Frank Merriwell's Champions Part 55

"Why, this is a regular cinch!" cried Frank as with a corking left-hander he bowled one of the masked rascals over. "I haven't struck so much sport as this in an age! Hit hard, Bart-hit hard!"

No need to tell Hodge to hit hard; he was putting in his best licks, and they were counting. Blood was running down his face, but he did not realize he had been touched at all.

Again Frank resorted to the use of his feet, and he sent one chap back with a sharp kick in the middle, while another caught his heel on the back.

Then it was that one of the ruffians cried:

"We can't do 'em without the others. Call the guards!"

A shrill whistle cut the air, and it was answered from up and down the street.

"There are more coming, Bart!" cried Merriwell. "Put as many of these fellows out of the game as you can before the others get here! This has turned out to be a very warm evening!"

CHAPTER x.x.xV-MERRIWELL'S CLOSE CALL

Frank had quite forgotten his burned hands; there was no time to think of them then. Had both arms been in splints, he would have tried to defend himself just the same.

Down the street came a running figure; up the street came another. They were two of the gang, who had been set to watch for the approach of officers.

Although there were three of the ruffians to one of the boys they had attacked, the gang had been forced to call on the watchers for a.s.sistance!

"What's the matter?" panted one, as he came up. "You're making an awful racket! Can't you do them two stiffs?"

"Get at 'em!" ordered the fellow whose coat was turned. "It'll take all of us to do the job."

"All of you may not be able to do it," cried Merry.

But the two fellows who had been on guard were fresh, and they pitched in fiercely. In a short time Bart and Frank found they were being overpowered. They were blinded by blows and beaten breathless, but still they fought.

Hark! What was that? The sound of singing from a distance-the old, familiar song:

"Here's to good Old Yale-drink it down!

Here's to good Old Yale-drink it down!

Here's to good Old Yale, She's so hearty and so hale- Drink it down! Drink it down! down! down!"

From Frank Merriwell's lips pealed a wild cry-the Yale yell. It echoed along the street, and the distant singing stopped. The cry was answered!

"Help, fellows!"

There was another answer, and soon running feet were heard.

"A thousand furies!" snarled the leader of the ruffians. "Those other fellows are coming!"

Then he made a desperate lunge at Frank, who saw something bright glitter in his fingers. Merriwell avoided the thrust, but heard a cutting sound as the bright instrument slashed his coat.

Frank knew the wretch had struck at him with an open knife, and again he s.n.a.t.c.hed for that handkerchief. This time he caught it and tore it from the fellow's face.

But the leader of the ruffians turned and ran like a deer. Merry would have followed, but, in trying to do so, he stumbled over one of the gang who had been knocked down.

This fellow grappled with Frank, and then Mulloy, Diamond, Rattleton, Gallup, Browning and Dunnerwust came running up.

"Pwhat's this?" cried Barney, excitedly. "Is it a schrap, an' Oi not in it? Did yez ivver see th' loikes av this!"

"Wal, gol darn it all!" puffed Ephraim. "If this don't beat all natur!

Where's the rest of um?"

"They ran when they heard you coming," said Frank; "but I have this chap all right."

"Shimminy Ghristmas!" gurgled Hans. "Uf I hadn't peen here before, dem vellers vould peen licked britty queek, ain'd id! Ven I heard dem comin'

they all rund avay off. I pet your life dey known vot vas coot vor mineseluf. Yaw!"

"Blame the luck!" grunted Browning. "Think of running like that and then arriving too late to get into the fight! It's disgusting!"

"Who were they, Frank?" asked Diamond.

"I think I know the leader, and I have the handkerchief he had tied over his face. As for this fellow-- No, you don't!"

The one Merry was holding made a desperate attempt to break away, but was prevented.

And, now the fight was over, a policeman approached, saw the crowd, and rapped a call for a.s.sistance. Within a minute three officers were on the spot.

Frank and Bart told their story. At first the officers were inclined to discredit it, thinking there had been a street row among those found there by them, but when they saw Merriwell's captive and obtained a good look at the fellow's face one of them cried:

"It's Shiner Gregg! He belongs to the Stone Alley gang."

Then Frank showed where his coat had been slit open by a knife, told where he was stopping, and satisfied the officers that he was telling nothing but the truth.

Two of the officers took Shiner Gregg to a police station, while another accompanied the boys to the hotel, where he satisfied himself that they had told the truth, and made Merriwell and Hodge promise to appear against Gregg.

After washing up, Frank and Bart found they were not severely scarred; but that it had been a close call for Merry was made evident by the slash in his coat.

"Well," said Frank, as he held up the coat and looked at it ruefully, "that finished your career, but you did one good job to-night. You smothered the fire that would have burned a very saucy and very attractive young lady. I think I will keep you as a reminder of the occasion."

"It's fortunate we were out strolling around after leaving the theatre,"

said Rattleton. "We were feeling rather gay, and did not seem to want to turn in so early."

"New Yorkers say Philadelphia is slow," grunted Browning; "but I'll be hanged if it doesn't seem to be a hot town! I think New Yorkers are sore on the place."

"Slow," drawled Ephraim Gallup, with a queer twist of his homely face.

"Thutteration! There's more goin' on here than there ever was araound aour taown up in Varmont, an' we uster think that was purty gosh-darn lively sometimes. Once we had a dorg fight, a thunderstorm an' Jeduthin Blodgett's chimbney burnt aout, all in one afternoon, an' I tell yeou things was all fired lively up raound them diggin's. But I swan Philadelfy has more goin' on than that 'most any day but Sunday."

Some of the boys laughed at this, but Hans stared at Ephraim in a bewildered way.

"Dot must peen a lifely down," he said. "Uf you vos to life there a great vile I oxbect id vould turn my hair gray."