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The column was now nearing the head of the lane which ran into Water Street, the leading business avenue of the town. Sid, who always had an eye out to the course that was prudent, was exclaiming, in low tones, "Don't don't go too near Water Street! Look out for down-townies, fellers!"
"I'm that, Charlie, too, and I want one," clamored Pip. "A sentinel ought to have one fust, 'cause he's at de door, and might hab to dribe away down-townies," said Juggie. "No, me first," said the governor. "No, me," said the president. "No, me," said the secretary. It was "me!" "me!" "me!" all over the barn chamber, and the members of that swordless club were almost at swords' points.
The club, at Sid's suggestion, had already passed a vote to give no quarter to down-townies, and that in case of trouble it should be "war to the last drop!" They prudently did not say what that drop might be, blood or only perspiration. Here was a grand test-hour close at hand. One of the down-townies raised a provoking cry, "Ho, fellers; see those little ragamuffins!"
A brave, sympathetic shout arose. A few minutes ago Sid would have been afraid of it as something that might attract the enemy's attention, but he calculated that they must now be at a safe distance from the down-townies. "Let's make a flank movement on the enemy," said the president. "What ith that?" asked Pip.
The club had had no hand in these intestine feuds, but sympathized with the warriors in their neighborhood, the up-townies. There had been war recently between the two hostile sections, so that the boys did not venture far from their homes, and what did our valiant column now run into but a band of six belligerent down-townies!
It is often the case in a village of any size that there will be among the boys two parties representing two different sections and supposed to represent two different ideas and civilizations. Seamont had its boy-clans, those at the lower end of the village being the down-townies, and those at the upper end were designated as up-townies.
He pointed toward the column, whose advance Juggie was enthusiastically stimulating by loud and prolonged blasts on the fish-horn. "Boys, let's go for 'em," said one of the down-townies. Raising the war-whoop of the down-townies, which was a savage, senseless yell, and lacking the fine martial tones of the up-townies' battle-cry, the enemy made their charge.
"What's up, Charlie? I am the man for you," replied the president, who had an abundance of resources at his command, and was prepared in his own opinion for any emergency. "What is up? Down-townies round?" "We want to have a temperance meeting. Come down to teacher's." "All right. Temperance meeting? The club get it up?" "I don't just know, but we can talk it over."
"I'm afraid the 'down-townies' will laugh at that; are not you?" The club had only thought of what they might do to the "down-townies," not at all of what the latter would do to them. They certainly had not given a thought to any ridicule these old enemies might heap upon them.
How many others might soon show themselves, no one could say, but the down-townies were clannish and loved to turn out in crowds, and to the club the probability appeared to be, that others would speedily rise up and charge along the railroad track. Sid Waters, who had urged freemen to stand for their rights, was now turning on his heel.
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