Buck Badger went up the stairway in quick leaps. If the burglars heard
him, they must have fancied he was the guard left at the window, for
they did not look round. But before the Kansan could reach the upper
landing, the three scoundrels were on Lee.
"Clip him on der head!" one of them growled. "Don't use yer barker--too
much noise! Hit him wid der jimmy. All der cops in New Haven will be in
dis crib in a minute!"
Fairfax Lee was still putting up a stiff fight, and the jimmy flashed in
the air. Before it could descend, Buck Badger flung himself into the
midst of them, with the impetuous leap of a mountain-lion. The man with
the uplifted jimmy went down before a blow from the Kansan's fist, and
the other was hurled aside. The burglar that Lee had been fighting tore
himself loose and turned toward Badger and the stairway. Then the
Westerner heard the ominous click of a revolver. These burglars, like
all of their craft, were ready to do murder if it seemed necessary.
Lee tripped the burglar with the revolver, and the shot went into the
floor. The other burglar was coming up the stairway with tremendous
leaps. The house seemed to be arousing. Badger heard a woman scream.
"Kill him!" was panted by one of the villains.
Then the jimmy descended, and though the Westerner tried to knock the
blow aside, his arm was beaten down, and the jimmy fell on his head with
crushing force.
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