there is another man up in the
elm who can tell you!"

Badger did not wait for further nagging, and, as no hands were now
extended to oppose him, he made as hasty an exit as he could from the
midst of the shouting, laughing, howling throng.

"Heavens!" he thought. "I hope that neither Inza, nor Elsie, nor any of
my friends, saw that from the dormitory windows!"

Even in the midst of his rage against Pike, Badger was cut to the quick
by this thought, for he was filled with a foolish pride.

"I'll thump Pike a few extra for that!" he snarled, as he got out of the
crowd. His pulse was at fever-heat, and his face as hot as flame. He did
not feel the bruises and blows which had been showered on him.

"I reckon I'll not get close to him again for a week!" he grumbled. "Why
couldn't those ruffians attend to their own affairs and let me attend to
mine? I allow that it was none of their business whatever! This is my
trail, and I wasn't interfering none with their range. Confound the
luck! But when I do meet him I'll make him pay for it!"

But the Westerner was mistaken in one portion of his surmise. He met
Pike, or rather ran against him, at the first building he turned.

Donald had ventured back to see what had happened to his pursuer, and
was looking at the shouting tumult in the campus, and did not observe
Badger, who came along the walk close to the wall. The Kansan recognized
Pike first, and leaped at him with a snarl like that of an enraged
panther, and as he leaped he struck a blinding blow.

It knocked Donald backward, but it did not fall fairly enough to inflict
serious injury. The next moment Badger was on him, and had him by the
throat.

"By heavens! I've a notion to kill you right here!" he hissed, his
fingers closing on Pike's throat.

"Don't!" Pike pleaded, gasping out the appeal.

"You told Fairfax Lee that I was drunk when I went on the _Crested
Foam_. You scoundrel! You ruffian! You sneaking coyote!"

His fingers tightened with every exclamation.

"Don't kill me!" Pike begged wheezingly. "I'll go to him and take it all
back!"

"Then you did tell him? I allow I ought to kick you clean out of your
hide, you onery varmint!"

There was no answer, and Donald Pike, apparently ceasing to breathe,
fell back as limp as a rag.

A bit of reason began to glimmer into the brain of the Westerner. Though
he had asserted that he would almost kill Pike, he did not really intend
to do anything of the kind. He