“I’m very glad you did, sir,” responded the young woman, in a voice whose sweetness charmed the submarine boy.  “That wretch—­”

“I wonder if I can overtake him and thrash him,” pondered Eph, glancing down the side street.  The bully had disappeared.

“Oh, don’t think of that,” begged the girl, in a quick, anxious way.  “I don’t want to set people’s tongues to wagging.”

“No; of course not,” Eph assented, quickly.

“But, if you will escort me safe home—­”

“Gladly, miss,” nodded young Somers, again lifting his cap.

“Oh, that will be so kind of you,” she murmured.  “For I am afraid Tom might be waiting for me, on the way to my home—­”

“If he gets within hailing distance,” uttered Eph, valiantly, “I’ll plant a torpedo fist under him!”

“Will you let me take your arm?” begged the girl; for, from her voice and her slight, trim she appeared to be no more.  That she was indeed afraid was testified to by the way in which her hand trembled on his arm.  It was such a tender little hand, too!  Eph was not a flirt.  He did not give much thought to girls, as a rule, but he wasn’t going to see one struck by a street bully.

So he walked along, down the side street, turning, also, at two or three other corners, talking cheerily to make the girl forget her late fright.  Her face Eph couldn’t see very well, on account of the veil, but he decided that the young woman possessed beautiful, flashing eyes, as he caught their expression dimly through the veil.

Down another quiet side street they were passing, when they came to the head of an alley-way.  Just as they reached it the girl let go of Eph’s arm, uttering a little scream as she darted away.  Eph didn’t follow her.  He found himself face to face with the thick set young man, Tom.  Just of that worthy were two other sturdy-looking young hoodlums.

“Now, you an’ me have got something to settle, younker,” glared Tom.

“All right,” retorted Eph, undauntedly.  “But fair play—­one at a time.”

Eph’s fists were up, and he sailed in, fighting manfully, sailor-fashion.  Then the other two closed in behind young Somers.  He was struck on the back of the head, and darkness came over him and he fell insensible to the ground.

When luckless Eph came to his senses he found himself lying, bound hand and foot, on a pile of rags.  The darkness around him was complete.

“Well, this is a puzzle to unravel!” muttered the astounded submarine boy.

Yet, think and ponder as he would, it never occurred to him to see, in his misfortune, the guiding hand of Fred Radwin!

CHAPTER VIII

One, two, three—­A full bag!

At the hot soda place even Jack Benson, fond as he was of such decoctions, at last had his fill.

“Funny Eph hasn’t brought the others here,” muttered Jack.