he use, Jack, of fussing with these rowdies?" said Ted. "Let it
go until some other time."

"You bet," said Creviss, courage returning when he heard Ted propose
peace. "I guess you'd like to let it go forever."

"That settles it," said Ted. "Go to him, Jack, and if you don't give him
what's coming to him, I'll finish the job."

"Git!" said Billy Sudden, opening the door and shoving Creviss out into
the street. The rest followed.

As Jack stepped into the open air he peeled off his swallow-tailed coat
and threw it over Ted's arm.

He had no sooner done so than Wiley Creviss made a rush at him from the
front, while one of the crowd ran in on him from the rear.

It seemed an unequal beginning, and Ted was preparing to take on the
second fellow.

But Jack had seen him out of the corner of his eye, and as he came on
the Boston boy stepped backward and threw his right elbow up.

It was a timely and masterly trick, for the sharp elbow caught Creviss'
ally full in the nose, and he dropped like a limp rag to the ground,
with a howl of anguish.

At the same moment Jack swung his left. Creviss had struck at him and
missed when he back-stepped, and coming on swiftly ran into Jack's fist
with a thud that jarred him into a state of collapse.

"Finish him!" shouted the cow-punchers, who stood about the fighters in
a circle.

"Go to him," said Ted, in a low voice. "I saw him signal his pal to
tackle you from behind."

Creviss had partially recovered from the blow and was getting ready for
another rush, when Jack slipped in and to one side and hit like a
blacksmith at the anvil.

This time Creviss went down and out.

"Hooray fer ther bantam!" shouted a big cow-puncher, slapping Jack on
the back. "Say, I hear them say you're from Bosting. I'm goin' ter buy a
hundred-pound sack o' beans myself ter-morrer an' begin trainin'. If
beans'll do that fer you, a sack o' them will make me fit ter lick Jess
Willard."

But Jack was busy smoothing down his ruffled hair and pulling his white
lawn tie around into its proper place, and when he had put on his coat
he and Ted walked into the ballroom as calmly as if they had just
stepped out to view the stars.

"What was the trouble?" asked Stella, when they reached her side.

"Some town rowdies became noisy, and they were put out," answered Ted
carelessly.

But Jack's dress suit was the joy of the cow-punchers, who had never
seen anything like it before, although they all knew tha