[Illustration: "JACK'S FIST SHOT OUT, CATCHING SNAITH UNDER THE EAR."]
He was up again in a second, however, and spluttered out:
"Wha--what do you mean? I'll fix you for this! I'll make you pay for that, Jack Ranger!"
"Whenever you like," replied Jack coolly, as he stood waiting the attack.
"Come on, fellows, let's do him up!" cried Pud. "We're three to one, and I owe him something on my own account."
"Shall we let the freshman go?" asked Glen.
"Sure!" exclaimed Snaith. "We can catch him again. We'll do up Ranger now!"
The bully and his cronies advanced toward Jack. Will, hardly understanding that he was released, stood still, though Jack called to him:
"Better run, youngster. I can look out for myself."
"Oh, you can, eh?" sneered Snaith. "Well, I guess you'll have your hands full. Come on, now, fellows! Give it to him!"
The three advanced with the intention of administering a sound drubbing to our hero, and it is more than likely that they would have succeeded, for Jack could not tackle three at once very well. But something happened.
This "something" was a lad who came bounding up from the rear, with a roar like a small, maddened bull, and then with a cry Nat Anderson flung himself on the back of Pud Armstrong.
"Flabgastered punching-bags!" he cried. "Three to one, eh? Well, I guess not! Acrimonious Abercrombie! But I'll take a hand in this game!"
"Here! Quit that! Let me go! Stop! That's no way to fight! Get off my back!" yelled the startled Pud.
"I'm not fighting yet," said Nat coolly, as he skillfully locked his legs in those of Pud and sent him to the ground with a wrestler's trick. "I'm only getting ready to wallop you!"
Snaith, who had rushed at Jack with raised fists, was met by another left-hander that again sent him to the ground. And then, to the surprise of the rescuers, no less than that of the would-be hazers, Will, who had seemed so timid in the hands of his captors, rushed at Glen Forker, and before that bully could get out of the way, had dealt him a blow on the chest.
"There!" cried Will. "I guess we're three to three now!"
"Good for you, youngster!" cried Jack heartily. "You've got more spunk than I gave you credit for. Hit him again!"
"Now, Pud, if you'll get up, you and I will have our innings," announced Nat to the lad he had thrown. "Suffering snufflebugs! but I guess the game isn't so one-sided now."