26
At least a dozen men came at us out of the gloom of the alley, their hands filled with staves, axe handles, and other makeshift weapons. I recognized none of them. Was this it, I wondered? Were we finally being set upon by the Anti-Semite League? Roughly, Barker thrust me through the gate and followed behind. With a ham-sized fist, he smacked a small brass gong which hung near the entrance. The sound reverberated around the small enclosure. At the far end of the garden there was a horrid screech. It was Harm giving the alarm. Without slowing his cacophony, he flew across the lawn, charging the first intruder. Pekingese, I have discovered, have absolutely no fear when it comes to protecting their property from invasion.
Harm sunk his razorlike teeth into the ankle of the first man, bringing a cry of pain to his lips. Before he could do any further damage, however, a second fellow caught the little dog full in the ribs, a savage kick that brought a yelp of pain from the poor animal, and sent him flying several feet into the bushes.
That tore it, as far as I was concerned. I saw red. Just who did these blighters think they were, coming onto our property and kicking our dog? There the big blackguard stood, his foot still in the air. Is it any wonder I seized the offending foot in my hands and planted my own full in the fellow's stomach?
Another scoundrel seized my lapel and raised a club, ready to strike me down. It was just like an exercise in Barker's class. I trapped his hand with my own, stepped back, and raised my other arm up hard, striking him in the elbow joint. I felt rather than heard the break, and the fellow went down holding his arm. At that moment, I was struck two different blows by men armed with staves, and I tried another trick that Barker had demonstrated in class: run when you are momentarily outnumbered.
As I passed him, Barker appeared in little trouble. He was mowing men down as if they were skittles. I saw him pick up one fellow like a doll and toss him into two more. Then he seized one of the others by the wrist, and flipped him so fast, he caught another in the jaw with the man's foot. My employer might have been out for a little light evening's entertainment, but I had a ringing head and a sore shoulder and was in need of a good wall to put my back against.
I was running toward the house when our back door opened and Maccabee jumped out. He braced his back against the door and brought his shotgun to bear. I had just enough time to throw myself on the ground before both barrels went off, peppering the crowd with buckshot. There were oaths and cries aplenty after that.
I sat up and turned around, in time to see Barker shoot out of the crowd, running toward us. His hands were in the pockets of his overcoat, and just before he reached me, he stopped and turned back. His hands came out and suddenly the air was filled with pennies, dozens of copper pence, glittering in the light from the kitchen window. They flew across the enclosure, and wherever they landed, they stuck, whether in wood or plant or human flesh. The advance stopped as men reached for an injured limb or a cut forehead. One poor blighter was spinning around, trying to remove the coin from between his shoulder blades. It was too much for the visiting team, who, one by one, began to break and run. Barker inflicted more punishment on the retreating figures, while I rushed to shut the gate after them. In a moment, the latch clicked after the last of them, and we heard the men running away down the lane. It was over as quickly as it had begun.
'Are you hurt, lad?' Barker asked. We were both a little winded and still leaning against the gate.
'No, sir,' I said, and it was true. I'd been thumped twice and would have bruises, but I felt rather good.
'Gave as well as got?'
'Broke one fellow's arm, sir,' I said, as if it were something to take pride in. 'And kicked another in the stomach.'
'Mac?' he called. The butler had his shotgun broken open and was removing the shells. By his coolness one would think this was the standard Saturday night's fare.
'I am well, sir.'
'Harm?' Barker called. 'Harm?'
It was the first time I'd seen my employer actually look frightened. He stepped away from the gate, still calling the little dog's name. I'd felt it was silly at first, this big, rough fellow so fond of his little lapdog, but now I had to admit I was worried myself. I hadn't seen the little creature since he'd received the boot in the ribs. I feared the worst might have happened.
'In the bushes, there, sir,' I said, pointing to the left. We both converged on the spot, and Barker pushed back the leaves. Harm was lying there, not moving, but his head was up and he was panting.
'Oh, Harm, what have they done to you?' Barker asked.
'He may have a broken rib or two,' I hazarded. 'That was quite some kick he received.'
'Mac! Bring a large pillow!'
The butler nodded and glided into the house.
'Are you hurt, boy?' Barker asked, patting the little fellow on the head. The dog gave a feeble bark, almost like a cough. When Mac returned, we gently transferred him to the pillow. Despite our efforts to be careful, he gave a yip of pain. I knew nothing of dog anatomy, but I worried that a broken rib might have punctured a lung. I'm sure Barker was thinking much the same. We got him safely onto the pillow and Mac took him into the house.
Barker turned his head and seized my shoulder.
'What is it, sir?'
'I heard something.'
The thought that they might return in greater numbers hadn't occurred to me. We would be overrun in that case. We listened closely to the gurgle of the stream and horses clopping in the streets. Then I heard it: a moan.
'Someone's still here!' I cried.
'Over there, behind the bath house. Hop it, lad!'
I ran over to the far side of the outbuilding, hands raised, ready to defend myself again if necessary. There was a man lying on the ground, moaning softly. My nose told me that he had been ill. Barker joined me, looking over my shoulder.
'Mac!' he called. 'Bring a lamp!'
The butler came out into the garden again, an oil lamp in his hand, as placid-looking as if he were bringing the morning Times. If he didn't hurry up with the lamp, I thought, I was going to run up and take it out of his hand. He finally arrived and held the lamp high. The man lying against the side of the building looked like a day laborer, in an old suit, a cloth cap, and worn boots. I say man, but he couldn't have been much more than my own age, perhaps two and twenty. It wasn't until he turned his head and blinked into the light that I recognized him.
'It's the one that kicked Harm, sir,' I stated. 'The one I got in the stomach.'
'By the looks of him, Thomas, I'd say you missed his stomach by a good margin.' He reached forward and pulled the fellow up by the lapels of his flimsy jacket. 'So, you're the fellow that kicks poor, defenseless little dogs. Who sent you?'
'Sod off, mate,' the young man summoned the courage to say.
I saw Barker reach back his fist, ready to strike the man down, there and then, but he suddenly changed his mind.
'Mac, Thomas, take this fellow down to the cellar, and tie him up in a chair. We'll let him cool his heels awhile. Then afterwards, Mac, I want you to prepare a light supper. Is the bath ready?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Splendid. Then there is no need to alter our routine. We shall question this fellow at our leisure. But now, I must make a telephone call. Several, in fact. Take him, gentlemen.'
Maccabee and I did as Barker asked. I used the approved Tokyo come-along hold. The man we carried down the stairs outweighed us each by three stone, but he was not in much shape to protest. Mac brought a spindle chair and some rope from the lumber room, and between the two of us we trussed him up rather snugly. Then we left him, as Barker had ordered. For his sake, I hoped the police arrived soon. He looked the very picture of misery.
Barker was still on the telephone by the front door when we came up into the hall. He was speaking rapidly in Chinese. Obviously, it wasn't the Yard he was speaking with. Finally, he set the earpiece back in its cradle.
'They shall be here within the hour,' he said.
