rake, though he spoke
more weakly.

"Hey! Here's Drake---says he's going to slip home on us!" called
one of the tormentors.

More men came out of the place, some of them staggering. With
the new arrivals came one whom Dick and his friends rightly guessed
to be Miller---a thickset man, with swaggering manner, insolent
expression and rough voice.

"What's this about your going home, Drake?" demanded one of the
new arrivals.

"I---I really ought to go home," Drake tried to explain.

"Cut that out," ordered Miller roughly. "You're booked to spend
the evening with us, and the evening has hardly begun."

"I promised this young fellow I'd go home," said Drake slowly,
"so I guess I will."

"And what has this young feller got to say or do about it?" demanded
Miller angrily, as He pushed his way to Drake's side, then glared
at Dick Prescott.

"And what have you got to say about his not going home?" Dick
asked hotly. "Isn't this a free country, where a man may go
home when he chooses?"

"It's a free country, and a man has a right to spend his evening
in my place when he's invited," Miller asserted roughly.

"Yes; your invitation will hold until his month's pay is gone
from his pocket," Dick flashed back. "That's all you want. Drake
has sense enough to see that, and he's leaving you."

"He isn't going home for three hours yet, or anywhere else!" snorted
Miller, whose breath proclaimed the fact that he had been using
some of his own goods.

Dick laughed contemptuously as he turned to Tom Drake with:

"You see! That fellow thinks he can give you your orders. That
fellow begins to believe that he owns you already."

"Who are you calling 'that feller'?" demanded Miller, dropping
a heavy hand on Dick's shoulder.

"I referred to you," replied Prescott, pushing the man's hand
from his shoulder.

"If you get too funny with me I'll hit you a crack that will carry
your head off with it!" snarled the saloon keeper.

"Pshaw!" Prescott answered cuttingly. "You aren't big enough,
or man enough, either!"

"What's that?"

Miller aimed a vicious, open-hand blow at young Prescott's face.
It didn't land, but, instead, Dick's right hand went up smack!
against the fellow's cheek.

"Hang your impudence!" roared Miller, angrily. "I'll pay you
for that! I'll teach you!"

He made a rush at Dick, but two men who had been attracted by
the commotion jumped in between them.

"Hold on, Miller!" objected one of these p