entailed upon him a loss he could ill sustain.

"I'll give you all you want," he said, resolutely, eyeing Mike warily,
and watching a chance to give him another blow.

The contest was brief, being terminated by the sudden and unwelcome
arrival of a policeman.

"What's this?" he asked authoritatively, surveying the combatants; Paul,
with his flushed face, and Mike, whose nose was bleeding freely from a
successful blow of his adversary.

"He pitched into me for nothin'," said Mike, glaring at Paul, and
rubbing his bloody nose on the sleeve of his ragged coat.

"That isn't true," said Paul, excitedly. "He came up while I was selling
prize packages of candy in front of the post office, and pulled my hat
over my eyes, while another boy grabbed my basket."

"You lie!" said Mike. "I don't know nothin' of your basket."

"Why did you pull his hat over his eyes?" asked the policeman.

"Because he insulted me."

"How did he insult you?"

"He wouldn't trust me till to-morrow."

"I don't blame him much for that," said the policeman, who was aware