He walked down towards the East River till he reached Water Street, then turning to the left, he brought up at a drinking-saloon, which he had visited more than once on a similar errand. He found an old acquaintance who invited him to drink,—an invitation which he accepted promptly.
Ben remained outside.
"I thought he did business at some such place by the looks of his nose," soliloquized Ben. "What shall I do while I'm waitin' for him?"
Looking around him, Ben saw two boys of about his own age pitching pennies. As this was a game with which long practice had made him familiar, he made overtures towards joining them.
"Let a feller in, will you?" he said.
"How much you got?" asked one of the boys, in a business-like way.
"Ten cents," said Ben. "I lent old Vanderbilt most of my money day afore yesterday, to buy up a new railroad, and he haint forked over."
Ben need not have apologized for his comparative poverty, as he proved to be the richest of the three. The game commenced, and continued for some time with various mutations of fortune; but at the end of half an hour Ben found himself richer by two cents than when he had commenced. From time to time he cast a watchful glance at the saloon opposite, for he had no intention of suffering the interest of the game to divert him from the object of his expedition. At length he saw James Martin issue from the saloon, and prepared to follow him.
"Are you going?" asked one of the boys with whom he had been playing.
"Yes, I've got some important business on hand. Here's your money;" and he threw down the two cents he had won.