Kiddy Leech had been sitting on the bench less than quarter of an hour
when he saw several boys coming along the frozen river on their
skates. He looked at them indifferently at first, but soon became
interested in two of the number. These boys were Ham Spink and Carl
Dudder. The third youth was Barney Hedge, one of Spink's cronies.

"The same boys!" muttered the tramp to himself.

"Hullo, look at the scarecrow!" called out Ham Spink, as he swept up
on an elegant pair of silver-plated hockey skates.

"Wonder what cornfield he came from," put in Carl Dudder.

"Got any old clo's' to sell!" cried Barney Hedge, imitating a street
merchant.

Kiddy Leech scowled at the trio and said nothing at first. Then, as
Ham Spink threw a snowball at him, he arose and beckoned the boys
nearer.

"I want to talk to you two," he said, motioning to Carl and Ham.

"We haven't any money for you," answered Ham.

"You can't get a drink out of me," added Carl Dudder. "And by the
way," he added suddenly. "You're the tramp my father fired out of our
barn one night last week."

"That's true," answered Kiddy Leech, calmly. "But he won't do it