With a bellow of rage Bill Dugan leaped forward.
“That won’t do you no good,” bellowed Dugan, assuming furious rage, both to impress the boys and to conceal his astonishment. “I’ve got you where I want you. Are you going to give up them plans?”
“I am not!”
The reply came swift as a bullet. Rob realized that in some way the rascal before him knew that the precious designs were in his possession. He determined that they would not leave his person without a struggle. Somehow he felt that the three of them, all clean-lived, healthy, muscular boys, should prove a match for the hulking, bloated, blustering brute before him. He was totally unprepared for the fellow’s next move, however. With a gliding motion of one hand, so swift as to be almost imperceptible, Dugan suddenly produced a gun. At the same instant he gave a shrill whistle, and from behind his rock the serpentine form of the Jap appeared. His almond shaped eyes glittered balefully as he took in the scene before him.
Dugan took quick advantage of the temporary distraction of the lad’s attention.
With an agility which would hardly have been expected from his huge proportions, he suddenly sprang forward. Rob, totally unprepared as he was for such a move, could not defend himself. Down he toppled into the dust, before the savage onslaught of the giant Dugan’s great form falling on top of him and pinning the lad securely to the ground.
CHAPTER IX.
WHEREIN CAPTAIN HUDGINS’ BEES SWARM.
As Rob and the soldier sprawled in the road “hugger-mugger,” Merritt darted forward. He succeeded in seizing Dugan’s gnarled fist just as it was about to come crashing down in the boy’s face, but as his fingers closed upon Dugan’s arm a convulsive pain shot through the corporal of the Eagles. Switching round he saw, bending over him, the grinning face of the Jap. The Oriental had merely pressed upon some nervous center of Merritt’s being, and had for a second paralyzed all effort. It was the lad’s first introduction to jiu-jitsu.
“Ouch!” yelled Merritt, in spite of himself.