Smash! crack!—two blows stretched one of the waiters on the floor and sent the other flying over the top of a table.
The girl seemed overcome with terror, but Merry politely offered his arm, calmly saying:
“If you will accept my protection, I will see you home.”
She took his arm, and they started toward the door.
All this had happened so suddenly that the other patrons of the place scarcely seemed aware there was any trouble before the waiters had been knocked down and Frank was leaving with the girl.
Uttering furious exclamations, the waiters scrambled up.
“Give it to him!” snarled the bouncer, starting after Frank.
Then, strangely enough, Douglas Dunton thrust out his foot, and the man tripped over it, going down with a crash. The other waiter was following him closely, and he went sprawling over his companion.
Dunton made haste to skip out by a side door, not even stopping to pay his bill. The waiters saw him escaping, and, remembering he had not paid, they turned after him, giving Merry an opportunity to get away without further molestation.