The bird of Manhatten

Chapter 4 - in which a sad story is told, and a promise is made

Early August 1894
Newsboys Lodge, Manhattan, New York City
Still Jacks P.O.V.

"Race?", I ask.
I's been a Newsie foa a little over a week now, an' dey already made me their leader.
When dey asked me, I was perplexed but I accepted, of course.

Race raises his head from da cards in his hand. "Hm?"
"Tell me about Sammy."
"Sammy Brown?"
"I don't know his last name."

He raises an eyebrow.
"Da guy, dat found Mags. Ya know? Sammy.", I try ta explain
"Oh! Sammy! Of course.", Race says, like he just had a flash of inspiration, jus' ta continue a little annoyed. "Dat is Sammy Brown."
"Oh, ok. Then tell me about him."

"He was pretty nice."
"Was?"
"Yeah. He died two years ago."
"He died?"
"Yes, he died. What's da matter wit' dat?"
"How?"

"He...", Race hesitates. "He was stabbed. Mags an' I was wit' him. We couldn't do anything. She still thinks it's her fault."
"Why?"
"I's not sure, if I should-"
"Tell me.", I say and grab his shoulder. "Please?"
He looks away, sighs, and looks at me again.
"Ok, but ya didn't hear it from me, understand?"
"Um, what?"
"Jus'... It wasn't me, ok?"
"Ok."

He takes a deep breath and begins.
"So, we was walking through Manhattan, foa Sammy liked ta take us on walks ta show us good sellin' spots an' hidnin' places an' stuff like dat, an' Mags found dat little flower, she wanted ta pick.
So, she stopped an' fell behind. But we didn't notice it at da time. When we did an' we went lookin' for her... there was dat man. He grabbed her arm. ... I think he was drunk so somethin'. An' he had a knife. And Mags... Wait, for dat ya have ta know, dat Magpie never screams. Ya could torture her and she wouldn't even make a noise. I's don't know, why she's doin' dat, but she does. Maybe she thinks callin' for help's for da weak."

Race shrugs.

"Where was I? Oh yeah. Da man. So, Sammy told him ta put her down an', well he refused. An' Sam... well, he attacked da man. Da stranger dropped Mags an'... let's jus' say da man was stronger. He soaked Sammy an'... an' then he killed him. He stabbed him again an' again. There was so much blood. Then da man turned ta me an' I ran. I ran for my life. What I didn't realised, all da way ta da Lodge House, was..."

His voice grows quieter.
"Was dat I had forgotten Mags. I left her there."
Race stops again an' takes another deep breath.
"I panicked an'... I was so afraid of da others. But I walked in ta call for help. One of da older guys, Strider, came wit' me, but when we came there, Mags an' da man were gone."

Again, a short pause.
Ta tell dat seems ta really get ta him.

"Jus' Sammy's body was layin' still there. I thought I's killed her."

I hold my breath. "So, what happened?"

"Da next day she came back.", Race continues. "She had been runnin' away too an' hid in da park. She had Belle wit' her and a nest wit' three other eggs. Ya know, Claire, Dylia and Emma. Ya can't imagine, how happy I was ta see her alive."

"Oh.", is everything I know ta say ta dis. Pathetic! "Um, thank ya, Race."
He jus' shrugs and walks back ta his bunk, where he continued sortin' his cards or... I's don't really know, what he's doin'.

I sit down on my bunk, thinkin' about what I jus' heard.
"I's sorry, Magpie.", I whisper, knowin' she can't hear it. "I promise ya, ya'll never again see such a thing. I promise, I'll find ya. I promise I'll protect ya. Jus' ya wait. I's coming. I promise."