“Yes. We told them we had the checks and they said we’d have to show them. I had mine, but Chester couldn’t find his. So he grabbed the nearest fellow—the seats were on the aisle—and pulled him onto the floor and yelled for me to slug the other chap. So I slugged him. By that time every one was standing up and telling us to ‘Go it, Bill,’ and then they began to crowd around us. I don’t know just what happened, but the other fellow and I were having it under the seats. There wasn’t room to do anything except hold on to each other, and so we did that and called each other names. I remember he said I was a ‘contumelious cub,’ only he was drunk and couldn’t say it plain, and that made me mad, and——”
“And Davy and I dragged you both out by your heels and got you away from the strong arm of the law,” finished John. “We had some trouble doing it. Chester insisted on fighting the whole crowd and that nearly queered us. We had just managed to make them understand that it was all fun, when it dawned on him that there were police present and that it was his bounden duty to do them up. But it ended all right. We got you and Chester into a hack and brought you home. What became of Kingsford and that tall, black-haired youngster I don’t know. But I guess they got off all right.”
“Kingsford?” asked Phillip, drawing his brows together. “Was he there?”
“Was he there! Do you mean that you didn’t know it was Kingsford you were mauling under the seats?”
Phillip groaned.
“Honest, John?”
“Honest Injun.”
“I must have been pretty bad. I didn’t recognize him at all. Why, he’s—he’s a chum!” John smiled.
“Chum, eh? And you were just showing him how much you loved him, I suppose? Well, it’s all past now, Phil. I’m not sure, though, that it isn’t my duty as your—hem—guardian, Phil, to read you a short lecture.”