pgw.psmith,journalist-第19部分

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　〃It　looks　to　me；　rade　Windsor；〃　said　Psmith　thoughtfully；　〃as　if　my　stay　in　this　great　city　were　going　to　cost　me　a　small　fortune　in　hats。〃
　Billy's　prophecy　proved　absolutely　correct。　The　police　were　as　good　as　their　word。　In　due　season　they　rounded　up　the　impulsive　Mr。　Repetto；　and　he　was　haled　before　a　magistrate。　And　then；　what　a　beautiful　exhibition　of　brotherly　love　and　auld…lang…syne　camaraderie　was　witnessed！　One　by　one；　smirking　sheepishly；　but　giving　out　their　evidence　with　unshaken　earnestness；　eleven　greasy；　wandering…eyed　youths　mounted　the　witness…stand　and　affirmed　on　oath　that　at　the　time　mentioned　dear　old　Jack　had　been　making　merry　in　their　pany　in　a　genial　and　law…abiding　fashion；　many；　many　blocks　below　the　scene　of　the　regrettable　assault。　The　magistrate　discharged　the　prisoner；　and　the　prisoner；　meeting　Billy　and　Psmith　in　the　street　outside；　leered　triumphantly　at　them。
　Billy　stepped　up　to　him。　〃You　may　have　wriggled　out　of　this；〃　he　said　furiously；　〃but　if　you　don't　get　a　move　on　and　quit　looking　at　me　like　that；　I'll　knock　you　over　the　Singer　Building。　Hump　yourself。〃
　Mr。　Repetto　humped　himself。
　So　was　victory　turned　into　defeat；　and　Billy's　jaw　became　squarer　and　his　eye　more　full　of　the　light　of　battle　than　ever。　And　there　was　need　of　a　square　jaw　and　a　battle…lit　eye；　for　now　began　a　period　of　guerilla　warfare　such　as　no　New　York　paper　had　ever　had　to　fight　against。
　It　was　Wheeler；　the　gaunt　manager　of　the　business　side　of　the　journal；　who　first　brought　it　to　the　notice　of　the　editorial　staff。　Wheeler　was　a　man　for　whom　in　business　hours　nothing　existed　but　his　job；　and　his　job　was　to　look　after　the　distribution　of　the　paper。　As　to　the　contents　of　the　paper　he　was　absolutely　ignorant。　He　had　been　with　Cosy　Moments　from　its　start；　but　he　had　never　read　a　line　of　it。　He　handled　it　as　if　it　were　so　much　soap。　The　scholarly　writings　of　Mr。　Wilberfloss；　the　mirth…provoking　sallies　of　Mr。　B。　Henderson　Asher；　the　tender　outpourings　of　Louella　Granville　Watermanall　these　were　things　outside　his　ken。　He　was　a　distributor；　and　he　distributed。
　A　few　days　after　the　restoration　of　Mr。　Repetto　to　East　Side　Society；　Mr。　Wheeler　came　into　the　editorial　room　with　information　and　desire　for　information。
　He　endeavoured　to　satisfy　the　latter　first。
　〃What's　doing；　anyway？〃　he　asked。　He　then　proceeded　to　his　information。　〃Some　one's　got　it　in　against　the　paper；　sure；〃　he　said。　〃I　don't　know　what　it's　all　about。　I　ha'n't　never　read　the　thing。　Don't　see　what　any　one　could　have　against　a　paper　with　a　name　like　Cosy　Moments；　anyway。　The　way　things　have　been　going　last　few　days；　seems　it　might　be　the　organ　of　a　blamed　mining…camp　what　the　boys　have　took　a　dislike　to。〃
　〃What's　been　happening？〃　asked　Billy　with　gleaming　eyes。
　〃Why；　nothing　in　the　world　to　fuss　about；　only　our　carriers　can't　go　out　without　being　beaten　up　by　gangs　of　toughs。　Pat　Harrigan's　in　the　hospital　now。　Just　been　looking　in　on　him。　Pat's　a　feller　who　likes　to　fight。　Rather　fight　he　would　than　see　a　ball…game。　But　this　was　too　much　for　him。　Know　what　happened？　Why；　see　here；　just　like　this　it　was。　Pat　goes　out　with　his　cart。　Passing　through　a　low…down　street　on　his　way　up…town　he's　held　up　by　a　bunch　of　toughs。　He　shows　fight。　Half　a　dozen　of　them　attend　to　him；　while　the　rest　gets　clean　away　with　every　copy　of　the　paper　there　was　in　the　cart。　When　the　cop　es　along；　there's　Pat　in　pieces　on　the　ground　and　nobody　in　sight　but　a　Dago　chewing　gum。　Cop　asks　the　Dago　what's　been　doing；　and　the　Dago　says　he's　only　just　e　round　the　corner　and　ha'n't　seen　nothing　of　anybody。　What　I　want　to　know　is；　what's　it　all　about？　Who's　got　it　in　for　us　and　why？〃
　Mr。　Wheeler　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　while　Billy；　his　hair　rumpled　more　than　ever　and　his　eyes　glowing；　explained　the　situation。　Mr。　Wheeler　listened　absolutely　unmoved；　and；　when　the　narrative　had　e　to　an　end；　gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　the　editorial　staff　had　sand。　That　was　his　sole　ment。　〃It's　up　to　you；〃　he　said；　rising。　〃You　know　your　business。　Say；　though；　some　one　had　better　get　busy　right　quick　and　do　something　to　stop　these　guys　rough…housing　like　this。　If　we　get　a　few　more　carriers　beat　up　the　way　Pat　was；　there'll　be　a　strike。　It's　not　as　if　they　were　all　Irishmen。　The　most　of　them　are　Dagoes　and　such；　and　they　don't　want　any　more　fight　than　they　can　get　by　beating　their　wives　and　kicking　kids　off　the　sidewalk。　I'll　do　my　best　to　get　this　paper　distributed　right　and　it's　a　shame　if　it　ain't；　because　it's　going　big　just　nowbut　it's　up　to　you。　Good　day；　gents。〃
　He　went　out。　Psmith　looked　at　Billy。
　〃As　rade　Wheeler　remarks；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　up　to　us。　What　do　you　propose　to　do　about　it？　This　is　a　move　of　the　enemy　which　I　have　not　anticipated。　I　had　fancied　that　their　operations　would　be　confined　exclusively　to　our　two　selves。　If　they　are　going　to　strew　the　street　with　our　carriers；　we　are　somewhat　in　the　soup。〃
　Billy　said　nothing。　He　was　chewing　the　stem　of　an　unlighted　pipe。　Psmith　went　on。
　〃It　means；　of　course；　that　we　must　buck　up　to　a　certain　extent。　If　the　campaign　is　to　be　a　long　one；　they　have　us　where　the　hair　is　crisp。　We　cannot　stand　the　strain。　Cosy　Moments　cannot　be　muzzled；　but　it　can　undoubtedly　be　choked。　What　we　want　to　do　is　to　find　out　the　name　of　the　man　behind　the　tenements　as　soon　as　ever　we　can　and　publish　it；　and；　then；　if　we　perish；　fall　yelling　the　name。〃
　Billy　admitted　the　soundness　of　this　scheme；　but　wished　to　know　how　it　was　to　be　done。
　〃rade　Windsor；〃　said　Psmith。　〃I　have　been　thinking　this　thing　over；　and　it　seems　to　me　that　we　are　on　the　wrong　track；　or　rather　we　aren't　on　any　track　at　all；　we　are　simply　marking　time。　What　we　want　to　do　is　to　go　out　and　hustle　round　till　we　stir　up　something。　Our　line　up　to　the　present　has　been　to　sit　at　home　and　scream　vigorously　in　the　hope　of　some　stout　fellow　hearing　and　rushing　to　help。　In　other　words；　we've　been　saying　in　the　paper　what　an　out…size　in　scugs　the　merchant　must　be　who　owns　those　tenements；　in　the　hope　that　somebody　else　will　agree　with　us　and　be　sufficiently　interested　to　get　to　work　and　find　out　who　the　blighter　is。　That's　all　wrong。　What　we　must　do　now；　rade　Windsor；　is　put　on　our　hats；　such　hats　as　rade　Repetto　has　left　us；　and　sally　forth　as　sleuth…hounds　on　our　own　account。〃
　〃Yes；　but　how？〃　demanded　Billy。　〃That's　all　right　in　theory；　but　how's　it　going　to　work　in　practice？　The　only　thing　that　can　corner　the　man　is　a　mission。〃
　〃Far　from　it；　rade　Windsor。　The　job　may　be　worked　more　simply。　I　don't　know　how　often　the　rents　are　collected　in　these　places；　but　I　should　say　at　a　venture　once　a　week。　My　idea　is　to　hang　negligently　round　till　the　rent…collector　arrives；　and　when　he　has　loomed　up　on　the　horizon；　buttonhole　him　and　ask　him　quite　politely；　as　man　to　man；　whether　he　is　collecting　those　rents　for　himself　or　for　somebody　else；　and　if　somebody　else；　who　that　somebody　else　is。　Simple；　I　fancy？　Yet　brainy。　Do　you　take　me；　rade　Windsor？〃
　Billy　sat　up；　excited。　〃I　believe　you've　hit　it。〃
　Psmith　shot　his　cuffs　modestly。
　
　CHAPTER　XVIII
　AN　EPISODE　BY　THE　WAY
　
　IT　was　Pugsy　Maloney　who；　on　the　following　morning；　brought　to　the　office　the　gist　of　what　is　related　in　this　chapter。　Pugsy's　version　was；　however；　brief　and　unadorned；　as　was　the　way　with　his　narratives。　Such　things　as　first　causes　and　piquant　details　he　avoided；　as　tending　to　prolong　the　telling　excessively；　thus　keeping　him　from　perusal　of　his　cowboy　stories。　The　way　Pugsy　put　it　was　as　follows。　He　gave　the　thing　out　merely　as　an　item　of　general　interest；　a　bubble　on　the　surface　of　the　life　of　a　great　city。　He　did　not　know　how　nearly　interested　were　his　employers　in　any　matter　touching　that　gang　which　is　known　as　the　Three　Points。　Pugsy　said：　〃Dere's　trouble　down　where　I　live。　Dude　Dawson's　mad　at　Spider　Reilly；　an'　now　de　Table　Hills　are　layin'　for　de　T'ree　Points。　Sure。〃　He　had　then　retired　to　his　outer　fastness；　yielding　further　details　jerkily　and　with　the　distrait　air　of　one　whose　mind　is　elsewhere。
　Skilfully　extracted　and　pieced　together；　these　details　formed　themselves　into　the　following　typical　narrative　of　East　Side　life　in　New　York。
　The　really　important　gangs　of　New　York　are　four。　There　are　other　less　important　institutions；　but　these　are　little　more　than　mere　friendly　gatherings　of　old　boyhood　chums　for　purposes　of　mutual　panionship。　In　time　they　may　grow；　as　did　Bat　Jarvis's　coterie；　into　formidable　organisations；　for　the　soil　is　undoubtedly　propitious　to　such　growth。　But　at　present　the　amount　of　ice　which　good　judges　declare　them　to　cut　is　but　small。　They　〃stick　up〃　an　occasional　wayfarer　for　his　〃cush；〃　and　they　carry　〃canisters〃　and　sometimes　fire　them　off；　but　these　things　do　not　signify　the　cutting　of　ice。　In　matters　political　there　are　only　four　gangs　which　count；　the　East　Side；　the　Groome　Street；　the　Three　Points；　and　the　Table　Hill。　Greatest　of　these　by　virtue　of　their　numbers　are　the　East　Side　and　the　Groome　Street；　the　latter　presided　over　at　the　time　of　this　story　by　Mr。　Bat　Jarvis。　These　two　are　colossal；　and；　though　they　may　fight　each　other；　are　immune　from　attack　at　the　hands　of　lesser　gangs。　But　between　the　other　gangs；　and　especially　between　the　Table　Hill　and　the