Jack Ranger's Western Trip Part 16

"Who are you?" asked Jack, looking around. Then, as three figures emerged from the shadows and blocked his path, he exclaimed:

"Oh, it's you, is it, Jerry Chowden? Well, what do you want?"

"I want to get square with you," replied the bully, in an angry tone.

"And you bring two of your toadies along to help you, I suppose,"

said Jack, unable to keep a sneer from his voice.

"Look here!" exclaimed one of Jerry's companions. "I don't know who you are, except by name, but I'm not going to have you insult me.

Jerry is a friend of mine--"

"Sorry for you," interrupted Jack cooly.

"None of your lip!" exclaimed the other strange youth.

"Jerry says he has a bone to pick with you," the one who had first addressed Jack went on. "He told us he was going to have it out with you, and invited us along. We're not going to take any part, you can rest a.s.sured of that, and there'll be fair play. But if you're afraid, why that's another matter."

"Who said I was afraid?" demanded Jack hotly.

"You seem to act so."

"I don't know that I ever did you any harm, Jerry Chowden," Jack said, more quietly, "but if you feel so why I can't help it."

"I do, and I'm going to get even," spoke Jerry, advancing closer to Jack.

"Stand aside," demanded Jack, as the bully almost brushed against him.

"Not until you've given me satisfaction."

"What do you mean?"

"You know well enough what I mean."

"Do you want to fight?" asked Jack calmly.

"Certainly I do!" exclaimed the bully, aiming a blow at the lad in front of him. Jack stepped quickly back, Jerry nearly lost his balance and just saved himself from falling.

"You're a coward!" cried Jerry angrily.

"I am, eh?" cried Jack. "Well, if I must fight I'm going to do it for all I'm worth!"

The next instant he had his coat off, and was ready to defend himself. Jerry, nothing loath, closed in, and there in the darkness, illuminated only by the stars, the fight began.

Jerry was well built and strong, but he had little science. On the contrary, though Jack was not as muscular nor as heavy as his antagonist, he more than made up for it in his quickness and his ability to hit hard. Jerry came up with a rush, and aimed a vicious blow at Jack's face. Jack cleverly dodged it, and countered, landing on Jerry's chin with a force that made the bully see stars.

"I'll pay you for that!" he cried.

He would have done better to have kept quiet, since he took his attention from Jack's fists, which, in the darkness, were hard enough to see at best. A second later Jerry found his nose stopping a solid blow, straight from the shoulder.

"Ow!" yelled Jerry, in spite of himself.

Then he clenched with Jack, and the two went at it rough-and-tumble.

Jack got in a number of good blows, and Jerry tried his best to get away and deliver some in return. He did manage to punch Jack on the body, causing that worthy's breath to come in gasps.

Back and forth went the fighters, the two spectators dancing about to see all they could of it, They kept their word not to interfere, and it was a fair struggle between Jack and Jerry.

Though Jack did his best he could not avoid getting some severe blows, and one, on his eye, he felt had done considerable damage. But he more than paid Jerry back for it, and, in a little while the bully was fairly howling for mercy.

"Help!" he cried. "He's not fighting fair."

"Don't be a baby!" Jerry's friends called to him, somewhat disgusted with his actions. "Give it to him!"

Jerry made one more effort to deal Jack a blow that would win the victory, but in his eagerness he lowered his guard. Our hero shot out a swift left, and it landed full on Jerry's chin. He staggered for a second, and then went down in a heap.

He was up again in a couple of seconds, not much the worse, but all the fight was gone out of him. He held his head in his hands for a while, and then fairly ran up the dark street, while his two friends, surprised at the sudden outcome of the fight, followed more slowly.

"I'll get even with you yet!" Jerry called back.

"Well, if you do I still will have the satisfaction of knowing that I trounced you good and proper," Jack said, as he held a cold stone to his bruised eye.

Just then, from across the lots there came a hail:

"Hey, Jack! Where are you?"

"Coming," was Jack's reply.

He heard some one running toward him as he began to pick up his coat, and put on his hat.

CHAPTER XI

A GRAND WIND UP

"What's the matter?" demanded John Smith, as he and Nat joined their comrade.

"Did you get lost?" asked Nat.

"No, only sort of delayed," answered Jack.

"What makes you talk so funny?" inquired John.

"I expect it's because my lips are swollen," was the reply.

"Did some one hold you up and try to rob you?" cried Nat, in alarm.

"Well, it was a hold-up, but no robbery," said Jack, and then he related what had happened.