“Git up, Dick. Yer eye is turnin’ all black!”
“Better let him go, he’s too much for you!”
Dick Lanning was slow in coming to the front. The eye was not only black, but it was closing rapidly.
“He’s got a stone in his fist—he don’t fight fair,” he growled to his friends.
“I have nothing in my fist,” retorted Jerry. “If he wants anymore, I fancy I can accommodate him, although I don’t care to fight.”
Dick Lanning was uneasy. He glanced toward his friends and passed a signal to one of his cronies.
“Police! skip!” cried the crony. “Come on, Dick, you don’t want to git caught!”
And he dragged Dick Lanning away, while the crowd scattered like magic. No policeman was in sight, nor did any appear. It was only a ruse to retire without acknowledging defeat.
But that fight taught Dick Lanning a severe lesson. He still remained down upon the young oarsman, but in the future he fought shy of our hero, knowing that Jerry would not stand his bullying manner.
On Saturday the shop closed down early, and, having nothing else to do, Jerry walked down to the newspaper office in hope of receiving some answer to the advertisement for the missing papers.