Look there now!"
Hamilton looked where the man was pointing. On the outskirts of the
crowd the boy noted a number of half-grown toughs, hoodlums, and
trouble-makers generally. The cries were increasing, and the boy could
see that these men were doing all they could to stir up the rest of the
crowd.
"Where they come from, I don't know," the police officer said, "but any
time that there's a little trouble, they'll make it as big as they can."
"But the whole thing's so absurd," the boy said. "What do they think
they're going to do,--raid the school?" He laughed.
The policeman turned on him quickly.
"'Tis absurd, as ye say, sorr," he said rebukingly "but there's many a
good man been hurt with less cause than this. That crowd's growin' by
thousands. Do you slip away, sorr, I'm afraid there's goin' to be
trouble."
"Not much," Hamilton answered, "now I'm in this far, I'm going to stay
and see the fun out."
"Well then, sorr," advised the policeman, "ye'd better slip through the
school gates. Show your census badge, and the other men at the gate will
let ye through."
Thanking him, Hamilton walked across the narrow stretch of road between
the foremost ranks of the crowd and the little group of policemen
gathered in front of the school entrance.
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