Nick Carter leaped lightly over the partition, landed upon the table between the combatants, and at once settled one of the ruffians by a well-directed kick under the chin.
The other, too astonished for a moment to make any movement of defense, was piled on top of his companion by a fist blow under his ear.
“Now, then,” said Nick, addressing the astonished horseman, “those fellows won’t lay long in that way, and we’d better get out o’ here mighty quick![{20}]”
CHAPTER III.
A LARGE BET.
The detective and Amos passed out of the stall and out of the place, leaving the two ruffians lying unconscious upon the floor.
As they reached the street Amos pointed with his finger toward the place they had just left.
“There’ll be a big racket down there,” he said.
“We won’t be in it,” was the reply. “Those fellows are two of the toughest thieves in the city.”
“You know them, then?”
“They were pointed out to me one day.”