To all these and many more
ingenious tricks to humiliate him, Mr. Bates paid not the slightest
attention, but, as calmly and as impassively as Fate, kept as nearly
as he could to the four-foot distance he had promised.

It was about ten o'clock when Biff, interested for a moment in the
switch-board, suddenly missed Ripley, and looking about him hastily he
saw the fireman standing in the door of the boiler-room grinning at
him, while the other workmen--all of whom were of the old regime--were
also enjoying his discomfort; but Daly, catching his eye, nodded
significantly toward the side-door which led upon the street. It was
an almost imperceptible nod, but it was enough for Biff, and he dashed
out of that door. Half a block ahead of him he saw Ripley hurrying,
and took after him with that light, cat-like run which is the height
of effortless and noiseless speed. Ripley, looking back hastily,
hurried into a saloon, and he had scarcely closed the door when Biff
entered after him, in time to see his man standing at the telephone,
receiver in hand. It was the work of but an instant to grab Ripley by
the arm and jerk him away from the 'phone. Quickly recovering his
balance, with a lunge of his whole body Ripley shot a swift fist at
the man who had interfered with him, but Biff, without shifting his
position, jerked his head to one side and the fist shot harmlessly by.
Before another blow could be struck, or parried, the bartender, a
brawny giant, had rushed between them.

"Let us alone, Jeff," panted Ripley. "I've got all I can stand for
from this rat."

"Outside!" said Jeff with cold finality. "You can beat him to a pulp
in the street, Con, but there'll be no scrimmage in this place without
me having a hand in it."

Ripley considered this ultimatum for a moment in silence, and then, to
Biff's surprise, suddenly ran out of the door. It was a tight race to
the plant, and there, with Biff not more than two arms' length behind
him, Ripley jerked at a lever hitherto untouched, and instantly the
place was plunged into complete darkness.

"There!" screamed Ripley.

A second later Biff had grappled him, and together they went to the
floor. It was only a moment that the darkness lasted, however, for
tall Tom Daly stood by the replaced switch, looking down at them in
quiet joy. Immediately with the turning on of the light Biff scrambled
to his feet like a cat and waited for Ripley to rise. It was Ripley
who made the first lun