Page:The Young Auctioneers.djvu/285

Rh he cried to the boy. "If you don't I'll hand you over to the first policeman I can find."

"Oh, please don't have me arrested!" howled the boy, almost scared out of his wits by the threat. "I—I—didn't mean any harm!"

"You didn't mean any harm? We'll see. Come down now."

The boy hesitated, and then followed Matt into the store. Here a portion of the stock had to be removed, and then the young auctioneer set the boy to work mopping up the water on the counter and the floor.

"Say, please don't have me arrested, will you?" asked the boy, almost in tears over what he considered a very serious predicament.

"You ought to be taught a lesson," returned Matt severely. "What put you up to the idea of letting the water overflow?"

"What Mr. Gissem said. He was awful mad after he was in here, and he told Mr. Fillow he wished that you would burn out or that the water pipes would burst and drown you out. Then he asked me if I couldn't worry you a bit, and I said I'd try, and that's the truth of it."

"Well, that man ought to be cowhided!" was Matt's vigorous exclamation. "Excuse me, but is he any relation to you?"