第24章

"Nothin'like a feed ter set a man up,"said Chook,wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

As he turned,he was surprised to see Stinky Collins and Pinkey in front of the electric battery.These machines had a singular attraction for the people.The mysterious fluid that ran silently and invisibly through the copper wires put them in touch with the mysteries of Nature.And they gripped the brass handles,holding on till the tension became too great,with the conscientious air of people taking medicine.

Stinky,full of jealous fear,had dragged Pinkey to the new market,where he meant to treat her to green peas and ice-cream.But as they passed the battery,a sudden desire swept through him to give an exhibition of his strength and endurance to this girl,to force her admiration with the vanity of a cock strutting before his hens.

He took hold of the brass handles,and watched the dial,like a clock-face,that marked the intensity of the current.The muscles of his face contracted into a rigid stare as the electric current ran through his limbs.He had the face of one visiting the dentist,but he held on until the pointer marked half-way.Then he nodded,and dropped the handles with a sigh of relief as the current was turned off.

But as he looked to Pinkey for the applause that he had earned,Chook stepped up to the machine and,with an impudent grin at Pinkey,grasped the handles.The pointer moved slowly round,and passed Stinky's mark,but Chook held on,determined to eclipse his rival.His muscles seemed to be cracking with pain,the seconds lengthened into intolerable hours.

Suddenly,as the dial marked three-quarters,he dropped the handles with a grin of triumph at Pinkey.

Stinky,smarting with defeat,instantly took up the challenge.

"That's no test of strength,"he cried angrily."Women can stand a lot more than men.""Orl right;choose yer own game,an'I'm after yer,"said Chook.

Behind them a hammer fell with a tremendous thud,and a voice cried,"Try yer strength--only a penny,only a penny.""'Ow'll that suit yer?"inquired Stinky,with a malicious grin,for he counted on his superior weight and muscle to overcome his rival.

"Let 'er go!"cried Chook.

Stinky spat on his hands,and seized the wooden mallet.Cripes,he would show Pinkey which was the better man of the two!He tightened his muscles with tremendous effort as he swung the hammer,turning red in the face with the exertion.The mallet fell,and a little manikin flew up the pillar,marking the weight of the blow.It was a good stroke,and he threw down the hammer with the air of a Sandow.

Then Chook seized the mallet,still with his provoking grin at Pinkey,and swung it with the ease of a man using an axe.The manikin flew level with Stinky's mark.And they disputed angrily which was the heavier blow.

But Stinky,whose blood was up,seized the mallet again,and forced every ounce of his strength into the blow.The manikin flew a foot higher than the previous mark.The contest went on,each striving to beat the other's mark,with blows that threatened to shatter the machine,till both were tired.But Stinky's second blow held the record.Chook was beaten.

"Is there any other game yer know?"sneered Stinky.

Near them were the shooting-galleries,looking like enormous chimneys that had blown down.A sharp,spitting crack came from each rifle as it was fired.

"A dollar even money yer can't ring the bell in six shots,"cried Chook.

"Done!"shouted Stinky.

The stakes,in half-crowns,were handed to the proprietor of the gallery,and they took turns with the pea-rifle,resting their elbows on the ledge as they stared down the black tube at a white disc that seemed miles away.

Each held the gun awkwardly like a broom-handle,holding their breath to prevent the barrel from wobbling.At the fifth shot,by a lucky fluke,Chook rang the bell.When he put down the rifle,Stinky was already dragging Pinkey away,his face black with anger.But Chook cried out,"'Ere,'arf a mo'--this is my shout!"They were near the ice-cream stall,where trade was brisk,for the people's appetite for this delicacy is independent of the season.Pinkey,who adored ice-cream,looked with longing eyes,but Stinky turned angrily on his heel.

"'Ave a bit o'common,an'don't make a 'oly show of yerself 'cause yer lost a dollar,"she whispered in disgust.

She pulled him to a seat,and the party sat down to wait their turn.

Then the dealer scooped the frozen delicacy out of the can,and plastered it into the glasses as if it were mortar.And they swallowed the icy mixture in silence,allowing it to melt on the tongue to extract the flavour before swallowing.All but Stinky,who held his glass as if it belonged to someone else,disdaining to touch it.Chook's gorge rose at the sight "Don't eat it,if it chokes yer,"he cried.

With an oath Stinky threw the glass on the ground,where it broke with a noisy crash that jerked every head in their direction as if pulled by strings.

"I can pay fer wot I eat,"he cried."Come on,Liz."The others had sprung to their feet,astonished at this prodigal waste of a delicacy fit for kings.Chook stood for a moment,glowering with rage,and then ran at his enemy;but Pinkey jumped between them.

"You do!--you do!"she cried,pushing him away with the desperate valour of a hen defending her chickens.

"Orl right,not till next time,"said Chook,smiling grimly.

She pulled Stinky by the arm,and they disappeared in the crowd.

"It's all right,missis;I'll pay fer the glass,"said Chook to the dealer,who began to jabber excitedly in Italian.The woman began to scrape the pieces of broken glass together,and the sight reminded Chook of the insult.His face darkened.

"Cum on,blokes,an'see a bit o'fun,"he cried with a mirthless grin that showed he was dangerously excited.The three larrikins caught up with Stinky and the girl as they were crossing into Belmore Park.Stinky was explaining to some sympathizers the events that had led up to the quarrel.