pgw.psmith,journalist-第21部分

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bly；　in　a　merely　tentative　way　by　slugging　one　of　the　family　circle。　His　nurse；　let　us　say；　or　his　young　brother。　But；　once　started；　he　is　unable　to　resist　the　craving。　The　thing　grips　him　like　dram…drinking。　He　sandbags　now　not　because　he　really　wants　to；　but　because　he　cannot　help　himself。　To　me　there　is　something　consoling　in　the　thought　that　rade　Repetto　will　no　longer　be　among　those　present。〃
　〃What　makes　you　think　that？〃
　〃I　should　imagine　that　a　benevolent　Law　will　put　away　in　his　little　cell　for　at　least　a　brief　spell。〃
　〃Not　on　your　life；〃　said　Billy。　〃He'll　prove　an　alibi。〃
　Psmith's　eyeglass　dropped　out　of　his　eye。　He　replaced　it；　and　gazed；　astonished；　at　Billy。
　〃An　alibi？　When　three　keen…eyed　men　actually　caught　him　at　it？〃
　〃He　can　find　thirty　toughs　to　swear　he　was　five　miles　away。〃
　〃And　get　the　court　to　believe　it？〃　said　Psmith。
　〃Sure；〃　said　Billy　disgustedly。　〃You　don't　catch　them　hurting　a　gangsman　unless　they're　pushed　against　the　wall。　The　politicians　don't　want　the　gangs　in　gaol；　especially　as　the　Aldermanic　elections　will　be　on　in　a　few　weeks。　Did　you　ever　hear　of　Monk　Eastman？〃
　〃I　fancy　not；　rade　Windsor。　If　I　did；　the　name　has　escaped　me。　Who　was　this　cleric？〃
　〃He　was　the　first　boss　of　the　East　Side　gang；　before　Kid　Twist　took　it　on。〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃He　was　arrested　dozens　of　times；　but　he　always　got　off。　Do　you　know　what　he　said　once；　when　they　pulled　him　for　thugging　a　fellow　out　in　New　Jersey？〃
　〃I　fear　not；　rade　Windsor。　Tell　me　all。〃
　〃He　said；　'You're　arresting　me；　huh？　Say；　you　want　to　look　where　you're　goin'；　I　cut　some　ice　in　this　town。　I　made　half　the　big　politicians　in　New　York！'　That　was　what　he　said。〃
　〃His　small…talk；〃　said　Psmith；　〃seems　to　have　been　bright　and　well…expressed。　What　happened　then？　Was　he　restored　to　his　friends　and　his　relations？〃
　〃Sure；　he　was。　What　do　you　think？　Well；　Jack　Repetto　isn't　Monk　Eastman；　but　he's　in　with　Spider　Reilly；　and　the　Spider's　in　with　the　men　behind。　Jack'll　get　off。〃
　〃It　looks　to　me；　rade　Windsor；〃　said　Psmith　thoughtfully；　〃as　if　my　stay　in　this　great　city　were　going　to　cost　me　a　small　fortune　in　hats。〃
　Billy's　prophecy　proved　absolutely　correct。　The　police　were　as　good　as　their　word。　In　due　season　they　rounded　up　the　impulsive　Mr。　Repetto；　and　he　was　haled　before　a　magistrate。　And　then；　what　a　beautiful　exhibition　of　brotherly　love　and　auld…lang…syne　camaraderie　was　witnessed！　One　by　one；　smirking　sheepishly；　but　giving　out　their　evidence　with　unshaken　earnestness；　eleven　greasy；　wandering…eyed　youths　mounted　the　witness…stand　and　affirmed　on　oath　that　at　the　time　mentioned　dear　old　Jack　had　been　making　merry　in　their　pany　in　a　genial　and　law…abiding　fashion；　many；　many　blocks　below　the　scene　of　the　regrettable　assault。　The　magistrate　discharged　the　prisoner；　and　the　prisoner；　meeting　Billy　and　Psmith　in　the　street　outside；　leered　triumphantly　at　them。
　Billy　stepped　up　to　him。　〃You　may　have　wriggled　out　of　this；〃　he　said　furiously；　〃but　if　you　don't　get　a　move　on　and　quit　looking　at　me　like　that；　I'll　knock　you　over　the　Singer　Building。　Hump　yourself。〃
　Mr。　Repetto　humped　himself。
　So　was　victory　turned　into　defeat；　and　Billy's　jaw　became　squarer　and　his　eye　more　full　of　the　light　of　battle　than　ever。　And　there　was　need　of　a　square　jaw　and　a　battle…lit　eye；　for　now　began　a　period　of　guerilla　warfare　such　as　no　New　York　paper　had　ever　had　to　fight　against。
　It　was　Wheeler；　the　gaunt　manager　of　the　business　side　of　the　journal；　who　first　brought　it　to　the　notice　of　the　editorial　staff。　Wheeler　was　a　man　for　whom　in　business　hours　nothing　existed　but　his　job；　and　his　job　was　to　look　after　the　distribution　of　the　paper。　As　to　the　contents　of　the　paper　he　was　absolutely　ignorant。　He　had　been　with　Cosy　Moments　from　its　start；　but　he　had　never　read　a　line　of　it。　He　handled　it　as　if　it　were　so　much　soap。　The　scholarly　writings　of　Mr。　Wilberfloss；　the　mirth…provoking　sallies　of　Mr。　B。　Henderson　Asher；　the　tender　outpourings　of　Louella　Granville　Watermanall　these　were　things　outside　his　ken。　He　was　a　distributor；　and　he　distributed。
　A　few　days　after　the　restoration　of　Mr。　Repetto　to　East　Side　Society；　Mr。　Wheeler　came　into　the　editorial　room　with　information　and　desire　for　information。
　He　endeavoured　to　satisfy　the　latter　first。
　〃What's　doing；　anyway？〃　he　asked。　He　then　proceeded　to　his　information。　〃Some　one's　got　it　in　against　the　paper；　sure；〃　he　said。　〃I　don't　know　what　it's　all　about。　I　ha'n't　never　read　the　thing。　Don't　see　what　any　one　could　have　against　a　paper　with　a　name　like　Cosy　Moments；　anyway。　The　way　things　have　been　going　last　few　days；　seems　it　might　be　the　organ　of　a　blamed　mining…camp　what　the　boys　have　took　a　dislike　to。〃
　〃What's　been　happening？〃　asked　Billy　with　gleaming　eyes。
　〃Why；　nothing　in　the　world　to　fuss　about；　only　our　carriers　can't　go　out　without　being　beaten　up　by　gangs　of　toughs。　Pat　Harrigan's　in　the　hospital　now。　Just　been　looking　in　on　him。　Pat's　a　feller　who　likes　to　fight。　Rather　fight　he　would　than　see　a　ball…game。　But　this　was　too　much　for　him。　Know　what　happened？　Why；　see　here；　just　like　this　it　was。　Pat　goes　out　with　his　cart。　Passing　through　a　low…down　street　on　his　way　up…town　he's　held　up　by　a　bunch　of　toughs。　He　shows　fight。　Half　a　dozen　of　them　attend　to　him；　while　the　rest　gets　clean　away　with　every　copy　of　the　paper　there　was　in　the　cart。　When　the　cop　es　along；　there's　Pat　in　pieces　on　the　ground　and　nobody　in　sight　but　a　Dago　chewing　gum。　Cop　asks　the　Dago　what's　been　doing；　and　the　Dago　says　he's　only　just　e　round　the　corner　and　ha'n't　seen　nothing　of　anybody。　What　I　want　to　know　is；　what's　it　all　about？　Who's　got　it　in　for　us　and　why？〃
　Mr。　Wheeler　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　while　Billy；　his　hair　rumpled　more　than　ever　and　his　eyes　glowing；　explained　the　situation。　Mr。　Wheeler　listened　absolutely　unmoved；　and；　when　the　narrative　had　e　to　an　end；　gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　the　editorial　staff　had　sand。　That　was　his　sole　ment。　〃It's　up　to　you；〃　he　said；　rising。　〃You　know　your　business。　Say；　though；　some　one　had　better　get　busy　right　quick　and　do　something　to　stop　these　guys　rough…housing　like　this。　If　we　get　a　few　more　carriers　beat　up　the　way　Pat　was；　there'll　be　a　strike。　It's　not　as　if　they　were　all　Irishmen。　The　most　of　them　are　Dagoes　and　such；　and　they　don't　want　any　more　fight　than　they　can　get　by　beating　their　wives　and　kicking　kids　off　the　sidewalk。　I'll　do　my　best　to　get　this　paper　distributed　right　and　it's　a　shame　if　it　ain't；　because　it's　going　big　just　nowbut　it's　up　to　you。　Good　day；　gents。〃
　He　went　out。　Psmith　looked　at　Billy。
　〃As　rade　Wheeler　remarks；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　up　to　us。　What　do　you　propose　to　do　about　it？　This　is　a　move　of　the　enemy　which　I　have　not　anticipated。　I　had　fancied　that　their　operations　would　be　confined　exclusively　to　our　two　selves。　If　they　are　going　to　strew　the　street　with　our　carriers；　we　are　somewhat　in　the　soup。〃
　Billy　said　nothing。　He　was　chewing　the　stem　of　an　unlighted　pipe。　Psmith　went　on。
　〃It　means；　of　course；　that　we　must　buck　up　to　a　certain　extent。　If　the　campaign　is　to　be　a　long　one；　they　have　us　where　the　hair　is　crisp。　We　cannot　stand　the　strain。　Cosy　Moments　cannot　be　muzzled；　but　it　can　undoubtedly　be　choked。　What　we　want　to　do　is　to　find　out　the　name　of　the　man　behind　the　tenements　as　soon　as　ever　we　can　and　publish　it；　and；　then；　if　we　perish；　fall　yelling　the　name。〃
　Billy　admitted　the　soundness　of　this　scheme；　but　wished　to　know　how　it　was　to　be　done。
　〃rade　Windsor；〃　said　Psmith。　〃I　have　been　thinking　this　thing　over；　and　it　seems　to　me　that　we　are　on　the　wrong　track；　or　rather　we　aren't　on　any　track　at　all；　we　are　simply　marking　time。　What　we　want　to　do　is　to　go　out　and　hustle　round　till　we　stir　up　something。　Our　line　up　to　the　present　has　been　to　sit　at　home　and　scream　vigorously　in　the　hope　of　some　stout　fellow　hearing　and　rushing　to　help。　In　other　words；　we've　been　saying　in　the　paper　what　an　out…size　in　scugs　the　merchant　must　be　who　owns　those　tenements；　in　the　hope　that　somebody　else　will　agree　with　us　and　be　sufficiently　interested　to　get　to　work　and　find　out　who　the　blighter　is。　That's　all　wrong。　What　we　must　do　now；　rade　Windsor；　is　put　on　our　hats；　such　hats　as　rade