Larry was too interested in the proceedings for a while to pay any more attention to Peter. The latter had moved back to where he was at first, and though he occasionally glared at Larry the latter did not look his way more than once or twice. The reporters were all making their pencils fly, there was no time to take notes, and they had to write out the story as it went along.  
“I’ll have some copy in a minute,” Mr. Newton whispered to Larry.
 
The boy stood up to stretch his legs, for he was stiff from sitting so long. He buttoned his coat up ready for a struggle through the crowd to reach the door.
 
“There,” said Mr. Newton, folding up his papers, and handing a bunch to Larry. “Come back as soon as you take them to the office.”
 
Larry thrust them into his pocket and started to make his way to the door. With a little feeling of uneasiness he noticed that Peter, also, had started out, accompanied by the boy to whom he had been whispering. Larry, after a somewhat88 tight squeeze, managed to get out of the door. He found himself in a long corridor, that was almost deserted, for the usual loungers around the City Hall had crowded into the chamber to hear what was going on. Remembering his orders to hurry, Larry started on a run. He saw nothing of his enemy Peter and concluded the latter had gone for good.
 
Suddenly, as Larry was passing a particularly dark place in the corridor, a foot was thrust out. He stumbled over it, tried to recover his balance, and then went down in a heap.
 
“Quick now!” he heard a voice exclaim, and he recognized Peter’s tones. “Git the copy out of his pocket while I hold him!”
 
“I will! Grab his hands!” another boy exclaimed, and then Larry felt someone land on his back as he lay prostrate, and grasp his wrists. At the same time a hand stole into his inside pocket.
 
Though he was somewhat stunned by the fall, Larry rapidly regained his senses. He realized that Peter and the other boy were trying to get the copy, either to make him lose his job for his carelessness, or else to have the Leader at a disadvantage. And Larry was inclined to believe it was a spite against himself rather than a plot against the Leader that Peter was carrying out.
 
Recovering from the first shock there came a fierce desire to fight Peter, to attack him and prevent89 him from carrying out his plan. Though taken at a disadvantage Larry did not lose his presence of mind. He was a lad of considerable strength, which his country life had greatly increased.
 
With a sudden motion Larry arched his back, wrenched free his hands from the grip of Peter, and sent the latter rolling to one side.
 
“Look out or he’ll git away!” he heard Peter cry.
 
Larry rose, felt in his pocket to see that the copy was still safe, and then sprang to the rear so as to get a wall at his back. Then he waited for the attack, which he knew would soon begin. At first he almost wished some help would come, but the corridor remained deserted. In fact it was not the main one, and was seldom used. Then, as he got his breath and recovered from the first surprise, Larry rejoiced in the coming contest.
 
That the two boys did not mean to let him go without a struggle was evident. In the half light he could see them whispering together. Then they advanced both at once, like the cowards that they were, to take an unfair chance.
 
Larry clenched his fists, spread his feet apart, braced himself, and gritted his teeth.
 
“Come on!” he cried.
 
And come on the two lads did. They made a rush at Larry that almost overwhelmed him for a few seconds. He felt blows all over him.
 
90 With his right arm half crooked, as a guard, Larry let out with his left. At first he struck blindly, for he could not see his antagonists well. He felt his fist land on someone’s face, and, by the cry that resulted, knew he had hit Peter.
 
“Give it to him!” cried the former copy boy of the Leader.
 
Larry was struck on the cheek and once on the nose. The blows seemed to give him new strength. Striking out with both fists, he sailed at his tormentors, landing several hard thumps on faces and bodies and getting several in return.
 
Then came numerous hard blows from the other boys, and Larry was almost beaten to his knees. He began to feel a little weak from a heavy blow in the stomach and his head was dizzy. He feared he would fall and that the boys would steal his copy.
 
The thought of this nerved him to double energy. Straightening up through a shower of blows, he made a sudden dash forward, hitting out with all his force. He felt his fist land on the chin of one of the lads.
 
An instant later there was the thud of a fall, and the boy with Peter cried:
 
“I’ve had enough! He knocked me down!”
 
“I’ll fix him!” Peter cried, and he sailed into ............