negligent architecture of an eagle's nest, which is of the bungalow
type in its loose irregularity. He had not the slightest reason for
supposing that Pee-wee was equipped with commissary stores, but on
general principles he said,

"Give us a hunk of candy, will yer?"

As luck would have it, this random shot, fired at every strange boy
from the upper world, hit the mark, to his unspeakable astonishment.
Pulling out of his pocket a licorice jaw-breaker of vast dimensions,
Pee-wee sent it shooting in a bee-line at the face of the stranger.

Never before in all his checkered history had Keekie Joe ever received
any edible of any character whatever in response to his menacing
demands. He had always assumed that boys who were well dressed had
fruit or candy in their pockets. He had sometimes required them to
verify their denials by an exhibition of the interior of these
receptacles. His invariable demand had become a habit with him.
Therefore the little sugared black brick which now hit him in the eye
came as an unprecedented surprise. For a moment he did not know
whether to construe it as a propitiatory gift or a warlike missile.

"What's the matter with you, can't you catch?" Pee-wee demanded.




CHAPTER IV

KEEKIE JOE