Fitts danced round in an endeavor to get hold of Gunn, but the latter skillfully turned so that he kept Miss Ketchum’s limp form between them. “Unhand that lady!” rasped the man from Mississippi, fairly frothing. “How dare yo’ behave in such a manner!” “Oh, go back to your kennel!” advised Zenas. The major caught hold of Sarah Ann and managed to dance round until he could get his hands on the professor. “Release her!” he commanded. Miss Ketchum straightened up a little. “Such a shocking scandal!” she sobbed. “Yo’ have compromised her, suh!” panted Fitts. “Yo’ shall pay the penalty with your life, suh!” “I’ve stood just as much of this as I can!” grated Zenas. “I’ll just throw you downstairs!” Which he attempted to do, while Sarah Ann again tried to part them. On the top stair both lost their balance. Wildly they grabbed at something as they toppled. The right hand of Zenas caught Miss Ketchum. The left hand of the major closed on her, also. Then all three toppled, a shriek of terror escaped the woman, and down they went. Bump, bump, bump-ety-bump! Tangled in a most astonishing manner, the three seemed to bound like a huge rubber ball from stair to stair. At intervals legs and arms shot out from the mass and described half circles in the air. The woman continued to scream, the professor yelled, while the major grunted and gasped with every thump. It sounded as if the entire hotel was falling. “Oh, say, pard, this is awful!” cried Buckhart, rushing toward the stairs. “I’m afraid the professor will be somewhat dented,” said Dick, also losing no time. Thud! crash! The trio landed at the bottom of the stairs. Sarah Ann struck in a sitting posture, with her skirts outspread. She was minus a wig and a full set of false teeth, and she presented a ludicrous spectacle of wreck and despair. Both men were beneath her, and having landed on them she did not seem to be seriously harmed. Dick and Brad bounded down the stairs and reached her. “Are you hurt, madam?” questioned Merriwell, his natural chivalry causing him to express anxiety for her first. She spoke, and strange were the mumbling sounds which issued from her toothless mouth. “I’ve sost my seesh in thish dishgrashful affairsh,” she answered. “Be sho kindsh to reshtorsh my seesh, pleash.” “Here madam,” said Dick, picking up something, “are part of them.” “And here, madam,” said Brad, also picking something up, “are the rest of them.” She hastily slipped them into her mouth, while Mowbry Fitts began to kick and shout. “Let me get up!” he called, in a muffled voice. “Be quiet,” said Miss Ketchum, “until I have arranged my toilet.” Her head was almost entirely devoid of hair. “Perhaps this may assist you,” said Dick, discovering her wig and handing it to her. “Help!” called the husky voice of Professor Gunn. “I’m smothering! I can’t breathe!”