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Shouts of "Stop the 'World', no more papes!" and "Strike!" were heard the next day through the streets of Manhattan, but the newsies began to lose hope in the strike.
Jack was watching them from a distance when he heard someone come up beside him. He whirled around, thinking that it was a newsie, but it turned out to be Denton.
"They need you, Jack. They're beginning to fall apart." he said.
"They don't need me." Jack said.
Denton looked at him. "Yes, they do. Look at them."
Denton pointed to a group of newsies that began to fight amongst themselves. That is, until Kid Blink and David broke it up.
"No, dey don't. Look, Dave an' Blink are handlin' it jus' fine." Jack said.
"Maybe." Denton said. "But Spot's mad at Horseshoe, Horseshoe's at the refuge not caring about the strike anymore, some of the Harlem newsies have just about given up hope in the Manhattan newsies, some of the Manhattan newsies are fighting with each other . . ." Denton's voice trailed off.
"An' how'm I gonna change dat?" Jack asked bitterly.
"You are their leader. They look up to you, Jack. When they saw you as a scab, they lost hope. If Pulitzer and Hearst can by Jack Kelly off, then why strike?" Denton remarked.
Jack looked at him. "I neva thought of it dat way."
Denton nodded.
"But even if I'se tell 'em I ain't a scab anymore, they're still gonna hate me." Jack pointed out.
Denton shook his head. "Not all of them. Think of one person that would never hate you no matter what."
"Crutchy." Jack replied.
Denton nodded. "What about David?"
Jack shook his head. "No. He won't understand. He's really mad at me, I'se know it."
Denton shook his head. "I think that he'd understand. What about Mush? I know he and Kid Blink admire you even though they don't always show it."
Jack could only shrug. What was there to say.
"And Les? What about Les?" Denton asked.
Jack flinched. He knew Les hated him now. "No. He hates me. He proly hates me more den Dave."
Denton looked at him. "Maybe, maybe not. Listen, go talk to a few of them. If you can get at least four, come to my house."
"Why?" Jack asked.
"Just do it." Denton replied as he walked away.
Jack looked at the stack of papers in his hands. He threw them down and then threw his scab jacket on top.
"I ain't a scab." he muttered.
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Jack knocked on Denton's door two days later.
Denton opened it and saw Jack, Sarah, Crutchy, David, and Les there with him.
"Come on in." Denton said. He closed the door.
"Why are you helping us, Denton?" David asked. "I thought that you had something more important to do."
Denton shrugged. "What could be more important than this?"
Jack looked at him. "Okay, I'se know that ya didn't invite us over fer tea. What gives?"
Denton looked at him. "I have a plan to get more children, like the sweatshop kids, to join the strike."
"What is it?" Crutchy asked.
The six sat down. "This is my plan . . ."
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"What's this?" Kid Blink asked the next morning. He was holding a paper entitled the "Newsies Banner".
"Who printed this?" Mush asked.
"I dunno." Racetrack replied.
Just then, Jack, David, Sarah, Les, Crutchy, and Denton walked up to them.
"We did." Jack said. Some of the newsies scowled at Jack.
"What're you doin' 'ere?" Racetrack asked.
"Guys, he gave up all his money so that we could make this flyer. Hopefully, we can get a lot of the sweatshop kids to join the strike." David said.
"He ain't a scab anymore!" Les exclaimed. Some of the newsies looked skeptical while the rest seemed to accept him right away.
"I didn't like it. Could wear my own newsie cloths. Had to wear does stinkin' scab cloths an' I didn't like 'em." Jack remarked.
That comment seem to set everyone at ease.
"So, you really not a scab anymore?" Kid Blink asked.
"Nope. An' I'll neva be one again!" Jack exclaimed.
The newsies clamored around him and began to ask questions.
Within twenty minutes, the newsies were acting as if nothing bad had happened.
But, after about two hours, the newsies were beginning to doubt that any of the sweatshop kids were coming.
Suddenly, they heard yelling.
The newsies turned and saw Spot Conlon leading in the Brooklyn newsies, and many other leaders from other parts of New York leading in their newsies.
Spot walked up to Jack.
"Woird get's 'round quick, Jacky-boy." he told Jack as the two spit-shook.
"Guess it does." Jack replied. "But not quick enough fer the sweatshop kids."
"Don't worry, they'll show up." David said, but only a few of the sweatshop kids actually did.
Just as the newsies were about to give up hope, Pulitzer came walking out. Jack and walked up to confront him.
"Joe," Jack said. "I'se know we's hoitin' ya. Why don'tcha jus' admit it?"
Pulitzer looked at him. "You're not hurting me."
"Yes we are!" David exclaimed. "Your circulation has been down 70%."
"Listen, I came out here to propose a compromise." Pulitzer said.
"What is it?" Jack asked.
"The price stays the same, but we'll buy back all the unsold papers at the same price you bought them." Pulitzer said.
Jack thought for a moment, then turned and started talking with the newsies.
"Sounds good tah me, Jack." Racetrack said.
"Let's take it Jack." Mush said.
"Yeah, but make 'im promise no more price hikes for at least three years." Kid Blink said.
Jack nodded. "Alright." He turned to Pulitzer. "We's will accept on three conditions." Kid Blink and the others murmured to themselves. Kid Blink hadn't said three. "One is that you let all dose kids outta the Refuge by tonight, two: you won't raise da price anymore den it is fer at least three years, an' three: you stop chasin' me and the others."
"I can't promise that!" Pulitzer exclaimed.
Jack shrugged. "Fine." he said as he and David turned back to the newsies.
"All right, fine! I will!" Pulitzer said. "Is it a deal?"
Jack looked at him. "Yup."
The newsies began to cheer loudly.
But then they heard the circulation bell.
"Let's go get our papes!" Jack shouted as he led the newsies through the gates.
"Oh, Mr. Weasel." Jack said as their day began. After Jack paid for the papers, he heard something coming. He turned and saw the paddy wagon coming. Inside he saw Horseshoe.
Once the paddy wagon stopped, Horseshoe jumped out as fast as he could. Spot was waiting for him.
"Carryin' da banna, Cowboy!" Horseshoe called.
"Carryin' da banna, Jack!" Spot called. "We's goin' back tah Brooklyn tah woik!"
"Carryin' da banna!" Jack called. The call was echoed throughout the Manhattan newsies who were saying good-bye to the other newsies from Harlem, Midtown, etc. and the few sweatshop kids who had joined.
"Carryin' da banna!" all the kids called at the same time, then they went their separate ways.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
The End
Shouts of "Stop the 'World', no more papes!" and "Strike!" were heard the next day through the streets of Manhattan, but the newsies began to lose hope in the strike.
Jack was watching them from a distance when he heard someone come up beside him. He whirled around, thinking that it was a newsie, but it turned out to be Denton.
"They need you, Jack. They're beginning to fall apart." he said.
"They don't need me." Jack said.
Denton looked at him. "Yes, they do. Look at them."
Denton pointed to a group of newsies that began to fight amongst themselves. That is, until Kid Blink and David broke it up.
"No, dey don't. Look, Dave an' Blink are handlin' it jus' fine." Jack said.
"Maybe." Denton said. "But Spot's mad at Horseshoe, Horseshoe's at the refuge not caring about the strike anymore, some of the Harlem newsies have just about given up hope in the Manhattan newsies, some of the Manhattan newsies are fighting with each other . . ." Denton's voice trailed off.
"An' how'm I gonna change dat?" Jack asked bitterly.
"You are their leader. They look up to you, Jack. When they saw you as a scab, they lost hope. If Pulitzer and Hearst can by Jack Kelly off, then why strike?" Denton remarked.
Jack looked at him. "I neva thought of it dat way."
Denton nodded.
"But even if I'se tell 'em I ain't a scab anymore, they're still gonna hate me." Jack pointed out.
Denton shook his head. "Not all of them. Think of one person that would never hate you no matter what."
"Crutchy." Jack replied.
Denton nodded. "What about David?"
Jack shook his head. "No. He won't understand. He's really mad at me, I'se know it."
Denton shook his head. "I think that he'd understand. What about Mush? I know he and Kid Blink admire you even though they don't always show it."
Jack could only shrug. What was there to say.
"And Les? What about Les?" Denton asked.
Jack flinched. He knew Les hated him now. "No. He hates me. He proly hates me more den Dave."
Denton looked at him. "Maybe, maybe not. Listen, go talk to a few of them. If you can get at least four, come to my house."
"Why?" Jack asked.
"Just do it." Denton replied as he walked away.
Jack looked at the stack of papers in his hands. He threw them down and then threw his scab jacket on top.
"I ain't a scab." he muttered.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Jack knocked on Denton's door two days later.
Denton opened it and saw Jack, Sarah, Crutchy, David, and Les there with him.
"Come on in." Denton said. He closed the door.
"Why are you helping us, Denton?" David asked. "I thought that you had something more important to do."
Denton shrugged. "What could be more important than this?"
Jack looked at him. "Okay, I'se know that ya didn't invite us over fer tea. What gives?"
Denton looked at him. "I have a plan to get more children, like the sweatshop kids, to join the strike."
"What is it?" Crutchy asked.
The six sat down. "This is my plan . . ."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"What's this?" Kid Blink asked the next morning. He was holding a paper entitled the "Newsies Banner".
"Who printed this?" Mush asked.
"I dunno." Racetrack replied.
Just then, Jack, David, Sarah, Les, Crutchy, and Denton walked up to them.
"We did." Jack said. Some of the newsies scowled at Jack.
"What're you doin' 'ere?" Racetrack asked.
"Guys, he gave up all his money so that we could make this flyer. Hopefully, we can get a lot of the sweatshop kids to join the strike." David said.
"He ain't a scab anymore!" Les exclaimed. Some of the newsies looked skeptical while the rest seemed to accept him right away.
"I didn't like it. Could wear my own newsie cloths. Had to wear does stinkin' scab cloths an' I didn't like 'em." Jack remarked.
That comment seem to set everyone at ease.
"So, you really not a scab anymore?" Kid Blink asked.
"Nope. An' I'll neva be one again!" Jack exclaimed.
The newsies clamored around him and began to ask questions.
Within twenty minutes, the newsies were acting as if nothing bad had happened.
But, after about two hours, the newsies were beginning to doubt that any of the sweatshop kids were coming.
Suddenly, they heard yelling.
The newsies turned and saw Spot Conlon leading in the Brooklyn newsies, and many other leaders from other parts of New York leading in their newsies.
Spot walked up to Jack.
"Woird get's 'round quick, Jacky-boy." he told Jack as the two spit-shook.
"Guess it does." Jack replied. "But not quick enough fer the sweatshop kids."
"Don't worry, they'll show up." David said, but only a few of the sweatshop kids actually did.
Just as the newsies were about to give up hope, Pulitzer came walking out. Jack and walked up to confront him.
"Joe," Jack said. "I'se know we's hoitin' ya. Why don'tcha jus' admit it?"
Pulitzer looked at him. "You're not hurting me."
"Yes we are!" David exclaimed. "Your circulation has been down 70%."
"Listen, I came out here to propose a compromise." Pulitzer said.
"What is it?" Jack asked.
"The price stays the same, but we'll buy back all the unsold papers at the same price you bought them." Pulitzer said.
Jack thought for a moment, then turned and started talking with the newsies.
"Sounds good tah me, Jack." Racetrack said.
"Let's take it Jack." Mush said.
"Yeah, but make 'im promise no more price hikes for at least three years." Kid Blink said.
Jack nodded. "Alright." He turned to Pulitzer. "We's will accept on three conditions." Kid Blink and the others murmured to themselves. Kid Blink hadn't said three. "One is that you let all dose kids outta the Refuge by tonight, two: you won't raise da price anymore den it is fer at least three years, an' three: you stop chasin' me and the others."
"I can't promise that!" Pulitzer exclaimed.
Jack shrugged. "Fine." he said as he and David turned back to the newsies.
"All right, fine! I will!" Pulitzer said. "Is it a deal?"
Jack looked at him. "Yup."
The newsies began to cheer loudly.
But then they heard the circulation bell.
"Let's go get our papes!" Jack shouted as he led the newsies through the gates.
"Oh, Mr. Weasel." Jack said as their day began. After Jack paid for the papers, he heard something coming. He turned and saw the paddy wagon coming. Inside he saw Horseshoe.
Once the paddy wagon stopped, Horseshoe jumped out as fast as he could. Spot was waiting for him.
"Carryin' da banna, Cowboy!" Horseshoe called.
"Carryin' da banna, Jack!" Spot called. "We's goin' back tah Brooklyn tah woik!"
"Carryin' da banna!" Jack called. The call was echoed throughout the Manhattan newsies who were saying good-bye to the other newsies from Harlem, Midtown, etc. and the few sweatshop kids who had joined.
"Carryin' da banna!" all the kids called at the same time, then they went their separate ways.
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The End