THE EIOT 255 



blow that was aimed at the stricken man, and 

 with a back-handed cut laid the striker low. 



" All right, Jack ; keep down till the stars are 

 gone." He stood with one sturdy leg on each 

 side of Jack's body and his big club made a 

 charmed circle about him. It was not more 

 than twenty seconds before the wheels were out 

 of Jack's head and he was on his feet again, 

 though not quite steady. 



Jack's fall had given courage to the gang, and 

 they made a furious attack upon Jarvis, who was 

 now alone and not a little impeded by the friend 

 at his feet. As Jack struggled to his legs, a furi- 

 ous blow directed at him was parried by Jarvis's 

 left arm, his right being busy guarding his 

 own head. The blow was a fearful one ; it 

 broke the small bone in the forearm, beat down 

 the guard, and came with terrible force upon 

 poor Jack's left shoulder, disabling it for a 

 minute. At the same time Jarvis received a 

 nasty blow across the face from an unexpected 

 quarter. He was staggered by it, but he did not 

 fall. Jack's right arm was good and very angry ; 

 a savage jab with his club into the face of the 

 man who had struck Jarvis laid him low, and 

 Jack grinned with satisfaction. 



Things were going hard with the young men. 

 They had, indeed, disqualified nine of the enemy ; 

 but there were still eight or ten more, and through 

 hard work and harder knocks they had lost 

 more than half their own fighting strength. At 



