"I am glad you have left them," said Ralph.
"Thought you would be, and thought I'd come and tell you," stammered Slavin in a floundering way. "Oh, I'm playing no goody-goody act. I am just holding my mouth, and watching those preacher fellows at the army barracks. They're all right. Wish I was. 'Live and let live,' I told them, when some rowdies pelted them and smashed a hole in their big bass drum. So, just at present I am acting as their bouncer."
"Good for you!" commended Ralph heartily.
"You know I can bounce all right?" said Slavin significantly. "Well, I must be going. So long. Oh, say--by the way, Fairbanks."
It was evident to Ralph that Slavin was now about to reveal the real motive of his midnight call.
"I wanted to ask you," proceeded Slavin, rather lamely--"has anyone been troubling you lately?"
"Why, no," answered Ralph in quick surprise at the pointed inquiry--"but who, for instance?"
"Mort Bemis, for one. And do you know the fellow he went off with?"
"You mean Ike Slump?"
"That's his name. Look out for him--for both of them. I'll do the rest," rather emphatically observed Slavin, doubling up his fist till it resembled the hammering end of a big sledge.