As he heard those unknown foes creeping down upon him in the darkness of the alley, Frank crouched close to the ground, and felt about with his hand for some weapon of defense.
Fear suddenly gave place to anger, and he longed to retaliate on his enemies. He knew well enough that the men creeping down upon him were hired tools, chosen by his foes to do him severe bodily injury.
"Oh, for a club--a stone--anything!" he thought.
But his hand found nothing that suited his need at that moment.
The cautiously advancing men came nearer and nearer. He could hear them whispering to each other, and they seemed to block the entire width of the narrow alley. He could not make out their number, but he was sure there must be several of them.
"Can yer see him, Jake?"
"No, an" I can"t hear him neither."
"But he"s here somewhere, and they say he"ll fight. Look out fer him."
Frank heard these whispered words, and then, without realizing that he was about to do so, he laughed!
There were hoa.r.s.e cries, curses and blows. A savage struggle suddenly was begun in the dark alley.
Frank had hoped to break through the line of his foes by his sudden rush, but he was not successful, although his hard right fist knocked a man down with his first blow.
Then he received a shock that seemed to cause a thousand bright lights to flash before his eyes, and he knew he had been struck on the head with some sort of weapon.
The boy staggered. Uttering hoa.r.s.e exclamations, his a.s.sailants, like beasts of prey, sprang upon him.
"Give it to him!" cried a voice.
With new strength, Frank twisted and squirmed. In doing so, he threw his head from side to side, and it chanced that he succeeded in saving it from the blows which were intended to render him helpless.
Those blows, many of them, at least, fell on his shoulders and his back with benumbing force.
He forgot that his left hand was not yet well, but he used it as freely and as vigorously as his right.
And, once more, something like a laugh came from his lips.
"Hear him!" hissed one of the ruffians. "Why, he"s a perfect young fiend!"
But Frank could not long hold his own against such odds. Some of the blows aimed at his head fell glancingly, but they were enough to rob him in a measure of his strength. He tried to tear away, and then he was felled to the ground.
Merriwell felt that "the jig was up" with him. They had him at their mercy, at last.
Then it was that a surprising thing happened. With encouraging cries, two men came through the darkness and attacked the boy"s a.s.sailants.
That the new arrivals on the battlefield were armed with heavy clubs was apparent, and they used them mercilessly on the ruffians.
This attack was unexpected by Frank"s a.s.sailants, and they could not meet it. Immediately they turned and fled, pursued by one of the men who had set upon them.
Just then, apparently disturbed by the sounds of the fight, some person came to a nearby window with a lighted lamp.
The light shone out into the alley, and fell on Frank Merriwell and one of the men who had saved him.
"Plug Kirby!" gasped Frank, sitting up.
"Dat"s wot, me boy!" cried the bruiser, cheerfully. "An" I kinder t"ink we didn"t git round any too quick neider."
"You came just in time."
"Be yer hurt much, youngster?" asked Kirby, anxiously, a.s.sisting Frank to arise.
"I think not. Got a few cracks and was upset, but that is all. Where is the man who was with you?"
"He whooped it along after der gang. Kinder t"ink he wanted ter ketch one of der blokes an" hold him fer der perlice ter pinch."
"Who was he?"
"Dunno."
"What?" cried Frank, astonished--"don"t know who was with you when you came to my aid?"
"Well, I dunno his name, youngster, and that"s on der level."
Frank was eager to ask more questions, but Plug said:
"We"d best push outer dis. Dunno wot"ll happen if we stays here too long. Der gang might come back."
So they hurried out of the alley, Frank receiving some a.s.sistance from Kirby, as he was rather dizzy when he tried to walk.
When the street was reached no one seemed to be in the immediate vicinity.
"Shall we wait for your friend?" asked Merriwell.
"Naw," answered Plug. "He ain"t likely ter come back."
A short time later they were seated at a table in a nearby resort, and Frank was treating Kirby.
Frank had examined his own injuries, and discovered they were not serious, although it was likely that he would be sore about the head and shoulders from the bruises he had received.
"Now tell me," urged Frank, "who was with you when you came to my a.s.sistance? I am eager to know."
"I tole yer dat I don"t know der cove"s name, but I do know dat he is all right an" on der level."
"Well, how is that you do not know his name?"
"Never asked him."
"How do you happen to know him?"
"Well, yer see, it was dis way: I was inter Jackson"s der odder evenin"