eets of the great American metropolis, the
street lights were beginning to gleam, laborers were homeward bound from
their toil.

Quite unconscious of the fact, Merry had wandered into a disreputable
quarter, and suddenly, without warning, he was set upon by a number of
men. One of them struck at him, while another attempted to sandbag him
from behind.

The attack in front caused Frank to dodge with a pantherish spring that
was most astonishing in its quickness, considering the fact that a
moment before he had seemed totally unsuspicious and unprepared. This
leap saved him from being stretched unconscious by the sandbag.

An instant later he was engaged in a hand-to-hand encounter with five
thugs who had marked him as their prey. A well-dressed young man like
Merry was sure to attract attention in such a quarter, and these
ruffians had singled him out as a chap worth plucking.

His sudden and astounding change from total unwariness to a fighting
youth with every sense on the alert was something for which they were
unprepared.

He struck one fellow a terrible blow, which sounded clear as the crack
of a pistol and sent the man turning end over end into the street, where
he sprawled. He seized another by the left wrist with his own left hand,
gave him a forward jerk to one side, at the same time striking him a
swift, sharp blow with the outer edge of his open right hand, which
landed on the fellow's neck just under the ear and turn of the jaw.

This man dropped like a stricken ox, and lay quivering on the broken
curbing of the sidewalk.

Ducking low, one of the men attempted to seize Merry about the waist.

The young American athlete leaped backward, his foot came up, the toe of
his boot struck the man under the chin, and over the ruffian went, flat
on his back, his lips cut and bleeding, and choking over several teeth
he had suddenly lost.

The street light at the corner sent a ray that gleamed on an uplifted
knife.

With a squirming movement, Merry escaped the stroke, which cut a slit in
his coat sleeve near the shoulder.

Then the man with the knife was seized, whirled round till his back was
toward the youth attacked, and flung clean over Merry's head, striking
on his head and shoulders on the flagging of the sidewalk.

The fifth thug paused in astounded hesitation. What sort of a chap was
this who could dispose of four men with the rapidity of lightning, using
only his bare hands? More than that, they ha