Kit straightened up on being released, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Come along, Stubbs," said Hayden, with an ugly look at Kit and his protector. "Our business is through."
"Not quite," said Achilles, quietly, as he laid his broad hand with a detaining grasp on the shoulder of the ruffian. "I am not through with you."
"What do you want?" asked Dick Hayden with assumed bravado, but with an uneasy look on his lowering face.
"I am going to give you a lesson. I gave you one at the circus ground, but you need another."
"Touch me if you dare!" said Hayden, defiantly.
For answer, Achilles hurled him to the ground with less effort than Hayden would have needed to serve Kit in the same way. Then with the cowhide uplifted he struck the prostrate wretch three sharp blows that made him howl with rage and pain. Stubbs looked on with pale face, thinking that his turn might come next.
"Hit him, Stubbs! Kill him!" screamed Dick Hayden. "Would you stand by and see me murdered?"
"I can't help you," said Stubbs. "What can I do?"
Having administered justice to the chief ruffian, Achilles turned to Stubbs.