Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Mucker Edgar Rice Burroughs

BILLY BYRNE was a product of the streets and alleys of Chicago's great WestSide. From Halsted to Robey, and from Grand Avenue to Lake Street there wasscarce a bartender whom Billy knew not by his first name. And, in proportion totheir number which was considerably less, he knew the patrolmen and plain clothesmen equally as well, but not so pleasantly. His kindergarten education had commenced in an alley back of a feed-store. Here a gang of older boys and men were wont to congregate at such times as theyhad naught else to occupy their time, and as the bridewell was the only place inwhich they ever held a job for more than a day or two, they had considerable timeto devote to congregating. They were pickpockets and second-story men, made and in the making, and allwere muckers, ready to insult the first woman who passed, or pick a quarrel withany stranger who did not appear too burly. By night they plied their real vocations. By day they sat in the alley behind the feedstore and drank beer from a battered tinpail.