and the canvas men still raged fiercely
near the ticket stand. It looked as if the intruders would conquer. From
the ranks of the defenders rose a wild and desperate cry, "Hey, Rube!"

Achilles heard it.

"Come, Kit!" he said. "We are wanted."

He hurled the miner in his grasp to the ground with such force that the
man lay senseless; then he rushed with all the speed which his long
limbs enabled him to attain to the scene of the conflict.

Here again he was none too soon. The leader of the miners, who had been
the first spokesman and aggressor, was armed with a powerful club with
which he was preparing to deal the ticket seller a terrible and possibly
fatal blow, when Achilles rushed into the _melee_ like a hurricane. He
snatched the club from the hands of the ruffian, and dealt about
unsparingly.

The ringleader was the first to fall. Next Achilles attacked the rest of
the brutal gang, till half a dozen men with broken heads lay upon the
ground. The attacking force were completely demoralized, and in dismay
fled from the field.

The ticket seller breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought I was done for, Mr. Henderson," he said, when the giant
returned flushed with his exertions. "You are equal to half a dozen
men."

"I haven't had so much exercise in a long time," said Achilles, panting.
"Kit, where is the knife that scalawag was going to cut the rope with?"

"Here it is, Mr. Henderson."

"I will keep it in remembrance of this little adventure. Perhaps I had
better go and look after the original owner."

He met the ruffian limping like one disabled. His look was sullen and
menacing.

"Give me my knife," he growled.

"I couldn't think of it, my man!" said Achilles blandly. "Evidently you
are not old enough to be trusted with a knife."

"I'd like to thrash you!" growled the miner again.

"I've no doubt of it, my friend; your intentions are good, but can't be
carried out. And now I have a word to say," he continued, sternly. "Just
get out of the lot as fast as your legs can carry you, or I'll serve you
worse than I did before."

The ruffian looked toward the ticket stand. He saw several of his
friends limping away like himself, looking like whipped curs, and he saw
that there was no choice for him but to obey. With a muttered oath and a
sullen scowl, he left the grounds.

"Kit," said the giant, "it won't do for me to exercise like this every
day. I shall need a second supper."

"You are certainly ent