jumped out. Just as he stooped over to examine the
tire, some instinct warned him, and he turned quickly to find three
men coming upon him from the alley, the nearest one with an uplifted
slung-shot. It was with just a glance from the corner of his eye as he
turned that Bobby caught the import of the figure towering above him,
and then his fine athletic training came in good stead. With a
sidewise spring he was out of the sphere of that descending blow, and,
swinging with his heavy wrench, caught the fellow a smash upon the
temple which laid him unconscious. Before the two other men had time
to think, he was upon them and gave one a broken shoulder-blade. The
other escaped. There had been no word from any of the three men which
might lead to an explanation of this attack, but Bobby needed no
explanation; he divined at once the source from which it came, and in
the morning he sent for Biff Bates.

"Biff," said he, "I spoke once about securing some thugs to act as a
counter-irritant against Stone, but I have neglected it. How long will
it take to get hold of some?"

"Ten minutes, if I wait till dark," replied Biff. "I can go down to
the Blue Star, and for ten iron men apiece can get you as fine a bunch
of yeggs as ever beat out a cripple's brains with his own wooden leg."

Bobby smiled.

"I don't want them to go quite that far," he objected. "Are they men
you can depend upon not to sell out to Stone?"

"Just one way," replied Biff. "The choice line of murderers that hang
out down around the levee are half of them sore on Stone, anyhow; but
they're afraid of him, and the only way you can use them is to give
'em enough to get 'em out of town. For ten a throw you can buy them
body and soul."

"I'll take about four, to start on duty to-night, and stay on duty
till they accomplish what I want done," and Bobby detailed his plan to
Biff.

Stone had one peculiarity. Knowing that he had enemies, and those
among the most reckless class in the world, he seldom allowed himself
to be caught alone; but every night he held counsel with some of his
followers at a certain respectable beer-garden where, in the
summer-time, a long table in a quiet, half-screened corner was
reserved for him and his followers, and in the winter a back room was
given up for the same purpose. Here Stone transacted all the real
business of his local organization, drinking beer, reviving
strange-looking callers, and confining his own remarks to a grunted