The nine and their friends fairly jammed the narrow passageway,
so eager were they to get outside.
"Easy!" shouted Bart. "We'll never get down this way! One at a time!"
The boys could hear the sounds of a struggle. There were confused cries,
and the shuffling of many feet.
"Hurry! Hurry!" cried Frank.
At last Bart, Fenn and a few others managed to reach the outside small
door, and rushed into the disused cowyard. There they saw a confusion of
black forms. There were two knots of struggling boys.
One knot was grouped about Frank, and the other around Ned. From both
groups came shouts and cries and the sounds of conflict, though it was
all in fun, and there was no evidence of anger.
"To the rescue!" yelled Bart, making for one crowd. He was followed by
several of his companions and then, others of the nine, and their
friends, sailed in to help Frank, since Bart had tackled Ned's
assailants.
But with the advent of the boys from the barn there appeared
reinforcements of the enemy. The rescuers were fairly surrounded by a
throng of the Upside Downs, who were shouting and laughing, and fairly
overwhelming the ball players and their companions.
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