The Wild Ones Read Online Free PDF Page B

brothers work. A stoat in a gray trench coat leaned over Kit’s shoulder, while a whole flock of pigeons peered down on him from the dark wire above. The mangy dog outside of Larkanon’s opened oneeye to watch, and from the door, the skunk popped out his head at the entertainment.
    â€œBlacktail brothers found an easy mark, eh?” he shouted. “Watch out, kid. They’ll take you for that jacket and all else!”
    â€œDo it, kiddo,” the stoat in the coat urged Kit, nudging his attention back to the game. “You’ll be rich by sunrise!”
    â€œRaccoons to Riches!” called a voice from above, a finch Kit’s age, fluttering over the game with a visor on his head that said NEWS . Two more young finches joined him, shouting out their own versions of the headline.
    â€œBlacktails’ Bad Luck Brings Fortune!”
    â€œNuts to the Newcomer!”
    A chorus of voices pressured him:
“Do it!” “You’ll be fam
ous!” “Come on!” “Yo
u got ’em!”
    Kit smirked, thinking how swell it would be to show up at his uncle’s place a rich raccoon. In Ankle Snap Alley, it seemed, anything was possible.
    â€œOkay,” said Kit. “I’ll make that bet.”
    Kit would, of course, come to wish he hadn’t.

Chapter Six
    SURE BETS
    AS soon as Kit agreed to play again, Flynn slid the hazelnut under the walnut shell again and passed a smile back to his brother. The ballyhoo began, but this time, Kit found it a lot harder to follow; Shane’s paws and Flynn’s tongue moved much faster.
    Hither and thither and thither and yon
,
you look, you see
, but where’s it gon
e?
    It’s time to poin
t and pick your spot
;
if the nut is the
re, you win, why not
?
    Shane stopped singing, and Kit heard the tiny sound again, the nut knocking the edge of the shell. The crowdleaned in around him, waiting with bated breath. He pointed.
    â€œYou’re sure again, eh?” asked Flynn.
    Kit nodded.
    â€œCertain?”
    â€œI’m certain,” he said, suddenly wondering if Flynn was trying to get him to change his mind.
    â€œI think you’ve got doubts,” pressed Flynn.
    â€œI don’t,” said Kit. He found the bigger raccoon’s friendly smile not so friendly all of a sudden. “I’m sure.”
    Shane scratched behind his ears. Rather than turn over the shell, he spoke to his brother. “I don’t think young Kit’s very sure. He wants to change his mind.”
    â€œI don’t!” Kit objected. “I am sure! That’s the spot! The nut’s under that shell there.”
    â€œWell, if you’re so sure, let’s up the bet,” suggested Flynn. “All our nuts to all your seeds.”
    â€œWhat?” Kit felt his stomach sink. “No . . . I can’t bet all my seeds . . .”
    â€œTold you he wasn’t sure,” said Shane. “Kit’s not the player we thought he was. Just a bit of baby fur in a shiny coat.”
    â€œI am not,” Kit shouted. “I’ll take that bet. You’ll see!”
    â€œThe bet is made,” Flynn announced for the whole crowd to hear. “Young Kit’s a player after all!”
    The crowd cheered again, because they loved nothing more than a high-stakes wager. If Kit won, he really would be rich. If he lost . . . well, it was too terrible to think about.
    Without another word, Shane smirked, pushed the other two shells aside, and told Kit to flip over his choice.
    Kit reached out, lifted the shell, and saw . . . nothing. There was no nut.
    â€œLoser! Loser! Wrong Nut Chooser!” one of the young news finches shouted.
    â€œOh, come off it, Weebly.” Another news finch rolled her eyes. “This ain’t news. Just another sucker made a bad bet. Happens every day.”
    The news finches flew off to find more interesting happenings in the alley, leaving