“Another one for you!” growled Manton. “Come on, fellows.”
“Wait a moment!” exclaimed Frank, flinging up his hand. “What do you think will be the end of this? If you don’t kill us here and now, I promise to land you three in prison for assault with intent to kill. I mean you, Manton, you, Frost, and you, Necker. I know you. You were fools to come here with your thugs. The evidence against you will be overwhelming. You’ll go to prison, every one of you!”
“Bah! He’s trying to frighten you, boys,” said Manton. “He thinks he can bluff us.”
“I promise the remainder of the gang that I shall make it pretty warm for them. I seldom forget a face I have once seen, and I’ve been looking them all over. I’ll spend a year, if necessary, in running this gang down and giving each one the full strength of the law.”
“Don’t pay any attention to him!” howled Manton. “He always makes a bluff. Fly at him!”
The thugs muttered among themselves and advanced, gripping their clubs. They spread out to intercept Merry and Bart if the intended victims sought to run away.
“Got to fight ’em, Merry!” hissed Hodge.
“Got to, Bart!” was the answer.
They placed themselves back to back, in order to defend themselves as best they could.
Jack Necker was hesitating. Manton appealed to him.