"Hello!" he said, and something chinked in his pockets. It sounded
like marbles.

"Hello!" called the boys, not very cordially, for they were always a
little suspicious when Fatty happened around.

"Playin' marbles?" he asked.

"Yes," said the two brothers.

"I can beat you," he declared.

"You can't, either," Marmaduke started to yell, but Jehosophat, who
was having one of his good days, said,--

"Let's treat him politely. He's mean, but he's company."

"Play 'for fair'?" Fatty next asked.

"Course," replied Jehosophat, "what did you think?"

This friendly state of affairs didn't last very long.

"You're cheating," called Jehosophat a little later.

"I'm not, neither," Fatty shouted very angrily and ungrammatically.

"You are, too," insisted Jehosophat. "The Toyman says you mustn't get
over the marbles that way or put your foot in the ring. You've got to
'knuckles down.' Beside you call' slippseys' every time you make a bad