Mike advanced a step, doubling his fists; but, finding that Paul showed
no particular sign of fear, he stopped short, saying: "I'll lick you
some other time."

"You'd better put it off," said Paul. "Have a prize package, sir? Only
five cents!"

This was addressed to a young man who came out of an insurance office.

"I don't mind if I do," said the young man. "Five cents, is it? What
prize may I expect?"

"The highest is ten cents."

"There's a boy around the post office that gives fifty-cent prizes,
mister," said Mike. "You'd better buy of him."

"I'll wait till another time," said the young man. "Here's the money,
Johnny. Now for the package."

"Look here," said Paul, indignantly, when his customer had gone away;
"haven't you anything to do except to drive off my customers?"

"Give me two cents on every package," said Mike, "and I'll tell 'em you
give dollar prizes."

"That would be a lie, and I don't want to do business that way."

Mike continued his persecutions a while longer, and then turned the
corner into Nassau street.

"I'm glad he's gone," thought Paul. "Now there's a chance for me."

He managed after a while to sell twenty of his packages. By this time it
was twelve o'clock, and he began to feel hungry. He resolved, therefore,
to go home to dinner and come out again in the afternoon. He didn't know
how much he had made, but probably about fifty cents. He had made more
than double as much the day before in less time; but then he did not
suffer from competition.

He began to doubt whether he could long pursue this business, since
other competitors were likely to spring up.

As he walked by the post office he had the curiosity to look and see how
his competitor was getting along.

Teddy had started, originally, with seventy-five packages; but of those
scarcely a dozen were left. A group of boys were around him. Among
them was Mike, who was just on the point of buying another package. As
before, he put it in his pocket, and it was not till Teddy asked, "What
luck, Mike?" that he drew it out, and opening it again, produced fifty
cents.

"It's the big prize!" he said. "Sure I'm in luck, anyhow."

"You're the boy that's lucky," said Teddy, with a grin.

As Paul witnessed the scene a light broke upon him. Now he understood
how Teddy could afford to give such large prizes. Mike and the other
boy, Jim, were only confederates of his--decoy ducks--who kept drawing
over again the same prize, whic