"None of your business!"
"I shall make it my business. You"d better go, or you may be locked up."
"Give me that stick, then."
"You"ll have to do without it."
He made another rush, and Dodger struck him such a blow on his arm that he winced with pain.
"Now I shall summon the police, and you can do as you please about going."
Dodger struck the stick sharply on the sidewalk three times, and the ruffian, apprehensive of arrest, ran around the corner just in time to rush into the arms of a policeman.
"What has this man been doing?" asked the city guardian, turning to Dodger.
"He was about to rob this man."
"Is the man hurt?"
"Where am I?" asked the prostrate man, in a bewildered tone.
"I will take care of him, if you will take charge of that fellow."
"Can you get up, sir?" asked Dodger, bending over the fallen man.
The latter answered by struggling to his feet and looking about him in a confused way.
"Where am I?" he asked. "What has happened?"
"You were attacked by a ruffian. I found you on the sidewalk, with him bending over you with this club in his hand."
"He must have followed me. I was imprudent enough to show a well-filled pocketbook in a saloon where I stopped to take a drink. No doubt he planned to relieve me of it."
"You have had a narrow escape, sir."
"I have no doubt of it. I presume the fellow was ready to take my life, if he found it necessary."
"I will leave you now, sir, if you think you can manage."
"No, stay with me. I feel rather upset."
"Where are you staying, sir?"
"At the Palace Hotel. Of course you know where that is?"
"Certainly. Will you take my arm?"
"Thank you."
Little was said till they found themselves in the sumptuous hotel, which hardly has an equal in America.
"Come to my room, young man; I want to speak to you."
It was still early in the evening, and Dodger"s time was his own.
He had no hesitation, therefore, in accepting the stranger"s invitation.
On the third floor the stranger produced a key and opened the door of a large, handsomely-furnished room.
"If you have a match, please light the gas."
Dodger proceeded to do so, and now, for the first time, obtained a good view of the man he had rescued. He was a man of about the average height, probably not far from fifty, dressed in a neat business suit, and looked like a substantial merchant.
"Please be seated."
Dodger sat down in an easy-chair conveniently near him.
"Young man," said the stranger, impressively, "you have done me a great favor."
Dodger felt that this was true, and did not disclaim it.
"I am very glad I came up just as I did," he said.
"How large a sum of money do you think I had about me?" asked his companion.
"Five hundred dollars?"
"Five hundred dollars! Why, that would be a mere trifle."
"It wouldn"t be a trifle to me, sir," said Dodger.
"Are you poor?" asked the man, earnestly.
"I have a good situation that pays me fifteen dollars a week, so I ought not to consider myself poor."
"Suppose you had a considerable sum of money given you, what would you do with it?"
"If I had five hundred dollars, I should be able to defeat the schemes of a villain, and restore a young lady to her rights."
"That seems interesting. Tell me the circ.u.mstances."
Dodger told the story as briefly as he could. He was encouraged to find that the stranger listened to him with attention.
"Do you know," he said, reflectively, "you have done for me what I once did for another--a rich man? The case was very similar. I was a poor boy at the time. Do you know what he gave me?"
"What was it, sir?"
"A dollar! What do you think of that for generosity?"