r. Bascomb!" he exclaimed.
"You were trying to intimidate one smaller and weaker than yourself a
moment ago, and yet you have the nerve to talk of gentlemanly
instincts. You seem to be venturing on unfamiliar grounds, sir."

Bascomb glared. He longed to punch Merriwell's head, but he felt that
Frank was anxious for him to attempt a move of the sort.

"You're a nice chap to talk of intimidation when you have already
forced Baby to fag for you!" he cried, hotly.

"I think Mr. Davis will attest that I neither forced him nor asked him
to perform any task for me. I simply gave him a few instructions that
were sure to be of material benefit to him. But I heard you demanding
service, and seeking to compel it with threats. You know what the
penalty is for such conduct."

"And I suppose you are just the kind of a fellow to blow. All right;
go ahead."

"I scarcely like your tone or your language, Mr. Bascomb; but I am not
going to pick it up here and now. However, you have accused me of
making Mr. Davis a fag. I presume you know there is a rule in this
school that no man has a right to demand service of another man's fag?
Knowing this, you tried to make Mr. Davis perform your duties about the
tent. Weren't you treading on rather dangerous ground, sir?"

Bascomb looked at the floor, and muttered something.

"You may not have realized what you were doing," Merriwell went on.
"In which case, you are pardonable to a certain degree. But I warn you
to let nothing of this kind occur again, or you will have the entire
camp down on you."

"I know what you mean," grated Bascomb.

"I am very glad you do," came coolly from Frank's lips. "I hoped to
make my meaning plain. And I have something more to say. Since the
arrival of the new boys, you have seemed to single Mr. Davis out as an
especial object for ridicule and torment. I don't know that you have
done so because Mr. Davis is small and scarcely a match for you, but it
looks that way. Now, Bascomb, if I were in your place, I would let up.
If you persist, you are bound to get yourself into serious trouble. I
am going to see that Davis has a fair show, and the fellow who crowds
him too hard will have some difficulty with me."

Bascomb forced a mocking laugh.

"You seem to fancy you can set yourself up against the whole
battalion," he sneered. "I don't believe any plebe ever got through
this school without taking his medicine, and I scarcely think you will
be a