"Are you through?" demanded Hugh, sternly. "If you say the word I'll
have some of your crowd stand you up on your pegs again, so I may knock
you down. While I'm at it I want to make it a thorough job. Have you
had all you want for tonight?"

In deadly fear lest Hugh be tempted to put his threat into execution,
Nick managed to swallow his pride, and mumble that he guessed he must
be out of condition just then, a fact so evident that Thad had to laugh
aloud.

"All right, then," said Hugh, stepping back, for he had been standing
over the fallen boy in a threatening attitude, like a Roman gladiator
who had thrown his rival, and was waiting to see what signal the
emperor gave so as to decide the vanquished man's fate.

He took one look around at Leon and those two other fellows. They
quailed before his fierce glance.

"If any of the rest of you feel like having a try with me while I'm in
the humor, now's your chance! Don't all speak at once, please," said
Hugh, grimly.

When they saw him take a step in their direction, they shrank back.
Although not averse to having a little entertainment of the sort at
times, none of them seemed to particularly fancy being made a scapegoat.

"We're satisfied, Hugh," said Leon, hurriedly. "Nick got trimmed neat
and good. It's been coming to him for a long time, I guess."

There is a saying to the effect that "rats desert a sinking ship"; and