"You keep quiet," said the young electrician. "This is his affair and mine. I would not have tripped him up had he not attempted to strike me."
"We'll see," grumbled Mike Nolan. He caught Bob Jackson by the arm and turned him away for a moment, whispering into his ear in the meanwhile. Then he faced Franklin once more.
"I'm going to teach you a lesson," he exclaimed. "We don't allow no new hand to ride over us!"
He clenched his fists and struck out wildly at the young electrician, who, throwing down his lunch basket, parried the blows to the best of his ability. At the same time, Bob Jackson sneaked round to Franklin's rear.
Seeing their game, the young electrician sprang away to one side and started for the high board fence, intending to brace up against that and prevent an attack from the rear.
"Give it to him from the back. Bob!" cried Mike Nolan, chagrined to learn that his plan was evidently to miscarry. "I'll take care of him in front all right."
"He's getting up to the fence," returned Bob Jackson, trying in vain to commence the attack behind Franklin's back.
"Shove him away!"
"That's what I'm going to do," puffed Bob Jackson.
