But the blow did not fall. The fist
was knocked down, and a strong grasp on his shoulder turned him
half-round.

"Stop this!" came sternly from Frank Merriwell, who was also on his way
to the campus.

"Let me get at him!" Bart panted, trying to wrench away. "He ran into me
and tried to knock me down just now. I can't stand it! I won't stand
it!"

"Oh, let him come on!" the Westerner grated. "I've been aching for a
crack at him for a month! I'll polish him off in short order, if you
will just let him come on! He thinks because he knocked me out once that
he can do it again!"

"If you fellows are determined to fight, I'll arrange for you to get at
each other some time, but you are not going to fight here, and that is
flat!"

"Oh, well, let it go!" said Bart, with intense bitterness and disgust.
"I'll not trouble him here. But if we ever do come up against each
other, I'll hammer the life out of him!"

"I don't doubt you'd kill me if you could!" the Kansan sneered. "I
rather think you tried it the other day."

"What do you mean?" Bart demanded, again bristling. "Do you mean the
shell that blew up the gun?"

"It's strange you can guess so easy!" Badger insinuated.

"See here, Badger," said Frank, who had stepped between the
belligerents. "You insult me when you intimate that Bart knew anything
about that shell. That shell was slipped into my box by Morton Agnew. I
have discovered enough already to convince me of that. I saw him do
something to-day, too, which puts a big club into my hand!"

Badger's face changed, but he would not admit that he might be wrong in
laying the dastardly deed at the door of Bart Hodge.

"When you've got the proof, I'll look at it," he doubtingly remarked,
turning about.

"Oh, don't talk to him!" Hodge growled. "I wouldn't waste words on him."

"I'll hammer your face for this some day!" Badger panted, turning back.

"It's right here, ready for the hammering whenever you get ready to try
it!" Hodge snapped, and then moved away with Merriwell. Seeing that they
were heading toward the campus, the Westerner went now in a different
direction.

"I don't know why I should let Merriwell come in and interfere in that
way," he grumbled. "I allow that it really was none of his affair. But I
permitted him to order me to stand back, and I stood back. Of course,
I'm under obligations to him, and all that, and he said good words to
Winnie for me when I seemed to need them--but, hang it all! h