without mercy, would quickly
put a stop to the common practice of degenerates spoiling the lives and
futures of other people's children by training them to become tramps,
drunkards, professional beggars and even dangerous criminals, viz:
"Should any minor be found beyond the limits of his legal residence
tramping, peddling, begging or stealing at the command or for the
benefit of an adult person, who cannot prove that he had the legal
consent of the minor's guardian, then this adult person shall be
sentenced to a long term at hard labor in the state penitentiary."

* * * * *

(The actual experiences of the Author, who when a young boy was at one
time a plinger's road kid, are embodied into this chapter and have been
even far more revolting than herein described.)

* * * * *

It was several days after the terrible thrashing before Jim recovered
sufficiently to be able to show himself upon the streets.

On the morning of the fifth day after his arrival at Denver, he was told
by Kansas Shorty to accompany Danny upon his day's work and watch how
this small, weak boy managed to earn a living for himself and his
master, who under the pretense of "showing him the world", had enticed
him away from his home.

Danny had been trained by his jocker, an ugly ex-convict, who on account
of his ape-like face had been dubbed "Jocko", to peddle needle cases
from house to house. These needle cases are paper packages containing an
assortment of needles and are always retailed in every store in the land
for five cents. These harmless packages have made more useless, if not
dangerous men out of harmless youngsters than any other cause, as
printed in bold type across their face are these words:

"PRICE 25 CENTS".

This fictitious price mark works straight into the hands of the jockers
who purchase these needle cases by the gross for about two cents each
and teach their road kids to dispose of them, at a huge profit. If
needle cases can not be had, sticking plaster, aluminum thimbles,
pencils, shoestrings and other such articles are given to the road
kids to peddle.

From the pages of a Denver City Directory, Jocko had copied upon sheets
of paper the name, street and house number of every resident in the
city, overlooking none, as sometimes those who occupy humble homes buy
more needle cases and turn out more revenue than those who reside in
marble palaces.

Jocko had