k
pushed his churn back. Tom Reade took tight hold of Dave's right
arm.

With the prospects of an encounter vanishing, Bert Dodge's valor
went up tenfold.

"Get up your guard!" he roared. "I've been taking boxing lessons
and I want to teach you one or two things."

"I haven't been taking any boxing lessons lately," Dick remarked
with composure.

"Oh, that's why you're afraid to act at all like a man, is it?"
scoffed Bert in his harshest voice.

"No; my main reason for not caring to fight you, Dodge, is that
I don't like the idea of soiling my hands."

"What's that?" screamed Bert in added fury. "You insult
me---you---you mucker?"

"If I'm a mucker, then you don't need to feel insulted at my opinion
of you," Dick suggested, with a smile.

But this hesitancy on the part of Prescott was filling Bert Dodge
with more valor every instant.

"Prescott, I've owed you something for a mighty long time," quivered
Bert. "And now it's coming! Here it is!"

He aimed a savage blow at Dick. Young Prescott, who had really
doubted that Dodge had courage enough to invite a fight, was not
expecting it. The blow landed on Dick's chin, sending the leader
of Dick & Co to the ground.

"Now, get up and answer that---you---you sneak!" dared Bert exultantly.

Dick was on his feet fast enough, side-stepping just in time to
dodge a follow-up punch.

"Dodge," Dick remarked, as he threw up his guard, "there, is still
time for you to beat it out of here if you don't want to take
the consequences of that blow."

"You put me out of here!" Bert retorted defiantly.

Though Dick was quivering with indignation, he still hesitated
to spring at Dodge. Dick didn't want to fight, on the sole ground
that he felt too much contempt for his opponent.

"Come, on, you mucker!" challenged Bert, dancing about Prescott.
Then Dodge delivered two swift, straight-from-the-shoulder blows.

Of a sudden Dick jumped into the fray.

"Good!" quivered Darry, his eyes flashing. To Dave's way of thinking,
Dick's swift vigorous defence should have followed that first
knock-down.

"Come on, you mucker!" taunted Bert, while the interchange of
blows now became fast and furious. "If there's anything you know
how to do in this game, let us see what it is! Trot it out!"

"I'll attend to my side of this match," said Dick quietly. "My
advice to you is that you keep quiet and save your wind for your
own protection."

"Bosh! You can't do anything to