He lefthis money on my counter after I had sold my wall to thisyoung man here."
"Is this right?" repeated the sergeant turning to Phil.
"I am inclined to think it is. If that man has obtained aninjunction, he has done so by false representation. Here is mycontract, properly signed, giving us the right to put up ourbanners, and that is exactly what we are going to do in spite ofall the police in the state. You can't stop us. You had betternot try."
The sergeant glanced over the paper and scratched his head.He was at a loss what to do. At that moment a lieutenant camerunning up, demanding to know what the trouble was about.
The sergeant explained, handing the contract to his superior.After perusing it, the lieutenant passed the paper back to Phil.
"You can't stop this man as long as he is not disturbingthe peace. That fellow's injunction is not worth the paperit is written on. This is a contract as plain as the noseon your face."
"That is the way it strikes me," answered Phil, with apleasant smile.
"Disperse the crowd. Keep half a dozen men on duty here, and, ifthere is any further disturbance, lock them all up."
"Thank you," said Phil, edging near the lieutenant. "And, nowthat the matter is all settled, if you will call at the Sparlingadvance car this afternoon, at five o'clock, I shall be happy tofurnish you with tickets for yourself and family. That is not abribe, because we have got the matter all straightened out."
The lieutenant smiled.
"I'll do it," he said. "Five o'clock, you say?"
"Yes."
"Now, get out of here, the whole crowd of you. And you, youngfellow," indicating the manager of the canary rival, "if youcreate any further disturbance in this town, you'll go to thecooler, and stay there. Do you understand?"
The rival manager tried to protest, but the lieutenant startedfor him.
"I want my money!" he shouted.
"Come and get it. I don't want your money."
"I told you that before," called the storekeeper.
"Go, get your money, and get out of here!" commandedthe lieutenant.
Crestfallen and now thoroughly subdued, the manager of the canarycar made his way through the crowd; his money was thrust into hishands; then, calling upon his men to follow him, he hurried away.
"There, I guess we won't hear any more from our canary birdfriend today," decided Teddy, strutting about and throwing outhis chest.
"Not today, perhaps," answered Phil Forrest; "but I am thinkingwe have not heard the last of him yet. We shall have to lookpretty sharply, or he will get the best of us yet. This isa game that one person cannot expect to win at every day.Boys, you may go back to your lithographing now. The policewill see that we are protected until we have finished banneringthis building."
Phil walked off half a block to survey the work going on high upin the air.
"That location is worth five hundred dollars to any show,"he mused. "And I got it for forty. Good job!"