e quarrel was now on in earnest, and in the midst of the melee a
burly waiter came rushing from below, demanding to know what was the
matter.

"A pair of spies!" shouted Pender. "Help us to give them a sound
thrashing, Pat."

"Sure, Oi will that!" was the answer, and the waiter joined in the
attack on Dick and Powell.

It was with a mighty effort that Powell managed to throw off his
assailants. Then he leaped for the window, reached the ladder, and
fairly slid to the ground.

"Let up on Dick Rover!" he called, when safe. "If you don't, I'll rouse
the constable and have somebody locked up."

"Confound him!" muttered Rockley. "We had better dust out. If he calls
a constable the jig will be up."

With a parting kick at Dick he rushed down the back stairs to the
resort, and unlocked the door. Taking care that Powell should not see
him, he darted into the gathering darkness.

Ben Hurdy followed Rockley, and a moment later Pender and Jackson did
the same. Then Flapp came staggering down the stairs, holding his nose,
from which the blood was flowing freely.

"Let's get back to the Hall as quickly as we can," he said to the
others. "And if we are examined, we can deny everything."

"All right," said Pender. "But what did you do to Rover?"

"Somebody kicked him and he's about half unconscious. I left him to the
tender mercies of Pat the waiter." And then Lew Flapp and his cronies
hurried away on the road leading to Putnam Hall.

Dick might have defended himself, but he was cruelly kicked several
times, and partly lost consciousness, as already told. In a dim,
uncertain manner he felt himself raised up and carried below, and then
put on the grass of the yard behind Mike Sherry's resort.

When he was able to move he sat up and then arose to his feet slowly.
At that moment Songbird Powell discovered him. Powell had been up the
ladder a second time, to find the window closed and locked.

"Dick!" he exclaimed. "Are you badly hurt?"

"I--I don't know," was the slow reply. "How are you?"

"I'm all right?"

"Where are Flapp and the rest?"

"They ran away."

"And Harry and Joe?"

"They are waiting for us, down at the turn in the road."

Dick put his hand to his head, to find a big lump directly back of the
ear. His ear was cut, and there was a scratch on his chin.

"They didn't fight fair," he explained, when he felt a little
stronger. "They kicked me when I was down."

Aided by Powell he made his way to a pu