"You keep out of this, Slugger!" cried Jack, and then, as Werner hit out a second time, Jack dodged and the bully's fist struck the side of the building, skinning several of his knuckles. Then Jack landed a blow with all the force he could command on Werner's left ear, and the rascal went down on the cinder path and rolled over into the roadway.
By this time the men in the restaurant had run outside and were coming up.
"What's the rumpus here?" demanded Jake Tate, pushing his way through the crowd of boys. He was a burly individual, and could at times put on a most aggressive manner.
"We caught these four fellows right by this window," declared Nappy Martell, with a sharp look first at Tate and then at Davenport.
"It looked to us as though they might be spying on you," added Slugger Brown, and he too gave Davenport a peculiar look.
"Spying on us, eh?" muttered the oil company promoter in anything but a pleasant manner. "Fine piece of business to be in!"
By this time Gabe Werner had rolled over and gotten to his feet. But instead of coming at Jack again, he kept at a safe distance, in the meanwhile sucking his bruised knuckles and nursing his left ear.
"We have a right to walk on this street if we want to," remarked Randy.
"They were standing right by this window, and appeared to be listening to something," declared Slugger Brown.
"Then they must have been listening to what we were saying," grumbled Jackson.