“No,” she quavered.
“Well,” came the reply, “you’ll have to fight. We are going after the Eighteenth Street gang and we need reinforcements. You will help. But if you don’t fight, well, you’ll get the worst of it anyhow. Come on.”
Shirley hung back, but it was no use. A boy grabbed her by either arm, and she found herself being hurried along.
“We’ll fix ’em this time,” was the cry of the boys.
CHAPTER XII.—SHIRLEY FINDS A CHAMPION.
Shirley realized that she was in a serious predicament. Guarded as she was, she had no hope of escape, and she realized that the situation was rapidly growing worse. Every step forward took her that much nearer danger. Still she did not wish to betray that she was a girl, so she wiped the tears from her eyes with a quick brush of her sleeve and moved along with the rest without resistance.
Two blocks further on the gang came to an abrupt stop, and the two who seemed to be the leaders conferred. Then, at an order from one, the gang divided into two parts. Shirley found herself under the direction of a boy whom his companions called Dick.
“You go around that way with your fellows, Tom,” said Dick, waving his arm to the left, “and I’ll go this way. We’ll catch ’em between us and pay ’em back for what they did to Ed and Joe yesterday.”
The boys moved off in two different directions. Shirley found herself right behind Dick and she eyed him curiously. Young though he was, the girl saw that he was strong and powerful. An athlete herself, she could not but admire the easy swing of his shoulders as he trotted on ahead, his calm assurance and the confidence with which he gave his orders. Shirley decided to stay as close to him as possible.
And now turning another corner, Dick shouted: