ted Mike.

"Sure," agreed his crony, always ready for a mean trick.

When Jimmy was not looking Mike stepped quickly up and gave the newsboy
a vigorous push. Jimmy lost his balance, and the next instant was
fairly on top of the cart. It upset, and he rolled to the ground amid
bunches of the yellow fruit.

"Comme sta!" wildly exclaimed the Italian. "Whatta for you doa dat?
Badda de boy! Me calla de police! Upseta alla de banan!"

"I didn't do it. They pushed me," said Jimmy as he struggled to his
feet and started to point out Bulldog and Mike, of whom he had caught a
passing glimpse as they fled. But they had hid in a doorway and could
not be seen.

"Nobody doa de push!" declared the Italian. "Badda de boya, makea me
mucha de troub! Hey, police!" and he beckoned to a big bluecoat.

"Now what's the row?" asked the officer.

"Dessa boy he upseta my stand. Spoila alla de banan."

"I didn't do it," declared Jimmy.

"Aw, g'wan! Didn't I see you on top of the cart," said the officer.
There had recently been a concerted protest on the part of Italian
peddlers against newsboys and bootblacks who annoyed them, and as the
Italian vote was getting large, interested politicians had induced the
police captains to instruct their men to be on the lookout to arrest
boys who bothered the peddlers. So the officer took more interest in
this case than otherwise he would have done.

"Some one pushed me," asserted Jimmy again.

"That's a likely story. I seen you do it. Now I'm goin' to run you
in," and with that the bluecoat arrested Jimmy and marched him off to
the police station, the Italian following with his cart to make a
complaint.

CHAPTER XXII

MR. CROSSCRAB IS ROBBED

Jimmy was in despair. He did not see how he was going to convince the
sergeant in the station-house that he was innocent of the charge.
Certainly to the policeman and the Italian it did look as if Jimmy had
deliberately jumped on the cart, thus upsetting it.

And another matter worried Jimmy. He knew that if the stories of the
policeman and peddler were believed he would probably be locked up over
night for a hearing before the magistrate the next morning. Meanwhile
who would look after Dick?

"Crimps! but this is bad luck!" thought Jimmy. "If I only had some one
to go my bail maybe I could get off."

But he could think of no one on whom he might call. Jimmy's
acquaintance was not among those capable of signing bail bonds.