influenced by a regard for his own person.

Dick Hayden listened to this conference with lowering brow. He did not
think Stubbs would dare to hit him. But he was destined to find himself
unpleasantly surprised.

Stubbs took the hide from the hands of the giant, and anxious to
conciliate his powerful antagonist laid it with emphasis on Hayden,
already smarting from his former castigation.

"I'll kill you for that, Bob Stubbs!" he yelled, almost frothing at the
mouth with rage.

"I had to do it, Dick!" said Stubbs, apologetically. "You heard what he
said."

"I don't care what he said. To spare your own miserable carcass, you
struck your friend. But I am your friend no longer. I'll have it out of
you!"

"Come, Kit, you are revenged," said the giant. "Now let us hurry on to
the circus. There's a team in the road below. I think I can make a
bargain with Mr. Stover to carry us all the way."

They found Mr. Stover waiting for them.

"Well," he said, "how did you make out?"

"Suppose you look back and see!"

Stover did look, and to his amazement he saw Dick Hayden and Bob Stubbs
rolling on the ground, each holding the other in a fierce embrace.
Hayden had attacked Stubbs, and though the latter tried hard to avoid a
combat he was forced into it. Then, finding himself pushed, he fought as
well as he could. Fortune favored him, for Dick Hayden tripped, and in
so doing sprained his ankle. He fell with a groan, and Stubbs, glad to
escape, left him in haste, and made the best of his way home.

It was not until several hours afterwards that Hayden was found by
another party, and carried home, where he was confined for a fortnight.
This was fortunate for Kit and the giant, for he had intended to make a
formal complaint before a justice of the peace which might have resulted
in the arrest and detention of one or both. But his sprained ankle gave
him so much pain that it drove all other thoughts out of his head for
the time being.

Mr. Stover was induced by an unusually liberal offer to convey the two
friends to the next town, where they found their circus friends
wondering what had become of them. Kit was none the worse for his
experience, though it had been far from pleasant, and performed that
afternoon and evening with his usual spirit and success.

He told Achilles how he had been rescued by Janet Hayden, and the latter
said with emphasis: "The girl's a trump! She has probably saved your
life! That brute, her father