I was walking down a path in central park one day it was cold and I was
about eight at the time. That's the day all this began...
"Get back here kid!!!" I heard someone yell so I began to run thinking I did something wrong.
"Hells no!" I heard a voice reply and then I saw a kid run pass me followed by two other guys who were a lot bigger then he and I at the same time.
"Come on kid, just give us back what ya jist took from us and we'll leave ya alone!" the guys yelled as they chased him onto the docks.
"It aint yours!" the kid yelled ducking into a crate and then falling into the water.
I watched this whole scene play through, wondering what was going on I crept closer as my curiosity got the better end of me. The sky was getting a bit darker now and it was getting harder to see, the last thing I saw was the two guys who were chasing the kid leave in the direction of Manhattan.
"Hello?" I said quietly as I walked towards the water.
All of the sudden I heard a plop on the docks and I turned around to see the kid right there, sopping wet. In his hand was a small box, I walked over to him and asked, "Are you ok kid?"
"Yeah and I aint no kid, so stop callin me dat aright!" he snapped.
"What ya got dere?" I asked.
"It aint none of yer business!" he yelled standing up.
I kept my self under control from all of the sudden urges I had to punch him "Sorry, anyways... my name is Cowboy, well Jack Kelly really but I go by da other name most da time." I spat in my hand and held it out to shake with him.
"Conlon... Spot..." he said spitting in his hand and shaking mine. "I'se da runner fer Ace." He proudly stated.
"A runner eh? Well dats swell... I'se jist a newsie in 'Hattan." I said just as proudly.
"Well den Cowboy I'se gonna have ta tawk to ya latah couse I need ta git a message back to Ace." He said walking off towards Brooklyn.
"See ya..." I said and walked back to the Manhattan lodging house where I had started today off at.
It was pitch black in the Lodging house, why I don't know, it was also totally silent, something had to of been wrong, or no one was there, I yelled for Kloppman the owner of the joint, but he didn't answer. I decided that I was just going to go get some rest because I had to wake up early tomorrow morning so I could help Kloppman with a few things. As I neared the bunkroom I heard my best friend Racetrack say something so I went into the to see a few people crowded around the bottom bunk of the one I normally sleep on.
"Hey Race... whats goin on?" I asked pulling race aside.
"Mush found dis goil on da streets while he was sellin... she was beat up and bleedin bad and still is. She's got dis one cut above he shoulder dat aint gonna stop bleedin for at least a day straight Kloppman said...." Racetrack looked like he had seen a ghost when he said this.
"Damn... did Mush see who soaked 'er?" I asked walking over to the bed where the girl laid asleep or knocked out I don't know which one it was.
"No he just said he found her lyin' dere out cold face down." Racetrack really looked worried and scared I don't know why he didn't even know this girl.
"Race go get the peroxide and a few rags..." Kloppman said sternly, he could be the nicest guy around more like a kid then a old guy, but when something serious was happening then he could be the worst guy to get in the way of.
"Ok.." Race said leaving the room.
I walked over to Mush and he was silent and wouldn't talk so I left him alone, he was only five so it must be a new experience for him to see someone this badly hurt. A minute later Racetrack returned with the things Kloppman asked for. The rest of the boys left the room except Racetrack and me. We sat there for quite a while, just staring at the girl. I decided to leave knowing I wasn't much help there and I could be more useful tomorrow if I got some sleep.
"Get back here kid!!!" I heard someone yell so I began to run thinking I did something wrong.
"Hells no!" I heard a voice reply and then I saw a kid run pass me followed by two other guys who were a lot bigger then he and I at the same time.
"Come on kid, just give us back what ya jist took from us and we'll leave ya alone!" the guys yelled as they chased him onto the docks.
"It aint yours!" the kid yelled ducking into a crate and then falling into the water.
I watched this whole scene play through, wondering what was going on I crept closer as my curiosity got the better end of me. The sky was getting a bit darker now and it was getting harder to see, the last thing I saw was the two guys who were chasing the kid leave in the direction of Manhattan.
"Hello?" I said quietly as I walked towards the water.
All of the sudden I heard a plop on the docks and I turned around to see the kid right there, sopping wet. In his hand was a small box, I walked over to him and asked, "Are you ok kid?"
"Yeah and I aint no kid, so stop callin me dat aright!" he snapped.
"What ya got dere?" I asked.
"It aint none of yer business!" he yelled standing up.
I kept my self under control from all of the sudden urges I had to punch him "Sorry, anyways... my name is Cowboy, well Jack Kelly really but I go by da other name most da time." I spat in my hand and held it out to shake with him.
"Conlon... Spot..." he said spitting in his hand and shaking mine. "I'se da runner fer Ace." He proudly stated.
"A runner eh? Well dats swell... I'se jist a newsie in 'Hattan." I said just as proudly.
"Well den Cowboy I'se gonna have ta tawk to ya latah couse I need ta git a message back to Ace." He said walking off towards Brooklyn.
"See ya..." I said and walked back to the Manhattan lodging house where I had started today off at.
It was pitch black in the Lodging house, why I don't know, it was also totally silent, something had to of been wrong, or no one was there, I yelled for Kloppman the owner of the joint, but he didn't answer. I decided that I was just going to go get some rest because I had to wake up early tomorrow morning so I could help Kloppman with a few things. As I neared the bunkroom I heard my best friend Racetrack say something so I went into the to see a few people crowded around the bottom bunk of the one I normally sleep on.
"Hey Race... whats goin on?" I asked pulling race aside.
"Mush found dis goil on da streets while he was sellin... she was beat up and bleedin bad and still is. She's got dis one cut above he shoulder dat aint gonna stop bleedin for at least a day straight Kloppman said...." Racetrack looked like he had seen a ghost when he said this.
"Damn... did Mush see who soaked 'er?" I asked walking over to the bed where the girl laid asleep or knocked out I don't know which one it was.
"No he just said he found her lyin' dere out cold face down." Racetrack really looked worried and scared I don't know why he didn't even know this girl.
"Race go get the peroxide and a few rags..." Kloppman said sternly, he could be the nicest guy around more like a kid then a old guy, but when something serious was happening then he could be the worst guy to get in the way of.
"Ok.." Race said leaving the room.
I walked over to Mush and he was silent and wouldn't talk so I left him alone, he was only five so it must be a new experience for him to see someone this badly hurt. A minute later Racetrack returned with the things Kloppman asked for. The rest of the boys left the room except Racetrack and me. We sat there for quite a while, just staring at the girl. I decided to leave knowing I wasn't much help there and I could be more useful tomorrow if I got some sleep.