"Here they come again!" said Innis, fiercely. "Back to back, fellows, and we can stand 'em off!" Now that the first instinctive fear at the attack in the dark had passed off, the three youths felt a fierce joy in the coming conflict. It was like a battle on the football gridiron, only with greater odds. Dick, Paul and Innis moved close together, being free for the moment from their assailants. Then from down the road could be heard the sound of footsteps running rapidly. The men paused, listened a moment, and then the one who had attacked Dick exclaimed: "Come on. He hasn't it with him!" At once the three men turned and raced off in the darkness, away from the sound of the approaching footsteps. For a moment the three chums remained in a sort of triangular posture of defense, hardly knowing what it was all about, since it had taken place so quickly. "Are--are we all here?" Dick finally managed to gasp. "It seems so," replied Paul. "What happened, anyhow? Was it a joke?" "My nose doesn't feel that way," said Innis. "No, and I guess I gave one of those fellows something that he'll remember for a day or so," went on Paul. "But what in the world were they after?" "Something that I left back in the auto," replied Dick, grimly. "What! Those papers?" "That's it. The fellow who had me went all through my pockets while he was rough-housing me. First I thought he was after my watch and money, but when he didn't take them, I knew what he wanted." "They went through my pockets, too," confessed Innis. "Same here," added Paul. "Did they get anything?" asked Dick, quickly. The lads made a hasty search, and both reported that they had lost nothing. At that moment a man came running up. Instinctively the three chums got ready for a renewal of hostilities, but they soon saw they had nothing to fear, even had not the man spoken, for he was an honest-appearing chap. "What--what's the matter?" he panted. "Did you call for help?" "We did," replied Dick, "but we don't need any now; thank you." "What was it?" "Somebody tried to hold us up," went on the young millionaire, not caring to go into all the details. "But we beat 'em off." "That's good. Were they three rough-looking fellows?" "There were three of 'em, all right," said Paul, "and I guess they're a little more rough-looking than they were at first; eh, boys?" "Sure thing," remarked Innis, tenderly touching some of his bruises. "I'm a watchman down the road a ways, at a new building just going up," the man went on. "I saw these fellows go past, and I didn't like their looks and actions. They were talking about getting something off some one, and----" "I guess they were talking about us," interrupted Dick. "They probably saw us in the moving picture place, and followed us. They asked for the time, and pretended they had missed their way. That was only to get us to halt, of course. But we're well out of it, all right." "Did they get much?"