He could not bring himself to fight a woman, however annoying and irritating she might be.
In the meantime, Chick had stolen down on the other side of the street, and, perceiving the curious fight in which Patsy was engaged, was doubled up with laughter.
His quick eye had shown him that Patsy was in no need of help so far as the young man was concerned, and he believed that, as energetic as the young woman might be, Patsy could find a way to evade her.
As a matter of fact, he wanted to be free to follow the young woman were the two to escape Patsy.
This curious fight went on in that quiet street for some little time, little or no noise being made, since the combatants did not speak.
At length Patsy, having become tired of the game, devoted himself wholly to the young man without regard to the young woman. Finally, he got in a blow on the young man that sent him down to the pavement.
Turning to the young woman as she came up to him, he caught her by the wrists, and, holding her fast, said:
“It’s about time you stopped this.”
The young woman struggled to release herself, and found that she was as a mere child in the grasp of the athletic and trained young detective.
It seemed as if she was more angry in finding herself so helpless in his grasp than she had been before. She said: