"You fellows quit!" he cried. "If you don’t you’ll get hurt! I didn’t come along for this, and I’m no plebe."
"Give it to them!" cried Dick again. "They’re paid to do you! Look out!"
One of the sailors had clutched the victim from behind and was seeking to hold him while the chap with the sand-bag got in his work. Fortunately the liquor had affected the trio enough, so they were not very certain in their movements.
Then Dick Merriwell took a hand, and his hard fist caught under the ear of the thug who was holding the intended victim. The blow was hard and sure, and the fellow would have been knocked flying had he not clung to the chap he had grasped. Both were sent staggering, and then the unknown broke away.
"Jump them!" again urged Dick. "They’re paid to do you! I heard the bargain!"
Then the other woke up, and the two sailed into the ruffians in earnest. This was quite unexpected by the sailors, but they had taken enough liquor to make them ready for any kind of a fight, and they did not quit on finding they had tackled more than they anticipated.
"Soak ’em, Bill!" roared one. "They’re a couple o’ kids. Give ’em thunder!"
"Don’t get caught from behind again!" cried Dick to the fellow he was aiding. "Back to back! I’ll stand by you! We can do these drunken thugs!"
"All right!" came the reply, as the one attacked sailed into the fight and managed to thump one of the ruffians in the stomach, doubling him up.
Then followed a furious encounter, for the sailors were determined to earn their money, and they had no thought of being routed by two boys. Being engaged in front by the biggest fellow of the trio, who seemed to know something about the science of boxing, Dick received a heavy blow on the temple, which dropped him to one knee.