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and the canvas men still raged fiercely near the ticket stand. It looked as if the intruders would conquer. From the ranks of the defenders rose a wild and desperate cry, "Hey, Rube!" Achilles heard it. "Come, Kit!" he said. "We are wanted." He hurled the miner in his grasp to the ground with such force that the man lay senseless; then he rushed with all the speed which his long limbs enabled him to attain to the scene of the conflict. Here again he was none too soon. The leader of the miners, who had been the first spokesman and aggressor, was armed with a powerful club with which he was preparing to deal the ticket seller a terrible and possibly fatal blow, when Achilles rushed into the _melee_ like a hurricane. He snatched the club from the hands of the ruffian, and dealt about unsparingly. The ringleader was the first to fall. Next Achilles attacked the rest of the brutal gang, till half a dozen men with broken heads lay upon the ground. The attacking force were completely demoralized, and in dismay fled from the field. The ticket seller breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought I was done for, Mr. Henderson," he said, when the giant returned flushed with his exertions. "You are equal to half a dozen men." "I haven't had so much exercise in a long time," said Achilles, panting. "Kit, where is the knife that scalawag was going to cut the rope with?" "Here it is, Mr. Henderson." "I will keep it in remembrance of this little adventure. Perhaps I had better go and look after the original owner." He met the ruffian limping like one disabled. His look was sullen and menacing. "Give me my knife," he growled. "I couldn't think of it, my man!" said Achilles blandly. "Evidently you are not old enough to be trusted with a knife." "I'd like to thrash you!" growled the miner again. "I've no doubt of it, my friend; your intentions are good, but can't be carried out. And now I have a word to say," he continued, sternly. "Just get out of the lot as fast as your legs can carry you, or I'll serve you worse than I did before." The ruffian looked toward the ticket stand. He saw several of his friends limping away like himself, looking like whipped curs, and he saw that there was no choice for him but to obey. With a muttered oath and a sullen scowl, he left the grounds. "Kit," said the giant, "it won't do for me to exercise like this every day. I shall need a second supper." "You are certainly ent
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