In Brooklyn, Spot Conlon's reaction to the fight was much different than
Russ Carter's.
"Ya done good, buddy boys." Spot praised the two triumphant newsies who had taken care of the stray from the Bronx. "Dey won't bothah wid Brooklyn no more."
The newsies standing around shouted their agreements and high-fived each other. Spot frowned and yelled at them over the noise. "Youse actin' like we ain't won a fight before!" he barked, "Now git out dere an' finish sellin'!"
The newsies grumbled, but turned away and went their separate ways to finish selling their papes. Spot turned to the two newsies he'd previously praised and ordered them out too. They obeyed, not wanting to get in a brawl with their leader. Spot Conlon was known for his brutality and his fierce temper. It was also known that he hated Russ Carter and that anyone from the Bronx was beaten up and thrown out of Brooklyn- regardless of why they had come. The older newsies who had been around for the last few years knew about the rivalry with the Bronx, but the younger newsies were kept in the dark about the background of the feud.
Spot turned to the three other newsies who stood behind him. "Inside." he ordered. The four boys went inside the old, rundown building that served as the newsies lodging house and upstairs to the dorm.
"So, what's goin' on wid Carter?" Spot demanded of the others.
"He's gettin' his boys ready for somethin'. Or so we hoid." Jake, a tall, black-haired newsie, said.
"But nobody was sayin' what foah." Tony added. He was just taller than Spot, with brown hair.
"Eithah dey din' know or dey wouldn't say." Riff said, crossing his arms in front of him. He wasn't short, but he was built thick, which made him a scary figure to the younger boys.
"So dat's why youse gotta find out." Spot insisted, his blue eyes growing angry, "We ain't gonna get surprised by anythin'!"
"Spot I don't think dey prob'ly knew." Tony said. Generally soft-spoken, he was Spot's best friend. "Knowin' Russ like we do, I think he's keepin' 'em in da dark."
"Yoah probably right, Tony." Spot replied, "We just gotta be careful. Don't scare anybody, but have da boys stay on dere guard. Riff, git ovah to da harbors and warn them. Tony, git to da Queens border and Jake, go 'round here. Don't say much, da less people know da better. Just have 'em keep an extry lookout foah da Bronx. Got it?" The boys nodded and left, each going to his assigned area. Spot was about to leave too when he was stopped by a voice coming from the door to the girls dorm. "What's going on Spot?" Spot turned towards the voice and smiled when he saw his girl, Sara. She was short; with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. "Nothin's wrong Sara," he replied, his previous harshness melting away, "What makes you think dat dere is?"
"I hoid ya talkin' to da boys. Somethin' 'bout Carter again." Sara told him, not buying the lie her boyfriend had told her.
"Sara, it ain't anythin' ta worry 'bout. It's cool. We's gonna handle it an' you_"
"Stop lyin' to me Spot. I've known you for forevah an' I know you ain't tellin' me da truth." Sara came into the boy's dorm and stood in front of Spot, her arms crossed in front of her chest stubbornly.
Spot hesitated and then sighed, "Carter's makin' trouble. I just want da boys ta be ready, ya know?"
"Spot, why do have to keep fightin' wid Carter? I don' wanna see you get hurt an' I don' wanna hafta watch anybody else get hurt 'cause you won't give it up."
"Listen, Sara, you don' get it. Carter's dangerous ta everybody- includin' you. Dat's why I keep fightin'- ta keep youse an' da othahs safe." Spot opened his arms to Sara, "Come on."
"No." Sara stepped back, her eyes flashing fire.
"What?" Spot dropped his arms and frowned at his girlfriend.
"Spot, you aren't getting' off dat easy. You jus' want a reason ta fight." Sara said, "So no. You don't get anythin' from me." she turned and stalked out of the room. Spot glared at her back and marched downstairs. He stormed outside, furious at Sara. She didn't know anything about this feud with Carter, and she still assumed that she knew it all. What made her think she was so smart anyway? Spot turned a corner, not looking where he was going and he slammed into someone. He fell back against some crates but was able to quickly regain his balance. "Hey what's the big idea?" he demanded as he automatically reached for the slingshot at his belt. but he didn't get farther, because he froze when he saw exactly who he'd run into.
"Ya done good, buddy boys." Spot praised the two triumphant newsies who had taken care of the stray from the Bronx. "Dey won't bothah wid Brooklyn no more."
The newsies standing around shouted their agreements and high-fived each other. Spot frowned and yelled at them over the noise. "Youse actin' like we ain't won a fight before!" he barked, "Now git out dere an' finish sellin'!"
The newsies grumbled, but turned away and went their separate ways to finish selling their papes. Spot turned to the two newsies he'd previously praised and ordered them out too. They obeyed, not wanting to get in a brawl with their leader. Spot Conlon was known for his brutality and his fierce temper. It was also known that he hated Russ Carter and that anyone from the Bronx was beaten up and thrown out of Brooklyn- regardless of why they had come. The older newsies who had been around for the last few years knew about the rivalry with the Bronx, but the younger newsies were kept in the dark about the background of the feud.
Spot turned to the three other newsies who stood behind him. "Inside." he ordered. The four boys went inside the old, rundown building that served as the newsies lodging house and upstairs to the dorm.
"So, what's goin' on wid Carter?" Spot demanded of the others.
"He's gettin' his boys ready for somethin'. Or so we hoid." Jake, a tall, black-haired newsie, said.
"But nobody was sayin' what foah." Tony added. He was just taller than Spot, with brown hair.
"Eithah dey din' know or dey wouldn't say." Riff said, crossing his arms in front of him. He wasn't short, but he was built thick, which made him a scary figure to the younger boys.
"So dat's why youse gotta find out." Spot insisted, his blue eyes growing angry, "We ain't gonna get surprised by anythin'!"
"Spot I don't think dey prob'ly knew." Tony said. Generally soft-spoken, he was Spot's best friend. "Knowin' Russ like we do, I think he's keepin' 'em in da dark."
"Yoah probably right, Tony." Spot replied, "We just gotta be careful. Don't scare anybody, but have da boys stay on dere guard. Riff, git ovah to da harbors and warn them. Tony, git to da Queens border and Jake, go 'round here. Don't say much, da less people know da better. Just have 'em keep an extry lookout foah da Bronx. Got it?" The boys nodded and left, each going to his assigned area. Spot was about to leave too when he was stopped by a voice coming from the door to the girls dorm. "What's going on Spot?" Spot turned towards the voice and smiled when he saw his girl, Sara. She was short; with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. "Nothin's wrong Sara," he replied, his previous harshness melting away, "What makes you think dat dere is?"
"I hoid ya talkin' to da boys. Somethin' 'bout Carter again." Sara told him, not buying the lie her boyfriend had told her.
"Sara, it ain't anythin' ta worry 'bout. It's cool. We's gonna handle it an' you_"
"Stop lyin' to me Spot. I've known you for forevah an' I know you ain't tellin' me da truth." Sara came into the boy's dorm and stood in front of Spot, her arms crossed in front of her chest stubbornly.
Spot hesitated and then sighed, "Carter's makin' trouble. I just want da boys ta be ready, ya know?"
"Spot, why do have to keep fightin' wid Carter? I don' wanna see you get hurt an' I don' wanna hafta watch anybody else get hurt 'cause you won't give it up."
"Listen, Sara, you don' get it. Carter's dangerous ta everybody- includin' you. Dat's why I keep fightin'- ta keep youse an' da othahs safe." Spot opened his arms to Sara, "Come on."
"No." Sara stepped back, her eyes flashing fire.
"What?" Spot dropped his arms and frowned at his girlfriend.
"Spot, you aren't getting' off dat easy. You jus' want a reason ta fight." Sara said, "So no. You don't get anythin' from me." she turned and stalked out of the room. Spot glared at her back and marched downstairs. He stormed outside, furious at Sara. She didn't know anything about this feud with Carter, and she still assumed that she knew it all. What made her think she was so smart anyway? Spot turned a corner, not looking where he was going and he slammed into someone. He fell back against some crates but was able to quickly regain his balance. "Hey what's the big idea?" he demanded as he automatically reached for the slingshot at his belt. but he didn't get farther, because he froze when he saw exactly who he'd run into.
