I didn't know dat any guy was
comin' along on one of dem buzz-machines, or I'd been more careful.
I don't s'pose youse meant to upset me?" and he looked at Tom more
boldly. This time his words seemed so natural, and his beard, now
that Tom took a second look at it, so much a part of himself, that
the young inventor wondered if he could have been mistaken in his
first surmise.
"Perhaps he was once a gentleman, and has turned tramp because of
hard luck," thought Tom. "That would account for him using good
language at times. Guess I'd better keep still." Then to the tramp
he said: "I'm sure I didn't mean to hit you. I admit I wasn't
looking where I was going, but I never expected to meet any one on
this road. I certainly didn't expect to see a--"
He paused in some confusion. He was about to use the term "tramp,"
and he hesitated, not knowing how it would be received by his
victim.
"Oh, dat's all right, cully. Call me a tramp--I know dat's what
youse was goin' t' say. I'm used t' it. I've been a hobo so many
years now dat I don't mind. De time was when I was a decent chap,
though. But I'm a tramp now. Say, youse couldn't lend me a quarter,
could youse?"
He approached closer to Tom, and looked quickly up and down the
road.
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