“’Tis too! It’s just the color of a black-heart cherry,” giggled Liz. “You got to give up ten cents.”
“Won’t neither,” Sammy declared.
“I’ll take it off you,” threatened Peter, growing belligerent.
“You won’t,” stubbornly declared Sammy, who did not propose to be cheated.
Peter jumped for him and Sammy could not run. One reason why he could not retreat was because Liz grabbed him from the rear, holding him around the waist.
She pulled him over backward, while her brother began to pummel Sammy most heartily from above. It was a most unfair attack and a most uncomfortable situation for the runaway. Although he managed to defend his face for the most part from Peter’s blows, he could do little else.
“Lemme up! Lemme up!” bawled Sammy.
“Gimme the dime,” panted Peter.
“I won’t! ’Tain’t fair!” gasped Sammy, too plucky to give in.
Liz had now squirmed from under the struggling boys. She must have seen at the house in which pocket Sammy kept the knotted handkerchief, for she thrust her hand into that pocket and snatched out the hoard of dimes before the owner realized what she was doing.