he town."

They had almost reached their destination when, as they passed a
particularly ramshackle building with a saloon on the ground floor, they
became conscious of a terrific hubbub going on within. There was a sound
of shouting and blows, and every once in a while the whole crazy
building would fairly rock as some heavy body crashed against the walls
from within.

Even as Bert and Dick stood watching in amazement, a muffled shout arose
above the general uproar that they both recognized. "That was Tom's
voice for a million!" yelled Bert, and without another word the two
friends made a dash for the door that evidently led to the floor above.
Without hesitating to find out whether or not it was locked they crashed
against it. Their combined weight acted like a battering ram and the
door, torn from its hinges, fell inward. They rushed up the rickety
stairs in great bounds and, crashing through another door that barred
their way, found themselves precipitated into the midst of a fierce
struggle.

On the floor four men were locked in a deadly grapple. The meager
furniture of the room was splintered and broken, and the whole place
looked as though a cyclone had struck it. With a yell Bert and Dick
plunged into the struggle.

And now the odds were more even. Instead of three to one they were now
three to three, and the tide of battle began to turn. Bert and Dick tore
Tom's assailants away from him and he staggered to his feet. He was
battered and bruised, but still full of fight. "Come on, fellows, wade
into them," he shouted hoarsely. His tried and true comrades needed no
second bidding, and now began a battle compared to which the other
seemed mild. The three thugs who had been trying to overpower Tom were
brutal fighters, and withal were men of muscle. But it did not take long
to decide which side would win. The three friends, every fighting
instinct in them aroused, and the lust of battle hot within them, fought
with a fury and concentrated power that nothing could withstand.

Slowly they forced the thugs across the room, planting blow after blow
with deadly effect. Their opponents gave ground steadily, unable to
withstand the terrific punishment meted out to them. Suddenly the one
nearest the door made a dash for it, and the others followed suit. The
three comrades started in hot pursuit, but reached the street only to
see the last of their erstwhile antagonists disappearing around the
nearest corner, and Bert