"My name is Racetrack Higgins! You killed my Crutchie! Prepare to die!"

"Arrgh, not before ye walk the plank, knight!"

A fearsome battle was waging throughout the Lodging House that night. Stormy seas tossed the HMS SANTA FE through tempest-tossed waters, and wild, foreboding clouds glared down from the dark sky. On deck, a scar-faced pirate captain holding an edged sword faced a dark-haired, floppy-hatted knight by the name of Racetrack Higgins. The pirate captain scowled, and brandished his sword.

"Prepare to meet ye doom!" He carefully stepped over the body of his little captive, one Crutchie Morris by name. Race brandished his own weapon, adopting a noble yet fierce glare.

"I think not, Captain Kelly!" The pair stared each other down, waiting for the other to make a move . Their fight was halted by Crutchie, who raised his head and looked at Jack.

"Can I be the knight now, Jack?" He asked, and Race fell to his knees, beside himself. "Oh Crutchie, I thought I'd lost you when Kelly killed you!"

"Wait a couple more minutes, kid," Jack told him, getting ready to attack Race with the crutch. "Go back to playin' dead."

"But I've been doin' that for the past 'our, Jack!" Crutchie protested. "Why do I always gotta be the kidnapped who dies?"

"Because you're six, an' we're all older than you," Race said. Crutchie glanced around the room, and then pointed to a newsie. "Romeo's five!"

Jack and Race sighed, lowering their weapons. "Alright," Jack said. "You can be the knight, Crutch. Who do ya want as your kidnapped?"

Crutchie grinned. "You!"

"What?! I'm the pirate captain!"

"Romeo will be the pirate captain, you can be the kidnapped, an' I'm gonna be the knight!" Crutchie was still grinning. Romeo bounded over, also smiling.

Jack sighed again, and helped Crutchie up. Romeo ran into the kitchen, grabbing two wooden spoons. He gave one to the now standing Crutchie, and scowled at him.

"Arrrrr!"

"No more will you do bad things, pirate Romeo!"

"Arrrr! I steal your gold an' your ladies, Sir Crutchie!"

"I don't got no ladies! Except Jack."

"Woah, wait a minute. What?!" Jack cut in. Romeo and Crutchie shushed him, much to the amusement of the other newsies. Romeo 'Arrr'ed' again, and the two boys started fighting each other. Romeo rushed over, and put his spoon to Jack's neck. "Arrrr! Say goodbye to yer lady, Sir Crutchie!" Jack grumbled something unhappily as Crutchie gasped. "No! I will save you, Jack!" Romeo laughed evilly, and drew the spoon across Jack's throat. Romeo and Crutchie stared at him until he let out an overly dramatic cry of pain and fell to the ground. "I'm dead!"

"Noooooooooo! You will pay fer that, Captain Romeo!" Crutchie cried, and limped forward to defeat the one who had killed his beloved Jack.

"Not before ye walk the plank, me hearty—"

"Ahem." Romeo and Crutchie looked up guiltily at the figure of Kloppman. "We was jus' playin' pirates an' knights, sir," Crutchie said.

Kloppman smiled faintly. "Put my spoons back, boys. And then you must all go to bed—-Kelly, is that my hat you're wearing?"

"Uh, no, sir," Jack quickly got up, hiding the hat behind his back.

Later that night, all the newsies were bundled up in their beds, trying to sleep. But Romeo and Crutchie were still going at it.

"You gold-lovin' pirate you!"

"You noble—yawn—knight!"

"I will beat you—yawn—someday, Captain Romeo!"

"Goodnight, Sir Crutchie."

"G'night, Romeo."