cut his cheek open and blood spurted
upon both as they fought, the frail partition swaying under their
weight. Swanson leaped with his arm drawn for a knock-out blow, just
as Jack's right caught Kennedy upon the jaw and dropped him to the
floor helpless. The blow the Swede had aimed at the fighter hit him
upon the shoulder and slid over his head, and Jack, whirling, faced his
new adversary. Swanson sprang to close quarters with the giant and his
fist thudded home. Jack, groggy and already half spent from his
exertions, clinched and hung on. The Swede, now a man gone mad with
the lust of battle, shook him off, hurled the giant backward against
the partition, and, crouching, he prepared to swing his right, waiting
for the opening to the jaw, while Jack, groggy and half dazed, covered
his head with his arms and swayed. The blow never landed. Suddenly it
seemed to Swanson as if the worlds were crashing around his head.
Bright stars danced before his eyes, his knees gave way beneath him,
and with a foolish laugh he sank to the floor and rolled, helpless,
beside his fallen comrade. His last recollection was of hearing a
telephone bell jangling somewhere.

The ringing of the telephone bell that Swanson heard as he lapsed into
unconsciousness was the call of Barney Baldwin for Ed Edwards. The
gambler, who, with his frightened companion, had heard the sounds of
the terrific struggle in the barroom sink into silence, spoke rapidly
for an instant, then, as Baldwin said: "They've got the wrong man," he
hung up the receiver with an oath and leaped toward the doorway. He
emerged upon a tableau showing his slugger, half dazed and hanging to
the partition for support, two figures inert upon the floor and the
bartender coolly walking back toward the bar, carrying a heavy
bung-starter in his hand, that explained the sudden ending of the fight.

CHAPTER XVIII

_Two Missing Men_

The disappearance of Silent Swanson and Ben Kennedy brought
consternation to the ranks of the Bears, consternation that increased
as the hour for starting the first game of the series against the
Jackrabbits drew near. McCarthy, returning to the rooms after his
surprising interview with Helen Baldwin, was determined to tell his
chum all that had taken place and to explain as well as was possible
the position in which he found himself. He planned to urge Swanson to
go with him to Clancy, and for that reason he postponed taking the
manager in