The Iron Boys in the Steel Mills Part 18

The crowd jeered. This wasn't fighting. They wanted to see blood flow.

Their desires were soon gratified, for no sooner had Kalinski jumped to his feet again, and made a vicious swing at Jarvis, than the boss received a stinging blow on his sore nose from Bob's right, and another on his right eye from Bob's left fist.

After that it was give-and-take. Neither man gave ground in the slightest, but it was plain that, while possessed of great muscular force, the Pole lacked the science of the Iron Boy. When the former did land it jarred Bob Jarvis from head to feet, sometimes sending him staggering backward, gasping for breath.

But Jarvis was full of pluck. Brodsky, at this juncture, got unsteadily to his feet and elbowed his way into the circle about the combatants.

"All liars!" he cried, whereat the crowd picked him up bodily and threw him out over the heads of those at the rear.

By this time Kalinski was getting slower in his movements, and the strong fists of the Iron Boy were beating a tattoo on the pit boss's face and ribs. The crowd, seeing that Kalinski was getting the worst of it, set up yells of disapproval.

"Throw him out! Put him in the river!"

With one common purpose the idlers surged forward. At that moment some one began pushing and elbowing through the crowd. Then Steve Rush strode into the ring where the man and the boy were battling for a finish.

Steve had been on his way home from his day's tramp in search of a position when the shouts of the crowd attracted his attention. He hurried on to learn what was going on. His surprise was great when he saw the bandaged head of Bob Jarvis bobbing up and down in the centre of the ring.

"Bob's at it again!" groaned Steve. "Will he ever learn to keep out of trouble?"

Steve quickly noted the sinister att.i.tude of the crowd. He knew that in a moment they would fall upon Jarvis, and it was a foregone conclusion that the lad would be roughly handled. Perhaps both boys would be roughly treated, but this did not deter Rush from springing to the rescue of his companion.

"Stand back!" Steve shouted, as he leaped into the narrowing s.p.a.ce about the fighters. "Stand back, every one of you. It's a fair fight. Let them have it out. I don't know what it is all about, but I know n.o.body is going to interfere unless he wants to fight me!"

"Throw him out!" howled a voice. The cry was quickly taken up by other voices. Steve Rush was now the object of their disapproval.

"Men, I tell you to stand back! It will be the worse for you if you don't."

Uttering a yell the idlers rushed the plucky Steve.

CHAPTER XI

READJUSTING THEIR FINANCES

"Police! Police!" yelled a voice on the outer edge of the circle.

"Police!" echoed the crowd, running in all directions, for these foreigners held the officers of the law in wholesome awe. They had had experience with the uniformed police on other occasions.

Kalinski did not run, for the very good reason that he could not. Bob was following him up too closely. Neither did Steve Rush nor Ignatz Brodsky attempt to run away. It had been Ignatz's voice that had called out the warning. There were no police in sight, but the boy, with quick wit, had cried out in order to save Steve from the wrath of the mob.

Rush, as he shot a keen glance at the grinning face of Ignatz, quickly comprehended.

"That's enough, Bob. Let him go. You are even with him. Come on now--stop it!"

"All right, in a min--minute----" thump!

"That's for the boy Ignatz, and"--thump--"that for Rush, and"----Bob uttered a grunt as he launched a terrific blow at his adversary, "that's for me!"

The blow lifted Kalinski off his feet, laying him flat on his back in the gutter.

"Back off!" commanded Steve, in a voice of authority. "You have done your duty as you saw it, and I guess a little more."

"Liar! Liar!" shrieked the Polish boy, hopping about the fallen man, waving his arms, almost beside himself with unholy joy.

"Take this boy away!" commanded Rush, as he bent over and a.s.sisted Kalinski to his feet. "I'm sorry, Kalinski, but I guess you got what you deserved. Bob, how did this thing start?"

"In the first place Kalinski was fighting with Ignatz----"

"He--he started it, the----" interrupted Kalinski.

"Don't say anything you will be sorry for," interjected Steve.

"After he had knocked Brodsky down he began kicking the boy, and with the entire approval of the crowd," added Jarvis. "Wouldn't you have sailed into him if you had been in my place?"

"I should have been a coward if I had not. And now, Kalinski, I have a few words to say to you. You have used us about as shabbily as one person could use another. We are even now; you have got what you deserve, but hereafter keep away from us. Don't you dare speak to either of us. Try any tricks and it will be the worse for you. Now get out of here!"

Steve gave the Pole a shove, Kalinski hurrying away as fast as his weakened legs would carry him, the fellow uttering threats and shaking his fists as he went.

"We will go home now," announced Steve. "You come with us, Ignatz," he added, taking an arm of the Polish boy. "I am sorry this thing happened, for I had hoped we should be able to keep out of further trouble. We will get a bad name if we don't stop having so many rows."

"But how are we going to help it?" protested Bob. "I can't stand around and see a boy abused by a big brute like Kalinski, without taking a hand."

"You did right, but I am sorry it occurred; that's all."

Reaching their boarding place, Rush took Bob and Ignatz to his room. He looked Jarvis over from head to feet. The bandage about the latter's head was now stained a dark red, where the fists of the pit boss had pummeled him, while the burns on the lad's hands, that had been healed over, were now raw and painful. Rush quickly bathed and redressed his companion's wounds, then turned his attention to Brodsky. The latter had received some pretty hard knocks, and was also in need of treatment, which Steve gave him at once.

None of them had any thought for supper, which, in fact, had long since been finished in the dining room of the boarding house. Rush looked over the Pole with keen eyes.

"You have been fighting before to-night. What for?" he demanded.

"Kalinski, he liar; Foley liar--all liars!"

"Yes, I know that. Is that why you were fighting Kalinski?"

Ignatz nodded.

"You have been fighting him to avenge Bob and myself, have you?"

"Yes; I fight him."

"And you thought you could whip that big brute?"

"I lick him yet."

"No; you let him alone. He has been properly punished to-night. After this keep away from him, or I will take you in hand myself. What will your mother say when she hears of this?"

"You tell her?"