"Right you are, my boy." Captain Shard now shook Ralph"s hand cordially, though his eye held a rather sinister gleam. "What is the use of forever brooding over old scores? Come round and see me.
Perhaps I can put you in the way of earning a living."
The captain patted Ralph on the shoulder, started off, but called back: "If my uncle and your great uncle made fools of themselves by carving each other up, that is no reason you and I should keep up the folly.
We are not in the mountains now--thank goodness!"
Though much relieved at Shard"s apparently amicable way of taking things, Ralph was not altogether comfortable.
"It was a close pull," he thought. "Suppose he had got mad when he pumped out of me who I was? If Mr. Quigg goes on to the coast, I"ll stick by him. I"m going to get away from that old feud, if I have to go to Jericho."
As he arrived at this vague geographical decision, he beheld Sam approaching with a second load. While they were unloading, Mr. Quigg came up on foot. He soon paid the darky off, then took a survey of their surroundings.
"This is not a bad stand for a day or two," said he to Ralph. "We"ll put up the tent first; then, while I fix up things inside, you can go about and stick up some posters. I"ll put a few ads. in the newspapers and, there you are--see?"
Ralph did not see except dimly, yet he a.s.sented readily and began to feel quite an interest in his new occupation already.
The tent was soon stretched and the large skylight adjusted. Some of the idlers who are always present at any outdoor proceedings in town, lent a hand now and then, being rewarded with a few nickels by the artist.
"Now, Ralph," said Mr. Quigg, after the trunks and other movables had been taken inside, "do you know what a poster is?"
Without waiting for a reply, he lifted from a chest a pile of gaily colored placards describing in florid style and with gorgeous ill.u.s.trations, the unrivaled perfections of Lemuel Quigg as an artist, the cheapness of his prices, &c., &c.
"What do you think of these?" asked Quigg holding up one of the largest. "Won"t they take the town?"
"It says you are one of the best artists in the world," said Ralph, scanning the poster gravely. "Are you?"
"Why of course I am!" Here Mr. Quigg stared at Ralph a moment, then smiled and winked knowingly. "You have to say those things, or people will not think anything of you--see?"
"Whether it is so or not?"
"To be sure. You must blow your own horn, my boy, if you want to get on. Humbug "em right and left, if you look to see the scads come in fast."
"I wouldn"t lie just to make a little money," said Ralph so earnestly that the artist broke into a laugh.
"You"re in training for an angel, you are. Look out you don"t starve though, before your wings sprout. But--let"s get to work."
The artist selected a number of posters which he hung over a short stick, to each end of which was attached a leather strap. This he slung around Ralph"s shoulder, after the manner of a professional bill sticker.
Then placing in his hand a bucket of paste, which he had prepared that morning in the car, together with a brush, he inquired:
"Think you can find your way round town without getting lost?"
Ralph was not certain, but said he would try.
"If you get lost, just inquire your way to Main and Third Streets.
That"s here. Now come on, and I will show you how to stick bills.
Don"t take long to learn this trade."
Ralph followed Mr. Quigg to a vacant wall near by, where he took a large poster, held it flat against the wall with one hand, gave a dexterous swipe or two with the brush, reversed it, then with a few more flourishes drew back and surveyed his work triumphantly.
"Try a small one over yonder," he said to the boy.
Ralph obeyed instructions in an awkward, though pa.s.sable manner, whereat the artist looked his approval.
"You"ll do, I guess. Be careful about the corners. If a corner doubles on you, you"re in trouble. I"ll fasten up, and run round to the newspapers with a few ads. then finish fixing up. Look sharp; don"t get lost, and be back as soon as you can."
Ralph took his way down Main Street, feeling, as he expressed it, a good deal like a duck out of water.
Presently he stopped at a high board fence and stuck a couple of bills without much trouble. Quigg had not instructed him where and where not to place the posters, and he was pasting a large one against the front of a closed warehouse, when some one at a near by corner called out:
"Hey, there! Yo" white boy, there! What are yo" up to?"
CHAPTER VII.
An Enraged Photographer.
Ralph continued his work, thinking some one else was referred to, when he was seized by the shoulder and jerked rudely around.
His mountain blood was aflame in an instant, and seeing only that his a.s.sailant was a negro boy but little larger than himself, he let drive with his fist and sent the other staggering against the wall.
"Gret king!" exclaimed the darky, rubbing his ear, which had received the blow, "What yo" do dat for, anyhow?"
"To teach folks to mind their own business," replied Ralph, turning to his half stuck poster again.
"P"lice have you, when yo" stick dat up dar. Disher"s private proputty."
"Can"t I stick these wherever I want to?" asked Ralph, in surprise.
"Cou"se not. Better tear dat one down."
Ralph hesitated, then deeming that in his ignorance of city life, he had better be prudent, he removed the offending poster, then turned to the negro, who still stood angrily looking on.
"I"m sorry I hit you," said Ralph. "You see, you took hold of me pretty rough and I--ain"t used to it exactly."
At this apology the colored lad grinned, then explained in his own terse way that only certain places were set aside for bill sticking.
even these were rented out to regular bill posters who paid the city for the privilege of using them.
Ralph listened in astonishment.
"Then I ain"t really got a right to stick my bills anywhere, have I?"
The darkey was not certain, but inclined to the belief that such was the case, unless Ralph had arranged matters with those who rented these privileges.
"Well, I"m much obliged for telling me," returned Ralph, picking up his bucket of paste.
"You are a good fellow, and I say again I"m sorry I hit you."