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"But this is not the proper time to speak of business affairs. No man would listen to a barber's apprentice in public, like this." "He shall listen to me," Master Piemont's assistant replied, loftily. "It is to me he owes the money, and I do not intend to be defrauded."
Then Amos, shaking Master Piemont's assistant much as a terrier shakes a rat, released his hold, and, as he walked away with his arm in Jim's, he heard Hardy cry, threateningly: "Before this trouble is ended, you shall see what I can do!" "It is such fellows as he who will bring discredit on the cause of liberty," Jim whispered.
On arriving at John Gray's place of business, a party numbering twenty or thirty, led by Attucks, with Master Piemont's assistant by his side, was seen marching toward the Custom House, shouting and hooting, as if to prove their courage by much noise. "It is by such as them that mischief may be done," Amos said, in a low tone.
"What I tell you is true, Amos," and the listener was thoroughly surprised by the change in the bearing of Master Piemont's apprentice. "What do you want of me?" he asked, sharply. "I don't know," Hardy replied, in a tone of despair. "It seems as if everybody was my enemy. I went down to Jim Gray's house this afternoon, and he wouldn't so much as look at me."
If such men as Master Adams are unable to remedy this state of affairs, I don't believe the yoke of oppression, which bears so heavily upon the Colonies, will be removed by any effort at Master Piemont's hair-dressing shop."
By this time Amos and Jim were where they could look into the street; but a view of what was taking place there was not necessary to explain to them the cause of this sudden attack. They knew that Master Piemont's assistant was making good his threat of the previous evening.
Before five minutes had passed Master Piemont's assistant was the most thoroughly whipped boy in the Colony of Massachusetts, and perfectly willing to acknowledge himself such, if by so doing he could prevent a continuation of the punishment. "I can't strike a fellow when he will no longer defend himself," Amos said, as if in apology, after Hardy was so cowed as to remain passive under the blows.
"Of course I am in a way to hear a good deal more than you fellows because so many of Master Piemont's patrons are Britishers. The 'bloody backs' themselves say this is really the beginning of insubordination in the Colonies, and before many months have passed the King will find it necessary to punish us severely. It may be learned that we won't submit as readily as they seem to fancy."
Take hold of Chris a moment while I speak with him." Master Piemont's assistant was not pleased at thus being prevented from appearing as one of the principal characters in this terrible drama; but Chris Gore, understanding as well as did Amos, why Hardy should not be allowed to go to the widow's home, forced him to remain by saying: "You must stay with me until I can get home."
"Will you forgive me, Amos, for what I did yesterday?" "I surely ought to, after we settled it with our fists." "May I walk home with you?" Hardy asked, meekly, after a brief pause. "To what end?" "I want to be with some one who is friendly," and Master Piemont's assistant spoke in a tone of such dejection that Amos's heart was touched. "Where do you live?" "Nowhere now.
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