Chapter 4

CHAPTER four Leo had no idea how much time passed. And then a voice calling his name woke him from his daze. Papa? "Leo! Leo Ross! Where are you?" Leo groaned to himself. Morris. Why did that kid constantly pester him? From the first day they'd met, Morris had acted like they were long lost brothers. They both lived in the same boardinghouse, Leo by himself in a tiny basement room, Morris upstairs with his uncle, a sweaty man with a huge stomach who yelled at the little girls when they played dolls on the boardinghouse steps. Every day when Leo got home, Morris was waiting for him at the front door. The kid worked at a grocery, but he spent

every spare second at the public library. He always had some new fact to share with Leo. "Leo, you know that rat that lives under the front steps? Did you know its Latin name is Rattus rattus?" "Leo, did you know that this neighborhood used to be a swamp? They filled it in with garbage and old wood and then built these buildings." "Leo, did you know that the San Francisco library has a million books?" In Leo's heart, he knew that Morris just wanted to be pals. But Leo didn't need any friends. He especially didn't need a friend like Morris, a skinny twerp who didn't know when to shut up. A kid like that wouldn't do Leo any good. What had Leo been thinking when he showed Morris his gold? He thought back to that night a few weeks ago, when Leo had seen Morris sitting alone on the steps of the cigar store near their boardinghouse. At first Leo figured he could sneak by and escape Morris for one day. But something was wrong with the kid. And Leo just couldn't walk by without seeing what it was.

It took Leo some time to get Morris to spit out what was wrong — that his uncle was hardly ever home, that he gambled all of his money away, including the few dimes a day Morris earned at the market. "I have to get out of here," Morris said. "My ma has cousins in New York City. I met them once. You'd love them, Leo! They're both teachers. They said I could go to their school. They always said I was welcome there anytime." "Why don't you just go?" Leo said. Then finally Leo could live in peace! "How?" Morris said. "I don't have the money to get on a train. My uncle just laughs when I mention it. I'm trapped here." There was no cheering Morris up — until Leo reached into his pocket and took out his gold. He handed it to Morris, like Papa used to hand it to him. Morris's eyes almost popped out of his head. Leo told him about Grandpop, and how people laughed when he used to talk about one day crossing the wild country by himself. Of course

Leo knew that Morris was nothing like Grandpop. But the story worked like a charm. What was Morris doing out on the streets looking for him now? Couldn't he mind his own business for one day? Morris was the reason he'd just lost his gold to Fletch and Wilkie, the reason he was lying bleeding in the alley. Morris was the last person Leo wanted to see. Leo kept quiet, hoping that Morris would move along. But no, Morris kept at it. And suddenly there he was, crouched down next to Leo. "I've been looking everywhere for you," he said. "I knew something must have happened!" Morris took out a handkerchief and started wiping the caked blood from Leo's face. "Whoever did this to you," Morris fumed, "I swear I'll get them!" Leo would have laughed, but his jaw was too sore. "It was Fletch Sikes and Wilkie Barnes," Leo mumbled. "They stole my gold." Morris gasped.

"You were the only person who knew about it," Leo added. "I didn't tell Fletch Sikes about your gold!" Morris said. "But you told someone, right?" Leo said. Morris's shoulders slumped. "I might have mentioned it to some kids at the market," he said. "It was such a great story, and I… well, it really got their attention." Leo shook his head. The kid was so desperate for friends he'd spilled Leo's most important secret. He should clobber him. But no person could look sorrier than Morris looked now. Leo sighed. Being mad at Morris wasn't going to get his gold back. He let Morris help him stand up. Together they made their way back to the boardinghouse. Morris jabbered the entire way. "I'm going to help you get that gold back," he said, as they stepped through the front door. "It will be sold by tomorrow," Leo said. Morris frowned. "I know," Morris said. "That's why we need to get it back tonight."

"We?" Leo said. Now he had to laugh. Morris really thought he stood a chance next to Fletch and Wilkie? "Of course they won't just give it back," Morris said, ignoring Leo's question. "We have to trick them somehow." Leo looked at Morris. And right then Morris didn't look like such a skinny little twerp. There was a look on his face — a thoughtful and stubborn kind of look — that reminded Leo of the way President Roosevelt appeared on the front page of today's paper. The only thing missing was the bushy mustache. But what did Morris really know about the world? There were no books in the library about kids like Fletch and Wilkie. Leo thanked Morris. And before Morris could say another word, Leo hurried down to his tiny basement room, slamming the door behind him.