The breath was driven out of Burtwell with an explosive grunt. Ralph wrenched the weapon from his hand, stood up, and threw the fellow full length in the dust. "That will be about all for _you_," he said sharply. "A pretty little automatic." He tossed the weapon over the nearest fence. "Now, Degger, get out of that car. Or are you packing some such plaything as your partner?" He leaped to the side of the automobile and seized Degger by the shoulders. The fellow screamed as Ralph dragged him out over the door. "Put up your fists, Degger," commanded Ralph, setting him staggeringly on his feet in the road. "Defend yourself! Whether you fight, or don’t fight, I am going to do my best to change your face if I can’t your morals." "You brute!" bawled Degger, growing white. "That won’t save you," Ralph declared, and struck a blow that, landing upon Degger’s forehead, knocked him clear across the road. "Get up and take it!" exclaimed Ralph fiercely. "Or shall I come after you?" But the blow had roused every ounce of fight there was in Conny Degger. He bounded across the road and swung his right hand high above his head. Just in time Ralph saw there was a stone in it. He dodged, and the missile sailed over the roadside fence. "Good!" shouted Ralph, and, leaping into the fray, struck again and again. "I don’t—much care—how you fight—as long—as you—do fight!" Each punctuation was a punch delivered. A dozen healthy blows landed about Degger’s head. He was already groggy. He began to yell for Burtwell to help. "Get something! Out of the tool box! Knock him out!" he shouted. Ralph had not overlooked the possibility of Burtwell’s coming into the fight from that angle. The man had scrambled to his feet and was doing exactly what Degger begged him to do. He was rummaging in the tool box. At this moment Degger received a terrific blow on the jaw. He sank under it, and his eyes rolled up. Ralph caught him before he could fall, wheeled with him in his arms and heaved him up just as Burtwell started with a heavy wrench in his hand for the common enemy. "Didn’t I tell you to keep out of this?" Ralph panted, and with a great heave of his shoulders flung the almost senseless Degger into Burtwell’s face. The two went down together, and neither immediately tried to rise. Ralph went to his car, looked back over his shoulder, and with a flash of teeth and a bitter grin demanded: "Got enough? You, Degger, know what this is for. If you don’t put a bridle on your tongue after this, better put many a mile between us. For if I come after you again I won’t let you off so easy." He got into the car, started it, backed it around, and shot up the road on the return journey to Clinkerport before his two victims were on their feet.