Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Beginners Projects, Mary Meehan, and
the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
The Wonderful Cruise of the Electric Monarch
1906
"Come now, you boys git out of here! No tramps allowed in Freeport whileEzra Jenkins is constable! Move along, now, or I'll arrest ye! Here's mybadge of authority!" And a crabbed old man, wearing a faded blue suit,with a big shining star of metal on his coat, tapped the emblem with hisclub.
Two boys, who had just joined each other, after having called at houseson the main street of the little New York village, where ConstableJenkins held sway as the entire police force, started at the sound ofthe harsh voice.
"Come; are ye goin' to move?" snapped the constable.
"I suppose we'll have to," answered the larger and stouter of the twolads, "but we haven't done anything."
"Ye're tramps, ain't ye?" inquired the constable. "Course ye are! Beenbeggin', ain't ye? Course ye have! I kin see the victuals stickin' outof yer pockets now! Move on an' git out of Freeport! We don't want anytramps here!"
"Come on, Mark," said the heavier of the two boys; "if our room isbetter than our company, they can have the room. I hope you'll getricher boarders than we are," the youth went on, turning to theconstable. "We are going to shake the dust of Freeport from our feet.I think they ought to call this town Closedport instead of Freeport!"
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