lent disadvantage to the
officer--and then he raised the paving block only to lower it silently
and suddenly upon the back of that unsuspecting head--"and then there
were two."

Before the man's companions realized what had happened Billy had
possessed himself of the fallen club and struck one of them a blinding,
staggering blow across the eyes. Then number three pulled his gun and
fired point-blank at Billy. The bullet tore through the mucker's left
shoulder. It would have sent a more highly organized and nervously
inclined man to the pavement; but Billy was neither highly organized nor
nervously inclined, so that about the only immediate effect it had upon
him was to make him mad--before he had been but peeved--peeved at the
rank crust that had permitted these cheap-skates from south of Twelfth
Street to work his territory.

Thoroughly aroused, Billy was a wonder. From a long line of burly
ancestors he had inherited the physique of a prize bull. From earliest
childhood he had fought, always unfairly, so that he knew all the tricks
of street fighting. During the past year there had been added to Billy's
natural fighting ability and instinct a knowledge of the scientific
end of the sport. The result was something appalling--to the gink from
Twelfth Street.

Before he knew whether his shot had killed Billy his gun had been
wrenched from his hand and flung across the street; he was down on the
granite with a hand as hard as the paving block scrambling his facial
attractions beyond hope of recall.

By this time Patrolman Lasky had staggered to his feet, and most
opportunely at that, for the man whom Billy had dazed with the club was
recovering. Lasky promptly put him to sleep with the butt of the gun
that he had been unable to draw when first attacked, then he turned to
assist Billy. But it was not Billy who needed assistance--it was the
gentleman from Bohemia. With difficulty Lasky dragged Billy from his
prey.

"Leave enough of him for the inquest," pleaded Lasky.

When the wagon arrived Billy had disappeared, but Lasky had recognized
him and thereafter the two had nodded pleasantly to each other upon such
occasions as they chanced to meet upon the street.

Two years elapsed before the event transpired which proved a crisis in
Billy's life. During this period his existence had been much the same as
before. He had collected what was coming to him from careless and less
muscular citizens. He had helped to stick up