about were he
alone when he saw it.

The organ-grinder began munching his food very rapidly, as if in haste
to finish his meal, yet he did not forget to pass morsels across his
shoulder to his funny little companion, and the manner in which the
monkey put up a paw to take the food amused the boys greatly. Benny
Mallow thought that monkey was simply delightful, but he could not help
wondering what the animal would do if a marble were to strike his paw as
he put it up. Animals' paws are soft at bottom, reasoned Benny to
himself, and marbles shot through the air can not hurt much if any; the
result of this short argument was that Benny tried a "plumper" shot
himself; but the marble, instead of striking the monkey's paw, went
straight into the mouth of the organ-grinder, who was just about to take
a mouthful of bread.

Up sprang the Italian, with an expression of countenance so perfectly
dreadful that Benny Mallow dreamed of it, for a month after, whenever he
ate too much supper. All the boys ran, and the Italian pursued them with
words so strange and numerous that the boys could not have repeated one
of them had they tried. Every boy was half a block away before he
thought to look around and see whether the footsteps behind him were
those of the organ-grinder or of some frightened boy. Sam Wardwell
stumbled and fell, at which Ned Johnston, who had been but a step or two
behind, fell upon Sam, who instantly screamed, "Oh, don't, mister: I
didn't do it--really I didn't."

On hearing this all the other boys thought it safe to stop and look, and
when they saw the Italian was not in the street at all, they felt so
ashamed that there is no knowing what they would have done if they had
not had Sam Wardwell to laugh at. As for Sam, he was so angry about the
mistake he had made that he vowed vengeance against the Italian, and
hurried back toward the yard. Will Palmer afterward said that he
couldn't see how the Italian was to blame, and Ned Johnston said the
very same thought had occurred to him; but somehow neither of the two
happened to mention the matter, as they, with the other boys, followed
Sam Wardwell to see what he would do. Looking through the cracks of the
fence, the boys saw the Italian, with his organ and monkey on his back,
coming down the yard; at the same time they saw nearly half a brick go
up the yard, and barely miss the organ-grinder's head. The man said
nothing; perhaps he had been in difficulties with boys