“Wasn’t the man mad just?”
“ ‘I’ll smash you, boy,’ he growled.
“ ‘I’m a baggage-smasher myself,’ says Dodger, ‘and I can smash as well as you.’
“Wid that the man up with his fist and struck at Dodger, but he dodged the blow, and gave him one for himself wid his right. Just then up came a cop.
“ ‘What’s all this?’ says he.
“ ‘That man tried to run off wid one of my apples,’ says I.
“ ‘Come along,’ says the cop. ‘You’re wanted at the station-house.’
“ ‘It’s a lie,’ says the man. ‘I paid the woman for the apple, and that young rascal knocked it out of my hand.’
“ ‘I know the boy,’ says the cop, ‘and he ain’t one of that kind. I’ll let you go if you buy five apples from the lady, and pay for ’em.’
“The man made up an ugly face, but he didn’t want to be locked up, and so he paid me a dime for five apples.”