“Quit it, Bill. Can’t you pick somebody of your own size to fight with? If you can’t we’ll do the job for you. We’ll——”
The speaker paused suddenly. All at once things began to happen that caused them to pause in open-mouthed wonder.
Both the bully’s blows had landed on thin air. Davis had deftly side-stepped out of harm’s way. The lad paused for one brief instant, poising on his toes, then he leaped straight at the husky sailor.
The men said afterwards that they could not tell which was Bill and which was Dan Davis. The air was full of flying fists, and above the shouts of the sailors was heard the sound of heavy blows.
The jackies yelled and shouted their appreciation. Such a lively set-to they had not seen in many a day.
At at once Bill Kester sat down on the deck with a resounding bump, while Dan Davis stood with a calm smile on his face, gazing down at the astonished bully.
Then the sailors discovered that which set them wild with enthusiasm. Both of Kester’s eyes were blackened and rapidly swelling, and were almost shut. His lips were puffed out to twice their natural size and on the right side of his head he wore a “beautiful” cauliflower ear.
Bill was dazed. He had been through many hard-fought battles, but never had he quite met with as sure and quick disaster as in the present instance.
“I—I’ll fix you for this,” he snarled, getting to his feet, groping for the companionway, which he could not see, for by this time his eyes were shut by the swelling.
“Why not do it now!” suggested Dan. “There is no time like the present, and besides we may not get another chance.”