“Don’t stand for any seditious talk!” advised some one beside the colonel.
Ned, Bob and Jerry kept together. They saw half a dozen soldiers, regulars from the recruiting station, walking toward the platform.
Just then some one threw a chair over the heads of the crowd toward the platform. It broke some of the electric lights with pops like those of a distant revolver.
“It’s a shame to stop our speakers!” declared a man next to Jerry, and his voice was unmistakably German.
“Oh, is it? Say, what kind of an American are you?” asked Ned.
“Chust as goot vot you are!” came the quick answer. “I show you dot you can’t——!”
He aimed a blow at Ned, who, to guard himself quickly raised his arm, and, in so doing, accidentally struck the German in the face. The latter let out a roar, and at once began to fling his arms around like flails.
“Grab him!” cried Jerry to Bob, who was beside Ned.
In another instant fights started in several parts of the hall, and there were shouts and yells, some calling for order and others yelling just from excitement.