The effect was magical. Out into the street poured the mob, and fled wildly in every direction. Before he realized that it was all over Lefty felt himself grasped by the shoulders, hustled out of the barricade and rushed across the street. The whole thoroughfare was filled with flying men, so that they passed unnoticed as Fargo headed straight for the nearest corner. “Them cops is coming at last,” he explained shortly, whirling into a side street. “We don’t want to be pinched. Think you’re good for the hotel, kid? If you ain’t, we can stop at a drug store and have you patched up.” “I can make it all right,” Lefty gasped. “I’m only――dead beat.” An instant later he stopped still. “What became of Elgin?” he asked abruptly. “I forgot him.” “He beat it.” Fargo’s tone was noncommittal. “He crawled out the same way I got in, while they was busy with you. That ticket coop was held up a mite at the end by hitting against the wall. He’s all safe.” There was an expression of curiosity on the catcher’s face, and for a moment he seemed about to ask a question. Apparently he changed his mind, however, for the next instant his lips closed and he hustled Lefty on again. They reached the hotel without attracting much attention. Locke had managed to wipe most of the stains of battle from his face, and as they entered the side door Fargo clapped his own wide-brimmed felt hat on the other’s head, starting some rough bantering with the elevator boy, which kept the fellow occupied. They stepped out on the top floor without the boy having really noticed Lefty at all. “Now we’ll take stock, kid,” the catcher said, as he switched on the lights in Lefty’s room and closed the door. “That face of yours ain’t so bad, after all. We’ll fix your mouth up in a jiffy. Got any plaster?” Locke nodded. “Yes, but I don’t want you to bother about it, Fargo. It’s white of you to――” “Stow that, son!” interrupted the big chap shortly. “This rumpus is going to get the old man up on his ear for fair. If he finds out you was in it, there’ll be blazes to pay.” “But how can he help it? I was there, and everybody saw me.” “Sure you was,” grinned Fargo, dexterously applying a wet towel to Locke’s countenance. “In the scuffle you got a tap or two by mistake; that’s all. You don’t s’pose that crazy bunch of roughnecks is going to remember faces, do you? They was clean off their nuts, every last one of ’em.” There was silence for a moment or two as the big, muscular fingers applied the plaster to the cut lips with surprising deftness. “There!” Fargo said with satisfaction. “That’ll do fine. There’s a scratch alongside your nose, but it don’t amount to nothing. Pull off your shirt, and let’s have a look at the rest of you.” Lefty obeyed without question, and revealed a muscular chest dotted here and there with bruises already beginning to darken. It had been impossible to guard himself at every point from the frenzied rushes, and he had instinctively protected his face.