"Then you done it on purpose!" he exclaimed.
"Certainly I done it on purpose," declared Eschenbach. "What do you think it was—an accident?"
He swung his bat at a pebble that lay in his path and Birsky and Zapp edged away.
"Well, if I was you, Mr. Eschenbach," Birsky said, "I wouldn't say nothing more about it to nobody. Even if you would meant it as a joke, understand me, sometimes them things turns out serious." With this dictum he elbowed his way through the sympathetic crowd that hemmed in the victims. "Koosh, Golnik!" he bellowed. "You might think you was injured for life the way you are carrying on."
"Never mind, Mr. Birsky," Golnik whimpered, "I am hurted bad enough. If I would be able to handle a pair of shears in six weeks already I'm a lucky man." He heaved a tremulous sigh and nodded his head slowly. "Little did I think," he wailed, "when I fixed up this here mutual aid society that I would be the first one to get the sick benefit."
Joseph Bogin ceased his agonizing rocking and turned fiercely to Golnik.
"What d'ye mean, the first one?" he demanded. "Ain't I in on the sick benefit also? Not alone would I draw a sick benefit, Golnik, but might I would come in for the losing-one-eye benefit, maybe, the way I am feeling now."
"You would what?" Birsky shouted. "You would come in for nothing, Bogin! All you would come in for is losing your job, Bogin, if you don't be careful what you are saying round here."
At this juncture Jonas Eschenbach bustled toward them and clapped his hands loudly.
"Now, then, boys," he called, "the whole team should please get out on the field."