d
Hugh into a merciless avenger. In that supreme moment he had
constituted himself the champion of all those lads in Scranton who, in
times past, had suffered cruel wrongs at the hands of the sneering
bully.

There was a furious exchange of blows. Nick knew how to fight, but on
this occasion something seemed to go wrong with his customary
programme. Why, when he hit out his hardest, and expected to see his
antagonist reeling back before the blow, to his consternation, it was
cleverly warded off, and the next instant something crashed against his
own face that made a myriad of luminous stars, never indexed in the
galaxy of the heavens, flash before his eyes.

Then Nick was seen to stagger, and fall down. That was perhaps the
first time he had ever taken a dose of his own medicine. How often had
he stood jeeringly over some wretched fellow whom he had sent to grass,
counting him out with monotonous chant, in which the joy of brutal
victory was prominent?

"Get up and try it again!" said a stern voice. "That is only a taste
of what is due you! I hope you have not had enough yet, you cowardly
brute!"

Leon Disney and those two other cronies of Nick's were holding their
breath with dismay. They had never expected to see the time when any
one could knock their boastful leader out in this easy fashion. What
previous opinions they had entertained concerning Hugh Morgan's prowess
must now be reversed.

Stung by this taunt, Nick immediately scrambled to his feet. He seemed
a bit what he himself would have termed "groggy," being familiar with
the slang of the prize ring, but in spite of this he leaped wildly at
his enemy.

Thad Stevens feared for his chum when he saw the fury of this attack;
but he need not have worried. Hugh was able to look out for himself.
Although those boys had never known him to take part in a single
encounter, Hugh had apparently made a study of the art of self-defense.
There can be no harm in knowing _how_ to fight, if one is resolved
never to indulge in the game save as a very last resort. And whatever
reason it was by which Hugh had bound himself up to the present,
apparently the time had arrived when he could break his promise with
honor.

There was another brief struggle, exceedingly brief, to tell the truth.
Then, for the second time, Nick, the boss of all juvenile Scranton up
to this amazing hour, was thrown heavily to the ground, on which he
landed with a terrible crash.

"T