Larry managed to save himself, and then he called for assistance by crying to his companions:
“Come on, Tom and Jerry! gi’n him fits!”
These boys evidently felt it their duty to help defend their companion, for they rushed to his assistance, both of them seizing upon Rob from the rear.
Assailed on every hand it began to look as if Little Hickory would have more than he could attend to. But he was not one to give up. Giving the twain behind a tremendous kick, which sent Jerry flying heels over head into the dirt, he closed in with Larry.
By that time the outcries had reached those at the house, and Joe, Mrs. Bayne and Aunt Vinnie all came running to the scene, excited over the rather startling situation.
Unheeding them or their cries, Little Hickory continued to struggle with Larry, while the other two boys, Jerry having recovered himself, lent their assistance as best they could.
Aunt Vinnie called for her boys to come away, and Rob’s mother appealed to him to desist. Joe Willet was alone silent. She had seen that Larry was discontented and jealous of Rob’s influence, and better than the others, knew that it could not be overcome in any other way than to show him he was not master by brute strength. She would fain have assisted Rob, but saw no way of doing it. It would be better, too, for Rob to win his victory alone, if he could win it at all.
So the four boys—three against one—struggled to and fro, back and forth. Larry had seized on Rob’s collar with a grip he could not break, while Tom and Jerry were pulling at his legs, and trying by all means in their power to trip him.
Finally Little Hickory managed to get his hand on the collar of Tom, when the latter suddenly found himself lifted up and ranged by the side of Larry. Then, with his right hand on the shoulder of Larry, he suddenly brought the heads of the two boys together with a force which filled the air about them with stars, and caused them to utter involuntary cries of pain.
At that moment Jerry succeeded in pulling one foot from under Rob, and the last was forced down upon one knee, when it seemed as if Larry and Tom, who had rallied, would crush him to the ground.