A crowd sprang toward the spot, and when Breslin arose he shouted:
“Arrest that fellow for assault!”
Mark Merrill was not to be seen. He had been quickly drawn aside by Bemis Perry.
A policeman, hearing that “a cadet had knocked the gentleman down,” at once seized Scott Clemmons against his earnest protests.
But from this predicament Breslin released him, by coming to his rescue with the words:
“You are wrong, officer, that is not the man. But I will show you the man.”
“No, I’d not arrest any one on your charge, Breslin, for I know you now, and you doubtless insulted the one who knocked you down,” and, turning to Clemmons, he continued:
“You, sir, doubtless do not know this man, so I warn you against him as a barroom loafer and dead beat generally, who fleeces all strangers he can pick up.”
With this the officer walked off, while Scott Clemmons felt as though he would like to sink into the floor to hide himself, especially as he caught sight of a cadet uniform vanishing from the crowd.
So he skulked away, as under the words of the officer Breslin had quickly vanished.