Did it make a stir? Oh, on your life! For nearly two minutes the herd were speechless; and if I may judge by myself, they quaked, and felt pale;Ⓐalteration in the MS then they all broke out at once, and discussed it with animation and most of themⒶalteration in the MS said what an astonishing thing it was—and unbelievable, too, if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes. With Marget and Fischer and Barty the note was admiration. With Frau Stein, Maria, KatzenyammerⒶemendation and Binks it was wonder, butⒶalteration in the MS wonder mixed with maledictions—maledictions upon the devil that possessed the Jail-Bird—they averring that no stranger unprotected by a familiar spirit could touch that dog and come away but [begin page 241] in fragments; and so, in their opinion the house was in a much more serious plight, now, than it was before when it only had a thief in it. Then there were three silent ones: Ernest and Moses indicated by their cynical manner and mocking smiles that they had but a small opinion of the exploit, it wasn't a matter to make such a fuss about; the other silent one—the magician—Ⓐalteration in the MSwas so massively silent, so weightily silent, that it presently attracted attention. Then a light began to dawn upon some of theⒶalteration in the MS tribe; they turned reverent and marveling eyes upon the great man, and Maria Vogel said with the happy exultation of a discoverer—

“There he stands, and let him deny it if he can! He put power upon that boy with his magic. I just suspected it, and now I know it! Ah, you are caught, you can't escape—own up, you wonder of the ages!”

The magician smiled a simpering smile, a detected and convicted smile, and several cried out—

“There, he is caught—he's trying to deny it, and he can't! Come, be fair, be good, confess!” and Frau Stein and Maria took hold of his great sleeves, peering worshipingly up in his face and tried to detain him; but he gently disengaged himself and fled from the room, apparently vastlyⒶalteration in the MS embarrassed. So that settled the matter. It was such a manifest confession that not a doubter was left, every individual was convinced; and the praises that that man got would have gone far to satisfy a god. He was great before, he was held in awe before, but that was as nothing to the towering repute to which he had soared now. Frau Stein was in the clouds. She said that this was the most astonishing exhibition of magic power Europe had ever seen, and that the person who could doubt, after this, that he could work any miracle he wanted to would justly take rank as a fool. They all agreed that that was so, none denying it or doubting; and Frau Stein, taking her departure with the other ladies,Ⓐalteration in the MS declared that hereafter the magician should occupy her end of the table and she would move to a humbler place at his right, where she belonged.

All this was gall and vinegar to that jealous reptile Ernest Wasserman, who could not endure to hear anybody praised, and he [begin page 242] began to cast about to turn the subject. Just then Fischer opened the way by remarking upon the Jail-Bird's strength, as shown in the wood-carrying. He said he judged that the Jail-Bird would be an ugly customer in a rough stand-up fight with a youth of his own age.

“Him!” scoffed Ernest, “I'm of his age, and I'll betⒶemendation I'dⒶtextual note make him sorry if he was to tackle me!”

This was Moses's chance. He said, with mock solicitude,

“Don't. Think of your mother. Don't make trouble with him, he might hurt you badly.”

“Never you mind worrying about me, Moses Haas. Let him look out for himself if he meddles with me, that's all.”

“Oh,” said Moses, apparently relieved, “I was afraid you were going to meddle with him. I see he is not in any danger.” After a pause, “Nor you,” he added carelessly.

The taunt had the intended effect.

“Do you think I'm afraid to meddle with him? I'm not afraid of fifty of him. I'll show him!”

Forty-FourⒶemendation entered with the dog, and while he was chaining him Ernest began to edge toward the door.

“Oh,” simpered Moses, “good-bye, ta-ta, I thought you were going to meddle with the Jail-BirdⒶalteration in the MS.”

“What, to-day—and him all tired out and not at his best? I'd be ashamed of myself.”

“Haw-haw-haw!” guffawed that lumbering ox, Hans KatzenyammerⒶemendation, “hear the noble-hearted poltroon!”Ⓐalteration in the MS

A whirlwind of derisive laughter and sarcastic remarks followed, and Ernest, stung to the quick, threw discretion to the winds and marched upon the Jail-Bird, and plantedⒶalteration in the MS himself in front of him, crying out,

“Square off! Stand up like a man, and defend yourself.”

“Defend myself?” said the boy, seeming not to understand. “From what?”

“From me—do you hear?”

“From you? I have not injured you; why should you wish to hurt me?”

[begin page 243]

The spectators were disgusted—and disappointed. Ernest's courage came up with a bound. He said fiercely,

“Haven't you any sense? Don't you know anything? You've got to fight me—do you understand that?”

“But I cannot fight you; I have nothing against you.”

Ernest, mocking: “Afraid of hurting me, I suppose.”

The Jail-Bird answered quite simply,

“No, there is no danger of that. I have nothing to hurt you for, and I shall not hurt you.”

“Oh, thanks—how kind. Take that!”

But the blow did not arrive. The stranger caught both of Ernest's wristsⒶemendation and held them fast. Our apprentice tugged and struggled and perspired and swore, while the menⒶalteration in the MS stood around in a ring and laughed, and shouted, and made fun of Ernest and called him all sorts of outrageous pet names; and still the stranger held him in that grip, and did it quite easily and without puffing or blowing, whereas Ernest was gasping like a fish; and at last, when he was worn out and couldn't struggle any more, he snarled out,

“I give in—let go!” and 44 let go and said gently, “if you will let me I will stroke your arms for you and get the stiffness and the pain out;” but Ernest said “You go to hell,” and went grumbling away and shaking his head and saying what he would do to the Jail-Bird one of these days, he needn't think it's over yet, he'd better look out or he'll find he's been fooling with the wrong customer; and so flourished out of the place and left the men jeering and yelling, and the Jail-Bird standing there looking as if it was all a puzzle to him and he couldn't make it out.