e true. And whatever it was, he mumbled his
words so that no one could understand him. Whenever he saw a man put
his hand in his pocket he would assume that the man wanted a paper, and
he would rush up and thrust one in his face.

On one occasion a gentleman who frequently bought a paper of Dick
approached him, putting his hand in his pocket to extract a coin. The
motion was observed by Bulldog, who rushed forward with such eagerness
that he ran into the man.

"Here! What are you trying to do!" exclaimed the customer.

"Wuxtry! Don't youse want a wuxtry? All de latest news!" exclaimed
the big newsboy.

"Certainly I want a paper, but I prefer to buy it of this lad," and he
purchased one from Dick.

"I'll fix youse fer dis!" threatened Bulldog when the man had gone.
Perhaps he might have undertaken to chastise Dick then and there had it
not been for the presence of a big policeman on the next corner.

"What have I done?" asked Dick.

"Youse is takin' all me customers away."

"I didn't do anything to induce that man to buy of me."

"Yes, youse did."

"What did I do?"

"Well, I don't know what it was, but youse has got t' git outer here.
Dis is me stampin' ground, an' I want youse t' git."

"Suppose I don't?" asked Dick, who was not afraid, even if Bulldog was
the larger.

"Well, you'll see. Who are youse, anyhow? Comin' t' N'York an'
buttin' in here where youse ain't wanted. Why don't youse go back
home?"

"I would if I knew where my home was," spoke Dick quietly, for he made
no secret of his queer plight.

"Say, kid, honest, don't youse remember anyt'ing about yerself?" asked
Bulldog with a sudden assumption of friendliness, for he happened to
remember the conversation he and Mike Conroy had had concerning Dick,
and he thought this a good chance to further the plot which the two had
made.

"I can remember very little about what happened before I met Jimmy
Small."

"Don't youse know what kind of a place youse lived in?"

"I haven't the least idea."

"An' can't youse remember yer own name?"

"Only the first part of it."

"Well, dat's a queer go! Would youse like t' git back home, kid?"

"Indeed I would. Why, do you know anything about me? My mind seems in
a daze whenever I try to think about it. If you know anything, please
tell me."

"Naw, I don't know nuttin'. Say, youse didn't run away, did youse?
Youse ain't comin' no game like dat, is yer?"

"No, certainly not," replied D