Carson Davenport's action came so unexpectedly that for the instant Jack did not know what to do. Then, however, he tried to wrench himself free from the oil well promoter's grasp. "You let go of me!" he cried. "Let go, I say!" And then, as Davenport continued to hold him, he struck the man on the chest. "Ha! you're the same kind of a spitfire as your father, are you?" bellowed Davenport. And in a greater rage than ever he let go of Jack and hit him a stinging blow on the side of the face. "Hi! Stop that! How dare you?" yelled Randy, and sprang forward to Jack's assistance. But before he could reach his cousin Jack had hauled off and hit Davenport a blow in the cheek. By this time all of the Rovers were advancing upon Davenport, and the oil well promoter thought it the best policy to fall back. "Come on, Nappy! Let's get into this!" cried Slugger, and, rushing forward, he caught Randy by the shoulder. "You let them have it out alone!" he ordered. "This isn't your fight, Slugger, and you had better keep out of it," retorted Randy. And then, as Slugger still tried to hold him back, Randy put out his foot, gave the bully a shove, and Slugger measured his length on his back. In the meanwhile Nappy had also sprung forward. He tried to get at Jack, but Andy and Fred got in the way, and though Nappy struck out several times, hitting both of the Rovers on the arm, they retaliated with a stinging crack in the ear and another on the nose which caused the blood to flow freely and made Nappy retire to a safe distance. By this time the all-around fight had attracted the attention of a number of the workmen, and they came rushing up to find out what it was all about. The driver of the automobile, who had remained in the car, also came forward. "I'll fix you, you young whelp!" roared Davenport, as he came again toward Jack. "You leave me alone," returned Jack. "Don't you dare put your hands on me again!" "Here, what's the rumpus?" demanded the driver of the automobile, a fellow named George Rogers. The boys started to explain, not only for the benefit of Rogers, but also for the benefit of the workmen who were coming up. "That whole bunch ought to be arrested!" blustered Slugger. "That's what I say!" added Nappy, with his handkerchief to his bleeding nose. "That man started it," declared Jack, pointing to Davenport. "He caught hold of me, and I told him to let me go. He had no right to put his hands on me." After this there was a war of words in which Tate and Jackson, who had come up, joined. The oil well promoters were all anxious to do something to the Rover boys, and in this they were seconded by Nappy and Slugger. But, strange as it may seem, hardly any of the workmen took kindly to this. "Oh, they're only a bunch of kids," said one of the men. "What's the use of bothering with them?"