and brush," said he, "and unsling those posters.
You're too precious green for my business, by half."

"Green I may be," returned the boy, disburdening himself at once, "but
I am no liar, and I can't say as I want to work for a liar either."

"You impudent rascal!" cried Quigg, thoroughly enraged, "I'll teach you
to call names!"

Quigg was small for a man, and Ralph large for a boy of his age. When
the former advanced threateningly, the mountain lad stood firm and eyed
his employer steadily.

"You can talk as you please, Mr. Quigg; but--keep your hands off."

The little artist stormed and threatened, but came no nearer.

"If you had been sharp," said he "you would have posted those bills in
a hurry and dodged the police. I could have taken pictures for a few
days, then boarded the train before the authorities got onto the
scheme."

"That wouldn't be honest, would it?"

"Honest! Get out of here. What you've eaten is good pay for the
little you've done. As it is, I shall have a fine bill to settle with
the city on account of your folly."

"You did not care whether I got into trouble or not, so you saved a
little by swindling the city. That's about what it amounts to, as far
as I can make out."

"Get out, I say. Tramp! Scat with you!"

Mr. Quigg fairly danced with futile anger, while Ralph, seeing the
uselessness of further words, walked rapidly off.

The small crowd disappointed in beholding a fight, slowly dispersed.
The last Ralph saw of his former "boss," the latter was trying to
secure another assistant from the idle boys looking on.

"Well," thought the mountain lad, as he walked aimlessly up one of the
principal streets, "I am no worse off than I was before I met that
fellow. I'm further on my way, wherever I fetch up at, and I haven't
had to spend any money yet."

The sights and sounds of city life so interested him for the next hour
or two, that he partially forgot the exigencies of his situation in
contemplating the strange scenes by which he was surrounded.

The street cars, the drays, the carriages, and the other intermingling
vehicles puzzled his senses and deafened his ears.

"What a racket they keep up," thought he. "It's a wonder they don't
run into each other! And the women! I never saw such dressin' before,
nor so many pretty girls. Our mountain folks on meeting day ain't
nowhere. The houses are so high I don't see how they ever climb to the
top. I'd just as soon crawl