let them in kept at Speedy's elbow. He now walked around and faced the youth.
"Come around here lookin' for trouble, did you?" he taunted. "Well, you're goin' to get plenty!"
Whereupon he started a huge fist viciously at Speedy's jaw. But the latter had seen it coming. He ducked. At the same time he swung an uppercut at his assailant, temporarily off balance from his missed blow, and caught him squarely on the chin. The man dropped. Instantly a swarm of unwashed bodies hurled themselves at Speedy and Danny. The air was full of fists and feet.
"Get the door open, Danny!" cried Speedy, at the same time seizing a pool cue lying on the table near him and flailing it lustily, butt end to, clearing a space in front of him. Grunts and groans ensued as Callahanites, attempting to rush him, met the thick cue handle. Danny, for his part, was fighting with two husky bums for the door knob. Even occupied as he was with the battle, Speedy became aware that a door on the other side of the room had been opened a few inches and a pair of eyes were peering out upon the fray. He had no time for a close scrutiny, but somehow he had the feeling that again in these strange surroundings he had encountered the eyes of Carter.
By now the Callahanites, baffled by the pool cue from making a direct attack, were resorting to strategy and weapons. Men were crawling on the floor toward Speedy, thus avoiding blows from the stick that had stood him so well. Then somebody hurled a pool ball that missed Speedy's head by an
