By that time the outcries had reached those at the house, and Joe, Mrs. Bayne and Aunt Vinnie all came running to the scene, excited over the rather startling situation. Unheeding them or their cries, Little Hickory continued to struggle with Larry, while the other two boys, Jerry having recovered himself, lent their assistance as best they could. Aunt Vinnie called for her boys to come away, and Rob’s mother appealed to him to desist. Joe Willet was alone silent. She had seen that Larry was discontented and jealous of Rob’s influence, and better than the others, knew that it could not be overcome in any other way than to show him he was not master by brute strength. She would fain have assisted Rob, but saw no way of doing it. It would be better, too, for Rob to win his victory alone, if he could win it at all. So the four boys--three against one--struggled to and fro, back and forth. Larry had seized on Rob’s collar with a grip he could not break, while Tom and Jerry were pulling at his legs, and trying by all means in their power to trip him. Finally Little Hickory managed to get his hand on the collar of Tom, when the latter suddenly found himself lifted up and ranged by the side of Larry. Then, with his right hand on the shoulder of Larry, he suddenly brought the heads of the two boys together with a force which filled the air about them with stars, and caused them to utter involuntary cries of pain. At that moment Jerry succeeded in pulling one foot from under Rob, and the last was forced down upon one knee, when it seemed as if Larry and Tom, who had rallied, would crush him to the ground. “It’s a shame!” cried Joe, running forward to lend her assistance to Little Hickory. “Three to one----” By this time the blood of Little Hickory was up, as the expression goes, and half a dozen boys like Tom and Jerry could not have availed against him. A smart kick sent Jerry flying a rod away, where he lay cramped with pain, and uttering piteous cries, as Rob bore both Tom and Larry backward to the earth, a hand about the throat of either. “Oh--oh--oh!” groaned the pair in unison. “You’re--choking--me!” Now that he had obtained an advantage Little Hickory resolved not to let either up until he had obtained an acknowledgment of submission from both. Thus he pressed still harder upon them, as he said in his low, determined tone: “Ye have lost, Larry! I’m too much for all of ye. What are ye going to do about it?” But Larry remained silent, his stubborn nature not allowing him to yield at once. Again Rob made his demand, in his suppressed excitement falling into the slang of the streets, which he had dropped to a considerable extent since coming to Break o’ Day. His fingers closed harder upon the other’s throat. Larry made a painful cry, and moved as if he would rise. “Do ye cave to me, Larry? Nod yer head if ye mean it.” The eyes flashed, but his head did not move.