“The cop!”
The crowd melted in a second’s time. Only Allan, Pete, and the boy who had the camera, remained to give an account of the affair.
For a moment Allan thought it was the same policeman he had seen on the other street. But it was not. This new policeman held fast to the boy who had the camera, and who seemed to be wishing that he didn’t have it.
“They have been trying to steal my camera!” cried Allan, adjusting his crushed hat.
“He lies!” roared Pete.
“Well,” said the policeman, lazily, and as if there was nothing exciting about the incident, “I’ll take you all in till we talk it over, hey?”
The boy with the camera began to whimper. “I was only takin’ care of it!” he cried.
“I never touched it!” protested Pete. “He stole it hisself!”
“Let’s take a walk,” said the policeman, holding the small boy and Pete each by the collar. “You walk ahead,” he said to Allan. “Do you mean that you are going to arrest me?” demanded Allan.
“I mean that you’re goin’ to walk,” returned the policeman, using Pete to push Allan forward; and the policeman with his three prisoners moved toward Elizabeth Street.