Young Lonigan - James T. Farrell [67]
“Come on, you guys. I want my bats,” Coady said.
“Hell, you got ’em,” Paulie said.
“I want mine, too,” Denny said.
“Well, you get the pill then,” Paulie said.
“Come on and give me my bats,” Coady said.
Paulie threw some stones around.
“Commere, Denny,” Studs said.
Denny reluctantly went over to Studs.
“Go and get the ball, and we’ll get you your bats,” said Studs.
“No, I don’t have to,” said Denny.
“Go ahead! I’ll do you a favor some time,” said Studs.
“Heck! Why should I? I didn’t hit it or miss it. I was pitchin’. If it was my position, I would, but it wasn’t,” said Denny.
“Go on, get it,” persuaded Studs.
“I won’t.”
Studs grabbed Denny, and twisted his arm back in a hammer lock.
“Ouch! UUUUU! Damn you! You big bully! Let me go! I’ll get my brother after you, and he’ll kill you for this. Let me go! Ouch! UUUUUU!”
“Well, will you get the ball?”
“Owwww! Let me go, you bully! Let me alone!”
“Now will you get it?”
“Make ’im get it,” said Davey.
Studs twisted again. Denny yelled. He promised he would get the ball. Studs relaxed his hold. Denny started walking away. He bawled. He called Studs a big bully. Suddenly, he turned and thumbed his nose at Studs.
“You bastard,” he yelled.
Studs shagged him, and Davey and Paulie took up the chase. Denny was caught. Studs twisted his arm again. He called Studs a big bully. Davey suggested taking his pants off. Paulie ripped his buttons open.
“Let me go, you bullies. Let me alone! I didn’t do nothin’ to you. I didn’t bother you. Pick on someone your own size. I’ll tell my brother. He’ll kick the crap out of you,” yelled Denny, frantically.
Studs twisted his arm again.
Denny shrieked that they were sbs.
Studs twisted. Paulie slapped Denny’s face. Denny bawled, large tears rolling down his dirty face. Paulie goosed him. Denny squirmed, and yelled.
“Take it all back,” demanded Studs.
“No.”
Studs twisted.
An agonized yes.
Studs loosed his hold.
Paulie snatched Denny’s cap.
Denny begged for it.
They laughed at him. They threatened to hang his pants on the picket fence. Denny cried for his cap.
Paulie handed the cap to Studs. Denny ran toward Studs. Studs tossed it to Davey. Denny ran toward Davey. Davey passed it to Paulie. Denny picked up some boulders and moved toward Paulie. Paulie told the punk to drop the rocks while he knew he was well off. He passed the hat to Studs.
Studs wrapped some stones in it. He said to Denny: “Here it is!”
When Denny came to Studs, Studs threw the cap on the roof of Carter school.
Denny bawled, and yelled that his brother would get the whole bunch of them, and he got a kick in the slats for his mouthiness.
Studs, Paulie and Davey left the playground.
“You’ll get it like that,” Paulie yelled at Joe.
“Got to catch me first.”
“Let’s get him,” said Davey.
“Hell, we’d never catch him,” said Studs.
“We hadn’t better. He’s Tommy Doyle’s cousin,” said Davey.
“Listen, Studs, you ought to hang around with us guys at Fifty-eighth and Prairie. You’ll have more fun,” said Paulie.
Studs said he might. They told him how swell a scrapper he was.
“You’re as good as anyone on Fifty-eighth. You’re as good as Tommy Doyle,” said Davey.
Studs felt pretty good again. He felt powerful. Life was still opening up for him, as he’d expected it to, and it was still going to be a great summer. And it was a better day than he imagined. A sun was busting the sky open, like Studs Lonigan busted guys in the puss. It was a good day.
They walked on down toward the Fifty-eighth Street corner. Davey sniped a butt and lit it. Paulie jawed a hunk off of his plug of tobacco. He offered some to Studs but Studs didn’t take it; chewing tobacco made him sick. Paulie’s pan was stuffed with tobacco. They walked along, all feeling pretty good.
Studs heard his mother calling him, and they hurried around the corner as if he didn’t hear her.
“What’ll we do?” asked Davey.
“What’ll we do?” asked Paulie.
“Let’s do something,” said Studs.
“Let’s,” said Davey.
They walked along. Studs took a drag on Davey’s butt. Paulie got between them, putting