“What are you fellows butting in for, anyhow?” said Creviss angrily.  “Can’t this freak that comes here in a dress suit and tries to lord it over us take care of himself?”

“Surest thing you know,” drawled Jack Slate.  “But there are ladies here, a thing you don’t seem to realize.  If you’ll step outside, I’d be glad to whip you right and propah.”

“What’s the use, Jack, of fussing with these rowdies?” said Ted.  “Let it go until some other time.”

“You bet,” said Creviss, courage returning when he heard Ted propose peace.  “I guess you’d like to let it go forever.”

“That settles it,” said Ted.  “Go to him, Jack, and if you don’t give him what’s coming to him, I’ll finish the job.”

“Git!” said Billy Sudden, opening the door and shoving Creviss out into the street.  The rest followed.

As Jack stepped into the open air he peeled off his swallow-tailed coat and threw it over Ted’s arm.

He had no sooner done so than Wiley Creviss made a rush at him from the front, while one of the crowd ran in on him from the rear.

It seemed an unequal beginning, and Ted was preparing to take on the second fellow.

But Jack had seen him out of the corner of his eye, and as he came on the Boston boy stepped backward and threw his right elbow up.

It was a timely and masterly trick, for the sharp elbow caught Creviss’ ally full in the nose, and he dropped like a limp rag to the ground, with a howl of anguish.

At the same moment Jack swung his left.  Creviss had struck at him and missed when he back-stepped, and coming on swiftly ran into Jack’s fist with a thud that jarred him into a state of collapse.

“Finish him!” shouted the cow-punchers, who stood about the fighters in a circle.

“Go to him,” said Ted, in a low voice.  “I saw him signal his pal to tackle you from behind.”

Creviss had partially recovered from the blow and was getting ready for another rush, when Jack slipped in and to one side and hit like a blacksmith at the anvil.

This time Creviss went down and out.

“Hooray fer ther bantam!” shouted a big cow-puncher, slapping Jack on the back.  “Say, I hear them say you’re from Bosting.  I’m goin’ ter buy a hundred-pound sack o’ beans myself ter-morrer an’ begin trainin’.  If beans’ll do that fer you, a sack o’ them will make me fit ter lick Jess Willard.”

But Jack was busy smoothing down his ruffled hair and pulling his white lawn tie around into its proper place, and when he had put on his coat he and Ted walked into the ballroom as calmly as if they had just stepped out to view the stars.

“What was the trouble?” asked Stella, when they reached her side.

“Some town rowdies became noisy, and they were put out,” answered Ted carelessly.

But Jack’s dress suit was the joy of the cow-punchers, who had never seen anything like it before, although they all knew that it was the way well-groomed men dressed for evening in the big cities.