ur!" cried Dodge chokingly. "Wait until I get my coat off."

"No; keep it on; I'm going to keep mine on," retorted Prescott.
"Guard yourself, man!"

"Jump in, Bayliss! We'll thump his head off!" gasped Dodge, with
almost a sob in his voice, to was so angry.

Bayliss would have been nothing loath to "jump in." But, just
as Dick Prescott, after calling "guard," aimed his second blow
at Bert, Fred Ripley, Purcell and "Hen" Wadleigh all hurried up
to the scene.

For Bayliss to be caught fighting two-to-one would have resulted
in a quick thrashing for him. So Bayliss stood back.

"Bad blood, is there?" asked Wadleigh, as the new arrivals hurried
up.

"Prescott, after insulting Bert, flew at him," retorted Bayliss,
panting some with the effort at lying.

Dodge was now standing well back. He had parried three of Dick's
blows, but had not yet taken the offensive. As Dodge was a heavier
man, and not badly schooled in fistics, Dick had the good sense
to go at this fight coolly, taking time to exercise his judgment.

"What's it all about?" demanded Wadleigh.

Just for an instant Bayliss felt himself stumped. Then, all of a
sudden, an inspiration in lying came to him.

"Prescott got ugly because the Dodges never paid that thousand-dollar
reward," declared Bayliss.

Dick heard, and with his eye still on Dodge, shouted out: "That's
not true, Bayliss. You know you are not telling the truth!"

Bayliss doubled his fists, and would have struck Prescott down
from behind, but Wadleigh, who was a big and powerful fellow,
caught Bayliss by his left arm, jerking him back.

"Now, just wait a bit, Bayliss," advised "Hen," moderately. "From
what I know of Prescott I'm not afraid but that he'll give you
satisfaction presently---if you want it."

"You bet he'll have to!" hissed Bayliss.

"If Prescott loses the argument he has on now," added Purcell,
significantly, "I fancy he has friends who will take his place
with you, Bayliss."

Then all turned to watch the fight, which was now passing the
stage of preliminary caution.

Several boys and men had run down from Main Street. Now, more
than a score of spectators were crowding about.

"Hurrah!" piped up one boy from the Central Grammar School."
The mucker bantam against the 'sorehead' lightweight!"

There was a laugh, but Bert Dodge didn't join in it, for, after
receiving two glancing, blows on the chest, he now had his right
eye closed by Dick's hard left.

The