oath, made a confused din in the half
lighted room. Mark burst his way through his assailants to the spot
where Flash and Emerson were standing, somewhat in the rear of the
crowd, for they had been sitting at the other end of the room. Flash had
a pistol in his hand, but the man who was standing in front of him was
struck with such violence that he fell backwards, knocking Emerson
to the ground and almost upsetting Flash, and before the latter could
steady himself Mark struck him with all his force under the chin. A
moment later the landlord blew out the two candies, and in the darkness
the ruffians made a dash for the door, carried Tring and Ingleston off
their feet, and rushed out into the lane.

"If the man who blew those candles out don't light them again at once,"
Gibbons shouted, "I, Charley Gibbons, tell him that I will smash him and
burn this place over his head; he had best be quick about it."

The landlord, cowed with the threat, soon returned with a candle from
the kitchen, and lit those that he had extinguished.

"Well, Mr. Thorndyke, we just arrived in time, I fancy," Gibbons said.

"You have saved my life, Gibbons--you and the others. How you got to
know that I was here I cannot imagine. I would have been a dead man
in another half hour if you had not arrived. I thank you all from the
bottom of my heart."

"That is all right, sir," Gibbons said. "It is a pleasure to give such
scoundrels as these a lesson. Is anyone hurt? I fancy I have got a
scratch or two."

Several of the men had been cut with knives, but the blows had been
given so hurriedly that no one was seriously injured. Twelve men lay on
the ground.

"Now sir, what shall we do with these fellows?"

"I should say we had better leave them alone, Gibbons. I don't want any
row over the affair. It is the work of these two fellows here. I think I
pretty well settled one of them."

Gibbons stooped over Flash.

"You have broken his jaw, sir; but he will come round in time. I believe
this other fellow is only shamming. I don't see any of our handiwork
upon his face. The others have all got as much as they want, I think,"
and taking a candle he looked at their faces. "There is not one of them
who will want to show up for a week or so," he said, "and there are two
or three who will carry the marks to their graves. Well, sir, if you
don't want anything done to them, the sooner we are off the better.
Those fellows who got away may bring a lot of ot