"I will go when I damned please, you Yankee jackanapes!" the Greek
retorted through set teeth. Yerkes is a free man, able and willing to
shoulder his own end of any argument. He closed, and the Greek's ribs
cracked under a vastly stronger hug than he had dreamed of expecting.
But Coutlass was no weakling either, and though he gasped he gathered
himself for a terrific effort.

"Come on!" said Monty, and went past me through the door like a bolt
from a catapult. Fred followed me, and when he saw us both out on the
landing Monty started down the stairs.

"Come on!" he called again.

We followed, for there is no use in choosing a leader if you don't
intend to obey him, even on occasions when you fail at once to
understand. There was one turn on the wide stairs, and Monty stood
there, back to the wall.

"Go below, you fellows, and catch!" he laughed. "We don't want Will
jailed for homicide!"

The struggle was fierce and swift. Coutlass searched with a thumb for
Will's eye, and stamped on his instep with an iron-shod heel. But he
was a dissolute brute, and for all his strength Yerkes' cleaner living
very soon told. Presently Will spared a hand to wrench at the
ambitious thumb, and Coutlass screamed with agony. Then he began to
sway this way and that without volition of his own, yielding his
balance, and losing it again and again. In another minute Yerkes had
him off his feet, cursing and kicking.