“Where—­where were you?” echoed Stubbs.  “You were right here, that’s where you were.  You mean to tell me you didn’t hear me call for help?”

“You don’t say,” said Hal.  “Why didn’t you call aloud, Mr. Stubbs?”

Stubbs sputtered angrily.

“By George!  I did call out loud,” he cried.

“And what has happened to the man who attacked you, Mr. Stubbs—­the giant you speak of?” inquired Hal civilly.

“Well, he, I—­I don’t know.  He looked suspiciously like Ivan there to me, though why he should jump me, I don’t know.  Yes, sir, I could have sworn it was Ivan, but I must have been mistaken.”

Stubbs glanced around on all sides.

“By George!” he exclaimed at last.  “I know I had a fight, but I can’t seem to make any one believe it.”

“Still sleepy, Mr. Stubbs?” asked Hal.

“Sleepy?” repeated the little man.  “Sleepy?  What do you mean?”

“Why, that fighting dream just now,” said Hal.  For a moment Stubbs stared at the lad angrily; then turned on his heel and stalked into the house.

“Come,” said Chester, with a laugh, “I’ll take you into the house, Hal, and introduce you to a real nice little girl.  She’s heard of you.  She told me so.  Come on.”

CHAPTER XXV.

Between two fires.

At the door to the parlor, Chester stopped stock still.  The others halted behind him.

“Now what do you think of that?” he demanded.

Inside, Stubbs was standing before Helen Ellison.

“Yes,” he was saying, “I am Anthony Stubbs, war correspondent of the New York Gazette.  I am here on important business.  But I have other worries besides my work.  I am burdened with the care of two young American boys.  I have to look after them and keep them out of trouble.  Hal Paine and Chester Crawford.  Perhaps you know them?”

The little man paused expectantly.

“I have met Chester Crawford,” was the reply.  “He was here only a moment ago.  I do not know Hal Paine.”

“Well, if you know one of them you are just one better off than I am,” was Stubbs’ rejoinder.  “I know them both, too well.  Were it not that I am continually giving up my time to getting them out of scrapes, I would be able to give more attention to my own work.  You should be glad that you know but one of them.”

“But I thought—­” began the girl.

Stubbs interrupted her with a wave of his hand.

“Oh, I know what you thought,” he said.  “I thought so myself once.  So have lots of others.  But if you knew them as well as I do you’d change your mind.”

“Well, what do you think of it?” asked Chester of Hal, in a whisper.

“I think it’s about time we went in,” returned Hal.

Chester advanced into the room and the others followed.  Stubbs turned guiltily.

“Oh, there you are,” he said.  “I was just telling this young lady here what great friends we all are.  Yes, sir.  I just remarked that if she were in any kind of danger, to mention it to you and you boys would see that no harm came to her.”