"I tell you, fellows," Bunny proclaimed hoa.r.s.ely, "I"m going to get square with that tin-soldier dude, Overton. I hear he"s been made an officer in the Army to-day. He feels bigger than all outdoors! He made a kick that cost me the best job I ever had."
"Imagine Bunny working!" jeered one of the crowd.
"That was the beauty of the job," snarled Bunny. "It wasn"t real work.
It was more like belonging to a club. I had to stand around a little, and pa.s.s things, and so forth. But I got fifteen a month, my meals, and three or four dollars a day in tips."
"I don"t blame you, then, for being sore at losing the job," remarked another young "labor" man of Bunny"s own stripe. "That kind of job was a good deal like easy graft."
"That"s just what it was," rejoined Bunny feelingly. "And I lost it all on account of that--_Say, fellows!_"
This last appeal Bunny whispered hoa.r.s.ely. Then he pointed ahead down the street.
"Here comes that soldier-loafer, Overton, now. And his friend with him."
"Now"s your chance to take it out, Bunny!" prodded one of the gang.
"Fellows," declared Bunny earnestly, "it"s the chance for all of us to take it out of that pair! Think how often the regulars have fired into honest, hard-working men!"
By that designation Bunny referred to rioters.
"There"s two of them, and they hain"t got no guns or bayonets this time," Bunny Hepburn continued hoa.r.s.ely. "How many are there of us?"
"Twelve," replied another, "not counting Skinny Carroll."
"Skinny can work at his old game of lookout," muttered Bunny. "Get busy, Skinny."
Skinny was an undersized, weazened little fellow, with a large, badly-shaped head and an extremely bright pair of keen, fox-like eyes.
Many a time had he been lookout against the coming of the police, while stronger, harder-handed companions carried out some piece of violence against law and order.
With a chuckle Skinny promptly turned and fled to the next corner, where he could watch four ways at once.
Bunny"s companions found themselves committed to a new deed before they quite realized it.
"My pop has often told you fellows all about the soldiers," went on Bunny quickly. "Now, we"ve got a chance to settle one score for labor.
We"ll sail into that pair like a ton of brick. Use "em up! Don"t be gentle, or turn faint-hearted! Remember, there"s enough of us to swear to a good "frame-up" if this thing gets into court. Don"t be chicken-hearted or white-livered! Line up, the bunch of you!"
Hal and Noll, as they strolled along the side street, saw the little group ahead. It was an unimportant street, devoted to business in the day-time. Neither of the Army boys distinguished Bunny, who kept himself well concealed behind the other idlers until Hal and Noll had reached the gang. Then Bunny threw himself forward.
"Yah! yah!" he snarled. "Get me thrown out of me job, will you, you soldier-loafer!"
"Hullo, it"s Bunny!" cried Hal, recognizing the speaker.
"Yep! It"s me--Bunny Hepburn!" jeered the ex-waiter. "But you won"t know what your name is when I get through with you!"
"Bosh!" rejoined Hal, rather impatiently. "Step aside. Don"t block the sidewalk. It"s broad enough for us all!"
"You don"t sneak out of it that easy!" jeered Bunny.
"Behave yourself, and let me by," requested Hal Overton sternly.
He tried to push the noisy fellow out of his path. Bunny, with the strength of the gang behind him, swung a hard blow at the Army boy"s face.
In self-defense Hal Overton was obliged to fend off the blow. But Bunny came back at him again.
"Sail into the soldier-loafers!" called Bunny.
Wolf-like, the gang attacked in a pack, and on all sides at once. It didn"t take Noll Terry an instant to see that this was serious business.
Without a word Noll sprang back to back with Hal, and thus they met the onslaught.
In the crowd there were some hard-hitters, and the odds were tremendous.
On the other hand, Hal and Noll were no mean boxers. They had gained their skill with their fists in many a brisk garrison bout with the gloves. Moreover, both Army boys possessed the advantage of soldierly courage and discipline.
So, for a few moments, though they took some blows, yet they managed to keep off the wolf-pack fairly well.
Hal Overton"s blood was up now, and he was dangerous. Watching his chance he let fly a blow that caught Bunny forcefully on the nose.
"Wow-ow-ow! O-o-oh!" wailed Bunny, trying to find shelter behind one of his companions. "The soldier-loafer is trying to kill me. Wade into him, fellers! Get him down and----"
At that moment Hal, with Noll at his back, worked through the line and caught Bunny over his left eye with a force that sent the noisy one down to the sidewalk.
"Get up, you cur!" ordered Hal.
For a moment the members of the gang on Overton"s side of the fight seemed paralyzed.
Gripping Bunny Hepburn by the collar, Hal dragged the fellow to his feet and instantly planted a blow that closed the other eye.
"Now, you"ll stay put," panted Hal breathlessly. "Come on, the rest of you hyenas, and we"ll walk through the whole crowd of you!"
With a yell of defiance the gang closed in. While the mix-up was at its hottest, a low, trilling whistle sounded from Skinny Carroll"s lips.
Only two of the gang heard it in the excitement; that pair took to their heels at once.
Down the street came a pair of flying feet.
"Cop! cop!" yelled Skinny Carroll. "Duck and run!"
Three more of the gang heard and took to their heels at once. One of the fugitives ran squarely into the policeman"s arms. The blue-coat stopped another by drawing his revolver and commanding a halt. When the policeman came along with his two prisoners Noll had a third to add to the collection. Hal had Bunny and another of the late fighting crew.
"What"s this trouble about?" demanded the policeman gruffly.
"It"s an outrage, and high time you got here," wailed Bunny. "Officer, just look at me!"
"You seem to look just right to me," grinned the policeman.
"Officer, I demand that you arrest these two fellows!" insisted Bunny, in a shaking voice. "They"d have killed me if you hadn"t got here just when you did."
"Hold your tongue," commanded the policeman. Then, turning to Hal, he asked: