The encounter had been witnessed by others besides those immediately interested. Madison was well known and feared in Cartersville, and the loafers about the station, as well as those who had business there, saw him defeated for the first time in his career of terrorism. Although some of them rejoiced over it, yet nearly all were still too much awed by his record to express themselves. The treatment he had received at the hands of Merriwell had wrenched and bruised the ruffian, whose arms and shoulders felt as if they had been twisted nearly out of their joints. The fellow got up slowly after the third fall. Some fancied he would attempt to get at Merriwell again, but he had been checked and cowed most effectively. He stood beyond Frank’s reach and glared, his face showing his fury, while his huge hands twitched convulsively. The language that flowed from the lips of the ruffian was of a character to make any hearer shudder in case he possessed any degree of decency. “That will do!” interrupted Merry sharply, the pleasant expression leaving his face. “Not another word of it! Close up instantly!” “What if I don’t?” demanded Madison. “Then what you have received from me is a mere taste beside what you’ll get,” promised Frank. Madison turned to his followers. “What’s the matter with you?” he snarled. “What made you stand round and see him do stunts with me? Why didn’t you light on him, you muckers?” “We were waiting and pining for them to make some such movement, gentle sir,” observed Jack Ready. “Yah!” cried Dunnerwurst. “Id vould haf peen very bleasing for us to seen id did.” “You told us you’d do ther whole thing when we came down to the station, Mad,” reminded one of the gang. “We was waitin’ for ye to do it,” said another grimly. “Of vaiting you haf become tiredness,” observed Hans. “You don’d blame me vor dot.” Madison started to pour forth vile language again, but Merry took a single step in his direction and he stopped, lifting his hands to defend himself. “I don’t care to touch you again,” said Frank; “but if I hear two more words of that character from your lips I’ll take another fall out of you.” “You’re mighty brave now!” muttered the tough; “but I ain’t done with ye. No man ever flung Mat Madison round like a bag of rags and didn’t regret it. You’d been better off if you’d took my advice and left on that train. Now you can’t leave before to-morrer, and I’m going to square up with you before you git away.” “I don’t fancy your threats, any more than your vile language. I’ll take neither from you. We came to this town to play baseball, and we propose to do so—or know the reason why.” “You won’t play no baseball here, and don’t you think ye will. That’s all settled. There won’t be no more baseball in this town as long as Joe Gaddis tries to run things.” “What’s the matter with Gaddis?” “You’ll find out—mebbe. There ain’t no baseball team here now.” “No ball team?” “No.” “I don’t believe that.”