words. The fourth was
on his hands and knees, apparently seeking strength to rise.

"I see no officer near," said Merry. "We might tackle a difficult job if
we tried to drag even one of them along until we could find a cop."

"That's right. His pals would be down on us, a dozen of them, at least.
I fancy they'll let us alone now if we don't linger here. Let's sift
along."

The last of the ruffians to rise to his feet staggered to the nearest
wall, against which he leaned, gazing after the two young men who were
walking away.

"Talk about choin-loightning!" he muttered. "It ain't in it wid dat
cove! He coitinly done der whole gang, an' done dem good. He was
sloidin' along in a trance when we went at him, but der way he come
outer dat trance was a shock to der bunch. He's got more foight in him
dan any ten blokes I ever seen before."

"I'm mighty glad I ran across you, Merry," said Starbright as they
walked away. "You are just the fellow to straighten Morgan up and set
him on the right track."

"Morgan?" questioned Frank.

"Yes, Dade Morgan. I can't seem to do anything with him, and he's fast
getting in a bad way."

"Is he in New York?"

"Oh, yes; and it would be better for him if he was anywhere else."

"What's he doing here?"

"He isn't doing much of anything now, and that's one thing that is the
trouble. You know what a proud, high-strung chap he always was. Well,
he's up against it, and it has completely upset him."

"How is he up against it?"

"Why, he hit the pike pretty hard when he came here. He had some ready
money, and he lived uptown at the Imperial. You know lots of sports and
bloods hang out round that hotel. Dade fell in with some of the bunch.
He got some tips on the races and made a few thousand dollars. It was
the worst thing that could have happened to him. Next he took a flyer in
stocks, trading on margins. He made some more money. I tell you, he was
flying high just about then. He thought he had the world by the scruff
of the neck. You should have heard him when he ladled out the talk to
me. Told me what a howling chump I was to plug away on a newspaper on
space. Offered to steer me right to coin money the way he was doing. I
tell you, Merry, it was tempting. There he was rolling in boodle and
living on the fat of the land, while I had a three-fifty hall bedroom
and was eating round at cheap restaurants. Some weeks I made as much as
twenty-five, and then I was rich; but perhaps the ve