Next he addressed himself to the business of eating the apple. He rubbed
it shiny against his patched trousers, carefully hunted out the reddest
spot on it, and took a big, luscious bite. Instead of chewing the morsel
at once, he crushed it against his palate just to feel the mellowness
of it and to get the full flavor of the first taste of juice. Then he
chewed vigorously.

He started on to Mother 'Larkey's where he had made his home for nearly
three years, ever since Mr. Mullarkey, dead this year now, had found him
by the roadside one dark night. He had just started to take a second
bite when a shout stopped him.

"Hi, Jerry! What you got?"

Instinctively Jerry hid the apple behind him, for it was Danny
Mullarkey's voice that he had heard.

"Jerry's got something to eat!" Danny called over his shoulder to some
one out of sight. "Come on, kids!"

Jerry hastily swallowed the piece of apple in his mouth and bit off the
very largest chunk he could. He knew by long and bitter experience how
little would be left for him after the Mullarkey brood had all nibbled
at it.

Danny, who was past nine, reached him before Jerry could gulp down that
mouthful and take another bite, as he had intended to do. Chris and Nora
followed at Danny's heels, with Celia Jane, as usual, far in the rear.